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Online Dating Etiquette
You probably grew up with your parents trying their best to
teach you proper etiquette and manners. Sit up straight,
give a firm handshake, respect your elders and all that –
familiar and second nature to you by now.
But how is your online dating etiquette? Do you know the
difference between good online manners and poor online
manners? If you don’t, you need to learn the basics before
getting involved in online dating.
The basics
Newcomers to the online dating world often make some very
basic mistakes when it comes to online etiquette. Most
often, these mistakes are inadvertent, but they do have an
impact on how other people perceive you so it is good
practice to be familiar with good practices.
Here are some of the basics of online dating etiquette:
All caps
– This is the online equivalent of yelling or shouting at
someone - not a good way to communicate with someone you
have just met.
Emoticons
– Emoticons are those little smiley faces and other cute
graphics that have become all too common in instant
messaging and e-mail communications. Use emoticons
sparingly, if at all, or you risk coming off as immature,
insincere, or just plain silly.
Timely response
– When someone sends you an e-mail message, especially if it
is his or her first contact with you, make it a point to
respond back within five days or less. Even if your
response is a polite “no thank you, I am not interested”,
you still must at least acknowledge the sender instead of
leaving him or her out there to wonder what became of their
message.
Decline politely
– In the same vein, if you choose to decline a request to
exchange e-mails you should always be polite but firm. This
becomes even more important if, after exchanging a few
messages, you do not want to pursue the interaction any
further.
Swearing, vulgar language, sexual innuendo
– NEVER include off-colour language or anything even close
to sexual innuendo or double entendre. It is rude, it is
inappropriate, and is the single quickest way to find
yourself blocked by other members or even removed altogether
from the online dating service.
After the first face to face meeting
– Always follow up your first face to face meeting with a
polite message of some sort. If you would like to see the
person again, then say so. If you do not want to see the
person again, it is vital to say that as well. Either way,
the fact that you followed up at all reflects well on you
and is considered excellent online dating etiquette.
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