Internet romance

Is it possible? Do you guys believe in it?
I already mentioned how I fell in love with someone on line and was bitterly disappointed at the end.
I'm 49, she's 22 but we spent entire nights at times, (like 10 hours), chatting. We talked on the phone, exchanged letters, cammed each other, had cyber sex, I even sent her flowers 12.000 miles away. We swore eternal love, said all the usual things, how this was destiny, how we couldn't live without one another, how we dreamt all our lives to have a love as deep as ours was. This went on for months and I was in heaven and ready to drop everything and run to her.
Well, I found out that she's some kind of "cyber ****", who enjoys getting men all excited and told the same things to countless others. One went so far as to buy her a $6000.00 diamond ring because he too was convinced of her love.
This has all been proven because I've since met other "victims" of this girl. Even so, it's been 4 months and I still can't get her out of my mind, and I'm still upset with myself for falling so hard for her.
Not all my on line relationships have been as bad, though, but none of the other ones involved this intense desire that I had for Emily. I actually have met 3 women that I used to chat with and it was pretty cool, we had some fun, and became good friends.
At the beginning I was skeptical about Internet love, whether is possible to fall in love with someone without meeting them in person, or loking them in the eyes. I used to make fun of people that did, thought they were fools living in a fantasy world.
Then it happened to me!!
So, I guess I'd like to know how you guys feel about this subject and if you have similar stories. I'm sure some on line relationships have worked just fine, and I know people have actually married thru the net, but I believe that the great majority of cases have ended up in failure.

Well - this is how I feel.

1. Internet MEETING can be nice. You meet someone and might get to know them (if they are honest) before seeing them. It might be someone you might not approach if you were to see them on the street because they are "too pretty" to approach or "not quite" up to snuff in the looks department. This COULD enable you to meet someone and get to know them without bias or expectations.

2. Before taking anything to heart, however, I think someone should meet in person. I mean, not that meeting someone in the flesh is going to warrant trust or anything - just that they were willing to come to see you might mean that they have a "little" invested in you.

3. I would allow a broader time line of how the relationship progresses for an I/R than a "live" on. From what I've heard, things can move a little TOO quickly on the 'net. I mean, people can be a little more brazen and you're not really getting a full picture of what a person is like in the flesh.

Honestly, I like the old fashioned eye-catching-wow kind of pick up. I'm not sure I'd be into it, but that doesn't mean it can't work. I used to work with a girl who'd met her husband on the net. It's just a different forum, I guess.

Happy

but it's just not for me...but who knows what could happen. I've always been afraid of meeting people from the net...mainly b/c they can be anyone they want behind words on a screen....but who knows who they REALLY are....just my 2cents

Happy - that's great advice.

I've tried it, but it's not for me. I've found there to be far too many players. There are players in real life too - which is one reason I decided to start being more open minded about age and see who was interested in me, which is how my whole may-dec thing got started.

I think as long as you do what is comfortable for you and you are real, then you will be able to spot the right person for you.

~M