I Can’t Believe I’m Doing This!

I can’t believe I’m doing this! / My friend told me about this site, so I thought I’d try it out, etc.

The fact that you're posting a personal ad is the one thing that can't possibly distinguish yourself from anyone else on there. You don't need to make excuses for why you're on a dating site. You probably have the same reason everyone else has: because it makes dating more convenient.

Skip the apologies and move on to what makes you different from other people!

DO the following Always

Some tips you should always take into account when writing up your online dating profile.

1. Write clearly. Avoid using big words to seem impressive. Write for the common man.
2. Promote your unique qualities. There is an advantage to being unique, so abuse it if you can. If you’re doing something out of the ordinary.
3. Edit often. Try to keep yourself fresh and new, even if it means removing/adding info. Hell, keep your “favorites” list updated if you must.
4. Expect little response. No matter how perfect your profile is, don’t expect a flood of responses.

DO NOT do the following EVER

Ok here is a list of things you should NEVER do on your online dating profile!

1. Act depressed/whiny. Too many profiles start off with “no guy wants me” or “I know no-one will read this, but…”. Avoid it.
2. Talk about money, politics, or religion. It’s crude. You can mention your political/religious affiliation, but don’t preach.
3. Post lists or otherwise flood your profile. Information is wonderful, excessive information is poison to the mind. If asked to list your favourite movies/music, keep it to five or less. Any more is ridiculous.
4. Include poetry, stories, song lyrics, etc. This goes along with flooding your profile, but it tends to be even worse. Poetry is best left to the masters, probably not you.

Gather Pictures

Most good dating sites allow you to upload photos to your profile (do this immediately f you want a quick response). Without fail most browsers ignore profiles without photos. That being said, even if you have to steal a buddy’s digital camera for a few hours, get some decent photos and be prepared for the whole world to see them.

What type of self taken shot do you want to put online?

Take at least one good and clear photo of your face. Even the cheapest cameras today have timer functions, which allow you to take a photo of yourself from afar. Use this function and take one of yourself that encompasses your whole face (enough where a 100×100 thumbnail will be clear).

If you upload another, do one of your body, but discreetly. Smart users will post pictures of themselves on a trip or something similar- especially if it’s full body. This allows you two things: it shows you actually leave your house (even if you don’t), and it shows your body.

Avoid Myspace shots, editing, or similar photographic heresy. Your job is not to be an “artist”, it is to show yourself. No photoshopping, no editing, no myspace shots, nothing. Keep your shots clear in their original version and crop if necessary, but avoid making it look like you are trying to hide something- even new internet users can detect it nowadays.

Upload at least two shots if you can, but always less than 5. Posting too many tends to be overkill and redundant. Most judge you by the first one or two shots. Posting five is just a bit overdone, unless they are all clearly different and interesting.