Am I the only guy on this entire site that is....

Indeed, people can change their minds. Once you grow up and hold a job, I find it's significantly more challenging to have a conversation outside of work about stuff of interest if people in your field of work don't share said interest. Also High School friends have all dispersed and time zones don't match up and interests fade. So yeah, I'm here because it seems like there's some decent conversation to be had!

I joined this site because its hard for me to make friends outside - whether it be a friend or a date it hard for me to get either. Atleast here I know I am among like-minded people and won't be judged too harshly for liking anime. Im very shy so that doesnt work in my favor outside either. I have a hard time speaking to people to the point of it causing my body to shake a little because I start to get anxious and stress over a simple greeting...

@aiairuene I agree with you on the talk on here. @ fullmetal Oh sorry to hear that. I dont shake or anything but I cant make eye contact what so ever and I have speech problems around others who are not like me. Something I am working on. Still this site has been a gift for me and I thank the person that made it.

I think places like this are great for meeting people. One of the cool things about forums is that it's a little easier for everyone to let loose and speak their mind than in person. You're right about growing up and holding a job aiairuene. College itself can possibly do that too, unless you're living in the dorms. But then people in that situation tend to get caught up in the partying in which there's no shortage of "friends" or easy sex (act now and get a FREE STD!). I ended up so busy with school and finally work that I just didn't have time for anyone but close family. I've still got old friends I keep in touch with once in a while, but we're not real close anymore. If you don't keep your high school buddies it can be tough to make new friends outside of outlets like this. Work can quickly become the main point of social contact, unless you frequent clubs or parties and the like (in which case why are you on a dating site?). Friendships and relationships generally require some sort of proximity and/or frequent exposure to happen. Without some sort of social outlet, it's easy to lose touch with people. Forums like this are a great way for connecting people via particular interests, as opposed to simple proximity. If you think about it, the odds of any people on here actually meeting in person would be fairly slim, but this forum makes that possible. There could be 20 people in my apartment complex with similar interests or who are relationship material that I'll probably never meet, since we're either inside our apartments, at work, at school, running errands, traveling, or whatever else. And there's literally nothing but one wall between us! I believe that at some point not only relationships but even friendships will be primarily formed online, as it's easy access for anyone and everyone and helps people to categorize themselves so that you can find people of similar interests or mindsets. In person, you're really taking a chance because you just don't know what a person is like until you get to know them. For some people, it was already too late at that point and sometimes there can be rather devastating consequences for getting close to the wrong people. I wouldn't say a place like this is 100% free of that possibility, but certainly not as up to chance as meeting people in person at random.