Online Dating

Online dating is a popular way to meet people now, but it can be a jungle out there....trust me I know! Find out what you should know and how to keep yourself safe, along with some tips for a better online dating profile.

We're going to talk about safety and privacy, people you should avoid and what type of dating site is right for you. And lastly how to make your profile more appealing. Visit us now bbwcamming.com

Online Dating Safety Tips

There are a lot of predators out there and you need to protect yourself. I'm sure you understand what I'm saying, although most guys don't seem to get it...but then they aren't afraid to walk down dark alleys by themselves. So I'm going to give you some ideas of how to prevent some potentially dangerous situations, and they may seem rude to men but it's you we're talking about and you need to take care of yourself.

A lot of people say things about themselves that seem innocent enough, but you might slip and say something that could lead to having a stalker find you. I had a friend mention she worked at a pool hall part time, sort of by mistake, turned out the guy knew which pool hall it was when he asked if she knew the owner (who was his friend). This didn't turn out badly, which is lucky for her, but it could have been a bad situation.

You may think that these precautions are a bit much, but I know from experience and watched the experiences of my friends to know that it is far better to be careful now, then to end up in trouble later.

Follow these steps to get yourself ready for online dating:

Getting Started

1. Pick a different name, don't ever ever use your real name, it can give you away and compromise your safety.

2. Set up a whole new email account, make sure the email is something unrelated to you, or very general. Like green_eyed_girl@email.com or something. You don't want a person to look at the email and know exactly who you are, so don't put your name in there. It doesn't matter which email you use, be it gmail, hotmail, yahoo, etc. Although with that being said, pick an email according to what you want to do. If you want msn and chatting, maybe go with hotmail or something. And the great part is email accounts are free so there is no reason not to set one up. Also when you are filling out the forms for the email do not use your real name, sometimes that shows up as the sender in the other persons email box, so even then, use a fake name.

3. Evaluate the online dating sites, find something that you feel would work well for you (see below for different types of dating sites).

4. Decide if you want to use msn or some sort of chat program. It's very popular to use these programs, and 90% of people are going to ask if you have it or request that you add them. There are pros and cons to using these programs though. I used to use them but eventually stopped. I found that if you were added by many people on msn, it was hard to keep track of all of them, then you risk insulting them. I also found the second I went on there I was bombarded by people saying hi and wanting to chat, very overwhelming to have 10 conversations on the go. But on the other hand, its a really easy way to get to know someone and it's sometimes better in live time, you know how long it takes them to think of an answer, whereas with email, they might have taken 2 hours to write you back. So the choice is up to you. When I had to say I didn't have msn, I just said it was distracting me from my homework, which was true.

5. Decide if you want to use a web cam or not. If you decide you do not want to use a web cam but have one hooked up, unhook it, many sites show that you have a web cam available and a lot of people don't understand why you wouldn't want to use it. So why wouldn't you? Many reasons, first they can see your surroundings, which you may or may not care about, it's an invasion of privacy (and trust me they look at the stuff around you). Second they can see your every facial expression and you can give away more then you think. And the rest is really a matter of personal comfort level. It's certainly easier to get to know someone through email or msn to start with. Why would you want to use a web cam? Well for all the above reasons about why you wouldn't but it reveals the other person to you.

Chatting - What you shouldn't reveal

oI've said it before, I'll say it again, don't use your real name! Use a nickname or a phony name altogether, until you feel you can trust the person enough to say your name. If your dating in your home town or city, sure there might be people on there who know you from your picture, but that doesn't mean everyone should know you. Safety first ladies

oIt is OK to tell your age, but it is not OK to tell them your birth date. That is information no one needs, that information is often used in government documents or other things that can give you away.

oDo not tell them where you work, heck don't even tell them exactly what industry you work in right away. You can say things like lawyer, or doctor (don't say of what though, unless you can trust the person), artist, fashion industry, etc...I tell you this because you don't want that person to just show up at your work.

oDon't give any personal family information out, for your safety and your families.

oDon't tell them where you live...I think that's obvious, but you never know.

oDo not give out your phone number. You don't need some creep calling you all the time. Plus if your listed they can find you.

The First Date

The first date can be very nerve wrecking, but follow a few simple steps to make sure it goes safely.

oDon't jump into meeting him, chat or email with this person for a couple of weeks or until your ready to meet this person, what I'm saying is don't chat with him today and decide to meet him tomorrow

oDo not meet at your house, by now you've probably given him your phone number, but you don't have to, but you still shouldn't tell him where you live, and I hope your number isn't listed with your address. So he shouldn't be picking you up, he should be meeting you.

oTell a friend where your going, give him or her all the details you have, including where your going, who your going with, when they should expect you home. Also give them his number and email or anything where he can be traced.

oMeet in a public place, this is more vital then you think. One of the best first internet dates you can have is at a coffee shop, it can be considered romantic or casual. Try to pick a place you've been before so you know the layout and won't get lost. The great thing about this is it's public and you can have your friends sit somewhere in the coffee shop or wherever and they can help you scope him out. They can also help you if you need help.

oPlan an escape route, make sure you have a way out if the date is going just awful, or if you're scared of him. You can do this a number of ways. You can have a friend call you to check up on you. You can go to the bathroom and text a friend to get them to call you. Spill something on yourself so badly you have to go home and change. Let me know if you have any clever ways of doing this. Fortunately I haven't had to do any of that before, and you shouldn't have to if you're screening the guys properly.

oDon't go home/leave with him. Do I really need to explain that? You just met the guy, don't push it if you want him to respect you.

oLeave after he leaves...why? Because if the guy is a creep he might just follow you home. But just because you leave last doesn't mean he won't find a way to follow you. If you suspect your being followed, do not head home, go a different direction and go straight to the police station. You don't have to go into the station necessarily....but if you pull up there it will probably scare him away.

What to Avoid When Dating Online

Online dating can seem innocent enough, and your probably there for all the right reasons, to meet new people and hopefully find a love connection. However, there are people who are not there for the same reason as you. There are many reasons why people go on there, here's a few that you need to avoid.

oCheaters - He already has someone, might be married, but wants someone on the side or someone to replace the one he's got...it's hard to avoid this because you won't know until you get to know the person and even then, no guarantee.

oCreeps - A creep could be a lot of things, if you get a weird vibe from someone, just trust your instincts and run the other way. These are usually the stalker, insecure type.

oSerial Dater - Date after date after date, the guy is just not satisfied and isn't really interested in you, just dating as many women as he can. You'll know this one by how fast he's trying to set a date up.

oSexaholic - This is the same lines as the serial dater, but he's just out there for sex. Don't go with someone like this, you really risk getting an STI. You'll know this guy by how he talks to you, if he only wants to see pictures or web cam or doesn't show an interest in you, just when your available.

oFamily Man - This guy is looking to settle down, have the home, the kids, which sounds great right? Except he's not looking for Miss Right, he just wants someone who's going to live the dream out with him. He would be getting married for all the wrong reasons. You can tell this guy by how heavily he pushes the kids and marriage issue in the first few conversations, or by what it says in the profile.