Dating: Misery loves company?

Here's an interesting Washington Post article about the rise of "bad date" Web sites like Bad Online Dates and A Bad Case of the Dates.

The concept is simple: Instead of crying in a dark room after your awful restaurant outing, you get online and share your misery with countless strangers.

In a way, the sites are therapeutic.

Relating your story without the judgment of your "I have no idea what you're talking about, but I'll nod sympathetically" friends can help you make light of a bad date -- instead of seeing it as a reflection of your dating worth.

Rely too much on a "bad date" Web site, however, and its intended purpose might backfire.

You know that one friend whose company always makes you complain about your romantic relationship, no matter how happy you are?

These Web sites are kind of like that. In times of crisis, they can be an asset, but they can also subtly support a belief that complaining is a central part of every date's aftermath.

And that's rarely true. Unless, of course, you choose guys whose conversation repertoire doesn't extend beyond aspirations of fast-food restaurant management.

I'll tell that story later.