When you tell your grandkids that you met grandpa shit-faced during last call at Taco Tuesdays, you might as well say you met on a Sunday afternoon on the island of La Grande Jatte. Because it's classier than saying you met him on Grindr at 3:30 a.m. Or is it? Has dating online lost its creep-laced stigma? And can your shady web past kill your chances for love? To find out these answers and more, the Yerba Buena Community Benefit District (YBCBD) will host a new (and highly anticipated!) monthly discussion and performance series on Thursday, March 15th, called Yerba Buena Arts in Dialogue with a probing (heh) look at How We Date Now in the age of l'internet.

An expert panel from San Francisco’s single scene will chitchat about "how the proliferation of dating websites, matchmakers, and instructors that teach the art of meeting your mate have changed how super-wired San Franciscans find companionship." Just who is this impressive list of experts? Tech sexpert and brilliant scribe Violet Blue, journalist Oscar Raymundo, OkCupid's Nick Abramovic, and dating coach Jesse Starlight.

Moderating the panel is none other than SF Appeal founder/editor (and pal to SFist) Eve Batey. We asked Batey, who is married, why she's hosting a panel of dating/sex experts and what makes dating online different than ever before. She explains:

Though I'm mostly happily married, I often muse (I originally said "fantasize," but that sounded dirty) about what I'd do if I were single. When I got with my spouse, there was certainly online dating, but I was too lazy to really give it a go. Is it bad to admit that I regret this?

But when I got with my spouse, people weren't as googlable. I'm not talking about just people like you or me, Brock, but most folks now have some sort of online presence (Facebook, etc), something that means you can find out a lot about people before you'd "naturally" find something out in conversation. This is so interesting, and, I think, makes for some really fascinating challenges as well as advantages when you meet folks.

As you can see from my answers to your questions, my choice of topic was borne in many ways out of selfish curiosity. But I am hopeful other folks are curious, too, as well as interested in the tips and insights offered by our panel, which is a really rad panel. These people are so cool, and I think the discussion will be lively.

Well, we're certainly be there to find out if our Saturday will hold more than just changing the cat's litter box.

The panel discussion is Thursday March 15, with a drink-and-mingle event at 7 and the chat beginning at 8. It's at the W Hotel's Pool Terrace (181 3rd Street, 4th floor). Tickets are $5, you can pay at the door. See you there!