Online Dating Etiquette 101: If you don’t have somethin’ nice to say…
One of the wisest things ever said was uttered by the mom of an animated rabbit:
“If you don’t have somethin’ nice to say,
don’t say nuthin’ at all.”
This goes doubly-so when you’re presenting yourself to potential matches online. Yes, we’ve all had bad relationships. Yes, we’ve been disappointed by people who meant the world to us. No, you don’t need to advertise this to potential dates.
These little jabs, pokes, or just plain ‘ol statements of not-so-nice facts are called red flags, and they work against you.
“I’m tired of games…”
“I’m looking for someone who is honest…”
“I am totally over the bar scene…”
“My ex cheated on me, so…”
“My job sucks…”
“I’m so tired of this town…”
Even if you are the wittiest and most charismatic writer, these types of statements will drive people away. The best thing to do is to re-write them in a positive light or eliminate them altogether.
Just remember to keep your profile short and sweet and you’ll get attention for all the right reasons!
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The thing is E… these Red Flags are actually useful when you ARE looking for a dating partner, no?. It underlines a certain bitterness or negative attitude that I would want to know about so I could move on to better profiles.
Oh, certainly! That is the flip side of the coin.
However, there are some great people who unwittingly stick in red flag statements. They may only be a little bitter, not totally jaded, but their profile highlights the wrong side of them.
Fine, fine advice here. Nice post, e.
It’s basically a good all-round rule to just be as positive as you can about everything.
I say some throw something really weird out there… Most likely you won’t get a response but hell, they’ve probably never heard of it before…
Examples:
I hate elephants… One of them broke up our poker game!
And he stole our (bong, lucky Buddha statue, display katana, XBox 360, etc.)!
Great white sharks! Yeah! I had one of them bitch slap me with its tail fin! Never mind the teeth!
Anchorage… Crappy town.. Too many alien abductions… And stock brokers!
There is something to be said about totally out there wacky/untrue profiles. They’re amazing, but really hard to pull off. That, and you only appeal to those who get the humor.
Aye that’s the point… To try and tickle a lass’s funny bone really… Most of the fun is just coming up with the stuff and sending it out there. I’ve gotten to the point where I could care less if I get a response or not. Maybe I put a smile on her face, maybe I don’t. That’s just the way life is.
Good point! No negativity, or hints about problems in your past relationships are necessary. The people who do play games, or aren’t honest won’t be letting you know this or avoiding your ad because of that fact. It may even encourage them…..or so I’ve discovered