Your Online Persona
[no image in epub file]
22
Ideal mate.
Talk about what kind of person you’re looking for, but be gen-eral. Think about what you reflected on earlier. Long book conversations? Throw that in. Be honest about what kind of date would be fun for you.
Liar, liar.
Don’t lie about details like your height and weight. Or any-thing, really. You want to attract someone who likes you the way you are. Kick anyone else to the digital curb.
TMI.
Generally, keep your profile positive. Think of it as your first introduction at a party—you’re not dumping your soul out just yet. It doesn’t have to be all rainbows, either. If you have a dark sense of humor or some other quirk, try to get that across in your profile.
Extra hack:
Write your profile in a Word or another program where you can use spell check. Check your grammar. Being literate is cool.
Remember, you don’t have to include every detail about your life. And really, you shouldn’t. Keep personal information out for safety reasons. There’s plenty of time to get to know your dates. Balance making your profile the best version of you, but also an honest ver-sion. They’ll get to know the real you in due time.
23
24
25
Looking for Lovin’ //
Grindr Your Grouper
27
Different dating services offer different experiences, so here’s a quick rundown of how the best ones work:
Match.com
With 1.8 million users, Match.com offers a more serious dating pool since it’s primarily a paid service (the free version doesn’t offer as many tools). It works fairly traditionally – make a pro-file, check your matches, chat, and arrange a date.
OkCupid
As a free service, it’s pretty much open season on the kinds of people you can find on OkCupid. That can mean a few weirdoes and jerks who send unwelcome messages. But the site boasts a good matching algorithm, stemming from the long list of questions you answer to start your profile. It also has mobile versions to take your matches on the go.
Tinder
Tinder is app-only and less comprehensive than the first two options. You won’t be writing lengthy biographical de-tails here or your favorite song lyrics. To sign up, you have to use your Facebook account—the app uses your activity to judge your potential matches. It’s bare bones speed-dat-ing. Swipe through matches until you find someone, and if you both match, chat away. Its lack of detail makes it known primarily for hookups, but you never know.
Grindr
Grindr is similar to Tinder, but caters only to men who are seeking men. Its main feature is utilizing GPS to find avail-able guys near you. Unlike Tinder, you don’t have to regis-ter with Facebook. Upload a nice picture and a short bio, and you’re good to go. Like Tinder, it’s primarily known for its hookup potential.
Grindr Your Grouper
[no image in epub file]
28
Grouper
Grouper sets up group dates for you and your friends. A group of three of you can sign up, for example, and one of you manages the account by answering a questionnaire. Grouper then chooses your dates, a location, and sends email and text updates. One caveat is cost. Each person pays about $17 for the service, so that’s $51 for the three of you. But if you hate the usual one-on-one date setup, it might be a worthwhile service.
Coffee Meets Bagel
Coffee Meets Bagel boasts that its app focuses on quality over quantity, unlike Tinder—though it also requires Face-book. When you sign up, you get one match a day delivered at noon. You have 24 hours to “like” the match. If the likes are mutual, you can instantly chat without giving away person-al info. The app uses Facebook to match you primarily with your friends’ friends—so you have a chance to ask around before your date.
Online dating takes a lot of trial and error, so don’t be too discour-aged if your first attempts aren’t stellar. Try out one or two at a time so it doesn’t become a time-sucking obsession. There’re only so many out-of-nowhere “DTF?” messages you can take.
29
Looking for Lovin’ //
First