This story is pretty disturbing -- some rapists are using dating sites like Match.com to find prey.
I've been critical of social Web sites in the past, in particular MySpace for its policy of letting 14-year-olds put up profiles with personal information. But I think the story misses the mark.
Match.com is a place where adults meet potential dates when they want to. There is really no reason to believe that 10 dates found on Match.com will be more dangerous than 10 dates found by meeting guys/girls at bars. In other words, hysteria over meeting people on the Internet assumes that nothing bad ever comes from meeting people in real life. Every example of an Internet date turned bad is taken as evidence against Internet dating.
Also, the scariest thing about this story is that the women didn't put themselves in particular danger. I've argued (also here) -- and I still believe -- that your behavior can affect your chances of being raped, but all these women did was go to the bathroom with their drinks unattended. It just goes to show you can't be too careful around strangers.
An aside -- what is with this woman?
"[One] woman recounted spending the weekend with him, even after he had allegedly attacked her."
I've been critical of social Web sites in the past, in particular MySpace for its policy of letting 14-year-olds put up profiles with personal information. But I think the story misses the mark.
Match.com is a place where adults meet potential dates when they want to. There is really no reason to believe that 10 dates found on Match.com will be more dangerous than 10 dates found by meeting guys/girls at bars. In other words, hysteria over meeting people on the Internet assumes that nothing bad ever comes from meeting people in real life. Every example of an Internet date turned bad is taken as evidence against Internet dating.
Also, the scariest thing about this story is that the women didn't put themselves in particular danger. I've argued (also here) -- and I still believe -- that your behavior can affect your chances of being raped, but all these women did was go to the bathroom with their drinks unattended. It just goes to show you can't be too careful around strangers.
An aside -- what is with this woman?
"[One] woman recounted spending the weekend with him, even after he had allegedly attacked her."
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