Online Dating Tips For Men
Thinking of dating online for the first time but not sure what the best approach is? Dating online is different from dating offline. Here are a few dating tips for men to follow when courting someone interesting on the World Wide Web.
Darrel from Providence, RI writes:
“I found this girl’s profile online on my dating site, and I want to talk to her, but I’ve never actually done this before. I’m pretty good at dating offline, but I feel a little less confident about this online thing. Can you please give me some tips so I don’t make a fool of myself? Do I do pretty much the same thing I do offline when I meet a woman online, or do I do something different? Thanks.”
You’re right that dating online is a lot different from dating offline. Most online dating starts in a text box, and it’s a lot harder to convey subtleties and subtext in a text box—though not impossible. There are some basic suggestions you can follow though to try and make a good first impression when dating online.
For starters, don’t use a lot of net abbreviations, and don’t take shortcuts with your grammar. You may casually use a lot of abbreviations in your day to day chats, but considering you’re trying to score a serious relationship, you really want to type your sentences in proper English (or your given language) online. Using full sentences shows that 1-you’re not stupid, and 2-you’re not lazy. It also shows that 3-you’re taking the conversation seriously, which is extremely important.
The internet is not a physical medium; as such, physical compliments which could be appropriate in person can actually come across as creepy and off base on an online chat. If you’re talking only with text, try complimenting a woman’s personality instead of her appearance—even if you have a photo of her. While people do date online for the sake of convenience, many times there are other reasons as well—some people like to meet others based off of their personality first, looks second.
Much of the art of online dating is the same as that of offline dating, though. You want to seek balance in your interactions. Be confident but not arrogant. Be humble but not too self-effacing. Make allowances for the poor medium. Don’t pretend that you know a woman you’re chatting with and who you have never met in person. Say you feel a connection—but don’t push it past that until you’ve gotten to know each other better. Saying you know you’re meant for her is usually a terrible idea.
It’s important to be specific in online chat, too. Don’t ever forget that when you first text someone, you’re just a box with words in it to her. To become more than that, you will have to communicate your specific interests, passions, pursuits, dreams, and goals. The more specific you get, the more solid of an impression you’ll make on the woman on the other end of the chat line.
