You're just too good to be true

Both men and women write what they think the opposite sex wants to hear. 

Women write about how much they love camping and sports.  Men write about how much they like cooking and kids.  Some people genuinely like those things, but subconsciously they know it'll attract more of the opposite sex if they're speaking directly to that person's own likes and hobbies.  I do it in my profile.  I say all kinds of things like I like to hike and camp and even own my own snowboard.  Now, I don't think there is anything wrong with that but the trouble comes when you stretch the truth too far.  I also say that I only do those activities for fun so they know I am not a competitive athlete.  Don't try to be somebody your not.  Eventually the truth will come out.  An online dating profile is like a resume; include your true strengths and experiences and omit your weaknesses but do it all without lying.  Your little discrepancies will start coming out with your first phone conversation and too many little white lies will have the other person running for the hills. 

What's the name of the game?

I could have also named this post "It's Raining Men" because with hundreds of possible online dating websites there are thousands of singles looking for love (some a little more than others).  Out of all those options, what site will be best for you?  This depends on what you are looking for.  First ask yourself what do you want out of it?  Determine what kind of relationships you are looking for and what you want out of that type of relationship.  The type of relationship you want will greatly influence your choice of site.  This website is very helpful and provides a full process for selecting a dating website:  http://dating.about.com/od/onlinedating/ht/choosedating.htm

Here are some general segments of dating websites: 

Free or Paid:  Most of the popular dating websites charge a monthly fee and offer a discount with pre-payment.  There are also free websites which I suggest you stay away from.  I'm sure there are nice people on a free site but too many are just looking for a booty call and that is not how I roll. 

Mass Market or Niche:  The mass market sites are like eHarmony and Match.com.  They boast millions of members and can do a lot of sorting for you.  If you want a large base with no initial common ground than these sites are a good place to start.  They even sometimes offer free weekends so you can try them out without having to pay.  The other option is to use a niche site which offers connections based on religion, race, hobbies, money, education, there are all kinds of crazy groups out there ( but I've gotta keep this blog clean).  These are great because they take out a little of the guess work if you are very particular about wanting a certain trait or quality in your future date.  On the other hand the dating pool is waaaaay smaller which leads to fewer interactions. 

Other than free or paid and mass or niche, dating websites have become part of a herd.  For the most part they all offer quizzes to increase successful matching, chatting, email, video interviews, and allow posting multiple photos.  No matter what site you choose make sure they offer protective security and privacy policies and allow you to block and/or complain about people who are offensive or you just don't want to communicate with. This is also important if you see an ex on the site, that could be real awkward. 

TopDatingTips.com offers a great comprehensive list of dating website qualifications including safety concerns and other considerations.  http://www.topdatingtips.com/dating-sites.htm

There is nothing wrong with joining multiple sites but don't join so many that you look desperate!  Online dating takes a lot of time!