Its personal

More generally, I have no idea about whether or not they lead to long- term relationships - depends where you advertise really.

I have nevah bought this magazine by the way. There is generally a copy in McDonalds though! Urgh! Sex personals. Gross. Ew.

Do the personals in Private Eye work ie "I am a pov here are my bank account details please put money in it NOW rich people"?

F, 16, seeks sensitive boy to take to share in neon loneliness. Likes writing poetry, no fakes, North Wales.

I don't remember that Jonnie, it might have been.

Okay, despite the rather sneery tone of many posters here, I'll talk about online personal ads. My marriage ended last August. I thought about my options: I don't meet new people through work, my friends are more hopeless for fixing anyone up than you could begin to imagine, etc. Options included bars, clubs, etc.: but I didn't think that an initial impression based on looks was favourable to me (= I'm not at all good looking), nor did it look likely to offer a good chance of finding someone compatible. I'm demanding: I need someone intelligent and interesting, as non-negotiable requirements.

I looked at some online dating sites (you put up your ad, write in response to others' ads, etc.), and decided this was perfect: yes, there will be a small photo with the ad sometimes, and otherwise they are generally exchanged early on. But the emphasis is on what someone says, what they're interested in, what kind of person they are. It seems to me that a small photo, a written statement then a series of exchanged emails is a great way of deciding whether someone might suit you. I've met a few women through this, and have had no bad experiences and lots of good ones, including two girlfriends for a couple of months each. I recommend these sites without reservations - the best free ones (in case anyone is tempted and doesn't wish to ask) are Midsummer's Ever, Love and Friends and the imaginatively named Dating Agency.

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