A friend joined an e-mail exchange site and somehow met up with a young woman from Russia who spoke no English. Their e-mails to each other needed to be translated. I can’t remember how long this went on, but by the time he finally went to meet her, he took an engagement ring along. They’ve been married now for over 10 years. They have two wonderful boys, whom she home schools.
My brother met his wife through an online dating site. It may not be a good example though, as they lived in the same area, so it didn’t take long for them to get together in person. The point is, the connection was made, and it stuck.
Upon his urging, I joined one of the dating sites for six months. I didn’t have any luck, but the process was fairly entertaining. (The one person I met was actually from your neck of the woods John.)
About a year later, I joined a virtual world internet site in order to do some research for work. By pure accident, I met another member, and we struck it off. Within three weeks, we had exchanged e-mail addresses. It took little time to realize that this was someone special. We eventually turned to web-camming. It’s amazing how much you can learn about someone that way. Six months after the initial meeting, we met in person. That was 4½ years ago, and we’re still together, although I haven’t officially moved to England yet.
So, yes John, please tell your daughter that the possibility of an internet relationship can start on the internet. Just like in real life, she may need to “meet” a lot of people online before, and if ever, finding the right one.