Dating Is Easier Than Programming

Write something positive and encouraging here !

Every HumanBeing is a unique and fascinating individual.

Most computers have been interacting with humans for less than 5 years, and are really bad at learning how to interact with humans.

Most potential dates have been interacting with humans for well over 18 years, and are from a species that has been selected for millennia for their skill at learning to interact with humans. (On the other hand, computers generally obey your every command while for dates it takes a lot of charming first!)

Computers adhere to a known set of rules. When I write code, I have a pretty good idea of what it's going to do. Other humans, on the other hand, rarely seem to know themselves what they're going to do.

Wait, that wasn't positive...hm. I'll need a little more time for that side of the argument...

Dating can't fail. Programming can.

When a date says something you didn't expect, you usually learn something interesting and possibly useful.

When a computer says something you didn't expect, it's usually because of some silly, useless bug.

It's far too easy to talk a computer into doing something stupid. You can talk humans into doing stupid things as well, but it takes a lot more effort.

If you ask nicely "done anything interesting recently ?", most humans have something interesting to discuss. Sometimes they even have photos. Many computers keep far better track of every detail they have done, but are no good at picking out the "interesting" parts.

Humans give you interesting questions to think about, on a wide range of topics -- big topics like astronomy and psychology, little topics like local restaurants and stores. Computers rarely raise questions, except for the annoying "Why isn't it working right ?".

Computers and humans--and everything, really--give you an opportunity to see yourself. Everything is fundamentally a mirror to the mind that considers it. But, and this is the interesting bit, what people have over computers here is that in addition to being a mirror they are also a source of light. Most people do not merely provide reflection but something to reflect on.

People like making friends. Computers like steady line voltage.

People like being anthropomorphized. Computers hate that.

For short, simple tips, see ExtremeDating. For more in-depth discussion of details, see DatingPatterns.

For another point of view, see DatingIsHarderThanProgramming .