Yes. They are things that "matter". For some people they're dealbreakers and for some people they're just preferences.

A girl that lives in my neighborhood is better than one that lives in another city or country. Unless you like travel and other cultures I see no reason to go LDR apart from desperation and not being able to find someone local. The same can be the case if you date outside your prefered age range.

I didn't come on here intending to look for a LDR but you can get to know people on the forums here and start to entertain ideas about getting together with them. If you find yourself doing something like that though it's most likely the case that it is because you aren't getting any dates and it is desperation. I've had what you might call crushes for women on the internet that I've never even met but soon forgotten about them as soon as somebody local that wanted to date me came along.

There are many people who have successfully made a match from online dating sites from different parts of the world. The world is becoming a smaller place now. Anyone can meet from anywhere and have success stories. At one time, people were restricted to having relationships within a 10 block radius. Now, the sky's the limit, with a higher potential of finding your true match by expanding your horizons and not being stuck in a restrictive zone. Desperation is perceived only if you are desperate. I call it expanding your selection.