The profile is imporant. It's a window into who you are. Based on the profile people are getting a glimpse of you; their decision to talk with you stems from what they see when the look at your profile.

I suppose it depends on which dating site you are on as to what your profile looks like. Plenty of Fish's website offers a quick glimpse of who you are with: Age, Relationship Status, Smoker, Drinker, and a few other simple pieces of information. Then there is the "about me" category and a "what a good first date is" category. Okcupid gets far more detailed and lets you see height, body type, religon, income, do you have kids, do you want them (and thats just the statistics part!)...the body of the profile includes an about me, favorites, what I spend my time thinking about, and so much more.

Its good to fill out your profile all the way. Make sure you write something in each section. Polls indicate that people who fill out their profile see more action then those that leave many sections blank. Be sure you write enough so the person gets an idea of who you are, but be aware that you don't need to be so detailed that I know ever musical artist you've ever heard, ever good food you've ever tried, or every good book you've ever read. It's good to know that you can read though ;-). And here is a great note: when writing your profile you should use correct spelling. Oh, and don't use internet lingo: using 4 instead of for, plz instead of please. It makes you seem lazy...and its super annoying to read.

What else can I say about the profile? Oh yes. The picture. I could probably write an entire chapter on the picture profile, but I'll try to restrain myself.

A person (guy or girl) should have at least 2 pictures. One where the face is clearly defined and another where the body can be seen. I hate to say it, but image is important and people care. If you can't get past this, you'll have a hard time finding sucess online. I've run across so many bad pictures...so I think it'd be helpful if I shared some with you...sort of a 'do not do' kind of list.
1.) pictures where you are making a really stupid face - i.e. drunk pictures - remember, you are trying to attract the opposite sex, not repel them.
2.) pictures that show you wielding a gun or knife. Because really, nothing inspires more confidence in a girl than your creepy picture holding a sharp knife. Seriously.
3.) pictures that include you with your arms around an attractive member of the opposite sex. Remember, you are on a dating website. Polls indicate this makes you seem like a player - girls are less likely to even look at your profile if they see this sort of picture.
4.) My personal favorite - grainy cell phone pictures taken in a bathroom mirror. Even better - when you are next to naked. I know the point. You want the oppsite sex to see your incredibly sexy body. Except 9 times out of 10 its not incredibly sexy (sorry to burst your bubble). And even when it is, you should leave something up to the imagination. Plus, its more likely that people will think you care more about sex than a potential relationship (i mean, look how quick you were to take your clothes off...and that was just for a picture!). And for God sakes, have a little self-respect. A good rule of thumb...if you wouldnt show the picture to your mother, you shouldn't post it online. And as for the grainy cell phone bit...seriously. Either learn to take a self-portrait (they arenty that hard) or ask a friend. Take pride in your picture's quality!

Ok, the picture thing was sort of a rant. But I kept it to the top 4...because honestly, there are so many more things I could say.

The last part about this blog isnt about your profile. It's about the other person's profile. The one your looking at...the prospective date. Here is the big tip of the day. Read the profile. I know, I know...it sounds like common sense, but apparently its not. I've had guys message me saying how much we have in common, only to go to their profile and discover we don't. My favorite story is of a guy who messaged me this exact line and then when I looked at his profile I discovered he didnt like sarcastic people. He actually said sarcastic women should just keep walking...but my profile states very clearly that I can be sarcastic.... It was imediately clear that he hadn't read any of my profile (I mean this was in the first paragraph!). I think this is more of a guy thing (believe me guys, women complain about this all the time on forums at dating websites). So, wanna impress your potential lady? Read her profile (yes, the whole thing). It shows you are really interested in her.

Alright, thats all I have for today. Join me tomorrow for a look into how to make first contact (sucessfully).

<3
Jane