Spazkatt, I think meeting a love online has possibilities and obstacles just like meeting someone in 3D. I have found that sometimes it's easier to get to know the inner person when you meet them for the first time online, but it is also easier for someone to hide things about himself. But you can find that someone you meet in 3D doesn't turn out to be the person you initially thought, too...I know that's happened to me plenty.

I've known people who've met their true love online, and I know people who thought they did, and ended up getting burned. Pretty much like the 3D world. The important thing is to make sure you are careful.

As far as the age difference, it seems that matters more or less depending on your ages. I mean, if you're 18 and he's 31, that's a big difference, but if you're 30 and he's 43, then it doesn't seem like such a big deal. But if you are contemplating something long term, you need to realize that when you're 60 and he's 73, the difference seems big again. The issue is whether you are willing to accept the added challenges of that age difference. My uncle was 11 years older than my aunt, and it was difficult on her as they got older and his health declined. But I know she wouldn't have traded her marriage to him for anything in the world. Statistically, marriages with more than 5 years difference in age are more likely to fail, but that's just statistics...there are lots and lots of very good happy marriages with big age differences.

I guess I gave you a lot of "it depends" in my reply. But I think that's the basic message no matter how you meet someone. Almost all relationships have obstacles, and you just need to be aware of them, and decide if the person is worth overcoming those obstacles.

Good luck.
Jo