Trust. The glue that holds social networks together. (Even before social networking became online)

We trust our friends to keep our secrets.

Our families to hide our embarassing childhood photographs.

Our co workers not to rat us out.

Now, we trust Facebook to clue us on in everyones’ lives—even the places they’ve been in.

How far can trust go? How much should we trust someone?

It’s been widely chronicled about the issues of trust for online social networking—apparently there’s a secret formula to figuring out your social security from cultivating things like your birthday and where you’re from. All of these things are readily available on your profile. It’s important to stay vigilant about WHAT exactly you’re posting.

Now comes the new terrain: OkCupid.

How much can you trust a stranger for your first date?

It’s not uncommon to meet someone online—with ulterior purpose sites like Craigslist. However, it’s always been associated with a skeevy essence.

Not anymore.

Utilizing OkCupid has become commonplace—I even know of a few friends who’ve met boyfriends that they’ve been with for a while! (Eight months to be exact.) True, some of my guy friends have used it for hooking up—but apparently it’s become a bit of a legitimate site to meet people. The awkward part is explaining it all later on. The site has even adopted a Facebook blue like interface—or that’s how I felt when I logged on.

The question is—how much can you trust that person? Are they really who they say they are?

It’s easy to assume that everyone is just over sharing. The question is…are we sure they’re over sharing the truth?

Apparently all you have to do is grill them. The bottom line is: Don’t.

There are tons of horror stories out there about people who’ve been robbed by acquaintances on Facebook because their status implied that they wouldnt be home. There are horror stories of girls getting killed by people they’ve met online.

Perhaps we’ve become too much of a trusting group of individuals—-over sharing information and “checking” into places so people know where we are. Going on a date with someone you’ve met online—only to discover that they’re cooler than you are.

Here are entertaining things to harass them with to see if they’re lying:

• A lie detector test! A SURE WINNER!
• Pelting them with questions as fast as you can!
• Asking about their views on abortion and talking politics.
• Asking a friend to grill them like grilled cheese …while they’re pretending to be a total stranger.
• Having your friend ask the person in question out on OkCupid
• Having them meet your parents. On the first date.
• Pretending to have an imaginary friend interview them
• Stalking their facebook profile.
• Torture it out of them. Steal one of their cars.

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