Pt 2-A Male's Perspective on Internet Dating

You always have to get two or more sides to any situation or any hot topic out there!! So of course it's only fair to hear a Male’s Perspective so I decided to interview a fellow blogger Marcus Langford on his experience.

Marcus is a 29 year old African American Male residing in Washington DC. He is architectural designer by profession, the founder of Langford Internetprises and author of 'Mind of Marcus'.

Now lets find out what Internet Dating is all about from Marcus' Perspective!

JW: "When did you begin internet dating, how long have you been doing it and why did you become interested in it?"

ML: "I began Internet dating back in 2001. After I split from my ex-wife, I went to the Internet to find my next date and it proved successful. I didn't join any dating sites, I simply joined a social networking site [BlackPlanet.com]. Since I don't like to go out and meet women, the Internet was an easy way to meet women of interest."

JW:"How many women have you met in person and how did you feel during your first date ever?"

ML: "I have actually met several women in person from the Internet, but I didn't date all of them; that wasn't necessarily the goal in mind. The majority of them are current friends of mine. Two of them, I dated for some period of time, but eventually we went our separate ways. The first date I had with with a young lady from the Internet was pretty cool; casual with no pressure."

JW: "What are some of the essential aspects of someone's profile that you look out for and why?"

ML:"Her pictures and what she is about. I want to know if she is goal oriented and focused on meeting those goals. I want to know if she is health driven and/or athletic. I want to know what she feels about family and if she has a good relationship with hers. Also knowing if she has children of her own helps to know what type of woman she is. I want to know about her common interest and what she enjoys to do. All of these things and more are important to me because I have to feel out whether or not she is worth pursuing based on what her profile offers at face value."

JW:"What are some of the challenges that you face during the entire process?"

ML:"Each situation has presented their own problems. The last relationship, the biggest challenge was the distance because I lived in D.C. and she lived in Oklahoma City. In general, meeting and dating a woman from the Internet is not going to be much different than finding a woman in a bar and dating her. Women are women and challenges are challenges and things don't change much from the norm."

JW:"How long did your relationships last?"

ML:"One of the relationships lasted for about four months. The most recent relationship lasted for about 18 months; we split up this past March. Surprisingly, the relationship that lasted the shortest period of time was the one that hurt me more emotionally when it was over, more than likely because there was so much more that was invested in that relationship and there was a small child involved that I grew to love and care for. So yeah, it took a lot out of me."

JW:"Do you feel that everyone should give it a try and if so what advice would you give to a 1st timer?"

ML:"If people are tired of trying to meet a good man or woman at a club, bar, or lounge and the folks in church just aren't doing it for you, then the Internet is the next best thing. However, do not pay for these dating sites because they are a waste of time. Social networks and even blogs are a good way to network with some pretty decent women and men. But be yourself and do not try to impress someone with a bunch of lies that you can not back up because there is a good chance that could come back to bite you in the behind down the road if not sooner."

JW:If you've been internet dating for more then 5yrs how has it changed, if at all, over time?

ML:"The technology has become better and makes is easier for us to meet new and interesting people, other than that not much has changed in the past five years, because the people are still the same. "

JW:"Lastly, any funny stories you would like to share about internet dating?"

ML:"I went on a blind date via the Internet one time. As I mentioned, seeing a picture or two is important to me. This one time I decided to go against my rule and when I met her in person and she got out of her car, I felt like 'Smokey' on 'Friday'. LOL! Never again did I make that mistake."

Marcus I'd like to say a Special Thanks for sharing your experience with us!!

What type of impression has Marcus left on how you feel about internet dating??

Was there anything you found to be interesting about the information he provided?


Do you have any more questions you'd like to ask him?

Internet Dating Part 1

As Carla gets herself ready for her date she starts to panic! She starts to wonder “Omgoodness I can’t believe I’m doing this!! I never thought I’d do this! What if he’s disappointed when he sees me? What if he looks like a troll? Maybe I shouldn’t go…..” Carla convinces herself to take the plunge and go through with the date. This may be her opportunity to make a connection with someone great. Why pass it up just because of how she met the guy? She hops in her car and starts heading towards the coffee shop. She pulls into the parking lot, takes one last look at her face and hair and says, “Ok girl, it’s now or never….” As she walks into the coffee shop she spots Marcel at the table by the window and tells herself “Let’s seeing if internet dating is for me..”

Internet dating has become the next best thing when trying to broaden your chances on meeting someone new. Seems like technology plays a part in every aspect of our lives these days. I remember going over to my cousins house as they invited tons of friends over just to hangout. It was the perfect way of meeting “a friend of a friend” in the most comfortable situation. Why comfortable? Their family of 3 girls and 2 boys ALWAYS had people hanging out or coming over for special events. Sometimes at these get togethers, people would often see each other more than once and you can certainly get the 411 about someone in a matter of a couple of minutes. The beauty of these house parties is that there was no pressure or rush to get all the facts you needed in a short amount of time.

NOW things are different. People go out more. They may go to a bar/clubbing hoping they’ll find the one there, you may find someone at work, or other venues that we often frequent like the grocery store. However, we have this wonderful thing at home called a computer that makes everything easy! Shoot I’d order me a man in a second if it were that easy! But the closest thing we could get to ordering a mate is internet dating. You search through profiles hoping to find a connection. Most of us are too busy to be social and go out, so we miss out on opportunities to meet someone special ( I’m so guilty of being a home body lol) The internet brings your options right to your computer screen. How convenient! It’s perfect right?

What were your first impressions of internet dating?
Have you tried it?
Would you try it and Why?

This topic will have more than one part to it so stay tuned! Thanks for reading!