I recently visited a dating site, and came up with an idea. OK, so it's a little cruel. There seem to be so many people on these sites seeking perfection in a partner. The ones that particularly annoyed me were ones who said they had a "GSOH" (Good Sense Of Humor) but whose profiles were about as funny as a brick. Or those who described themselves as "athletic & attractive, seeking similar," but in their pic they were balding, middle-aged and overweight--and they weren't trying to be funny. I got a few emails from guys like this, and most of them seemed to be married as well (although perhaps I'm old-fashioned for having a problem with married people cruising dating sites). It is these people that my idea would target.

I call it the Valentine Virus. A lurking little critter that hangs out secretly on dating sites hunting for suitable victims. The 50-year-old sports car driving executive seeking a blonde 30-year-old astrophysicist, let's say. It then follows them for a few weeks, collecting information about their preferences--what websites they visit, whose profiles they choose to look at on the dating site, the type of language they use in e-mails.

Then, when she's ready (this doesn't have to be gender-specific, but I like to think of her as a virtual Fatal Attraction), Val strikes. She creates his perfect partner. Depending on his preferences, she could be passive--just sitting in the listings waiting to be discovered by him. Or if he prefers go-getter gals, she could go ahead and email him saying she's seen his own profile and wants to know more.

Of course he'd be immediately interested. He likes brunettes/blondes/whatever--and she is. He likes 'em in their mid-20's--she is. He likes 'em smart/stupid/funny--whatever he wants, she IS. Whenever he senses she's too good to be true, she backs off until he comes looking for her again. In no time, he's hooked. E-mails her ten times a day. Her responses are always just right. He wants to meet her--she says it's impossible. He asks if there's someone else--she always comes up with just the right response...trapped in a loveless marriage, nunnery...whatever will get him going.

He becomes obsessed with meeting her IRL (In Real Life). Hires a PI to track her down, but every lead is a dead-end. He loses interest in everything else--no one can possibly live up to her perfection. He loses his job, his sports car...then finally, they repossess his PC.

Okay, so I suppose this isn't really the scenario IT scientists intended for use of AI (Artifical Intelligence, not Insemination), but it sounds like net-karma in action to me.

Oh, wait, I've gotta go--I've got an email from this guy I met over the net *swoon*...