She writes:“The whole exchange is pretty emblematic of the inherent difficulties of rejecting men, both online and off.

Women are frequently made to toe a line between being polite enough to not set off the suitor, but not so polite that their manners are interpreted as flirting.”Indeed, empirical evidence supports these “inherent difficulties” Roy describes.

You thought your first date went well, but now you are feeling rejected. Or suddenly he’s saying he’s busy every time you ask him out. “Am I not pretty enough, skinny enough, smart enough?

On Monday, Buzzfeed writer Grace Spelman publicized Harry Potter fanboy and (more disconcertingly) Feminspire co-founder Benjamin Schoan’s online flirtation-turned-aggression toward her.

In response to a series of tweets and a gushy Facebook message Schoan sent her way, Spelman told him she had a boyfriend and wished him well.

There’s nothing worse than going on an amazing date … ” Or, “He said he wanted to go out again, so why isn’t he asking me out?

You may think, “Could I have misread her signals that much?