How to Succeed at Online Dating

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According to a recent survey done by DateWatchers.com, most people are starting to get comfortable with online dating. However, some minor mistakes are still what keeps people from meeting the person they so badly deserve. Online dating can be fun and easy if you know the tricks of the trade. Read these helpful dating tips and you could be the busiest person on the block in no time.

Steps

Be honest with the with yourself about the kind of person you are looking for. Don't settle if you can't find anyone you find interesting in the profiles.
Put up several recent photographs of yourself -- in both indoor and outdoor light, also a variety of full body shots as well as close ups of your face. Do not put the classic "Myspace angle" photos or any glamour pictures.
Don't put all of your focus on online dating. Don't seem so desperate that the internet is your last and only hope to find that someone special. For all you know the right person is out at the library, coffee Shop, or buying groceries. You have to be positive and think that way as well. People are not attracted to desperation.
Check a few times a week to see if anyone new has shown up that may interest you.
Do not hound the same person over and over, send them a message or two and after that leave them alone if they don't return your contact -- they probably aren't interested.
When writing things about yourself tell people what kind of person you are looking for. Be humorous and upbeat, but be clear about what your interests are and the type of individual you are interested in. If you won't date a smoker, a drinker, someone with children, make that clear (but not rudely) in your profile. Keep in mind that some smokers, drinkers, single parents may still (for whatever reasons) contact you.
Some of online dating websites are becoming more sophisticated in the way they match up people, but that does not mean that they cannot make mistakes. Always check someone out for yourself (Google, Dogpile, etc.) before you accept a date from them. Just because an emotionless computer thinks you may be a good match for someone does not mean that you are. Look their profile over and email/call them a few times before making the decision to meet.
Always have a phone conversation with a match before any initial meeting. Be highly cautious of anyone who does not want to speak on the phone before meeting, or comes up with repeated excuses as to why they can not meet you. Have no further contact if a match does this.
Be cautious with the information that you provide a potential match. Do not give specific details about where you live or where you are employed.
Take note of any discrepancies in the details the person provides you -- it's usually an indication that the person is misleading you.
Always have the first few meetings and dates in a public place and always let a relative or friend know where you are going and who you are meeting. Never invite someone to your home during an initial meeting. Do not drink heavily and do not allow anyone but the wait staff and yourself near your drink.
Have a friend or relative call or text you during your initial meeting to see if you're fine.
Be alert to red flags, such as a person repeatedly canceling meetings, asking for money, or pressuring you for personal information or sex (including nude photos) early in your acquaintanceship. Cut off contact completely if any of these occur.
Be optimistic and upbeat, but be realistic that even the most accurate profile and photograph does not always correlate to real life chemistry between two people. Sometimes two individuals simply won't click, but sometimes they will. Good luck!

Tips

1. There are a lot of dating tips about how to present your interests so that you can be matched up with someone of similar interests. Of all the dating tips I have ever seen the best ones always talk about being yourself and listing all of your interests and not just the mainstream ones . If you like walking through graveyards at night then you may want to list that, because at some point all of your interests will come out to the person you are dating. One of the best dating tips you can be given is to outline everything right up front so that there are no major surprises later on in the relationship.

Sources and Citations

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