It's that time of year again - online dating time

Like I've saidpreviously, I'm not all that a fan of online dating. However, once a year, I tend to dip in. That time of year usually being December.Last year I had a closer look at Plenty of Fish, sending out a few messages and bantering a bit. This year, prompted by a discount offer appearing in my inbox, I thought I'd giveMatcha punt.First off, I was surprised that membership had jumped to £42.99 for a single month! I baulked at that! I understand that they want to push you to signup for a longer duration of three or six months (payable up front) with the greater discount, but even so, I can remember when a month's membership was around £17! That sounds about right - damn near £45 doesn't! That's a ridiculous price in my opinion. Even with my discount I thought that around £30 was taking the piss.But I  logged on, perused the profiles, and while not pleased with the price of entry, thought "what the hell," and plugged my debit card details in.The profile I use is one I created way back in 2007. I don't think I've bothered updating the blurb on it in years. It's the same blurb with only a couple of deviations that I've got on PoF. The only thing it doesn't have is photos, so I added half a dozen - the best half dozen that exist of me in the world, of course. All taken within the last year at least. I'll remove them when my membership expires.That said, my profile does possess one tweeny-tinsy lie: I've shaved five years off my age. I thought of updating that... and then left it. One look at the women, and I'm not the only one putting a spin on my  birth date. And I can get away with more too.I don't really like to buy into the community/manosphere "wall" thing too much, but my Lord, I did notice something on my wander through the profiles of Match: in their early to mid 20s, the women looked okay. Come 28/29 - 31/32 something sure does happen! Over 35 and I'm guessing the ages need at least five more years added! By their 40s they look 'old.'  Just done.Now, I do know (very) attractive women in their 30s and beyond on-world, which is why i don't totally follow the "wall" line, but the women on Match sure do make a compelling argument for it! At least in my neck of the woods.So, I branched out and looked at other major cities near me; I saw the same thing.Beauty isn't that rare in this world, but in online dating it sure is!I look in on Match a few times a year, and as I say, I've had the profile I used for nearly ten years now. While not a member I login just to see who's on and note each time that there are still many live accounts with familiar names and the same photos that've been on the site all the years I've been looking in! These aren't the profiles with the "last activity over 3 months ago" tag either. According to Match, they're still checking in regularly.That's one of the catches of Match, though. Whilst they tell you when last last someone was active, they don't tell you if they're a paid up member who can read and reply to your messages - because they supply a handy additional payment facility that allows non-members to contact you. Which I was too cheap to purchase as I already thought the whole thing overpriced.I've got to say though, that like flicking through a magazine I buy on impulse purchase, once I get it home, it doesn't seem quite as interesting as it did back in the shop when I was browsing it. The same happened with Match. While browsing the profiles as a non-member it looked like there were a few I could shoot out a message to, but come spending my money, there seemed a lot less for some reason. Same profiles, none disappeared or anything, I wasn't scammed, just the women suddenly looked a lot less interesting now it came time to start messaging. As in, can I be bothered putting in the effort to get to a real world meetup with you? Given that I'm not so much looking for a relationship, but more a Christmas bang that plays off her feelings of loneliness at this time of year.I never said I was a saint. I try to be honest, but not a saint.There's a couple that look okay that I'm pinging back and forward with at the moment, but it's a slow process, and I know that as they're "okay" that makes them online dating superstars and they'll have exploding inboxes. Thus they'll be playing me, along with a bunch of other dudes. So, I reckon my intentions are about as honourable as theirs all told.I'm already experiencing buyers remorse, though. I knew I would, and I have. After making my purchase, I had a look at PoF and reckoned it was on a par with the quality, and maybe I should've played that, it was free after all. I already know my Match membership won't be extending into the new year.I have found that being in the 40+ age bracket myself these days (even with my five years shaved off) that I'm getting way more views, winks and favourited than I ever remember in the past! But even with less than honourable intentions, none of them are worth a damn, and I wouldn't want to be seen out in public with them.I'm not playing any grand 'game' here. I just open with a one sentence intro that makes a quip off something they've said in their profile or doing in a photo. Which can be harder than it sounds as most of the profiles are dull as dishwater and the photos likewise.I dislike those "making a quirky" look to camera pics as well. That forced "aren't I such a special, zany snowflake" Zooey Deschanel inspired look. Kind of the guy equivalent of sticking your tongue out in every photo to show how CrAzY you are.There's one profile in which the woman's uploaded photos of what she expects you to look like - pics of Van Diesel - and we're informed not to waste her time or ours, if we don't look like that. There's another lists what she wants in a man, and ends by wishing us, "Good luck!" Like she's the winning ticket in the lottery or something. None of these women are anything special, no one will be surprised to learn.There's the standard script stuff about not messaging for sex or one night stand, because they're not that sort of girl... riiiight. Never, ever, done that have you?So, as you can no doubt discern I'm not impressed thus far. However, I've paid me money, I'll take my turn.I'll give an update to how this all panned out later.