Flirting Skills

Archive for December, 2008

The world of online dating is no longer the stigma it once was as climbing membership to dating sites can attest! In fact, more and more people are turning to online dating sites to weed out potential mates and meet quality people. However, with these dating sites comes some element of risk so it makes sense to follow an online dating safety tip or two to ensure your privacy and safety are secure.

Don’t Give Out Personal Information Quickly

Thanks to the internet, knowing just one or two pieces of personal information means anyone can find out all sorts of things about you like where you live. Follow this one important online dating safety tip – Do not give out your personal information too quickly! Instead, stick with first names only along with just a general area where you reside and don’t tell anyone where you work or live.

Many dating websites will give this free online dating tip of not using a distinct email address like one given by an internet provider or a work email but rather one of those free email accounts that you can up for anonymously. When signing up for this free email account, do not use your name as it will appear in the email sent to prospects but instead use your screen name from the dating site. By using an anonymous free email, this handy online dating safety tip will prevent any weirdo from searching for you using the email account.

Trust Your Instincts

Perhaps the most important online dating safety tip to follow is to trust your own gut instincts in both online situations and even during the first meet and greet dates. If you don’t feel right sharing a piece of information or you recognize telling clues that the other person may be married or even unbalanced, heed those instincts as they are often right! It is always better to be safe than sorry and this online dating safety tip definitely applies to the world of internet dating.

Once the first few email and phone conversations are through and you feel almost ready for the next step of meeting face to face, ask for a current photo. This online dating safety tip could be a deal breaker, especially if they don’t want to do it as it could signal they lied about their looks or age. And for that first face to face date, you want to let your friends know where you are and take your own transportation and meet in a public place.

When possible, let the other party make the first move in providing personal information as this online dating safety tip safeguards you. When you are ready, share a cell phone number and anonymous email or IM address to protect your identity for as long as possible until you are thoroughly comfortable with the other person. If this person is legitimate, they will understand the hypervigilance and need to follow an online dating safety tip or two.

The good news ladies is that you are often in the minority when it comes to dating websites as there are usually a slightly larger number of guys than gals signed on as members. However, in order to snag the attention of one of these fellows, you need to follow an online dating tip for a woman to create a profile that is worthy of a second or even third look.

A Picture Says It All

Many men have been polled over the years about what attracts them to certain profiles to garner more than just a passing glance and the answer lies in this online dating tip for a woman – a great photo! Of course, there are a few unspoken rules about this photo such as no serious, posed self-posed portraits using your web camera. A candid shot of you looking relaxed and smiling is the best as it reflects your personality much more than a posed shot of you bearing your cleavage!

A Great User Name and Profile Essay

Another online dating tip for a woman is to choose a cool username that is sure to attract some attention at first glance. Choose a name that reflects your personality or a character trait without employing any cutesy or silly add-ons. For instance, if you sport a lot of freckles that draw compliments, use a screen name like “FrecklednFun” or “Connect-the-Dots.”

A snappy essay is another online dating tip for a woman that should be heeded if you want to keep the attention of the male persuasion. Positive and relaxed are two key ingredients of the essay so it is important that you write it as if you were talking to a friend rather than a job interviewer. Of course, to follow the most important online dating safety tip, do not give out personal information yet like your phone number, address or anything else that makes it easy for a stalker to find you.

Your essay should be honest and this is the chance for you to be picky, providing deal-breakers such as the fact you are seeking someone who does not smoke or wants children in the future. This online dating tip for a woman regarding the essay is a great way to portray you realistically while weeding out the losers who do not have the attributes you want but you also want to be flexible and realistic as well in certain areas.

Realistic Expectations

The most important online dating tip for a woman is that you must have realistic expectations when going the internet dating route. While you want to give people the benefit of the doubt, realize that not everyone is truthful with you and may fudge about things such as smoking or drinking to using an old photo that is no longer realistic of them. Keeping an open mind is a great online dating tip for a woman along with not pinning hopes on the first man you make a date with. The reality is that you may end up dating several men before you find someone really special so it is important to stay positive and safe until you do.

When it comes to online dating and browsing the dating websites, men have it a bit tougher because of the disproportionate ration of men to women, usually 60-40 but sometimes even higher. This means if you are a guy, you need some really good online dating tips for men so your profile stands out in a crowd so women will respond.

Show Yourself

One of the most important online dating tips for men is the fact that you need a good photo to go with your profile. Women are going to be naturally suspicious of a man with no photo and automatically assume you are married or really unattractive. Post a candid photo of you alone (and smiling) that best represents you without additional props like a hat or sunglasses and be sure you are fully clothed!

Spiff Up Your Profile

Online dating tips for men often include the need to punch up your profile a bit, checking cliché phrases and misspellings at the door. While proper grammar, spelling and punctuation are more for the freshman comp class, many online dating tips for men state that women are put off by poor grammar and misspellings as it signals to them that you really don’t care about making a good impression.

In addition to cleaning up the mechanics of your profile, online dating tips for men include the need for creating a good visual with words. Instead of saying that you love outdoor sports and socializing with friends, mention your most recent water skiing adventure or the fact that you love grilling freshly caught fish outside and sharing with friends.

Responding to Personal Ads

Women seem to naturally find the right things to say when they respond to an ad (probably following their own online dating tip for a woman) but men have a tougher time with words. Among the many online dating tips for men, you will discover that the best way to respond to a profile you like is to send a personal email rather than a quick instant message or profile tag.

Women enjoy the personal touch a lot more and will give mentally give you kudos for your efforts but you must know what to say right? Carefully read their profile again to get clues into their personality and use some of the information they say and directly quote it back to them in the email. If they mention a favorite movie or restaurant, online dating tips for men will say to remark about it showing you are paying attention and give your own insight into it to capture their attention even further.

Some online dating tips for men will mention that you should solicit the opinion of a female friend to review your picture and profile and let you know if it would pass muster online with the ladies. Garnering an impartial opinion on the whole process can definitely give you the female insight and greatly boost your chances with online dating success.