by Dean Holmes

Created on: September 12, 2007

The world of online dating is ever growing to be one of the most common forms of meeting people. For someone who may be a bit shy or has trouble talking to someone in person for the first time, online dating is a perfect way to get to know someone initially before meeting them in person.

If you have decided to join the online dating scene, you'll need to sign up for a specific site in which you can create a profile about yourself. This way people can search for common interests, age groups, or even sexual orientation.

Creating an online profile is easy, but you should be careful on just how much information you put in. Here are a few DO's and DONT's of creating an online dating profile.

-DO include your correct age, first and foremost.

-DO include your interests, hobbies and other things you like to do.

-DO include your musical interests. Many people hit it off just by having similar interests in music; their first date could involve a live band or concert. You don't have to list off every band you like, just the genres and maybe a few band names.

-DO post pictures of yourself. Try to include at least three; make one of them a close-up face shot and at least one of your full body. This will not leave any room for surprises. Make sure you use current pictures, not much more than 6 months old.

-DO provide a little information about your personality. Are you sarcastic? Romantic? Hard working? You don't have to go overboard and say that you are the nicest person on earth, let someone find that out for themself.

-DON'T lie about ANYTHING. Too many people will try and build themselves up to appear more attractive or wealthy than they actually are; this will only lead to disaster, especially if a meeting is mutually agreed upon. Honesty is by far the best policy.

-DON'T include any personal numbers such as home or cell phone numbers, physical addresses and obviously credit card numbers. If you end up meeting someone that you trust and plan on meeting, you can then exchange phone numbers via email.

-DON'T tell your life story. Leave some information out - people like a little mystery and will want to find out more, therefore you may get more responses.

-DON'T post pictures of your kids if you have any. People are not looking to date your children, just you.

-DON'T post pictures of you wearing next to nothing. Unless you are looking for only intimate encounters, this is just tasteless.

If you have considered online dating but are skeptical, give it a try. Millions of people around the world are on dating sites and have met their special someone! Join a dating site, create a well planned profile and you just never know what could happen. Always remember to play it safe!

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