ever been online dating before? find a website that tickles your fancy and of course they will dangle the cutest of the hotties on their main page to get to sign up. i have fallen for this many times so you won't get any judging from me if you decide to sign up. infact, i know several happy couples that have met through online dating and are in committed relationships. i'm not a hater, trust me!
you have to fill in all kinds of information on your likes, dislikes, what you do for fun and semantics like location, age, blah blah blah. after all that, a picture is necessary and of course you want someone to contact you so you sift through hundreds of pictures to find the sexiest, most flattering photo of yourself you can find, hit the submit button and cross your fingers that no crazies, serial killers or nut cases contact you.
i can tell you, i've tried several sites and often times i've found the same guy on each of them. i don't mean "type of guy" i mean "exact photo match and basic info". hey guys, i know some of us ladies do the same thing. just an fyi, not all of these people are on the up and up so caution!
some words of advice while online dating: (this is a gender neutral list of advice)
* never meet at a secluded location or the person's home until you've been in public with them for at least 3-4 dates
* you don't know their last name? don't sleep with them! (seriously i hate that i have to remind people of this fact)
* he/she doesn't text you unless its 2:00am? its a bootie call, you're better than that, don't pursue this relationship, he/she won't change how they see you if you give in but really want more
* compromising yourself is never an option, don't say you like hockey unless you mean it just to impress a guy. it can bite you in rear end if your first date is to a hockey game and you've never even heard what a "white out" is.
* living situation: with the parents? don't judge, we might have a caretaker situation going on but beware if they've never lived anywhere other than the parents house. find out the details before you run into mom and dad the morning after your first sleep over. additionally, living with the ex? get the skinny on that too before it becomes a problem.
* felonies and misdemeanors: don't be afraid to ask. its for your safety (remember the craigslist killer?)
* BE HONEST! you've got nothing to gain by exaggerating or making up nonsense and the potential guy or gal deserves your honesty. plus, wouldn't it suck to start a relationship with someone super awesome with lies? yeah i didn't think so.
*****never offer to give anyone over the internet money. this is just plain stupid. don't do it!
so why do i think online dating can be a chore? well because sometimes it is! you have to log into your account to see if anyone has sent you a love note, check out their profile and if you like them based on their scant bits of information, reply back to strike up a conversation. do not feel that you have to respond to everyone that sends you a message. i once had the same guy send me the same message (which turned out to be what i can only assume a automatic cut and paste job he sent to all his ladies) three separate times. i had a feeling something was strange the 2nd time he sent me the same message but the 3rd time...come on, have some standards and if i didn't respond the first 2 times, i probably won't the 3rd time. don't be afraid to sift through your "potential matches" and let a guy know "hey i think you're cute and i like your profile, lets chat". worse case scenario...no reply back and you've only taken 2 seconds of your life out to send that message. if you do find someone fantastic in the long run, wasn't that time well spent? either way, if you don't put yourself out there and do the work, no complaining from the peanut gallery ok?
several of my stories you'll be reading on this blog more than likely will be because i'd met the guy online. just a heads up people and no, it doesn't discourage me from online dating, it just makes me appreciate the awesome friends i have to turn to when the shenanigans start to occur :)
i'm sure there are other things that this post didn't address, we'll get it eventually. i just want ya'll to be safe while still having fun! you can meet some of the most interesting people online dating and its a great way to "meet" someone if you're shy. good luck people, you're gonna need it :)
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