Online dating is popular. Or at least you'd think so, what with all the Web sites dedicated to it. I personally don't know of anyone who has found love through an online dating service (or at least anyone who's even admitted to it or to being a member of one).

That's not to say that lots of folks haven't found love — or at least lust — online.

Enter MySpace (again; yes, I'm on a rant) and other similar networking sites. As I've said, it's a great place to keep in touch with old friends and new ones, blah, blah, blah. But a lot of people are doing more than working nets.
They're casting them.

You know who they are (you may be one of them): The ones whose profiles specifically say that they're just there for “friends, networking” but confess to having a new online crush every other week. Or the ones who initiate “friendship” and then let on that they definitely want to be more than friends, but whose profiles clearly read “networking.”

Maybe that's what these crazy kids are calling it nowadays.

Has anyone else had this happen, or is it just me? Granted, I only recently succumbed to the MySpace pressure and started a page — so I by no means know its dark ins and outs — but I've conducted an informal poll, and the results show that out of every 50 profiles viewed, maybe one will confess to being open to “dating and serious relationships.”

Something's not adding up, folks.

Let me clarify: I don't think there's anything wrong with surfing for love.

If you're trying to find your soul mate — or just a weekend fling — the Internet surely broadens your access and boosts your chances for success.
But it's mildly amusing that, as fashionable as online dating seems to be in today's culture, few people actually will admit that that's what they're really looking for, even when their pages are plastered with hints, hooks and bait.

Yes, online dating is scary and sometimes even dangerous, especially on sites like MySpace that aren't specifically designed for that purpose and don't filter out marrieds, pervs and crazies.

But do we send mixed signals because we're embarrassed? Do we think a digital declaration of our quest for companionship makes us look desperate?

OK, I'm sorta guilty. My profile says “friends, networking,” and though I don't go trolling through profiles to hit up some cute guy with a “friend” request, if he comes to me, who am I to deny what may very well be destiny?
For instance, in my last column, I mentioned having met a really cute and cool guy. We've moved on to pretty frequent phone conversations. And sooner than later, we'll meet up in a neutral location and hope the other person's not a serial killer.

But trust me, it won't be a date. We'll be networking.