i like this thread already. it's interesting to see what people have to say about themselves, women, and their social lives, and nice to see that people here actually do get out.

"how did you meet your girlfriends/wives/mates, if any?"
school. graduated together. hooked up graduation night, kept that going for a couple of weeks and started a relationship (though the relationship could've started a lot earlier). past girlfriends were at school or relatives of friends of mine.

"any opinions about online dating portals?"
risky. i've never tried them so i can't talk from experience, but i think there's a tendency for them to be perceived as a last-resort. i wouldn't ever try them.

"what does yout mate think about your pc job/obsession/hobby?"
my obsession is football (soccer). my girl plays on a girls football team. we can play/talk about football all the time. it really isn't hard to balance a mental hobby with a physical hobby (computers and football, for example).

"how does the pc interfere with your social/private life?"
i wouldn't say it interferes. it helps me keep in touch with a friend of mine who's cruising around queensland during his gap-year. it helps me get info on what my friends are doing. i think part of the ease of that, though, is that a few of my friends are unhealthily obsessed with myspace without being computer nerds, if you know what i mean. a lot of people (mostly girls) are starting to do that.

"are you ashamed to tell women that you like computing?"
no way. i do avoid trying to explain the complications of writing physics or fancy shaders, though. but that's not too hard, coz i don't actually like talking about computers with people in person. i make much better friends with other musos or sporting mates than people who just wanna talk about games or what version of linux they use. --that being said, online is an exception. written discussions about games and game development are great, i reckon, in a forum format.

"are you concerned about your look, the impression you make on women?"
nah.

"do you think pc is addicting and inhibits family life?"
i know it does with my brother he's almost always on his laptop looking for the latest goss on games.

julz

how did you meet your girlfriends/wives/mates, if any?
Online, and we are together for 3 1/2 year now

any opinions about online dating portals?
Actually it's a good way to meet people IMO, especially if someone is really shy. You can get a first expression at the beginning and later meet the one IRL. Without this online platform, you probably wouldnt even ask a girls.

what does yout mate think about your pc job/obsession/hobby?
She likes the idea that i create games and she also likes to play (not that much but more than the avarage of girls do i think).

how does the pc interfere with your social/private life?
Only positive. I'm not addicted to my computer, i often had weeks/month where i had no PC and had still a LOT of fun with other people and i didn't miss anything.
Though the PC makes many things easier, so it only "affect" it in a positive way.

are you ashamed to tell women that you like computing?
Nope. I love to play games and to create them, thats my passion. If a girl doesn't like it, it's the best thing to clear that at the beginning so you won't waste your time with a person who dislikes you by what you do as hobby

are you concerned about your look, the impression you make on women?
I don't look good and make a shy, uncertain impression. It really bothered me years ago but since i found the perfect girl for me who even looks really good, i don't weigth my impression to strangers that high anymore.

do you think pc is addicting and inhibits family life?
I think i would be more extroverted without the PC cause i HAVE to meet people IRL and not in the internet first. Don't know if it's inhabits family life in general but in my case, it does a bit at least

http://www.catb.org/~esr/writings/sextips/

hmmm... i guess my solution is make your career your hobby, this type of efficiency gives you free time to "put up with a girlfriend" or at least in my case

EDIT:

also wanted to add that for me, charisma can also make being a geek into a good thing. If you can maintain the right image you look successful and smart, but with a slightly bad slacker approach just to give an edge. if you do it wrong tho, you just look like a slacker.