Date offender registry

My local newspaper has recently started its own Pinterest account. Its most recent boards are devoted to pins of all the sex offenders in each surrounding county. Not only do the pins show the offender's mug shot, it gives their name, full address, and a summary of their level and offense.

Freaking genius.*

I posted about this elsewhere, pointing out that no matter how foolish and reckless some may think me to be, I have never actually met a sex offender on a dating site. I have met a lot of jerks - but they don't have their own registry.

Which begs the question - why the hell not?!

There are registries (or sites that resemble registries) for everything - sex offenders, people in tax default, bad business owners, restaurant health violations. You name it, it's being tracked somewhere. So why not track guys who lie, cheat, use, or just generally have qualities that make them a less-than-desirable date?

I'm not talking anything mean, and definitely nothing libelous. But why not track the guy who says he wants a relationship, when really all he wants is a hook-up? Or the guy who won't ever stop comparing you to his mother? Or how about that guy who still lives with his mother?

I could go on and on with examples, but you get my point. I'm (obvioulsy) not knocking online dating, but having a profile to hide behind does tend to make some people less than upfront about some things. I've met men who say they have a job in a particular field - only to find out on the first date that they're actually unemployed. Or guys who lie about where exactly they live, or whether or not they have a license (or a vehicle), or something simple like how tall they really are or just how old is that picture on their profile?

What would be absolutely fabulous is if dating sites would add this rating feature. Think about it; the major data is already compiled - the guy, his stats, and a picture. Just attach a rating section to existing profiles, and let users rate the guys on various dating criteria. Commentary could be optional.

I think the dating sites could expand their membership to include people who are really only interested in those ratings. Just because someone doesn't meet her dates online doesn't mean she wouldn't visit a site to see what others say about that guy she met at that party last weekend. The dating sites could probably even charge a little extra for access to member ratings. It might help weed out the flat-out jerks, and also encourage people to be more upfront and honest in their profiles, and on dates in general.

Of course, I realize that women would eventually be subject to ratings as well...but I think we should start with the guys, this being my idea and all.

Besides - there's no shame in my game. Bring it.

*I know some people don't like this idea for Pinterest boards. They think it's unfair to the sex-offenders, or they think it's against the spirit of Pinterest. I disagree. That information is found elsewhere on the internet, so it's public already. It is helpful to some, but is often not organized or easy to navigate. Pinterest is a place to curate ideas and information, and this is information that some think deserves curating. Those who don't can certainly unfollow the boards.

That's my two-cents, even if it's not the real focus of this post.