We're moving!

UPDATE: We're up and running, come see us!

Hey Macon Love bloggers,

Starting today, we're moving to a new Web address. Now, you'll be able to find us at www.macon.com/maconlove. You'll still be able to find all our old posts here at blogger, but for anything new, you'll have to visit the new site.

I hope all of you come down and check it out. As always, we welcome your comments.

See you at macon.com!

Rose

The name says it all

Since we're about to head into a Labor Day weekend, I figured that I would do a light-hearted blog on online dating nicknames.

Before we get into some of the interesting ones I have encountered, here's a little advice on selecting a good profile name.

Now on to some interesting ones I have encountered over my online dating history (I literally do save some of the more interesting ones for my amusement.)

Maconsbigmember: I don't know if this is a reference to the guy's size or if he is referencing body parts. Maybe he's "big" on being a "member" of many organizations. I don't know. Either way, something told me I didn't want to find out.

Babyboy1960: Ok, anyone who reads this blog knows I don't do older men. So when I saw a photo of someone who was obviously born in 1960 calling himself baby boy, I had to laugh. Not only that, he was dressed as thought the Warner Robins Police Department could charge him using that new sagging pants ordinance they passed.

CrazymanXX: I've actually seen several variations of and wonder if the guy was trying to attract PsychoChickXX. This profile name screams "back away from the computer screen." But hey, if you're willing to acknowledge it and accept it....

What's the craziest online dating profile name you've encountered? What effect does a dating profile name have on your chances of responding? What effort do you put into creating an online dating name, if any?

Dating guys in 'guyland'

Education reporter Julie Hubbard writes over at The Report Card blog about a new phenomenon among young men that I think applies to many of us dating them. It's called getting stuck in "guyland" -- that gray area in between adolescence and adulthood, mainly between ages 16 and 26.

It's an idea brought about by author Michael Kimmel in his book "Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men." The idea interested me, so I googled the topic and found this excerpt from the book.

The gist of the book is this:

Today, many of these young men, poised between adolescence and adulthood, are more likely to feel anxious and uncertain. In college, they party hard but are soft on studying. They slip through the academic cracks, another face in a large lecture hall, getting by with little effort and less commitment. After graduation, they drift aimlessly from one dead-end job to another, spend more time online playing video games and gambling than they do on dates (and probably spend more money too), "hook up" occasionally with a "friend with benefits," go out with their buddies, drink too much, and save too little. After college, they perpetuate that experience and move home or live in group apartments in major cities, with several other guys from their dorm or fraternity. They watch a lot of sports. They have grandiose visions for their futures and not a clue how to get from here to there. When they do try and articulate this amorphous uncertainty, they're likely to paper over it with a simple "it's all good."

I know guys like this, heck, I know some women (gals?) like this. I'm sure you do too. It's partially evidenced in the fact that we all date casually more and marry later in life.

Do you see guys stuck in guyland? Does it make it harder for you to find someone who you want to settle down with? Have you ever been ready for a "grown up" relationship while your guy was not?

To point out the flaws or not to point out the flaws?

Here's the scenario:

You've gone out with someone three times. Each date is a disaster partially because your date has some personality traits that are undesirable by almost anyone's standards (cheapskate, arrogant, etc.). Yet, this person thinks there is nothing wrong and continues to pursue you with zeal.

So you have finally determined that you don't want to see the person anymore. The person is still calling you and texting you and you are stuck with the task of letting them down. The question now is how and what you should say.

With option one, you would just say you are no longer interested and say something like there was just no chemistry. With option two, you might consider making the person aware of their personal flaws because, in your mind, this is a service to all potential suitors for the person.

Which option would you choose? When you decide to stop dating someone, do you believe they need a full-blown explanation? Which factors do you believe play a role in selecting your options?