Leaving OkCupid

      It is refreshing to be done with my Cybersubculture project because I didn't like being so integrated into a community I didn't believe in. I also felt as if I was deceiving people and felt like a voyeur taking advantage of their community. In summary, I really enjoyed the capacity for online dating to introduce me to people I would never otherwise encounter, but disliked the comprehensive nature of creating a profile. I felt as if the profile was too much, and the website demands too much interaction which does not actually contribute to a good understanding of who that person is. 

     Now, however, I do not feel it is intentional that people misrepresent their identity. In fact, I think most members are genuinely motivated by the desire to find a mate, and misrepresenting oneself does not foster a good relationship. I think most people know that too. I do worry about predatory members that manipulate the website and people desperate for affection to seek unwholesome things like cheap sex or a free ride. Based on the nature of the website, and the commitment necessary to be a thriving member, I do not think these people make-up a very large portion of the population. 

     Despite all the research I did about people I really don't think I got a very good idea of who they are from their profile, and I would have to take it into real life to have a better understanding of the members.