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Online Dating Tips & Advice | |
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We keep you informed about new and existing online dating
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Getting Started With Online Dating |
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Getting Started With Online
Dating
So, you've made the decision to
try online dating. There are few things you need to think about
before you take the plunge:
 If you don't already
know the difference between etiquette and netiquette, you need
to
learn about it. After all, you're planning to make friends,
not enemies.
Know what you want. Are you looking for casual sex, platonic friendship,
a soul mate or something else entirely? The more clear you are about what you
want, the closer the responses you get will be to what you're looking for.
Likewise, know what it is you're looking for in a potential partner.
Be as honest as you can about this. Even if you're just looking for 'someone
nice', you can break that down a little further - what exactly do you mean by
'nice'? Knowing what you're looking for will save you time and trouble, and it
will also mean you're not wasting anyone else's time either.
How much are you willing
to pay? Most of the more successful services are businesses that make their money
by charging you for their services. There
are free sites out there as well, but a lot of people look at those as sort of
second class, if not second rate.
What You'll Need
It's a pretty safe assumption that you already have a computer and an Internet
connection, but just in case, they're pretty much essential. Don't fall into
the trap of thinking you can just use the computer at work - many workplaces
now monitor Internet usage by their staff, and even if they don't, the risk of
your boss or a co-worker finding your private correspondence is just too great
(not to mention how much it's likely to cramp your net-sex
style
if
that's a feature of your relationship). Less essential, but still worth considering
getting a new email address, one that's separate from your ordinary activities,
to
ensure privacy. The easiest way to
get one is apply to get a webmail account somewhere. HotMail is a popular choice,
but there are many others as well.
To Pay or Not to Pay
One of the biggest questions you need to ask yourself is whether or not you plan
to pay for your online dating service. There are plenty of good arguments on
either side of the question.
On the one side, paying for a service sends a message that you're serious about
the whole thing. You're prepared to pay cold hard cash for a vital service, and
you're determined to get some results. And that you can afford it in the first
place says that you're an adult.
On the other hand, many people -especially the younger ones - will interpret
a willingness to pay as an indicator of desperation on your part. The closer
you are to twenty years old yourself, the more likely they are to think this.
So which is better? It depends on what you want to get. Paid services are more
likely to attract people who are determined to succeed rather than just playing
around, but by the same token, the truly desperate often fall into that category
too. Free services will attract more people who just want to experiment with
online dating, or play around. They will also, because of their comparative ease,
attract more fakers than paid services do.
Most online dating sites offer a free signup service to get you started. You
will be limited and you may find that you cannot initiate contact but it will
help you to
get
an idea of what's involved in these things. That way, you too can experiment
for
a bit
without
losing anything more than a little time if it doesn't work for you. And you can
upgrade to a paid service at anytime later on if you want to.
Friendship
Love or Sex
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