Friday, January 11, 2008

Why Safety Is So Important For Online Dating

Online dating has turned into a tremendous opportunity for people to meet other people from all around the world. With every good opportunity there is a potential bad opportunity as well. For this reason, safety has become so important for people who do online dating. In this article we will look at a few online dating safety tips that you can do to help protect yourself.

The first thing that you can do is not really related to your computer, e-mail, talking on the phone, or anything like that. But what we're talking about is using common sense and following your gut instinct when you are dealing with a new person that you do not really know. A gut instinct is something that will tell you things do not seem right. When you get this feeling there is nothing wrong with walking away and forgetting about that person.

Another thing you can do to protect yourself when you are doing online dating is to protect your computer. It's important that you get your equipment and systems protected before you actually joining the online dating services.

You should have an antivirus protection setup for your e-mail as well as a firewall set up to protect your computer system whenever you are searching websites and interacting online. You want to get these items installed as added protection. You can Google search free firewall download and free antivirus download to find the protection you need at no charge.

Another thing you should do is be cautious about the dating sites that you frequent. By now, you probably have some ideas about which online dating services offer a reputable program. If you are new to the online dating game you can check with friends, relatives, coworkers, neighbors, and just about anyone who you know that has tried online dating, for their feedback.

The Internet is a great way for you to do some leg work as well. Set up separate files and keep notes on various online dating services that you visit. Make a list of all the good things as well as the bad things that you see on the site. There are differences in online dating websites, and you can find a short list of ones that appeal to you before you actually join them.

You can never be too careful today when it comes to safety and your computer. This is especially true with online dating because emotions can sometimes get in the way of common sense. Take your time and do some quality research before you jump in with both feet.

A Few Tips For Safe Online Dating

If you have met someone on an online dating site and you discover that there is some common interests between the two of you. In this article you will learn some tips that will help you to make your first date a safe and memorable one.

Here are some safety tips you can follow when going on a date with someone you met online:

1. You should let someone else know that you are going on a date, to be more specific you should let them know who you are going with and where you are going.

2. You should not let your date know where you live.

3. Do not give your date your home phone number, you should give your cell phone number because it is safer. If you give you home phone number someone can go online line and find out your address. This rule also applies if you are calling someone for the first time you should not call from your home phone because this will allow the person to easily retrieve your phone number at a later time.

4.You should make arrangements to meet your date in a public setting. You should not allow your date to pick you up from your home on your first date.

5. You should never assume that the person you are meeting is safe. Even if the person may claim to be religious and have strong family values. You should never do anything to compromise your safety on the first date.

6. It is best if you can avoid drinking alcohol on your first date. If you must drink alcohol, you should try to minimize the amount of alcohol intake because alcohol affects your judgment. You should always keep your drink in sight and remember it is extremely important that you do not get drunk on the first date.

7. Try to stay alert at all times. The date may be going well, and you may be having fun but you should never let your guard down. In case of an emergency you should make sure you have a cell phone on you.

8. You should offer to pay half of the bill, this is a common courtesy that will generally make a good first impression on your date.

In the online dating industry there are good and bad people, and you must use your discretion at all times. These are some online dating safety tips that you should follow in order protect yourself while getting to know the other person better.

Sunday, January 6, 2008

4 Online Dating Myths you Should be Wary of

Online dating has been around for quite some time now and there are many myths that you should be wary of. While there are certain things you should be genuinely concerned about.

Here are four myths you should try to avoid.

1. These dating sites were invented mainly for antisocial people.

Although antisocial people may feel more comfortable dating online rather than going to a social gathering. Online dating wasn't created specifically for antisocial people, it was created for everyone. People from all walks of life can have success if they apply themselves appropriately.

There are many people who use online dating sites simply as another tool to find a date. Whether you are looking for a long-term or short-term relationship, a friend, or an activity partner you can use a dating site as a medium to achieve this goal.

2. The internet is not safe.

This can applied to many different things in life, driving a car, walking across the street, they can be unsafe if you do not use your common sense. The same thing applies to online dating, a certain level of common sense is required to have success, you must use your discretion. One of the most important things to remember is that you must not give out any personal information to a person until you feel it is safe to do so, you must be extremely comfortable.

3. I meet people all the time.

There's nothing wrong with that but you should think about how many more people you can meet online in a short period of time. Many dating sites will give you the opportunity to select the criteria for your ideal match. Once this has been done the dating site will match you with other potential dating partners based on the criteria that you selected.

This is automated and it will save you plenty of time when searching for your ideal match. When you use a dating site you are in no way admitting that you have a hard time meeting people, you are simply taking advantage of all of your options.

4. I am not desperate.

The belief that most of the people who join dating sites are lonely desperate people is completely untrue. There are people who join dating sites hoping to meet people who they may not have met had it not been for the dating site. For example, you may be living 4 miles away from your ideal dating partner but you may never cross paths with this person in the real world. If they are a member of a dating site, then it will be easier to find them online.

Online dating is great for anyone who is looking for a larger pool to date from. You should try to be open minded when searching for a partner, it's best to use all mediums available to you to get the desired results.