Assume Everybody's Lying
My column on Internet dating is up here, where comments are live. An excerpt:

On the bright side, you don't mention discovering that 125 really is her weight -- from the knees down.

A seasoned shopper on an online dating site doesn't just wonder if everybody's lying, he expects it. People will tell you right in their profile that honesty is extremely important to them -- then sandwich that claim between more fudge than you can buy in one of those candy stores you see in the mall. And, because men and women have different hard-wired preferences for what they seek in a partner, they lie about different things. Men tend to lie about their height and income (and get photographed in front of a Jag -- the one parked next to their beater Nissan). Women are likely to lie about their age and weight ("more of me to love" equals "plan to pick me up for dates with a crane").

Deception has always played a big part in romantic marketing. Mascara is a lie. Wearing a slimming color is a lie. Frankly, deodorant is a lie, but let's hope the masses continue to embrace olfactory dishonesty. Of course, in person, control-top pantyhose only control so much. Online, people can get away with much more...