Anyone ever used these sites (eharmony,match,etc.)? What are your thoughts? Recommendations? I'm pretty tired of the bar scene right about now and my friends aren't pulling their weight setting me up.

I have a few friends who use them often. And a coworker.

They go on a lot of dates. I don't know any of them that 'met their match' yet.

But if I were single, I'd use it as another avenue. Especially in my area... I can't imagine being single here.

eharmony i tried out when I was at my heaviest weight - now i've pretty much give up on ever dating again.

I bought into the advertising on eharmony how you're matched based on personality... yeah right..

Shallowness rules...

maybe it was my geographic area.. or age group or whatever.. but i came across virtually no one in 6 months that wanted to procede to the next level of questions without a picture..

match.com - eh - give good ad and you might get results... but there's a lot more men than women out there so you're ad better be good ...

its all just a cash grab try the 100% free dating site plentyoffish

Poem found in "Maxwell's Elementary Grammar" school book copyright 1904.

"Oho!' said the pot to the kettle;
"You are dirty and ugly and black!
Sure no one would think you were metal,
Except when you're given a crack."

"Not so! not so! kettle said to the pot;
" 'Tis your own dirty image you see;
For I am so clean -without blemish or blot-
That your blackness is mirrored in me"

OkCupid is free. A friend met a few people through it.

I talked to a few people, but never wanted to take it to anything further. I should note that I was too self conscious to approach anyone, so I was just talking to people who contacted me.

I'd have to agree.

This is one of the biggest marketing scams on the web.
You have more chance of finding someone at the supermarket or in church!

My advice would be stop looking, then something will happen.

I am pretty sure your chances of meeting someone on a dating site is better than a supermarket. On a dating site, people are there to find dates. Peopel do meet on match.com and eharmony. I know of two people couples who met on eharmony and my friend met a few people from match.com. She didn't develop any relationships, but did go on dates.

If people goto dating sites they generally are having troubel meeting people in other places.

Way back in the day before this fancy interweb thingy I used a dating type service over the phone. This was in 95-96? I met a pretty decent girl that I dated for a few years. We moved in together, hung out with each others parents all the good stuff.. Didn't work out in the end tho..

I met a lot of stuck up people and a few skanks but it was pretty fun. I would totally use an online dating service if I were single now.

That's pretty cool advice.

I'm probably what you'd call a New-Agey-hippie type so this might not come as a surprise, but I'd say
1. Work on your own happiness, alone and out of relationship
2. Elevate your skills in whatever arena you enjoy most
3. Focus on family and friendship relationship dynamics
4. Love yourself dearly, even if it takes you getting off your butt and doing charity work
5. Focus on fitness and body/mind/soul connection
6. Put loads of positivity and love into the universe

Hmm, if you do all that, I guarantee that an awesome individual will fall into your lap once you forget to look/pine for it

Thing is I haven't really been actively looking. It's just at my job I don't really meet a lot of people my age, or even close and I really don't like picking up women at bars. Most of my friends just go out and get wasted at bars. I'm beginning to realize it's not the most attractive or effective technique. Basically right now I would rather got out to a coffee shop and talk with someone and maybe get a drink somewhere later than get wasted at a bar with my friends, that's pretty much where I'm at.

Fishing off the company pier is never a wise thing to do...

Beer goggles can make anyone look better, smarter, richer, etc...

Find something you enjoy doing -take a class, volunteer at some activity, do something.. and see what happens -worst case you'll get some new skill and get some good karma points for the volunteering

I have thought of volunteering, just figuring out where. What would give me the best odds to meet people my age?

Reminds me of the episode of "Always Sunny In Philadelphia" where the guys volunteer at the Planned Parenthood to pick up chicks

VolunteerMatch - Where Volunteering Begins has lots of opportunities - both one time events as well as longer term commitments...

Pick what appeals to you...

I agree with this. Really good advice, Although most of the time it is easier said than done (for me at least!).

As to the subject. I mainly dated people I met off the internet, through video games though. Turned into long distance things, It was a lot of trouble that I am pretty sure after the last situation I went / kind of still going through- I will stay clear of meeting people via the net. lol

I did meet someone through Plenty of fish. He lived here locally- we dated, we just weren't compatible. He was a cool guy though.