The sooner you realize this sad but true fact, the sooner you can get on with finding Mr. Close-Enough-To-Perfect. Prince Charming, riding on a white stallion, lost his way or found Princess Charming and got married on his way to your castle. Get over it and get on with it. You ARE going to have to actively seek the man of your dreams and you won’t find him hiding under your bed. You already know that he isn’t among the men that you are acquainted with so, now what? Online dating is “what”.

It’s true that online dating, while in its infancy, was only made up of perverts, sexual predators, nerds and weirdoes but that is no longer true. It has become the main tool of the single person in every developed country in the world. Forty million people can’t all be wrong. Ask your girl friends if they have ever used online dating or are using it now. If they are honest with you, most of them have or are now members of at least one online dating site and maybe more than one. It really is the way to go to meet eligible men who want to meet you. It doesn’t matter what any of your numbers are…like age, height, weight or income either. Somewhere out there in the big wide world there is a man who will like you…..then love you….and think that you are beautiful and desirable. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” is true. What is considered beautiful in one part of the world is completely different from what is considered beautiful in another part of the world. It’s even different from one part of this country to another.

Find an online dating site that fits your needs. Write a great profile and post a flattering picture. Start contacting eligible men on the site. Mr. Close-enough-to-perfect could be a few mouse clicks away.

Here’s a little secret that those of the female persuasion keep from us guys:  Women, even very beautiful women, like to be approached by a confident and interesting man.  Are you surprised?  It’s true…and confident and interesting are much more important than looks to ladies of all ages, too. That’s true for internet dating, as well as, dating in your brick and mortar world but we’re talking about internet dating here…so back to the subject at hand.

Once you have joined an online dating service, you will find that there a lot more men than women and that the men are much more likely to browse profiles and make initial contacts than women.  Yes, it’s a woman’s world…still.  It’s “traditional” for men to make the first move.  It always has been and it always will be. Some things never change. That’s why your profile and picture are so important.

Remember…confident and interesting….and that does not translate to cocky and self-centered. It’s important that your profile lets people know that you have friends you care about and that you are passionately interested in a variety of things…not JUST sports. Another thing about that all-important profile….please don’t start it with, “I’m the guy your mama warned you about”.

You will have just shot yourself in the foot with that line.  Another one to never use is, “I could be the man of your dreams”.  The lady HOPES you are but she will be the judge of that…so don’t insult her intelligence. Remember….exude confidence and interesting and you will find that lady you have been looking for…or she will find you.

Won’t it be nice to have the ladies contacting you instead of you having to do everything?  If you write a great profile that stands out in the crowd, that will happen.

Heads up, gents. Online dating can open up new doors of opportunities with a little help from real world dating tips that work. Spice up your matchmaking with some of these ideas.

Looks Count

Comment on how attractive she is. Yes, women do want to know they are pretty, even if they’re online and you can’t see them and have no idea. So in your communications, ask questions that would help you know, but in an unobtrusive way like – how do you wear your hair? And then say how attractive that must look.

Kindness Counts

Point out nice things or the lemonade in life – nice things the other person has mentioned, nice acts the person has done, good things on the news latterly, etc. Be upbeat, and forget those lemons in life. Even in email a person can shout, by using all capital letters. So show manners and kindness. Keep swearing, unkind remarks, prejudice, etc. out of your communications. And “do unto others….”

So add some helpful real-world tips that do work (a lot of the time anyway) into your online dating equations. And come up on the positive side of romance – and enjoy more lemonade!

With the explosion of online dating sites has come a virtual smorgasbord of choices. There are free sites… I don’t recommend those but if money is a real concern, they are better than nothing. There are the large paid sites with many and varied features like chat, IM and even matching using profiles. There are the less expensive paid sites with few features. There are special interest sites for almost any thing you can think of…outdoor enthusiasts, couch potatoes, religious, non-religious, gays, lesbians…like I said…almost anything you can think of. So what’s a girl to do? A girl should choose the site or sites that best fit her needs.

Here are some things to consider:

(1) Cost. How much do you want or how much can you spend each month for your membership (s)?

(2) Features. Which features are the most important to you?

(A)    Profile matching systems. Is this a feature you really want or would you rather decide who is right for you all by yourself?

(B)     Chat and IM’s? There are websites who offer chat rooms and IM’s on their sites. Does that matter or would you be happy just sticking to private email.

(C)     Outside Events…such as speed dating? Are you interested in that?

(D)    Privacy. Some websites allow you to limit who can view your picture or your profile. Does this matter to you or do you want as wide exposure as you can have?

(E)Safety. There are websites who do background checks of all subscribers and certify their age, marital status and background. Would you feel safer using this feature?

These are a few things but not all things you should consider when choosing an online dating service or services. Do your homework and choose wisely for the best results for you.

I’m talking about online dating, of course. When the phenomenon of online dating sites started several years ago, they were a haven for perverts, sexual predators, nerds, and weirdoes of assorted varieties.

That is just no longer the case. All the stigma of online dating is gone.  Online dating has gone main stream and is, not only acceptable, but expected. Online dating has become the primary tool of single people of all ages to generate an interesting and rewarding social life.

Let’s face it…we are busy guys. We just simply do not have the time, the energy, or the financial where-with-all to date several nights each week while we look for the “one”. You can sort through hundreds of profiles in a month for less money than you would spend on one evening out, thus, saving time and money. We use the internet to save ourselves time and money for a lot of things like investments, shopping, medical information, and communications.

Why not make use of such a useful tool for our social and personal lives as well? You could find the love of your life. At the very least, you will meet some interesting people and possibly make some lasting friendships.  It’s easy to get started. All you need is a computer and an internet connection. You’ll need to search for online dating services that meet your specific needs. They are many and varied.

Join one or two. Then you’ll need to write a great profile, upload a recent picture of yourself and start making and answering contacts. That really is all there is to it…that and patience.

Don’t wait any longer to start your new and interesting social life.  Miss or Ms. “Right” could be only a few clicks of the mouse away.

All types of everyday activities are growing in popularity online these days like sharing photos and greeting cards. In fact, both of these even go hand in hand with online dating opportunities, one of the most popular online activities for singles today.

Before actually meeting in person, many dates get acquainted online first. Here’s how.

Photos – As a wonderful keepsake of your budding romance, create an online photo album for your new cyber-mate.  Include digital photos of favorite outdoor scenes, pets, flowers, cars, silly moments, your computer corner or laptop, etc.  Then you’ll even have more to discuss during online dates via emails and chat rooms. Search for “photo albums” to find places that store your photos.

Greeting Cards- Regardless of where the person lives, you can mail a greeting card. If privacy and security is an issue, check into renting an inexpensive P.O. Box (check the Yellow Pages). You do not have to be an artist to make something homemade and special for the new friend in your life.  Even making a special, personalized greeting card would be appreciated and show your date that you care enough to take the time needed to make something by hand.  Search your favorite search engine for online greeting cards to send, too. They range from free to low cost and can be sent in a click.

So get online and get active! No need to risk meeting in person until you get more familiar with each other online first. So take the online plunge!

Your friend has decided that you need help with your social life so she sets you up with a blind date….a friend of a friend of a friend.  You, foolishly, accept.  Now there you are. It’s less than one hour since you were introduced.  You are sitting in a Thai restaurant and you hate Thai food.  The entrée has not yet been served.  His idea of enlightened conversation is who will be in the final four…you aren’t into sports. He knows the weekly TV schedule verbatim….you haven’t sat through a movie in months because you run marathons and volunteer at the local food bank. He says, “Volunteering is a waste of time because you can’t help ‘those people’ anyway.” You look at your watch; see that it’s only been 10 minutes since you last looked at it the last time and wonder how long it is before you can gracefully remove yourself from the situation.  Been there?

Now imagine a date with someone you met through internet dating and have been chatting online with and exchanging emails with for quite some time. First, you don’t need to be introduced.  You already know this man.  You are sitting in an Italian restaurant enjoying a delightful meal because you both know that the other’s favorite is Italian. The conversation flows easily as you discuss common interests.  He runs marathons and loves history just like you do. You happily discuss the volunteer work that each of you is involved in. You look at your watch and discover that it is late…very late…where Has the time gone.

There is a big difference between a well-intentioned friend “setting you up” and choosing a man for yourself who shares your interests and tastes, isn’t there?  Now which one would you rather have?

When you join an online dating service, seeking a girl you like … may even love. That girl is
looking for a man who can, or even love. What is sought is not a girl who wants her best friend or
your idea of what seems the perfect man thinks or talks like or as. Thus, in order to find the girl for
you … and is there … you need to be completely honest with you about yourself when writing the
online profile, during the dating process and beyond.
The best way to begin writing your profile is to carefully analyze your past relationship (s). What
went well? What went wrong? What do you really like the last girl? No? Do not assume that just
because you hated your last girl was so totally self-involved that he could not see anything more,
you can overlook that quality this time. You do not.
If you are not 6’1 “with a six-pack to be proud, not meant to be. If you are a bar tender, do not
claim to be a lawyer with a six figure income. If you are 40 going on 50, it is not 30 something.
Remember, the idea here is to find a girl who likes exactly as you are. If you have lied in his
profile, the first face to face meeting to remove all doubts that you are a liar … and probably a trick, too.
Finally, once you’ve found a girl who thinks he can be the one for you, for God sakes, cancel your
membership online dating service. After all, you know, and she knows that online dating services
are intended for those seeking … those who have not found or been found.

A couple of the online activities are sharing recipes and offers at the auctions. Both easily fit well
into online dating opportunities, one of the most popular online activities for singles today.
To help better understand the many online dates, here’s what potential cyber-dates do.
Sharing Recipes – People get tired of talking about time. Therefore, it is a popular subject in turn
to food. Sharing favorite foods and recipes helps break the ice and even forms friendships over
culinary skills – or lack of – and tastes. Search your favorite search engine for “free recipes” to
share. Take photos of your culinary creations and share them with your date, too.
Bidding at auction – Ebay auctions sell nearly anything and everything! So, browse around and
enter searches like the dates you were in middle school. Share cool memorabilia photos of old
games and toys from when you were a child or when your parents or grandparents were little; The
Dating Game, Oscar Mayer Wiener Whistles, The Partridge Family Album, Bobby Sherman’s
Album, 45 and older.
Online dating can be a fun and educational. Therefore, to learn more about each other and have fun
while you’re at it. Take a cyber-stroll down memory lane together and see what’s cooking.

OK … the time has come. He has joined an online dating service or two. Now you must write that the most important … a profile that will attract attention and reel in the man of your dreams … but where to start? Perhaps the writing is something that not even think to do all that well. Even so, you can.
The first thing is to be completely honest with himself. Looking for the man, perhaps one day love … … … YOU. REAL YOU! Examine past relationships and a list of things she likes and the things he did not like. If you smoke at home and hated it, not like it better next time. If you love cats and always wants to own one or more, say you are a lover of animals and domestic pets want. Someone who hates cats or is allergic to them is not the man for you.
Accent the things that make you unique. If you play the piano well, you really want Mr. Right to appreciate it. If you run in marathons, a couch potato is not a good game. If you like art, you really do not want a man who thinks Picasso is an ice cream flavor.
Describe things that are of vital importance in your life. If volunteering is something that makes you feel useful and valuable, you want someone to at least support, if not to join their volunteer projects. To reach beyond the superficial things that attract men who share their values.
Invest in your online profile by hiring a professional photographer for the first line of image. This is so important. The image is the first thing people see. The second thing is to read what they wrote about you. Some online dating sites even provide a list of photographers in your area that specialize in online dating site photos.