By thedailyblonde | Leave A Comment
On-Line Dating: Taking The Plunge
When I was thrown back into the singles scene eight years ago post divorce, internet dating was just in its infancy. There was a huge stigma attached to it. Not only was I afraid to date to begin with, I was even more fearful of meeting someone on line. There weren’t many options eight years ago.
Today, Internet dating is more the norm and it makes getting back into the dating world just a little bit easier. In this hectic world, on-line dating makes sense. Just don’t jump in with your blinders on. You most likely won’t find Prince Charming on the first try. Or your fifth. Make your goals realistic and have fun.
In the past, I tried a few of the more popular sites like Match.com, Yahoo Personals and eHarmony. My best advice is to do your research.
- Talk to other people who have tried different Internet dating sites and get their views on what worked best for them. Do NOT talk to people who are anti-Internet dating. They will not support you in your endeavor.
- Do your research! There are trial offers for most of the bigger sites so you can get your feet wet without investing. Take advantage of these offers.
- Don’t spread yourself too thin. Putting your profile on a number of different sites is certain death for your dating life. Pick a site and see how you like it. If you find it’s not a good dating resource for you, delete your profile and try another site.
- Do not close your mind to meeting people who don’t have every attribute on your “perfect man” list. Are you a perfect woman? I know I’m not. Go outside of your comfort zone.
This is all preliminary information. To me, Internet dating is not something you do half heartedly.
My next post will focus on how to write your dating profile and what type of (and how many) pictures to use. Yes, you need a current picture. Do you want to meet someone based on his looks twenty years ago? I didn’t think so!
Stay tuned…I’m going to help you tune up that dating profile and get you out the door!
Cheryl A. Phillips
ABOUT thedailyblonde
I've been writing since I could hold a pencil in my hand. I was born in New Jersey and grew up in Ma{read more}
Loading ...
This is a great subject thank you for talking about it! I met my incredible husband on myspace of all places! I got a lot of grief for it at first “you’re too cute to be looking for love online” “you don’t know if he’s really who he says he is” which is true, you do have to be careful when you are dating online, but shouldn’t you be careful when you are dating in general?
I am so experienced here! I have some real advice for all to consider. It does not matter what site you use, Secular, Religious or in between, there are as many kooks as there are great people. Your likelihood of meeting more than one online is great.
After doing this for 3+ years and meeting some wonderful, but not right people as well as a number of scare the pants off you people I came up with a plan. I was not going that route.
However, God had other plans and one persistent man wrote anyway. He did not “fit” what I thought was right. Lived in the wrong area of the country as well! He wrote, to be polite I wrote, told him he was not right I was not moving that far away as well. He wrote, I wrote and finally I knew I needed a plan because he was getting my interest but this was too great a distance to chance another kook.
I asked for references! I figured if he was like the ones I had met before he would run, if he gave them to me then I would know. I wanted his pastor and his best friend.
He gave them to me!!! He was real.
I now live in Texas (from Maine!) and am married to a wonderful man. My first husband died and I never thought that another man out there would be so right.
Be careful. Get references and ask those references for references. You can’t be too careful. I know what is out there!
It’s all about instinct! You can never be too careful in ANY situation…whether it is on-line dating or meeting someone in a bar (eeek). There are people we should be cautious of everywhere. However, the worst thing one can do in the dating scene is to have their guard up SO high that they run off the wrong person because they think “everyone is a kook”. Breathe. Enjoy. Dating can be a nightmare but it also could find you the love of your life!
I use Craigslist regularly; I’ve met a LOT of really great people there. There are three rules I apply:
1. BE PICKY. Not kidding. If something bugs you about a person online, it’s going to be magnified in real time.
2. ALWAYS meet in a public place. Coffee is good, because if they’re awful, you don’t have to sit through an entire meal with them.
3. ALWAYS let someone know who you’re out with. I set up an email that is on a timer for 24 hours after I’ve met someone; if, in the event that I don’t cancel it, the notification will be sent to my sister with information on the person I was meeting. Just in case something happens