I thought I would try a little experiment -- I've been spending most of my time in Indiana the past month or so, so I figured I would change my search settings from a base point of Joliet, Illinois, to Crown Point, Indiana, keeping the search distance at 250 miles.

Then I clicked on Mutual Match to see if there would be a plethora of new "candidates." I wasn't sure what would happen, exactly, seeing as how Joliet really isn't all that far from Crown Point, but I thought it couldn't hurt to see the results.

It hurt.

I mean....ouch.

There is, of course, some overlap in the geography, but the new batch is, if anything, even less articulate and expressive than the old. I saw a profile that actually said "I don't like writing about myself, and I don't know what to write here, so if you want to know anything, you'll have to ask." Couldn't have scripted it better myself.

Lots of empty profiles, no summaries, not even anything under "Interests."

Lots of group pics. "There are six people in my pic, and I am one of them." Thanks.

I'm hoping this is a strictly localized phenomenon.

Since all of the interesting people I run across here seem to come from places like Ohio and Canada and New York and Michigan and Washington and various and sundry places not anywhere near Illinois/Indiana, I was thinking maybe it would be fun to check out profiles from those areas.

Couldn't get any worse.

Or could it....?

It could, you could end up with people from Mars

Lex! When are we going out?

What do you expect for free?

Not everyone is talented in the writing department. Why don't you email some of the women you are physically attracted to by their pic and start a conversation? Some people do really well that way. I know I had a very hard time knowing what to put on my profile. But, if someone emailed me I was very happy to engage in a discussion.

Don't get me wrong, I like you and everything, but I really think you could use a shave!

!YAY! for michigan!!!!!

Someone say Michigan??

My last 3 mutual match choices have been women in their early thirties, way out of my geographical serch area. How does this happen?

There seems to be this weird sort of Mingle-Nexus -- a disproportionate number of intelligent and interesting people seem to be centered in the Michigan-Ohio area....even some of the lurkers and non-posters are interesting....

You haven't subscribed to "Mutual Match Platinum"; just send me 100.00 USD (cash only) and I will activate your new "Mutual Match Platinum"! Then watch as the dates fly in!*

*These comments have not been verified by the FDA.

The way I understand it, the only way someone outside your search parameters can show up on your list is if she gives you a Yes or Maybe first. I get those all the time. Apparently, the Yes or Maybe selection overrides the distance criterion. Which could be an advantage, in the right situation.

I got a Mutual Match from some woman in Davao City, Davao del Sur.

I don't even know where the hell that is?

Tell me about it. When I stayed local...half of the profiles didn't even have a photo...and either didn't say ANYTHING about themselves or only boasted about their sexual prowess. So I went out with a couple of the select few with photos and reasonable descriptions..........

Let me just say that I had to go all the way to Elwood, Illinois to find a man actually worth dating.....

Just goes to show that you just never know where you'll find someone special......

"Fly in" like the flying monkeys from The Wizard of Oz??
No thanks.

lower michigan doesn't have anything better to do but be smart. However those in northern michigan have nothing better to do than drink!

Posts a sign "Welcome to Michigan"

hmmm..wait, they might have one of those already at the border. lol

speaking on the side of the ladies, i used to have a complete profile, lots of information, interests, thoughts, and ideas.

i found out, rather quickly, that many (most?) men didn't even bother to read what i'd written and just kept busy looking at the pictures.

i even tried removing the pictures, but they still wrote to me as if i hadn't written a thing. it was fairly obvious, by what they wrote, that they hadn't read a word.

so i just stopped writing. when i joined this site (albeit not looking to date any longer), i didn't bother with a detailed account. those who know me don't need to read a completed profile, and those who don't get a chance to learn about me via the forums.

perhaps some of these women are in the same situation? they just got tired of no one listening so stopped talking?

Ouch. Thanks Laura

Do TOO! We fish.