I decided to do some research on the subject, and although it didn't really lead anywhere, it did cost me about $29.00 dollars a month. I was locked into the first month or two and then I had the option to cancel. During the time I was involved in mail dating, I "met" or rather had the chance to meet quite a few very attractive women. I would venture to say they were almost too attractive. It got me wondering: some of these women are so drop-dead gorgeous how could they possibly need mail personals on the internet to meet someone?

It didn't take me long to understand that some of these girls were professional or semi-professional models. And their down-to-earth biographies were all a bunch of invented nonsense as well. That didn't bother me, because my biography was fabricated as well. What was to prevent me from manufacturing a photo? Retouching a photo of some young model in Milan or whatever submit it as being my own? To my limited knowledge there is no way of controlling mail personals. You can pretty much create the persona you want to be and meet whoever you want. Of course the women you're corresponding with via on-line mail dating are probably a figment of someone's imagination also, so I guess it all works out eventually.

I have known many guys and gals who will swear by this whole process of mail personals. I don't know if they've ever met these people they correspond with. Maybe they exchange fake photos or something. I have heard of a few couples that met and subsequently married after meeting on line. I knew a guy in the Army who met his wife that way. Beats the heck outta me if they're still married.
 
This is not to say that all of these mail personals are scams. Some are legit, or at least attempt to be legit. In the next year there will be an on-line dating forum that will be free, and when that happens all the others will either fall be the wayside or be forced to comply. Now, all of these mail dating and mail personal systems have one thing in common -- aside from wanting your money -- they want your personal information. And they get it too, the minute you sign up for their services.

Once you're on their mailing list, you're victim to any number of other scams. Offers for a mail order bride catalog are very popular. Often the mail order bride catalog is cover for prostitution or "sex trips". And although it's not for me to say whether that type of thing is morally right or wrong, it is illegal. And anything illegal can get you into trouble.

Come to think of it, even things that aren't illegal can get you into trouble. The whole mail personals business costs money to play and that's money you could be spending on something worthwhile or at least real. So that's trouble. And how many men are actually married and join mail personals online to meet women and play out their fantasies. And that's trouble. And if the guy's wife finds out what he's doing he going to be sleeping on the couch or worse, and that's trouble! So no matter how you cut it - it's trouble!

And nothing is worth that amount of aggravation. For $29.00 dollars a month you can invest in a savings bond or a mutual fund or something. Maybe sponsor a starving child in Sudan or somewhere. You know, something worthwhile.