An amusing article in the Guardian this morning asks the question "How did dating get to be such a dirty word?" It asks at what point we stopped seeing people on a casual basis, and makes the interesting suggestion that we return to the traditions of calling cards (as in, cards with our name and contact info, perhaps monogrammed and/or perfumed, to be given to people we should like to get to know better), and the tradition of dance cards, where we go to a party and make a list of the people we shall dance with, with no more than one or two dances per person (and no waltzing for the young ladies!). The author cheekily notes "think how much time you could have saved in past relationships if you'd seen right from the start how the other person danced". It is interesting to note, as the author does, that this is very reminiscent of speed-dating....

Eureka!!!! I think this is what I've been waiting for all my life -- a return to "old ways" of dating. Maybe this will take care of all the dating/relationship problems I had in the past!!!!

"[Y]ou read your CVs out to each other and, basically, to quote one of my friends, 'You sell yourself like you're selling your apartment.'" - This statement almost made me fall out of my chair laughing. It's brilliant! In a way, it almost extends to building new relationships even of the platonic sort. What are you likely to start with? Current occupation (or classes, for us students), where you live (in general), maybe an interest or two (extracurriculars). [Start new paragraph here; line breaks created with Enter are ignored.] I remember reading about a dating service - it was either speed dating or lunchtime meetings, I forget which - where you were actually forbidden to talk about work. The point was to get past that into what the person is about. It's an interesting idea.

speed dating, i have heard, forbids job talk. which apparently makes it quite difficult for some....

I'm shocked!! No one made any sarcastic remarks about me having lots of problems (beyond this) in my dating history! *laugh* I'm disappointed!!!!!

I think we refrain from comments out of self-preservation. Whoever does so would become the next target! :)