Is Online Dating For you???

Online dating service! Is it right for you? That would be the question if you're reading this right now and asking yourself, why am I still single, and how do I find someone compatible for me? You may have tried the bar scene, clubs, parties, church groups and fix-ups by friends, or you may have also tried one of the local in-person dating services, all without success!

Now that you may be frustrated and ready to give up, the computer era opened the doors to dating online, and has given you hope once again! This option meets many needs, because many people have roadblocks in their lives, and are searching for an avenue to express their feelings without having to put all of their energy on the line.

What are these roadblocks you ask? As an individual you will have different events in your life that prevent you from finding and developing good relationships. It can be from lack of time due to your work schedule, or you may have family responsibilities that take away a lot of hours in the day, leaving you too exhausted to go out and find someone. Other factors could be religion, where you just want to meet people of a specific faith. Also you may just be too shy, or you might have a fear of rejection.

Whatever was holding you back should be a thing of the past! With so many single people taking the alternate route and going online, you can now, in the privacy of your own home, find dating sites that will fulfill your needs at your own pace - with complete matchmaking services.

Not only is online matchmaking convenient, but also far less expensive compared to going out a few nights a month to your local night club, bar or restaurant (online dating sites are usually free to sign up and browse ads, and the cost of a few drinks at a bar to email as many members as you want each month). Imagine how much money you would be spending, and all the personal time consumed trying to meet the same amount of people that you could possibly find on the internet! With the variety of services available to you, like setting up profiles, double blind email, and match programs, it's possible to come across dozens of compatible matches near where you live or work in one evening!

Whether you're getting away from the traditional dating scene, or just searching for a different avenue to find new friendship, relationships, and possible marriage, consider the online dating options, and hopefully they will help you overcome the personal barriers in your life, and fulfill all your desires and needs.

Suggested Online Dating Site for June/July:

http://www.uberdate.com

This online dating site has a great selection of singles to choose from - whether you are seeking a man or a woman. Scroll down this page for my tips on posting a profile and in regards to online dating safety.

In this day and age, if you are not utilizing online dating as an additional tool to meet that special person, then you are behind the times and you are missing out!

Profile Tips

Should you post a picute on your online dating profile? That is one of the first questions that comes to the mind of a person who is new to online dating.

I most definitely believe that you should post a picture as you will receive anywhere from four to eight times the number of responses you would if you do not have a picture posted. Remember that there is nothing to be embarrassed about, as online dating has gone mainstream and is geared towards busy people who either don't have the time to find a date or who are not happy with the quality of the dates they tend to have. If posting a picture still seems awkward, post a profile without a picture as you can always add a picture later, or you can email individual members that you like and offer to email them a picture of you if they like your profile.

Describe yourself and the person you are looking for in descriptive detail without writing a novel. Take a look at a sample male profile and a sample female profile to get an idea of what others are posting. Write a creative headline, be descriptive yet brief in the body of your profile and don't lie! Having had experience using numerous online dating sites and meeting people through those sites, I know that the vast majority of the users of online personals write the truth about themselves in their profiles, but for the few that don't, you are doomed upon that initial meeting when the truth comes out.

Remember that you may not post any personal information on your profile, such as last name, phone number, email address or street address. Take a look at some safety tips to ensure that you are taking the simple steps needed to have a safe, fun and secure online dating experience.

Safety Tips

While the bar scene serves a purpose, online dating or online personals sites allow you to initially meet quality singles from the comfort of your own home or workplace. You do so utilizing a double blind email system that prevents the person that you are emailing from knowing who you are - allowing for a graceful and easy exit if the person with whom you are exchanging email is not your type. To further your privacy and safety most online dating sites do not permit members to post personal information such as last name, street address, phone number or personal email address on profiles.

Once you are communicating with a potential date over a dating site's double blind email, look for consistency in what is said and use common sense in regards to any requests asking you to divulge personal information. No need to feel pressured. You can either tell the person you are emailing to take it slow or just stop emailing the person altogether.

When you have a comfort level with the person you have been double blind emailing, you can either arrange a meeting in a public place over email or proceed to talk on a secure phone. Speaking on the phone is a great way to get a better feel as to whether this person is your type, but to be safe, make sure you only give out a cell phone number or if you are calling your potential date from a regular phone, make sure that caller ID block is activated. Look in the front of your phone book to determine how this is done.

You may also want to request a picture from your potential date if they do not have one posted on their profile - or offer one if you do not have one posted. Seeing a picture will give you a much better feel about that person and allow you to see if they are your type. Once you decide to meet, make sure you set up the meeting in a public place that you are familiar with - such as a restaurant bar, café, or coffee house. I suggest you keep an initial meeting to an hour or so, just in case there is not a match. You can always extend that meeting if both agree.

Remember to use common sense, go with your gut instinct and to follow the above safety tips. While dating is not a risk free venture, you can go a long way to ensuring a safe and fun experience. Female friends of mine have surprised themselves as in the past they have given their home phone number to a man they just met at a bar, party or social event, and after one phone conversation had the man pick them up at their home for a first date. They now say they use the common sense approach to safety mentioned here on all dates - whether through online dating or by more traditional ways of meeting.