To elaborate on my stance, I guess I find it a bit sad when people have to actively search for that connection - be it a relationship or even just physical - rather than just letting life happen and those things being a part of it. It's not exclusively apps and sites I'd say that about, I feel the same about blind dates / setups / any active "love searching" I guess. I mean I understand why people do it, it just doesn't seem organic to me.
So like I said it's not even like I think Internet meeting is "sad" - I met my wife on a student forum, and we've been together 11 years - but neither of us were out there "looking for love". She actually had a boyfriend when we first started talking, and I was there to... Well... Borderline troll like I do here
. But we got talking a bit on good old MSN, ended up talking every day, had a vague plan to meet up travelling after uni... Eventually ended up so desperate to meet in person that we abandonned that plan and booked flights there and then
(she was on a year abroad in France).
But yeah... I know a few with similar stories - met on music forums, TV fan forums, etc. and that is still... I guess... A modern version of "normal". Just people interacting in everyday ways and finding connections. That's where the difference is, for me. I find it a bit bleak that people have to resort to "searching for someone" for emotional or physical intimacy.