Sunday, August 16, 2009

Never Forget Online Dating Etiquette

By Alan Bentley

We know that we need to behave in a certain manner when we interact with our fellow human beings and we should remember to do this as well when we go online to talk to people. Sometimes we find that we are looking for companionship and often turn to the World Wide Web to make that initial contact and see who is out there. Online dating etiquette should be observed at all times if we are to have any chance of success.

In contrast to the real world, when we go online and enter a chat room or interact with a forum we have the option to be open and recognizable or anonymous, should we went to. It is never best to hide behind a cloak of secrecy in these environments, as online dating etiquette dictates that you should be as transparent as possible for the betterment of all involved.

One of the first rules in online dating etiquette is that you must be honest. Not only must you portray yourself as you actually are, but you must make sure that you are honest in your feelings towards others. If you are just not interested in the guy with whom you are interacting, you must say so in a polite but firm manner. In this way, he will know where he stands and will not be left hanging or frustrated.

Internet dating sites are lots of fun and there is a sense of anticipation about who you may meet. As always, just be careful how you proceed and, when interacting with those guys, hold back on the personal questions for a while. You need to know get to know him slowly and not be quite as enthusiastic.

Never be tempted to lie about your personal situations, appearance or age when you post your details to your profile on a dating website. You should first ask yourself whether you are okay with being in this environment in the first place and whether you are really worried if other acquaintances or business contacts see that you are there. Know that lying about information is very bad online dating etiquette and will lead nowhere.

Many websites exist that are specifically tailored to matters of a sexual nature. Note that you are very unlikely to find any long-term relationships at these websites and you should avoid visiting them. When you do visit sites that are more tailored to the development of long-term relationships, online dating etiquette dictates that you put the discussion of sexual issues last in line of priority.

You should be prepared to have a skin like a rhinoceros when it comes to using websites to build relationships. You have to understand that this is quite impersonal in many respects and other people may not be as concerned about the feelings of others as you are. Some people on the site will not practice good online dating etiquette and they may say things or act in a certain way that could cause you to be upset.

If you start off with a broad mind and have no real expectations, you should enjoy opening up and seeing who is online. Dating etiquette should be observed at all times, even though you are at a keyboard rather than face-to-face.

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