As a long-time long-distance dater, I must acknowledge "real life" has some killer features: 1. You both must be local, which means you have opportunities to h

As a long-time long-distance dater, I must acknowledge "real life" has some killer features: 1. You both must be local, which means you have opportunities to hang out and see each other in a wider context than long-distance makes possible. 2. Assuming you pick from within your social circle and not random bar hookups, you probably have at least a few friends in common who can vet the match. 3. Corollary to 2, if you're single and lucky, sometimes friends might play matchmaker, and mutual friends are the best "love algorithm" because they actually know you and give a shit. This is of course on top of avoiding all the dark patterns the dating monopoly inflicts upon its users.