[jjmoohead]

I personnaly am all for dating a friend. The way I work is to get to know someone through other people first, see them a few times hang out as a group and then one night get lucky because everyone else is busy and she is not so you see if she wants to do something. It leads into a date cause that first night is just a friends hanging out thing. It takes time but I would personally like to know the person before going out with someone you just are not compatible with for a while waisting chances with someone more your style.

If a friend likes me and I don't see her that way I will usually ignore it. Hopfully she doesn't think i know or I pretend like I don't know. If she brings the idea of going out thats when I talk to her and first tell her how great she is and what she means to me as a friend, and explain thats why I can't go out with her.

If there is a friend you like and she wants nothing to do with dating, don't give up. Don't harrass her, just call her sometime, she whats shes doing and see if she want to see a movie or something. After you hang out a few times, try and find girlfriend really fast. I tell you first hand that she may not like you now but nothing drives a person more towards you then when they can't have you.

Hope that helps.