Is this normal?

[Veracity]

To all,

I just signed up at Filipinaheart, Thailovelinks, plentyoffish, and chinalovelinks.

I have paid memberships only at the first two.

Here's the thing:

I am being inundated with responses, IM's, etc. How the hell do you determine who's real and who's not?! What is an American white guy to do?!

I have never generated even 1/100th of this interest from American women....so I'm very thrown off by this.

Thoughts? Advice? Insults?

[Bob_S]

I am being inundated with responses, IM's, etc. How the hell do you determine who's real and who's not?! What is an American white guy to do?!
I have never generated even 1/100th of this interest from American women....so I'm very thrown off by this.
Thoughts? Advice? Insults?

Enjoy the ego-boost for now.  Crushing reality will hit when the one you thought was hot reveals herself to be a scammer.  Then you'll wonder why you paid all that money to an agency.  The shy innocent ones that don't rev your engines (because of modest or poorly taken photos) will turn out to be the hidden gems if you have the patience to get to know them.

[jm21-2]

Also bear in mind that a lot of internet dating sites hire people to make fake profiles and message people to keep customers interested, get them to sign up for memberships, and keep them hopeful. So quite a few of these messages you're receiving are probably entirely fake to get you to pay for the service. I have a few inactive and hidden memberships at a couple dating sites and get regular messages from 'girls'. This did not seem to be a problem on plentyoffish. However, the response rate was very high, especially compared to American girls. At least 5 times higher.

[Veracity]

Also bear in mind that a lot of internet dating sites hire people to make fake profiles and message people to keep customers interested, get them to sign up for memberships, and keep them hopeful. So quite a few of these messages you're receiving are probably entirely fake to get you to pay for the service. I have a few inactive and hidden memberships at a couple dating sites and get regular messages from 'girls'. This did not seem to be a problem on plentyoffish. However, the response rate was very high, especially compared to American girls. At least 5 times higher.

I think you're right. Some of those girls were too young and too good looking to be jumping in after me.

Oh well. I only signed up for a month. $24 each.

I've contacted one Chinese woman through plentyoffish. We'll see where it leads.

[Veracity]

Also...

I signed up for filipinaheart only because it was recommended by someone here on this site.

I know nothing is certain in this life...but I thought that signing up for that one was "safe."

[Bob_S]

Also bear in mind that a lot of internet dating sites hire people to make fake profiles and message people to keep customers interested, get them to sign up for memberships, and keep them hopeful.

Yup, a variant of the Fat Yuri scam.  They cut out some photos from local magazines featuring local models selling who knows what (toothpaste, face cream?), invent a desirable profile, and get lonely guys to pay up to keep writing, responses written by some guy who is quite the talented writer and knows how to write like a lonely girl to string you along.

[Jeff S]

Here's an interesting one - many have webcams so you can see them in person. It's free too: http://person.com/

[stevjulietb]

Verecity...welcome to the board....take your time and enjoy the process...

Steveb

[william3rd]

I would suggest focusing a little bit. Three extremely different countries with different histories, religions, and cultures

[robert angel]

Regarding:

>>I signed up for filipinaheart only because it was recommended by someone here on this site.

I know nothing is certain in this life...but I thought that signing up for that one was "safe."<<

Personally, I think Filheart's one of the better sites, but nothing in life's really fool proof safe and there are tons of gals there who'll steal your lunch money too.

You've just 'jumped in the water' so to speak. Enjoy all the initial attention, wait for the action to subside a bit and for the water to find its own level. It's sort of like a game where you learn to read people and with time, you'll get better at it. I had a lot more 'false positives' with Chinese, Thai and former USSR nation's women and after a while I placed my main focus elsewhere. If you're into a certain 'look' I think you can find Indo, Chinese, and Latin looking women in the Philippines as there's a lot of diversity. Good luck!

[evoltnvii]

I was also hit by a lot of random girls when i signed up for FH paid service but I think it was due to my higher visibility. As a result i was found by my future wife so it was well worth sorting out the fluff from the true girls. Im not saying what to do but in my case and opinion it is a great way to go.

[robert angel]

Never assume anything is normal and you'll be well prepared.

[evoltnvii]

Never assume anything is normal and you'll be well prepared.

Agreed!

[Veracity]

I would suggest focusing a little bit. Three extremely different countries with different histories, religions, and cultures

You are absolutely right. The thing is, I'm not getting the kind of access to and responses from Chinese women that I'm getting elsewhere. I'm getting boat loads of attention/responses from Thai women and women from the PI.

[Jeff S]

Ya think? Big shocker there. Almost as shocking as finding out that there's gambling going on at Rick's.

Welcome to the world of international dating. The poorer the country you look in, the more women will think you're Brad Pitt. Try posting an ad in Mogadishu and see how many responses you get. The difficulty becomes sorting through to find the sincere ones. The more successful an area is and the more opportunities, the less likely the women are looking for a way out.

As William suggested, you need to first figure out which culture fits with your personality and lifestyle. That's enormous - way bigger than you think it is right now. It's not about marching as many interested profiles as possible across your computer screen to pick out the best of the bunch, it's about connecting with one person.

Spend some time, exchange some emails - get used to the attention and figure out what you enjoy and what you don't care for.

[robert angel]

Correction:

>>The poorer the country you look in, the more women will think you're Brad Pitt.<<

On Mindanao, I AM Brad Pitt!

[jm21-2]

As William suggested, you need to first figure out which culture fits with your personality and lifestyle. That's enormous - way bigger than you think it is right now.

The more countries I visit, the more I realize how true this is. Asian countries in particular are very different from each other and it's hard if not impossible to get a real grasp before visiting, but some research is better than none.

[thekfc]

Correction:

>>The poorer the country you look in, the more women will think you're Brad Pitt.<<

On Mindanao, I AM Brad Pitt!

I am Denzel Washington. While I was in Manila, somebody did tell me that I look like Denzel Washington - I thought that I was better looking than him. 


Veracity welcome to the board. As other poster stated before me, take your time & try to figure out which culture best suits you & then go from there.

[Veracity]

Thanks guys.

China is the only Asian country I've visited so far. I absolutely loved it there...and I do speak a bit of Mandarin...

Hey, we all want to be liked/loved. I find myself drawn to other sites simply because of the attention. You can understand that.

I'm not telling you it makes sense, I'm just telling you what's happening.

I do have a small handful of Chinese women corresponding with me now.

Everyone keeps asking me if I can do a chat on YM or MSN or webcam...but I don't have any of that stuff yet. I guess I'm a Ludite.

[thekfc]

Everyone keeps asking me if I can do a chat on YM or MSN or webcam...but I don't have any of that stuff yet. I guess I'm a Ludite.

YM, Skype & MSN are all free - it takes but a minute 9maybe two) to download & set up. You can get a good cam from Staples, BB or Amazon dirt cheap - there is a sale on them every week.
If you want to keep chatting with the ladies, you will need to invest in a cam - they want to put a face to the person that they are chatting with & vice versa.

[robert angel]

Regarding:

> they want to put a face to the person that they are chatting with & vice versa<

Tis true--and avoids finding out later that you were actually chatting with her gay older brother.....

[Dave H]

Correction:

>>The poorer the country you look in, the more women will think you're Brad Pitt.<<

On Mindanao, I AM Brad Pitt!

Hey Brad Pitt,

In Mindano I am usually "Kevin Costner." Sometimes I am also "Bruce Willis" (including in the US, where I am also known as "Fester Addams" in wealthier areas). Other than "Fester Addams", I don't get it..but I will take whatever I can get!   

Fester Addams Jr.

[Thomo]

or it could be the Chinese cracking down on Internet traffic

[Capstone]

or it could be the Chinese cracking down on Internet traffic

Nope - I just tried connecting to plentyoffish and chinalovelinks outside of my VPN and did not have any problems doing so.