Playing the Online Dating Game

These days, people are often too busy to fit finding that special someone into their busy schedule. Shopping online for a partner, or at least a date, may be the most time-effective way to meet someone. I mean, what if you're done with school, aren't supposed to date anyone at your workplace, and don't go to church? You hardly want to rely on your family and friends to set you up on dates -- that usually means they know someone who's single, not necessarily who's right for you. If cruising the bars for a date or a mate excites you about as much as a visit to the dentist, you may want to give internet dating a try.

So you're gonna hunt for a date online. How do you begin? Usually by creating a profile for yourself. Dating websites have a template you can use to create this, unless you are tech-savvy enough to do your own from scratch. In this profile, you will include a photograph of yourself. A picture is an absolute must. Some date-seekers refuse to post a picture on the principle that they want to be judged on their personality, not their appearance. Well, get over it! Generally, people looking for a date online want to see who they are meeting. And make sure it is a picture that really shows what you look like. It may be tempting to use a picture from 50 pounds ago, but if it no longer bears any resemblance to how you appear now, you may be disappointed by dates' reactions to you when you actually meet in person. That is not to say that how you look will disqualify you from finding people to meet and go out with. There's a type for everyone, and you are probably are the type for lots of people in any given area. You want to be honest enough that your date won't be completely shocked!

Your profile will also include your interests. Be specific. The more generic you sound, the less likely you are to get serious responses. Stay away from the trite, "I like candlelight dinners and walks on the beach..." Who doesn't? That doesn't say anything about you and whether or not you actually do those things. The more detailed you are, the less time you'll waste sorting through potential "applicants" who won't work out at all. If your idea of real fun is staying home 7 nights a week with pay-per-view, you hardly want someone to contact you who will expect you to know all the best clubs and go out on town all the time. That is -- unless you're genuinely wanting to change and are up for the challenge!

It's a good idea to describe what you're looking for in a person. Romance? Friendship? Both? Which gender? The less time someone has to spend trying to figure you out, the sooner you can mutually decide if it's worth carrying on the interaction. On line dating services [http://lasertargeted.com/datingservices/online-dating-services.html] are excellent for weeding out people you don't want to meet, either because they have different agendas (you want casual dating and they want to get married) or because you have a way to screen for your preferences. Minimize the chances of arranging to meet someone who clearly is on a different page in too many ways to make sense: you want someone who's single and they're married; you want someone without children and they have two, or you want a Harvard MBA and they're a high school dropout. It's much less effective for this screening process to take place in person, randomly bumping into someone at a bar or a club.

Don't forget to let people know where you are. Your on line dating service [http://lasertargeted.com/datingservices/singles-dating-web-sites.html] profile should also include your approximate location. Enable people viewing your profile to determine whether it could be practical for them to have a relationship with you. There are many disadvantages to trying to date someone who lives too far away, and long-distance online interactions can be fraught with disappointments when the twain should actually meet. If you want someone in your life, have it be someone who is there for you and available to you, rather than putting your life on hold in anticipation of a meeting "someday."

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