Online Dating Information

Online Dating is on the rise. How can you use this dating method to your best advantage with your best foot forward?

There are several dating methods blind dates, classified ads, telephone personals, or even general grocery store pickup line dates or even the popular online dating. Each of the dating methods has its advantages and disadvantages.

Here I am going to focus on online dating. Here are five steps to successful online dating

Step 1) Specify What You Want

Decide what kind of dating or relationship you want to have

I hear you say, "What do you mean? What kind of relationship?. Dating is dating isn't it?". Well what I meant was, to define if you are looking for marriage-minded relationship, or long-term relationship without any marriage plans, or short-term casual dating ranging from few weeks to few months or even intimate encounters for very short-time frames such as days.

This step helps you identify what you are looking for. Why do you have to define what kind of dating or relationship you want? This way you can search for online dating sites based on your decision. There are several sites focusing on marriage minded and long term relationships. And then some, which focus on the relationships focused on casual, short term and intimate in nature

You can search on Internet search engines such as Google or Yahoo by searching with your criteria keywords within quotes such as "marriage minded dating" or "casual dating" or "intimate encounters" etc

Step 2) Select Your Dating Site

Browse each online dating site very carefully by looking at the profiles at each site and reading each profile what they are looking for in their dating partner. Some online dating sites will allow you to browse profiles without registering first. So you can use this opportunity to browse their dating profiles and assess whether that online dating site is your kind of place to hang around

A word of caution is that not all online dating sites are the same. Some are fancy. Some are quality. Some are cheap. Some are feature-rich. Some are free. Some are paid. But what matters most is for you to select the internet dating site based on what you want on Step 1) plus the features you find in each dating site which you feel will get you to whom you want to date

Step 3) Setup Your Amazing Profile

This is one of the key steps which a lot of people forget or don't take the time to do it. Because they feel either they don't have the time to write a detailed profile, or they think they are going to be contacting people anyway so why bother or they think what is the point etc.

Your profile is your first impression you give to a potential partner who maybe browsing that dating site when you have joined that particular dating site. When a potential partner is looking through profiles if they see an empty profile even without a picture, how could they get to know you when you don't even present yourself let alone make ANY impression!?

So a completed profile is a must. A picture adds another thousand words to your profile. If you wish to remain anonymous in the beginning a dating profile without a picture is also ok. You can make up for it in your profile details. But please do have something in your profile without having just a single line like some people, which says "hot guy looking for a hot girl" or "are you cute? Then email me" or "sexy girl wants her cute boy friend" or "just looking"!. I even saw on one dating profile which said "oh I was lost .now I am found. Let me out!". Hmmm. if it is meant to be funny, at least make sure the sense of humor is easily understood.

Step 4) Using the Dating Site Features

As mentioned above, not all online dating sites have the same feature set. Depending on whether each dating site charges per month or whether they are free, what features they offer as part of their program will also differ

Most dating sites will allow you to post your profile for free. When you browse their existing profiles and you find a person you like to contact then most sites will not let you contact them unless you pay. If the site is a free site then they will most likely allow you to contact them.

Contacting the interested person maybe either via a "wink" or an "Instant Messenger" or an internal email via the site. Each of these features will be useful in their own right.

A quick and easy method to show your interest to the person you are interested is to send a "wink"'. This way you don't have to come up with your own 'chat up line' or other creative ways of getting their attention. The dating site will have predefined 'winks' setup so you just select one wink you like and then 'voila!" your desired person will have got your 'wink'.

Sometimes it is better to Instant Message a person especially if you find that person rarely comes "online" and you want to grab their attention when they are online which is quite unusual so you would like to say "hi".

An email to the interested party is better because you can describe yourself better and plant a better 'first impression'. The reason being if you "IM" a person and they reject you at that moment because they don't know much about you, some sites may not allow you to contact that person again even by email. This will depend on the dating website's sophistication of their features. Normally, you can contact that person by Instant Messaging and if they reject your IM, you can still email them.

If the online dating site you signed up is fortunate enough to have chat rooms, you can say hi in the chat room and then take the conversation to a private 'whisper' mode for more privacy to converse with that person in a more private setting

Step 5) Take Your Time To Get To Know

Some people who start on dating online rush into things which they later regret. It is critical that you get to know the other person very well before arranging an offline meeting in person

There are several reasons for this. Firstly, your only interaction with the person you just met on the dating site is thru Instant Message, Chat or Email or a combination of these. Sometimes you may have taken the conversation to a phone conversation by exchanging numbers or calling that person. On these mediums the other person can create quite a 'make believe' scenario and in the 'heat of the moment' of attraction with their features as they describe it, or their voice or their words might blind you from your normal logical thinking.

So it is very important to get to know them from all angles before committing to meet them in person. One of the best ways is to ask questions. Especially open ended questions. Whatever you do, do not assume anything about the other person. This is not fair on you because you are not telling yourself the truth, or the other person because you are misjudging them.

When you are ready to meet, choose a place to meet which you feel comfortable with. Be yourself, and enjoy the dating process. Best of all, have fun getting to know the other person. If it is not fun then it is not worth your time. Good Luck!

Posted by Unknown at 3:44 PM | Permalink | Comments

It is possible to find the right man or woman for you on the Internet. Online dating has brought thousands of couples together who would otherwise never even have met. When you attempt to start an online friendship, it is in the hopes that it will turn into a healthy romantic relationship. Unfortunately, online dating profiles do not come with labels clearly stating whether the profile owner is emotionally balanced, or abusive, or commitment-shy or maybe even a gold-digger. Therefore, it is key that you ask your prospective date the right questions when you are still in the emailing or chatting stage. The answers that you receive will enable you to decide whether you can proceed with the online dating process with this person or whether it is best to head for the nearest exit.

The first question that you need to ask of a prospective date is, "What is the biggest mistake that you could make with online dating?".

The answer to that will likely reveal a lot to you. Such as what their attitude is towards the opposite sex and online dating in general, and what issues were really important to them in previous relationships.

Another question you should ask is, "What qualities in a man/woman does a successful relationship require?".

If they treat this a joke or avoid the answer, then it is highly likely that they have not thought about it and quite possible that a serious relationship is not really what they are after. If this is the case, then you may do well to consider looking elsewhere!

Another question that should give you insight into their online dating experiences is to ask how they are liking online dating so far. Not only will you learn more about them, but you can also learn what to do and not to do yourself.

You should also diplomatically, at the appropriate moment, ask how your prospect's previous relationship ended. If they blame their ex or take full responsibility for the breakup themselves, then that is the sign for you to move on to the next person. After all, the answer you really should be getting is that the couple simply grew apart or that they mutually agreed to end the relationship. People who lay the fault entirely at their former partner's doorstep still have unresolved issues and it is unlikely that they are ready for a new relationship, even though they may appear to want one. If they claim that they are entirely to blame for the demise of the relationship, then it is possible that you will risk getting the same results if you pursue a relationship with this person.

Keep in mind that online dating is a process that requires patience and perseverance and that you will not get instant results, despite the fact that the Internet is commonly associated with speed and ease. And do not forget that the objective of your email exchanges, chats and phone calls is to get to know each other better. Your goal is to find out what kind of person you are dealing with before you decide to meet face-to-face - the online dating moment of truth. So do not be afraid to ask questions and reply to questions as honestly as you can. It will save you time, trouble and possibly even heartache in the long run and improve your online dating experience tremendously.

Posted by Unknown at 3:44 PM | Permalink | Comments

The best way to stay safe when using online dating services is to ensure your anonymity. There many information websites and services out that make it easy for internet savvy people to find you via your email, phone, or address. You can stay anonymous and protect your privacy with these ten tips to stay safe when online dating.

Stay anonymous in your profile.

When writing your online dating profile, make sure that you stay completely anonymous. You can give potential dates information about your personality, but never, ever reveal any information that gives them any indication as to where you live or how to get in touch with you.

Sign up for a free email address.

Visit Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail to sign up for a free email address. By signing up for a free email address, you ensure that you stay in control of communicating with potential online dating partners. If you ever feel uncomfortable, you can close the free account and end communications. Be sure to make sure that the email address you chose does not reveal anything personal about yourself.

Keep your address private.

Never reveal your real name, home address, or phone number until you are completely comfortable in doing so. Make sure that you communicate via email until you feel comfortable with your potential date.

Get a P.O. box and/or unlisted phone number.

You may want to sign up for a p.o. box at your local post office and/or unlist your phone number. Your safety is extremely important and signing up for these gives you added safety.

Do not use sexy references.

When selecting your email address or user name, steer clear of any 'sexy' names. You'll get noticed by using one, but generally by the wrong people.

Tell the truth.

You want to protect yourself, but be honest at the same time. Let your potential dates get to know your personality, your likes and dislikes, and your thoughts and feelings. Do not let them know your private information such as location or anything that would identify you. You may also be nervous about using a photo, but rest assured that it's ok to do so as long as you keep your other private information out of your profile.

Trust your gut.

If you feel unsure, threatened, or uncomfortable, DO NOT respond to any further communication. You know when you feel uncomfortable. If you feel that way when talking to a person at the beginning, it's not going to change and you may be putting yourself further in danger.

Beware of the red flags.

Watch out for obvious 'red flags' when talking to people that you have met through online dating. If they are acting suspicious, they probably are not who they say they are. Use common sense and you'll be safe. You can view several online dating red flags here.

Use your email block list.

If you are uncomfortable with any email or IM messages from a member of the dating services, use your block list to keep them from contacting you again in the future.

Don't be afraid to report them.

If you come across any potential dates that are lying, threatening, or mis-using the services, report them to the company.

Posted by Unknown at 3:41 PM | Permalink | Comments