The Etiquette of Online Dating Services
Manners do matter while Internet dating!
Online dating services allow you to get to know people without worrying about your hair or your clothes. But there are still certain rules in the Internet dating world that should be respected. Read on for online dating etiquette basics. The Etiquette of Online Dating Services: Manners do matter while Internet dating! Online dating services allow you to meet, greet and scout out the world of Internet dating without worrying about your hair, your clothes, or the zit that suddenly appeared last night. But there are certain standards upheld by online dating services – especially if you want to be successful. Manners are important, whether you’re Internet dating or meeting up in a coffee shop.
Here are some quick tips on the etiquette involved in using an online dating service.
- First off: be honest.
It’s so easy to fluff the truth when Internet dating. Don’t bother; it never helps and it all comes out in the end. Do be cautious when using an online dating service – don’t reveal too much personal information right off the top – but be truthful. This includes posting a current photo. And never treat Internet dating as a joke. The people using online dating services are real people with real feelings, like yourself. Respect them.
- It’s OK to play the field…
Internet dating allows you to easily correspond with more than one person at a time. In fact, while using an online dating service, it’s in your best interest to send messages to several prospects. Face it: you’re not going to write back to everyone who sends you a note; and not everyone is going to respond to you. Cast a wide net. It’s OK.
- …to a point.
That said, once you make the move from Internet dating to the real world, you might want to ease off. A meeting over coffee doesn’t mean you have to shut down your profile on the online dating services – in fact, there’s no reason not to schedule a few meetings. But once you get serious or physical, it may be time to pick one fella or lady and see how things go.
- When to remove your profile.
This is where Internet dating is similar to the offline world. If you want to give you relationship a fair chance, hanging out seriously with more than one person rarely works. Go with your gut on this one. You’ll know when it’s time to limit yourself. And that’s when you should remove your profile from the online dating service. You don’t need to cancel or delete yourself – but don’t leave an active profile. - Sometimes it’s OK to ignore a message.
Let’s back up a moment. If you receive email from someone using the same Internet dating service, and it just doesn’t interest you, it’s OK to let it go. You don’t need to think about and worry about making excuses for everyone on the online dating service. No response is perfectly acceptable in the Internet dating world. (Not offline though – as we’re sure you already know. Not responding to a phone call, a verbal invitation or even an email sent by an acquaintance outside the online dating service is just plain rude.)
- Breaking up.
And finally, the break-up. Have you lost interest after a coffee or two? Then it’s probably OK to send an email to nip the Internet dating relationship in the bud. But again, if you’ve been even a bit serious, it’s only fair to break the news face to face. Dating karma? Maybe. Common courtesy goes a long way, even while using an online dating service.
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