[daveT]

I think that the divorce problem stems from marriages happening too early. The example I give of people marrying 6 months later seems to be most common among younger 20 year-olds. It would take wisdom gained from experience to increase your chance of knowing the right one. For this reason, OL dater's probably have a keen idea of what they are looking for personality-wise, and as we get older, we tend to be less picky about looks. I will posit that the best looking people get married younger than the uglier ones.

There would be a two-sided case if this is true. It is to say that the dating pool on-line is more experienced or not experienced at all, probably a combination of both extremes. The less experienced ones are more vulnerable to manipulation while the more experienced ones are going to find each other and have a better chance of success. For this, I would be willing to state that an on-line couple is able to fall in love quicker, with more surety than two 22 year olds.

Duckman, Blarg essentially proved your point. I have lived with girls that I would never marry. I don't think that many people are able to understand the need to do this. If there was enough pressure applied, I may have taken the dive. This didn't happen to me, but those who fall into a miserable marriage, this is likely what has happened, and their marriage is effectively bound for failure. It is not the fact that they lived together that they are divorced earlier, it is the fact that on person had no initial desire to me married, and they did. It would seem that this is a better statement than saying that because they lived together, they are less likely to make it, though this does prove your argument, but not for the reasons you are presenting.