Not very long ago meeting and dating someone online was almost taboo. The online dating world used to be for those we thought were weird or recluses, or had some type of qualities that made them less desirable. That has now changed. We are now in a computer age where you can do just about anything online: rent a car, do your banking, shop, gamble, play games and find a mate.
How many of us have had that horrible blind date experience, where you just didn’t know what you were getting into? Finding a date or a soul mate on line does not have to be like that uncertain blind dating experience. I have heard horror stories and we have all seen those commercials on TV advertising a dating site where people have found the love of their lives.
Online dating can be great fun but it can also be dangerous if you are not serious about your online dating safety. Here are a few rules to follow to get the most out of your online dating experience.
1. Avoid free online dating services - If you are serious about finding someone special, stick to the paid sites. In general the paid sites are less dangerous because users have to have a valid credit card to enroll in and use the service. This will make the person easier to track if anything bad may happen.
2. Keep your user name and profile pictures Rated G - No matter what type of relationship you are looking for you don't want to increase your chances of attracting undesirable attention. Stay away from suggestive screen names. Post one or two up to date pictures that you would not mind the world seeing. After all, if you were to find a husband/wife would you really want that profile to come back to haunt you?
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Keep personal information personal - Don’t divulge too much information about yourself or your personal life. Don’t talk about your children or post pictures of them in your profile. There have been warnings issued in the online dating community that there are predators that use the online dating scene to find their child victims. Don't post your income as part of your profile, even if it is part of the questionnaire. Firstly, you don’t want someone to be interested in you because of that income and you don’t want to open yourself to scams. Remain as anonymous as you can while you are getting to know your prospective dates.
4. Don’t communicate by email too soon - Use the dating site's communication resources. That's what they are there for. The site's communication avenues are a safe place. After all, you wouldn’t want to be all alone with a stranger too soon, so the same idea applies here.
5. Use a free email service - Eventually you will want to connect on a more personal level and email would be the next step. Chances are you have used the same email address for many years and have countless contacts. You wouldn't want to lose that because you are getting emails from a person that you no longer want to connect with. If you by chance run into an undesirable then it will not be a big deal to get rid of that disposable email address. Also there are ways to track a person down by their email address and you want the option of anonymity there. Use a free service like Yahoo, Gmail or Hotmail. Be sure to keep all of those emails just in case!
6. Don't give out your home number - Again, exercise your option of anonymity. Your home phone number is tied to your home address. You do not want anyone to show up at your home uninvited. Use your cell phone for communication. I would suggest an even further step of not using your personal cell phone number for the very reasons stated above for the email address. Get a prepaid cell phone and give your prospects that number. If you are concerned with having to buy airtime, just have them call you on that number and then call them right back on your regular cell phone and block the number. I know it seems a bit extreme but it is your safety and well being at stake here.
7. Meet in a public place - When meeting someone for the first time make sure that it is in a public place and preferably in the daytime hours. Meet for lunch or for coffee. Lunch or coffee meetings tend to be shorter and are usually held in much more controlled settings. Don’t go to the other person's place or allow them to come to yours. Let your friends and family know where you are going and who you are going to meet. Give them your date's name and phone number so they know exactly who you're with and where your meeting place is. Provide your own transportation and make sure you have your own money. Have them call or text you at different times so they can make sure you are okay. Predators are less likely to target people that they can't get alone.
8. Demand honesty and stick by it - If when you go to meet your date and they look nothing like their profile pic or you fine that they lied about anything else, get the heck out of there and cut off all contact. Again, I know it may sound extreme but if they have lied about that, you don’t want to stick around to find out what other deceptions they are capable of.
9. Trust yourself - If at any time something just doesn’t feel right, follow your feelings. If your instincts tell you that something about this person is off, cut off all communications with this person. Your gut instincts will rarely steer you in the wrong direction.
Keep in mind these few simple rules are meant to be followed by both genders and in relation to all genders. We typically think that most crazy stalker types are male but I have to admit that females have those tendencies too. Be careful and have a great time!!