I think we are risk of pigeon-holing age/gender groups. Some people want lots of love, some want a flash partner to wine and dine with, and some want both or neither.

As for whether certain things should happen, assuming it is legal, surely it is down to personal preference? You win some and lose some in life.

Thats an interesting point Sue about the letting a partner have a life which doesn't always revolve around them...I might have thought, logically, that an older partner would be more mature emotionally, meaning more secure, in order to not have to feel centre of the attention all the time. Perhaps personal experience tells you otherwise?

I did see a few older women in my yoof but never really saw it as something which was long term or serious, I am sure many do though. I did see a documentary about age gap relationships where a woman in her 70s was dating a man in his 30s. It looked odd, but i guess mine and many other peoples perception of it is conditioned against accepting that. But conditioning, if you accept that it is conditioning, can be undone.

Live and let live, eh? Each to their own. One could fill a post with cliches on this subject.

Whilst I have no real feelings one way or another on this topic anymore, I do have an observation to make about the topic, which will no doubt make a few people cross (but is nevertheless true).

It is interesting to note that (as a general rule of thumb, but obviously not always) on this site and forum (as with other dating sites that I have frequented) the ‘older’ woman who is looking for someone substantially younger than themselves seems to be have been using sites like this for an awfully long time without much success – other than the occasional date (which is often followed by public displays of bitterness, bitchiness and resentment when the man doesn’t want to see her again/anymore – although this isn’t the exclusive domain of the older woman dating a younger man of course). I am sure that the same happens with all genders and age groups, it just seems a bit more overt on the forum when older women have unsuccessfully dated younger men, as they are a bit more vocal about it, mutton-dressed-as-lamb bleating from the slaughter house (often followed by much sympathetic cooing and clucking of ‘his loss’ and ‘you’re too good for him anyway’ from the mother hens). It provides a good belly laugh to the more observant though.

I'm not usually referred to as mutton dressed up like lamb, thank goodness..... but I have to say flirtbox has worked well for me and even though I've been offered a lot of what I DON'T WANT, I have also got exactly what I DO WANT and from other sites too.
Plus, many a time, I'm just on here for the forums for a bit of light hearted banter or serious exchange of views and discussion.
So just because women like me have been using sites like this for a long while (in my case about 2 1/2yrs)it doesn't really mean it's unsuccessful. We are all wanting something different from a dating or social site and may be it's a bit narrow minded to think that everyone is looking for a soul mate and life long partner. I've got some great friends from being here, with quite a few that I expect to meet in the future.
Yes to Scottie too. I would have thought that an older man would have the maturity and security to enable a partner to have an element of freedom and know that there is no threat to their relationship as well BUT my experience does tell me something different. Seeing my older friends with older partners being 'controlled' and 'manipulated' by men who aren't truly respectful or whose life experience has made them distrustful, possessive and jealous has just made it clearer to me that I really don't want that myself.
Of course none of this is true of everyone, so I do keep an open mind when I meet men, as in any age group there will always be those men who have the qualities I am attracted to within their personality.