Here’s what the director says about it-”A small-town, home-schooled Christian boy from Illinois takes a risk, Facebook messaging a beautiful New York City art student from Korea. They strike up a correspondence via email, chat and Skype that starts to feel like real love. After one year of a constant connection online, they decide to meet in person to see if their relationship can survive IRL.”

Here is the trailer-

Click here to view the embedded video.

Love it!  See, I spend so much time writing about online dating and helping  my friends and readers find love online, but I still feel like there is some sort of online dating stigma floating around.  It’s almost like relationships built online are sterile, and somehow a bit less…less romantic, less meaningful, less authentic than relationships that began offline.

And I’m calling bullshit. Meeting someone online is as romantic, meaningful and authentic as meeting them in real life, sometimes even more so.  I think that’s what fascinates me so much about this documentary-it shows another side of online relationships that we aren’t used to being privy too.  Meeting a guy in person who  I’ve been talking to online for a week is nerve racking, let alone an entire year.  I can’t imagine what that would feel like, but luckily the couple in the film saved every bit of their communication, so we get to see the relationship develop step by step.

I write a lot of posts warning you about the negative things that can happen online-we want you to be safe, both physically and emotionally.  We want you to keep your guard up and play the game the right way, and be strong independent and fierce.  But sometimes, it’s good to be reminded of the warm, fuzzy, romantic stuff that convinced all of us to put up profiles in the first place, to open ourselves up digitally, and to hit “reply.”

A reminder that it can work out, that magic can happen, and that love is everywhere.

Especially online.

Do you want to see this film? Is it possible to fall in love without meeting in person?

Online Dating Documentary-XOXOSMS is a post from the: WeLoveDates online dating blog

We’ve all been there.

You’ve been emailing back and forth with a guy for weeks and finally have plans to meet up for dinner. His messages are well-written and witty. He doesn’t use text abbreviations and keeps the emoticons to a minimum. You can tell that he’s confident and articulate, and his pictures are great also. You have butterflies in your stomach as you wait at the bar for him to show up.

And then it’s awkward.

That charming wordsmith is fumbly in person. His smooth online conversation skills don’t translate into face-to-face contact and you realize very quickly that the evening is going to be an uphill battle. Here are a few ways to keep the night from completely self-destructing.

Be Polite.

No matter how boring/quirky/rude/awkward your date is, do your best to be polite. Keep your phone in your purse, continue with the conversation, and fake it like you’re having fun. I know it’s not fun, but everyone can force a smile and civil conversation for an hour, right?

(Exception: If he’s rude to you or extremely offensive, feel free to politely excuse yourself. No one should have to put up with that abuse!)

Keep it Short.

No need to try that delicious looking dessert tonight, right? Save it for another night and come back with your girlfriends. Try to find the balance of moving things along without rushing it.

Keep it to Yourself.

A girlfriend of mine went on a date with someone who told her – to her face – that she must have been really photogenic based on her pictures. Really? There’s no need to address the fact that the other person wasn’t what you were expecting. You don’t know this person and don’t really need to practice your Radical Honesty philosophy on a near stranger. They might not be what you expected, but save those thoughts for your girlfriends when you talk to them later!

Move On.

One date does not a relationship make. If you’re wondering how to let him down easy, forget it. Just stop texting, stop emailing and move on. If he managed to miss the memo and is still interested, a simple “Thank you, but I just wasn’t feeling it” should suffice.

Have you ever been caught off guard on a date? How did you deal with it?

How To: Handle a Date Gone Wrong is a post from the: WeLoveDates online dating blog

In person, it’s fairly easy to spot a player.  The smooth operator at the club, the guy who has impeccable style and oozes confidence when he asks for your number…players generally abide by a certain m.o.  Online it’s a different story.  If you can’t see him, how can you tell if you’re being played?

He’s Always Online-Every time you log on, there he is! Middle of the night, early in the morning, all day during work hours… It could just be a coincidence, or he could be camping out online in an attempt to meet as many women as possible.  Online  players love attention, so why would they want to chat with one girl if they could be talking to six or seven?

He Writes Form Emails-Have you ever received an email that just seems too perfectly composed with 3-4 paragraphs listing his likes and dislikes, hopes and dreams?  The whole thing seems so fake…probably because it is.  I received an email like this once and promptly shot off an annoyed “Wow, that was original” response.  The guy in question emailed me again and said he didn’t have time to write out personalized emails to girls online.  So, he was telling me I wasn’t worth an email yet he still wanted my number?  No thanks…I’ll wait for a guy who can write an email to me, not to the masses.

His Profile Is Perfect-Perfectly witty, intelligent, with perfectly composed photos and a silly, yet charming headline.  Most guys I know have absolutely no clue what the hell to say in their online dating profile, so when I see a profile that is too perfect and contrived, I raise a red flag.  No, a guy shouldn’t be punished for being well spoken and eloquent, but it begs the question-what is he trying to prove?

He Never Wants To Meet (In real life)-Getting an online player to step away from his macbook and hang out in the real world is next to impossible.  Why would he want to put himself out there, when he’s safe in his internet playin bubble.  It all goes back to attention-players crave it, and if he can get it from the comfort of his own home, he’s not going to meet you.  Plus, he’s not in it for a real life connection or relationship.  He just needs a little ego boost, and he’s perfectly ok with keeping it virtual.

How To Spot an Online Dating Player is a post from the: WeLoveDates online dating blog

Yes, it’s true-online dating can be done from the comfort of your own home, while you lay on the couch in your comfy clothes and watch reruns of Gossip Girl, drinking wine straight from the bottle.  Or is that just me?   Regardless, online dating might seem “easier” than traditional dating, but it still takes work and effort.  Just like anything else, you really do get out of it as much as you put in to it.

If you throw up an unflattering, old and grainy photo from 1997, barely take the time to fill in your interests and what you’re looking for, and don’t bother to check the few words you do write for grammar errors, you shouldn’t be surprised when you don’t get many emails, or if the ones you do get are from less than quality people.  Online dating isn’t magic-you have to do more than just put up  any old profile.  If you came across a profile like that, would you be interested?

Not so much.

Think of your profile as an advertisement-for YOU.  Highlight your positives, and put some effort into it!  I personally think a profile with too much information is better than one with too less.  If you’re passionate about something, show it.  If you’ve got a great smile, put up your best pictures.  However, if you’ve got six pack abs, keep them under wraps…literally.  Nothing is creepier than those guys flexing their muscles in the mirror photos.

Once you’ve got your profile up to par, use it!  Just like any other social networking site, you have to engage to reap the benefits of the social network. Don’t be shy, or discouraged if you send out an email and don’t get a response.  When I was first online dating, I sent a “wink” to this really hot guy-and he wrote back and said “No thanks.”  I was crushed and mortified-until I checked my inbox and I had tons of emails waiting from other guys.  I forgot about him pretty fast.

That’s the best thing about online dating-there will always be someone new.  New profiles, new dates, new love.  Making the most out of your online dating profile and interactions sets you up to get the most out of your online dating experience, meaning more and more dates and more chances to meet you’re Mr. Right. OR Mr. Right now.

How To Get A Date Online is a post from the: WeLoveDates online dating blog

Image credit: Flickr

1. Zombies don’t take good dating photos – As everyone knows, a picture tells a thousand stories, and those profiles with photos get three times the response that a profile without a photo would get. The Living Dead do not photograph well. Probably a better idea is to go out on blind dates. However, take the precaution of ensuring that the blind date is not accompanied by her guide dog. Guide dogs have been known to nip romance in the butt.
2. Zombies are not particularly adept in their body movements. This, naturally, affects their ability to type text. In the past, there have been serious issues when Zombie ads accidently spelt ‘love’ as ‘live’. There have been some serious misunderstandings.
3. Immortal life means they seek partners over 100 years old! Perhaps, the strongest point that the Living Dead have due to their immortal life span is that they offer undying love. All dating site search engines limit age searches to 100 years, thereby not permitting the Living Dead to search for partners that are over 100 years old. Zombies would probably do better to search for mates by attending costume parties, Comic Con, Zombie marches, Halloween parties, Disneyland, masquerades, or even joining a circus.
4. More often than not, Zombies have felt discriminated against on various dating sites. This is because they are constantly blocked and, eventually, asked to leave the site. While it is admirable that their honesty leads them to state that a change of status may result from meeting with dates, generally people on dating sites do not attribute the same meaning to this phrase as Zombies do.
5. First dates: feeding’ isn’t quite the same thing as eating out – Zombies have some difficulty in providing accurate descriptions of themselves for some of the profile questions on dating sites. When asked what they enjoy doing on first dates, ‘feeding’ isn’t quite the same thing as eating out, and describing oneself as ‘eternally young’ can be something of a misnomer. Dates have been known to be less than happy when meeting a member of the Living Dead for the first time.
6. Risk of electrocution from computer – Perhaps, the most deadly (excuse the pun) misunderstanding for Zombies attempting Internet Dating is that computers and Zombies share the same Life Force and are, therefore, potential partners. This has resulted in severe electrocution for Zombies when attempting to make love.
7. All species have different mating rituals. The particular ritual in which Zombies post photos of their various close encounters of the third kind has been less than popular. Many dating sites now forbid these photos and as this mating ritual is essential to Zombie courtship, it’s a mute point whether there is any benefit to be had by joining one.
8. Cyber dating is not the same as hibermating. While Zombies may sleep for six months of the year, internet dating has more to do with a method of meeting a member of the opposite sex than with sleeping for six months. For hibernating venues, it’s best to go to use the classified ads section of your local newspaper to see if there are any sleeping parties going on.
9. Zombie’s come in herds – Dating websites do not provide the facilities for Zombies to suitably introduce the entire herd of the Living Dead who will accompany them to their first date. This means that Zombies cannot present themselves in the best possible light, therefore leading to a loss of potential dates.
10. Lastly, Internet Dating sites can be particularly addictive to the Living Dead, and addiction has been known to kill. The recent headline news that a Zombie had returned to life as a result of being alone with his computer (apparently unable to leave the dating site he was a member of) for three months is not good news for Zombies! If the search for love leads to a resurgence in being alive, dating sites need to be avoided at all costs!

Ten Reasons Zombies shouldn’t use Internet Dating! is a post from the: WeLoveDates online dating blog