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Online dating is very easy and convenient. You
can meet people, talk to them, even if you sit in front of your computer
in your pajamas and curlers in your hair.
But even if online dating takes out the pressure to dress to impress, this
means you have to be extra careful about the way people can perceive the
way you express yourself. Without realizing it, you can come across as
rude or overbearing, simply because you forgot to take the caps lock as
you typed. Or a simple joke may accidentally come across as offensive
without the traditional “context clues” like body language or facial
expressions. Take note of the following online dating etiquette:
• Be honest. It will be difficult to unravel the lies you make once you
meet face to face. And having a reputation for being deceitful can spread
among a dating site’s members, ruining your chances of anyone trusting you
again.
• Don’t spill all your secrets right away. It can be uncomfortable for the
other person to hear something very, very private about you even if you’ve
only known each other for a short time. Besides, don’t you want to leave
something to the imagination?
• Don’t be pushy about someone else’s personal information. Let them open
up in their own time, and when they do, don’t spread it around or gossip
behind their back. This may be an online relationship but you’re still
dealing with real people with real feelings.
• Respect diversity. Online dating attracts many different types of people
from different cultures and backgrounds. So no ethnic jokes, no religious
jokes, no derogatory comments.
• Don’t lurk. This means tagging along a discussion, reading people’s
messages, without contributing.
• Don’t type in all caps. It comes across as shouting.
• Don’t abbreviate. “Ur gr8, I lyk u” or even “ROTFWL” isn’t immediately
or automatically decipherable. Remember that many people try online
dating, and they may not be familiar with the codes and lingos. Plus, you
don’t want other people think that you can’t spell or write. Type out the
whole word, and be grammatically correct. This is all about making a good
impression, right?
• Don’t sound desperate. If you come across too needy or eager for a
relationship, you’ll scare away people or attract cyber-abusers (people
who like tricking or playing around with their vulnerable victims). This
includes using any user names that make you sound powerless or
love-obsessed. (Would you go out with someone named Heartbroken?)
• Just to avoid confusion, pick a user name that is gender-specific.
Online dating can be a very rewarding and enjoyable experience if you
follow simple rules of respect and sensitivity.
Written by Danny Wirken.
To find out more tips, go to
http://www.dating.info.
Not only does this site give you daily dating advice, it also has an
extensive directory of websites to help you find the links, information,
and other resources you need.
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