One of the great things about online dating is that it is much easier to approach people as there is no chance of a drink being thrown in your face, or the mortification of being rejected in public. The worst thing that can happen if you contact someone online is that you are ignored which can be easily brushed off.

Some people (especially women) sit at the computer simply waiting for men to message them, however I think that with so little to lose and so much to gain, if you find someone’s profile attractive then take the plunge and see if you are in with a chance! Like in the real world however, you must approach people in the right way. Sleazy one liners or confusing jokes don’t normally work at a bar so why would they work online?

Most of the online dating sites give you a number of options of communication to choose from. Match.com for example lets you send messages, call or send a wink. Although you can opt for the teenage style images, winks or nudges, I think that if you really want to start getting to know someone, then an email is a great way of grabbing their attention. You can include enough information about yourself, ask the appropriate questions and add in some of your personality. Another reason why I think that email or private messages are a great option, is that unlike instant chat messaging you can have the time to think before you write.

Look through the person’s profile and mention interests that you both share to create an instant familiarity between you. Keep it chatty and light hearted, ‘I see that you like going to art galleries, I just went to a great David Hockney exhibition’. If you are looking for a real relationship, then steer well clear from making any sexual references. This will instantly give the wrong impression. It is obvious that you like their physical appearance because otherwise you would not be speaking to them – there is no need to tell them in writing straight away.

Another point that is pretty important when trying to give off a good image of yourself is your grammar and spelling. Your writing is the only way that you can communicate at first, so the last thing you want is for the person to think that you can’t even be bothered to click on the spell check. Don’t use too many abbreviations or slang words as you don’t yet know what they will understand.

Make sure to ask plenty of questions (without giving them the 3rd degree) as no one wants to read a long email about the interests of someone that they don’t even know. Avoid asking about anything too personal such as divorce or kids as if you receive a response you can discuss these topics later. Keep it short and sweet, hope for the best and remember that if you don’t receive a response then there are plenty more daters in the sea!

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Meeting new people is scary. There it is. I said it. You know it. It’s one of those that most of us accept, but none of us acknowledge.

I think that is why so many of us have become more comfortable online dating; it offers a sense of security and status control. The unfortunate informality, and often physical detachment, in the technology of dating sites can cause serious misapprehensions, and unguided expectations. The separation between the people attempting to date seems much greater than air.

I am sure that we’ve all had our fair share of horrible first date experiences. The profile promises a DiCaprio who, of course, works in business. That “promise” has turned out to be someone’s husband, a creep, or some socially awkward juvenile more times than I care to remember.

A large part of this deception is based on the freedom we, as individuals, are allowed on these sites. I’m sure this is not news to anyone; this has been of the key problems with online dating since it’s birth. For the moment, I would like to take another viewpoint on the matter; turn the perspective around and focus on us, women.

How often, in all honesty, do we represent ourselves correctly online? I have spoken with many women who do the majority of their dating online. Often, we have discussed their problems with the compatibility comparison technology on a lot of these sites. Although I believe men are guilty as well, I think women are creatures of habit. We have constructed this façade with the opposite sex over the internet. How many of your interests, morals, and goals are portrayed to the full and honest extent of the truth on your profile? I know mine weren’t.

We have to separate ourselves, as people, from the tags are on our pages. When I took my first compatibility test, I named all of the traits that I thought I was supposed to like in another person; the ones my mother told me to find honorable… and boring. I thought it would look good on paper, and in congruence, make me look good. It made me look phony and insecure.

I took the time to reevaluate the answers to my tests, and in doing so, got to take a deep look at my own values. It sounds a little silly, but realizing I didn’t want the “perfect man”, the one I had conditioned myself to find, helped me accept my own flaws a little better. I remembered all of the little things I find so cute about men, and to my surprise, they were mostly quirky, obtrusive things. Sometimes, it’s not whether or not he holds the door open for you; it’s how he opens it in the first place.

When we put up that blockade online, it is impenetrable. The only truths we share about ourselves are the ones we deem admirable to onlookers. Writing this, I feel a little giddy, almost naïve; that these evaluations sparked such ideas in me. Next time you take one of these tests, be honest. If the reader doesn’t like the truth, he was no DiCaprio in the first place.

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I am going to share with you some tips on how to get your ex-girlfriend back from a female’s perspective. We all know what it feels like to have “the one that got away”. Those final conversations play over and over in our minds as we dissect the relationship; trying to find the moment where all hope fleeted. Too often men are unresponsive or too desperate when they attempt to rekindle a relationship. Well here’s some advice, straight from the horse’s mouth (so to speak); a short list of tips that will get you on your way to getting her back:

1. Fix your broken heart first: Take time to get rid of your own pain before you begin to focus on winning her back. You cannot be emotionally capable of taking care of someone else if you can’t take care of yourself. Take a substantial amount of time away from her; no phone calls, no “running into her”, put her personal belongings away; and try to avoid things that you know will make you think of her. Do some things that you love during this time. Pick up a hobby you have neglected. For some men recreational activities like sports help.

2. Mingle: After you have taken care of your own needs, and are feeling like a capable human beings again, go out in the world. Meet new people and expand your horizons. Women to not respond to needy men, so make sure that you are comfortable spending time with other people too. Women do, however, respond to confidence. When we know that you’re content enough to not need us, we will begin to spend more and more time thinking about you. Nothing attracts a woman to a man as much as his self-sustainability.

3. Give her a call: This is the step that, as a woman, is a little embarrassing. It highlights our stubborn nature. We want what’s not readily available. Call her up. Let her know that you have learned a lot about yourself, and consequently, your faults through your breakup. Let her know that you know understand why you too wouldn’t work. Don’t let her know, at this point, that you want to get back with her. Your only objective is to show that you are happy and healthy and want the same for her. If you want to keep her once you reconcile, it’s best for all these statements to be true.

4. Become someone she can trust again: Slowly work your way back into her life. Be the friend that she needs. You won’t be together again until she can trust you completely, and depending on the reason for your breakup, this could take awhile. Once you have spent time with her non-romantically, and you both appreciate new things about each other, you should have a better understanding of how the other operates. At this point, be honest. Let her know how you feel. If she doesn’t take you back at this point, then the chemistry is not there, and that cannot be changed. At least you know that you did everything you could; in the end it’s the thought that counts.

Guys, how to get your ex back is always a hard topic. However, equipped with the tips above, you will be better off getting her back!

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Online dating is a forum for people to browse, chat, flirt and get to know each other. If you think that people are fickle in real life dating then I’ve got news for you. The online dating game is ten times more conceited. With no physical chemistry or any personal connection to you, many people will be quick to dismiss you if you make one wrong comment.

Without being able to use facial expressions or body language, what you type is critical to giving off the right impression. Remember that things that may come out humorous or sexy in real life, can sound stupid and sleazy through chat messenger or email. So here are the 10 things that you should never say to someone that you are trying to get to know online……

1. Past relationships: Refrain from moaning about your past relationships unless the other person asks. No one wants to hear about the restless nights you spent worrying if your husband was having an affair or how dreadful your breakup was. The beginning of online dating chats should be light and fun.

2. Racist, sexist or homophobic jokes: However funny you may find these jokes, the majority of people will interpret these types of humor as you being a complete fool!

3. Hiding important factors of your life: Not showing someone what you look like or lying about your job or lifestyle is the worst way that you can start online dating. With no proof that you are who you say you are, trust is a huge factor of what makes the most successful online relationships work. You wouldn’t like someone to deceive you so why would you deceive them?

4. Making assumptions: Remember that the people that you are speaking to do not know you, so they cannot necessarily understand your personality simply by what you write.

5. Talking about yourself too much: Make sure that you ask questions and show interest in the other person. If you talk too much about yourself without them asking then you will appear to be self involved and conceited.

6. Prying: Yes I know I just said that you should ask questions, but there is a fine line between being inquisitive and being down right nosy. Refrain from asking personal questions until you actually know the person and have gained their trust.

7. Being sexually explicit: If you are looking for a relationship online then the worst thing that you can do is to send photos of yourself naked or make sexual innuendos. Any self respecting dater will think that you are dirty and run a mile.

8. Not having a photo: You will not get hardly any responses if you don’t have a photo. Everyone wants to see who they are talking to.

9. Say you are have feelings for them straight away: It will appear insincere or just weird. Even if you are having a nice chat with a new person online, none will believe that you are becoming emotionally attached right away.

10. Writing in text message format: Writing hlo, bff and hw r u’s is just going to make you look immature and unintelligent. Show yourself as similar to how you would speak in real life.

Keep these 10 things that you shouldn’t say in mind, and start dating online. There are a lot of free online dating site, such as Plenty of Fish for you to try out. There are also some very reliable paid dating sites to go with, such as eHarmony and Match.com!

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Knowing which dating sites to avoid will really get you off to a great start in your search for cyber love. With the inability to know exactly who someone is, we online daters trust the sites to do most of the dirty work and to keep us safe and secure.

So what are the warning signs that a dating site is bad news? Well firstly the privacy and safety of it’s members is of utmost importance to any credible site. However hot the people may look to you as you browse through, if the site does not have a good security system then you won’t be going on any more dates because you will have been scammed out of all your money!

Another crucial factor that you must bare in mind is the actual reason that you signed up in the first place – to find a compatible match! Unfortunately the bogus sites don’t actually care whether you meet anyone interesting or not, and their supposed ‘matches’ are done at random.

So based on reviews, my own attempts at finding love and the general interfaces of the sites themselves, here are some the worst online dating sites that you really should avoid……

PerfectMatch.com: This is one site that I would steer well clear of. Their lack of people that they have to monitor what is going on, means that you will be bombarded with hundreds of spam emails. PerfectMatch is a total rip off and the membership fees result in very few matches at all! After creating a profile on the site myself, I typed my specifications and looked at their meager attempts at finding me a man. None of the results remotely matched what I was looking for and some did not even have a profile!

Singlesnet.com: Oh no you’re trapped! Once you have paid to subscribe to a membership on this site you can say goodbye to your $24.95/Month as you most probably won’t be meeting anyone apart from con artists. Apart from the infuriating scam emails, it is the shockingly bad user interface of this site that sets it apart from the rest. Messages don’t send (or you send them over and over by accident), the site is slow to load, and the photos on people’s profiles are so small that you literally need a magnifying glass to even make out if they are human. Don’t worry however because Singlesnet has managed to make one thing work on their site…..Their payment system.

That said, there are still many good dating sites out there, such as eHarmony and Match.com. Those sites get tons of good reviews and there are a lot of successful stories. Here is a list of the best dating sites for your reference. Check them out and good luck with your dating!

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Once you have passed the stages of emailing, text flirting and phone conversations there is only one option left to complete the online dating experience….Yes you guessed it….you can now meet in REAL LIFE. This can be incredibly nerve wracking, especially if you have been chatting to someone online for a while. You will both have high hopes, expectations and fears that there won’t be a connection when you are actually in the same room. 

The best aspect of meeting someone that you have already chatted to online, is that you already know that you get on well. You have probably noticed that you have a similar sense of humor and maybe even have the same interests. You may actually feel that you know this person quite well, and online conversations may have become really personal. Having a real life encounter however will still be out of your comfort zone.

You will both be aware that physical appearance will suddenly become much more important than when you were simply sitting miles apart behind a computer screen. Will they look like they do in their incredibly hot photos? Are my photos too flattering? As hard as it may be to erase the ‘You’ve Got Mail’ fantasies, you must be open minded about your first encounter.

Many people meet their online crush with incredibly high expectations that no person would ever be able to fill. Force yourself to separate the virtual person that you have been chatting with from the real human being that will be in front of you. They very well may have a zit, have put on a few pounds, or have cut their hair since their photo! Give them a chance!

Once you have decided to go on a first date with your online crush, make sure to take all of the necessary precautions. As pessimistic as it may sound, there are many cases of people being completely mislead, conned or even worse. As long as you are careful, the only damage that can occur is disappointment. Make sure to take your own form of transport to the location, so that not only will you be safe but you can also ‘vanish’ if the date is not going as well as expected. It is also not the best idea for someone that you do not know to find out where you live.

Always make sure to tell people exactly where you will be meeting (especially if you are a woman). Suggest to meet somewhere open and public such as a restaurant or coffee shop.

If you like their photos and are enjoying chatting and getting to know them, then plucking up the courage to meet your online crush in real life could be the best decision that you ever made!

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Every online dating site will all promise that the love of your life is waiting for you if you sign up with them, but do you have more chance of finding your soulmate if you choose a paid dating site over a free one? Well firstly be aware that nothing in life comes for free.

A lot of the supposedly free dating sites are very restrictive with who you can contact (often no one) and to actually talk to anyone you must pay a fee. As the sites are free, they are swarming with scammers, including mail order brides and viral advertisements. You’ll also find a lot of empty profiles as well. You can also expect an array of delightfully irritating adverts popping up on the site itself, as this is how they make most of their revenue.

Aside from the general sketchiness of many free dating sites, for me I have always thought that the men on them must not really care about making an effort to find someone seriously. If someone can’t even shell out a monthly subscription fee, then I dread to think what they will buy me for Valentines Day!

On the other hand I once found a great pair of jeans at Wal-Mart after I had been looking all day in Saks Fifth Avenue! If you are willing to sit for hours (possibly even days or weeks) searching through profiles, then the free sites do of course have some diamonds in the rough. Many people who are signed up to more ‘serious’ paid dating sites will probably have accounts on free sites too.

The best of the free dating sites is OkCupid.com, which has thousands of members and enables you to maintain excellent privacy settings just like on the paid sites. It also has some pretty cool features such as rating people’s photos and fun personality quizzes that helps their dating algorithm match you up with others on the site. And best of all, you can contact anyone on the site.

So what are the benefits of paid dating sites? The fact is that you are far less likely to encounter a con artist on a paid site. Many of the paid sites even do background checks on their members to filter out more unsavory characters. The two best known paid dating sites are Match.com and eHarmony. I’ve found that people tend to be more serious on these two sites, since they’re actually paying a membership fee to get matched. While not perfect, you do have a better chance of finding good matches on these paid sites I’ve found.

A lot of the trusted paid dating sites actually offer a free trial membership so that you can see whether you like the interface and the kind of people that are signed up before laying down any of your hard earned cash. I recommend that if you are new to online dating, then you should give yourself a taste of the best dating sites so that you can find out which you like best. Each site has a different ‘atmosphere’ and features, and it is a completely personal choice as to which you want to use.

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So you’ve been chatting to someone online for a while. Your heart flutters when their name appears online and you have been getting on great. However transferring your text chat conversations to actual over the phone communication can be completely nerve racking, yet potentially the start of the next stage of your online dating relationship.

You will have both become used to communicating online as it is safe and protected from any of the natural blips that occur in the real world. There is only a few ways you can humiliate yourself if you can think it over before you type, without seeing or hearing the other persons’ natural reactions! You may have even become a little TOO comfortable with talking online.

The phone is far more intimate. What if you run out of conversation? Will they laugh at your jokes? What if there are awkward overlaps? Remember that despite the nerves and perils, real life relationships are much more exciting, and talking over the phone is the first step.

If you have been in the dating game for as long as I have, then you will be aware that there are certain rules (however stupid they may be) around calling. How often and when you call someone that you are interested in is vital in giving the right or wrong impression. You don’t want appear too keen, yet you don’t want to seem like you don’t care. Oh the tortures of the single mind games!

The good news is that many people who are looking for a relationship online are actually sick of these ridiculous shenanigans. It is more than likely that if you are getting on and there is a flirtatious vibe, then the other person will want to get to know you better over the phone.

Before you call your online crush, make sure to get to know them well enough on the dating site you are on, so that you can figure out their sense of humor and interests. This will make it a lot easier to chat over the phone and will prevent those dreaded silences.

If they have already given you their number, then you are already over the first hurdle. Or, if you both met on a dating sites like eHarmony and Match.com then you can use their premium voice chat features. As chatting online gives you time to think, they obviously want you to call them. Make sure to let them know when to expect your call. This will enable you to chat when they are not stuck in the middle of doing something else. Don’t hide the fact that you are excited to speak to them. This will build up the good, positive vibes between you and make it more comfortable when you do speak.

When you make the call, a good idea to keep you relaxed is to make yourself a check list of subjects to talk about. Include things that you have already discussed together to create instant familiarity. As long as you are aware that the other person is probably just as nervous as you are and you keep the conversation light and fun, you can enjoy taking your online relationship to the next level.

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If you are considering dipping your toe into the ocean of online dating sites, then you really need to be aware of what you are looking for. With hundreds of online dating sites each advertising special deals and offers, it can be somewhat daunting to know what you are even looking for! I have had my fair share of online dating encounters over the last few years, some brilliant and some dreadful but the main piece of advice that I could give you is to put yourself into the situation that you want to be in.

When I was at University, my cheeky friends and I thought it might be fun to sign up to some dating sites purely to look at hot guys and have some fun. If you are planning on just using dating sites to boost your sex life or simply for some flirtatious online chats, then there is plenty of choice around. Be aware that if you make it clear that you are looking for a casual encounter then you may get a few unexpected surprises. When I indicated that I was just out for ‘a bit of fun’ in my profile, I was sent photos of things that even my drunken student self found pretty shocking.

Chats can also get insanely raunchy, as many people see dating sites as a perfect opportunity to live out their wildest fantasies. If you are not looking for anything serious then enjoy pushing the boundaries, however if you feel uncomfortable, the great thing about online dating is that you can simply log off and even block people.

If illicit encounters are not your thing and you really want to find someone who you could settle down with, then there are tons of dating sites that will be right up your street. If you are looking for something specific in the type of person that you would like to meet, then there is a place to cater for you whatever your heart desires.

No matter how obscure your preferences are, there is bound to be a site for you. There are religion based sites such as JDate.com for Jewish singles or ChristianMingle.com for Christians in search of love. If you are looking for senior sites then you will find plenty and there are an abundance of sites for those love rats out there who are looking to cheat on their partners! The extent of the niche sites out there is astounding including ones for little people, tall people, smokers and even people who are incarcerated in jails!

If you have love on your mind then make sure not to give off sexual references in your profile or photo. Despite lots of people seeing dating sites as light hearted fun, there are just as many who really are looking for their soul mate. Join the top dating sites that get good ratings and read some reviews to get an idea of which are the best. In order to attract the kind of people that will suit you, make sure to be genuine and honest about yourself. Enjoy the experience and take the chance at approaching people that you find interesting. Who knows what may unfold?

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When I first started venturing into the world of online dating, I had a lot of awful experiences. I found that my dates were often what I had expected, or who they had portrayed themselves to be. There was one instance, one first date, which by far exceeded the rest. It was the single worst night of my entire life.

We had been chatting online for a month or so on Plenty of Fish, and I had become really excited to meet him. It sounded like we had a lot in common, and I was looking for someone to have fun with without any serious expectations. When the time came for our first date however, it was nothing like I had hoped or expected. I blame this on my naiveté having only gone on a few dates with people I had met online previously.

For starters, it was on a Wednesday night because he worked nights at a shipping warehouse. It was his one night off, so that’s when our schedules permitted to meet. Not wanting to come off as the control-freak that I am, I let him pick the venue. Much to my disappointed surprise, he chose a bar that offers karaoke on Wednesday nights.

I saw him at the bar, only recognizable by the jacket he was wearing. He wore it in many of his profile photos. Immediately on seeing him, I became aware that he had Photoshopped many of his photos. In opposition of his profile photos; his teeth were yellow, his skin covered in blemishes and even a few wrinkles. He was obviously not 25 as he had said; he looked closer to mid-thirties. As soon, as he spoke, it was obvious he was a “bro”. You know what I mean? Someone who never emotionally moved out of his fraternity. The worst part: he was surrounded by a group of his “buddies” that happened to congregate there every week.

He offered me a stool beside him at the bar, and I could tell he had been there awhile drinking profusely. This was evident by the smell of liquor that almost knocked me off my stool. We made a little bit of polite conversation before he completely lost interest in me and became focused in his “boys” as they each took turns singing obnoxious 80’s hair metal songs. After about an hour, I was alone at the bar and he was doing shots with his friends. I took this opportunity to take advantage of his open bar tab, ordering drinks for myself and another girl at the bar. Like me, she had been discarded for the “boys”. We ended up getting pretty sloshed and becoming quite good friends.

Around midnight, my date returned. Much to my surprise and disgust, he threw himself at me trying to kiss me. He smelt awful and, by this point, had no right to even speak to me. The only good part of the entire date was when the bartender, a cute twenty-something guy with tattoos, defended my honor. He had witnessed the events of the evening and took it upon himself to throw my date out. I was humiliated, but some good came out of this. I made a delightful friend at the bar, and earned a free nightcap and cab ride from the gentleman behind the bar.

So that’s my worst first date story. Post your own worst dating stories in the comments and we can commiserate together.

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