Age/Sex/Location?

Online dating has helped many people find their mate and now that it's socially acceptable, we can even talk about it!  The thought of putting up a picture on a website along side your stats makes some nauseous, but if you're shy, trying to throw yourself back into the dating pool, or just looking for a way to date outside your social circle, a dating website could be the way to go.  It's not easy to meet someone in the bar/club scene.  Even when an extremely confident man or woman approaches someone a lot of times nerves or pride get in the way.

Being extremely open minded and one of the only single ones left out of my group of friends,  I gave online dating a run.  I wandered through the website, put up a profile and photo and the emails started flowing in.  I didn't feel bad not answering someones message if I wasn't interested or attracted as there was no pressure like there would be if we met in person.  When someone peaked my interest,  it was much easier to relax and be myself from the get go, I was never worried about my hair or sounding silly in some way.  I remember situations when I've given the wrong impression to someone that I was interested in just because I was nervous; this doesn't occur when you meet online.  It is also nice to see a photo and a little excerpt of how a person perceives themselves before taking time out of your schedule for them.

It is very wise to actually talk on the phone a couple times and see more than one photo of someone before you agree to a date.  Text messages and emails are great for those who know each other well, but when meeting someone new, texts can be taken out of context.  I can be very sarcastic and I'm sure that I've offended a handful of people that don't know me well through a text.  One of my friends even describes my written words sometimes as "lethal." Adjust your expectations, when looking at photos,  if the person looks old, add 5 years, if they look too heavy for your taste add 5 pounds.  This leaves more room for you to be pleasantly surprised when you see them in person.  Try your best to focus on the most important thing that won't change, their personality.

A great first date location is somewhere you can both relax.  A fun activity is nice but make sure you are able to talk to each other , don't go to the movies or to a loud club.  It's best to meet for a drink or coffee,  don't commit to a long meal or daylong event.   Try to keep the date simple incase there's no chemistry, but leave enough room for flexibility incase there is; this way you're not having to find an out.  Even if you are blown away by each other, please do NOT sleep together just yet,  go out again and let things develop.  What can turn into a bountiful relationship can be instantly ruined by having sex too soon, it can send the wrong signals.

When making your profile keep in mind what you are trying to attract.  Don't put up four pictures of your dog unless you are trying to set him up too and if you are looking for someone of a respectable nature, don't put up half naked pictures of yourself. Be honest about who you are and who you are looking for.

Be a bit weary when meeting anyone new. Meet in a public location the first few times, strangers don't belong in your car or home.  I have been in contact with a couple compulsive liars and even one guy who was on the run.  Although it takes some of the magic away from dating, if you have an uneasy feeling about someone, but are still interested in going out, it's not the worst idea to become friends on Facebook or to Google them beforehand to make sure that their story lines up.

I've had good and bad experiences dating online. Towards the end of my adventure, I felt a bit burned out as it was repetitive and no longer fun.  Although I didn't  find my "match," I did meet a few nice people and had many interesting experiences.  In conclusion, if you want my personal advice, you're best off taking a lot of the guess work out of it and meeting someone through a friend.