Remember that time you were sitting on the Comm. Ave bus and locked eyes with the boy sitting across from you? You knew you recognized him from somewhere; is he in your history class? Does he live on your floor? Was he in your orientation group? Then you were so busy searching your internal Facebook that you almost missed your stop (but caught the smile he gave you as you awkwardly stumbled to get off the bus). It wasn't until an hour later when you were eating ice cream in your Mod that you realized how you recognize him - he's the man of your dreams.
Many people have experienced this fleeting moment of connection. Whether it was on the Comm. Ave bus, while running around the reservoir, or in the cereal aisle of Whole Foods, you've seen someone you thought was cute and didn't have the nerve to say anything. But now you can put away that ice cream and get on the computer instead. Many sites such as Craigslist have a "Missed Connections" section, where you can post ads describing where and when the connection was made, and with a description of either the moment or the person. After the ad is posted, it is available for anyone to read - all you have to do is hope that the right person, your missed connection counterpart, is surfing the site. But who really goes on these sites, takes the time to post an ad or search for themselves other than the "younger white gay guy with the tie on," "the tall, thin blonde wearing brown boots," or the "tall, glasses, blue/green plaid shirt, tan pants"?
"I'd never do it," says Dave Briand, A&S '09, "I mean, what are the chances that she'd ever actually see it?" While the likelihood that the one whom you shared the connection with would log on and see the ad is small, it's not impossible. Out of the hundreds of postings searching for the lost connection, there are a few responses posted. It's hard to estimate the success rate, however, because all of the postings are anonymous and most of the replies go directly to the person who posted. The site itself, on the other hand, seems to be a great success for Craigslist - in a single month the Missed Connections page had 6.5 million visitors, and around 14,000 postings.
"My roommates and I love reading them," says Michelle Lu, A&S '09. "I think it's fun to see who's posting stuff and where they've met the person. And I'm always hoping that the person they're looking for reads it somehow and replies."
While many people find the ads fun to read, it's a completely different story to actually post something. For some it's the issue of safety and also the creepy factor that hold them back. Once you've put the ad on the Internet it's there for anyone to read, and who's to say that the person who replied to your post is actually your missed connection? Some ads ask for some sort of confirmation, requesting the "color flip-flops you were wearing" or "flavor ice cream you ordered" in the reply. But because the point of the ad is to reconnect, namely to meet up with the person, many people are wary. But for some it's the lost interaction, the idea that using the Internet can almost dehumanize the relationship, that discourages them from using the site.
"I think that the Internet provides too much of a cushion," says Alex Terrell, A&S '09. "You have that moment to say something and put yourself out there. The anonymity of the Internet removes the risk factor, takes the excitement out of the connection."
The fact is, sites like this are growing. Online dating is becoming more popular, and you start to see people in relationships who have met online not only in cheesy e-harmony commercials, but in real life. As this trend is growing, it's becoming easier to participate in as well. Many online dating sites offer a "view your matches for free" component, which makes viewing your potential soul mate a mere personality form away.
Missed Connections is also making finding your next date easier by including college campuses in the mix. At Kizmeet.com, you can narrow down your search by not only choosing the city where the missed connection took place, but the specific location including the gym, bar, coffee shops, and college campuses. Now that Comm. Ave bus connection has a potential happy ending.
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