Reposted via Wired. Chat client Meebo is teaming up with video speed dating site SpeedDate to offer online dating through their social platform. To promo the partnership and rouse up some online attention, they duo invited several tech bloggers and writers to participate in a round of video dates.

Fellow Wired blogger, Aaron Rowe, who contributes over at our sister blog Wired Science, repped for the home team, taking part in the web celeb speed dating event.

He emailed me the video this morning, writing:

“The best part was how it made me feel the same excitement that I got from AOL chat rooms when I was a teenager. I feel a bit like Austin Powers when flirting with people.”

I totally agree. I loved AOL chat rooms circa ‘97, before they got pervy and overrun by chatbots. Watch the vid and see if Aaron is able to woo any ladies into meeting for an actual date!
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VentureBeat’s Eric Eldon and I went on a thirty second date that was a complete disaster because I said all the wrong date lines. Let’s compare this to a real life date. You are getting ready to go out and have butterflies in your stomach. As you finish the last touches to your hair you feel the sudden-death-anxed sets upon you. Instead of chilling out you go out. On a real date I may try to impress a man with stiletto heals, but on a web cam it’s much different. lol; but it was fun.

Eric Eldon, a writer at VentureBeat, may never want to talk to me again. He got a few words in before I became ridiculously loquacious. Rule number one on a first date: don’t try to impress them by clearly strutting your stuff or talking too much. I just couldn’t resist his geeky vibes! What’s the ending? He e-dumped me after and rejected further chat on Meebo. I’m burnt.