Online Dating Etiquette-The Do's and Don'ts

For those of you who are just getting started with online dating, here are a few tips to get you started without offending others. In our everyday lives, we try to live by the etiquette of society, so the internet should not be any different.

Let's start off with the negatives and get them out of the way before moving onto the positives. Since most initial conversation takes place through either an email or chat, let's start with some basics.

* Don't type in Caps. This is the internet equivalent of screaming. TYPING IN CAPS IS FROWNED UP.

* Don't use "text talk" when responding to others. Here are a few examples of what I'm talking about: LOL, BRB, TTFN, CYA, OMG. There are too many people out there that just don't understand what any of the abbreviations stand for. Take the time to write out each word and make sure to use proper punctuation. Remember, you are trying to entice the person you're communicating with to want to learn more about you.

* Don't use offensive language. Keep your initial discussion clear of colorful language. Once you get to know someone a little better, you'll get the idea on whether or not they find this type of language to be appropriate. The last thing you want is for someone to lose interest in you early in the relationship because you let your language slip.

* Don't force someone to proceed quicker than they wish. You may feel you are ready to move from email and chat conversations over to a telephone call, but don't assume your partner is ready for that step. If they refuse your invitation, don't badger them. When they are ready for that step, they will let you know.

* Don't maintain an active profile if you are seeing someone else. This behavior is frowned upon in the online dating community.

Now that we've gotten those out of the way, let's take a peek at some things that you should focus on. Follow these tips and you will be a highly regarded citizen of the web.

* Tell the truth and be yourself. Even little white lies will eventually come back to haunt you. The foundation of every relationship is trust.

* It's OK to be in discussions with many different singles. In fact, this is one of the main benefits of using an online dating service. You want to be exposed to as many options as possible. As long as you're not in an exclusive relationship, this is not seen as being sleazy.

* Listen to what people are telling you. Take the time to read their email or chat responses before formulating your response back to them.

* Personalize each response you make. It makes the recipient feel that you value your discussion with them.

* Respond back to people as soon as you can. It's common courtesy to do so. Put yourself in their shoes. When you send out an email, you expect a response in a timely manner. One other point of note, if you wait too long to get back to someone, you may miss out on your opportunity to learn more about them. They may just move on to the next person that interests them. You just never know.

About the Author

Jim McMenamin is the webmaster and creator of MacsDatingSite.com, a blog dedicated to the various issues of online dating. For a limited time, Jim is giving away two free eBooks, 10 Tips To Writing Your Online Dating Profile as well as 101 Steps To A Happy Relationship, when you sign up for his newsletter.

Source: Dating Articles on ArticlesTree.com





Recent Dating Articles

Online dating: Your key to finding love?
Since the mid-90s, the online dating industry has grown exponentially with reports estimating that in the United States alone over $500 million dollars is spent by members of the public annually on online dating services.

Online Dating Etiquette-The Do's and Don'ts
For those of you who are just getting started with online dating, here are a few tips to get you started without offending others. In our everyday lives, we try to live by the etiquette of society, so the internet should not be any different.

Is he dating you for sex
It may be hard to tell in the beginning. He may charm you and make everything romantic. If sex is all he cares about, it may show up after several dates or maybe even a couple months. Does he take you anywhere or just spend time at your place.

Finding your lifelong partner online
Finding Your Lifelong Partner On eHarmony Online dating is one the most robust industries on the web. Its popularity is mostly due to the constant flux of people searching for dating partners. In spite of this surge in activity (or perhaps because of it), the divorce rate amongst couples continues to rise dramatically each year.

Don't let dating stop after marriage
Dating your spouse should never stop. When you live together, you tend to get in a rut and take each other for granted. Life becomes a routine and a little boring. You both have reponsibilities and especially if you have children, but you had responsibilities when you were single and still had time to date, even if it was just seeing each others families.

Be An Alpha Male - Tease to Attract Women
Can you remember the last time you were teased How do you feel Well, if you are a man, you will feel pretty much angry or irritated. However, if you are a woman, you will feel happy and probably laughing out loud.

Be An Alpha Male - Talking to Attractive Women
Alpha males know how to talk and what to talk about. Many people cannot move on beyond the first date is simply because they lack the knowledge to start an interesting and fun conversation. Knowing how to start an exciting conversation is important as it brings down her defenses and reveals more about her to you.

Be An Alpha Male - Overcoming Nervousness Now!
On the path towards becoming an alpha male, we all met with obstacles. These obstacles can either destroy us or propelled us. Fortunately, we have the power to choose whether to allow these obstacles to make us better or to allow these obstacles to discourage us.

6 Reasons Why People Cheat On Their Partner
There are many reasons why people cheat on their partner when they are in a committed relationship. In this article I will discuss some of the most common reasons why people cheat. Lack of attention Sometimes a person will cheat on their partner because they feel like their partner is not giving them as much attention as they would like them to.

The Deep Inner Game of An Alpha Male
An alpha male by definition is a domineering man or the dominant man in a society. The opposite of an alpha male is a beta male. Beta male on the other hand is a typical male in societies which holds not much of power and follow the orders of an alpha male.

You Need To Omit This From Your Profile
You profile should be fairly open and honest but there are something's that should be completely omitted from your profile! You need to omit this from your profile... You have been clean and sober for 7 days.

You Know Your Profile Is Good If...
If you are going to put up your profile, you want it to be the best one possible. We have a check list and we have followed it... The User Name is appropriate and tasteful. It is classy, fun, cute, and a little bit risqué! Our photo is done professional, yet has a natural flare to it.

You Can Capture His Attention
Yes, it is possible to capture his attention online. I don't care what the competition is! Let's start...hopefully we are trying to capture positive attention! Remember, you can be tasteful, fully dressed and still capture his attention.

You Can Capture Her Attention
That is why you are putting up your profile...to capture her attention. You want to make sure you set up our profile to do so. First, do not insult her with a profane "User Name". It shouldn't be nasty, profane, vulgar, crude or sexually suggestive.

You Can Capture Attention Online
And you thought you could only capture attention offline! I guess I should restate that...You Can Capture Positive Attention Online! It really takes a concerted effort. Just remember, what works on one site will work on almost all sites! You can capture attention online by first putting up an eye catching profile.