Emotional Technology?

I'm done with internet contacts. Even though I never got into it in the first place.

I don't want to judge, but sometimes it just appears so tacky, so contrived, so... fake. I understand there is a constituency for this, and it the anonymity and perceived security of it all allows guys to make moves they would never be able to make in real life. I also understand that this is the way to meet people if you live in a small town or somewhere out in the remote countryside.

And I must admit I've made use of this feature as well. In my mom's tiny village, I couldn't help but wonder where the nearest gay lived. I just had to find out, and did: 4.5 km away. I was just curious, the out life in the country is by no means impossible but very hard to imagine, even though the countryside's increasing tolerance make it ever more fashionable a place to settle down in, especially with the increasing aggression in places like Amsterdam.

But once you have had a taste of the real thing, of actually going out there, and meeting people without electronic help, I feel there's no more need for internet dating, even though I'm always willing to meet interesting new people, in any possible way.

I've started to remove people from my contacts list. However, this little convo I had on Friday night really cemented my decision.

Him: Hi there.
Me: Hi.
Him: Man, are you as horny as I am?
Me: [Considering I was about to go out] Only a little.
Him: I'm sitting here with a huge boner. [This I did not want to contemplate]
Him: Do you have a web cam?
Me: No, I'm not really into internet jerk-offs and such. :-)
[No response to that one]

This from a highly-qualified postgraduate with a well-paid job, but also a guy too scared to join me for a beer in town. I've had it with this tacky crap: I'm willing to talk to almost anyone, but I'm not going to jerk off in front of a camera. I never have and never will.