Osborne counts herself lucky. She met her boyfriend, John Rothery, after his wife had left him for an online beau. Neither was looking for a relationship, but when Rothery messaged Osborne about an obscure reference to comedian George Carlin in her AOL profile, they had something to talk about. You go out to a bar and you meet a woman, you're looking at her, you're going on appearance before you even talk to her. Finding people online isn't just about romance.
Hobbyists keep in touch through newsgroups and chat rooms.
There's a community for everyone. You get to know a group of people. More than 500,000 people have signed up for its free, ad-supported services since they were offered a year ago. There are tons of dating sites out there. The pressure's off.