planning mode
dating scene
In today’s fast paced and electronic world of downloadable music, plasma televisions, and robotic vacuums it is easy to be intimidated by something as personal and human as dating. The people that you meet may not be who they seem.
The cute guy you met at the gym could have a secret life. The handsome usher from church might be dabbling in the occult. Or worse, the Adonis from the bookstore could already have his Aphrodite. Luckily there is a way to excavate information that can give you the peace of mind you need to safely proceed into the exciting world of the 2nd date with your new guy.
Once reserved for work related inquiries such as zip codes for clients in Tucson, your friendly computer search engine is now your greatest asset in the often-scary world of new dating. A quick click can reveal a multitude of transgressions.
Before you get trigger-happy inputting the names of every guy you have ever dated, you should be prepared for what could be out there. The easiest way to get a grasp on what sort of foibles end up on the internet is to do a search for your own name. If you have a common name you will find many hits and most will have nothing to do with you. There could be a couple in Berlin that happen to have a puppy with your name. Nothing highlights the randomness of the world like an internet search engine.
Now that you have braced yourself for arbitrary results that a search engine can yield you should be ready for your first peek into the life of your crush. Unless your guy is a celebrity of sorts, chances are you won’t find many specific hits. What you may find are old sports stats from his baseball playing years at University. Or perhaps you will find his name listed as a groomsman in a wedding. Even more typical would be an announcement of a particular achievement at his job.
However, there are obvious red flags that can materialize in an internet search. What you don’t want to find are newspaper articles that highlight a recent appearance to a charity benefit made by your handsome crush and his even more stunning wife. Maybe you stumble across a transcript from a basement pod cast by your guy and the subject matter shocks you. Personal Blogs or websites can reveal more information than you ever wanted to know about your crush. Everything from his appetite to big-busted cartoons to his innermost feelings about the last girl he dated is on display for strangers (and you) to gawk at.
Whether or not you own up to your internet search is up to you. Most people have no clue what dirt is out there waiting to be unearthed. Before you kick a new guy to the curb or anonymously e-mail his Mother the link to his blog, consider being up front about your sleuthing. Odds are he has done a search on you as well and may have his own bag of questions.
