POF GUIDE FOR WOMEN: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ONLINE DATING

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW WHEN DATING ONLINE

A GUIDE FOR WOMEN

This guide explains everything a girl should know prior to joining a free dating website, such as Plenty of Fish.  These tips will help reconcile your expectations, steer you clear of a-holes and douche bags, and keep you safe while on and offline!

PRIOR TO JOINING, BE AWARE OF THE FOLLOWING:

YOU WILL BE STALKED ONLINE

Be aware that the photos you include in your profile can (and will) be traced back to any other site that features the same photos. I.e. if any of your POF profile pics are also pics that you've uploaded onto your Facebook page, be aware that it a free Google Image search will quickly link back to your FB page.  You can find out a lot of info about a person through their FB page, depending on your privacy settings.  Even if you have a private account, your first and last name is shown--and thus, more info can be found out.

The odds of a guy running an image search on your POF profile pics to locate you on FB, ect. are pretty much guaranteed.  So be aware of this and extra careful about the pics you choose to use.

 

INCREASED NUMBER OF MEMBERS = DECREASE IN QUALITY

Because POF is free it is the largest online dating site.  With that many members, your chances of running into some quite "undesirable" characters are significant--if not completely guaranteed.  Having so many members can make it more difficult to locate that someone special on the site.  Why? Because oftentimes your inbox is crammed with so many emails from guys you're either not interested in, or who are interested in you for the wrong reasons.  It makes sorting through all those emails- to locate the ones who are from guys who peak your interest- extremely time consuming, if not arduous.

 

INTENTIONS OF MEMBERS

Most guys tend to use the site as a way to secure booty, rather than a relationship
Free online dating sites tend to be a vehicle many guys use as their personal black book.  Realize that most of the guys on the site are not intending to meet someone to date, but rather someone to sleep with.

 

 

NEVER ASSUME HIS ONLINE PROFILE TO BE AN ACCURATE REPRESENTATION OF WHO THE GUY IS

Guys are just as likely to lie about their age on these sites and provide false information about their profession, background, intentions, and current relationship status (!). If his intention is to find girls to sleep with, of course he's going to make a concerted effort to come across as charming, sensitive, and sincere in his profile page and messages to female members.

 

DICK PICS GALORE

Prepare your mind and eyeballs to see a WHOLE LOT of these types of pics:

 

 

 

BEFORE GOING ON A DATE WITH ANYBODY FROM POF, CONDUCT YOUR RESEARCH!!!

GOOGLE IMAGES: INSTRUCTIONS

Right click on each of his POF profile pics and save each to your computer.

Go to images.google.com

Click the camera icon located in the search box and upload the pics of him you saved to your computer.

Hit search

The search will provide you with a list of links to other websites where that same pic of him can be located.  This seriously works gold.  Recently I used this on a guy from POF who contacted me to hang out.  I was shocked at the results--to say the least!  Turns out he was married.

 

CHEATERVILLE.COM

Cheatersville.com is the #1 online dating resource in the country!  The site is essentially an online registry of cheaters who use online dating as a means to screw around on their wife or girlfriend. Use the site to report a guy who's either cheated on you, or is/has cheated on their wife or girlfriend with you.

You can also conduct a search of Cheaterville's registry using a person's first and last name, as well as the city the live in.  Use it to find out whether a particular guy has had any complaints lodged against him in the past.

The particular guy I was speaking before of--the one who was married--had 13 complaints filed from women he met on POF.  THIRTEEN!!!

To search for a suspected cheater, use the information you were able to obtain during the Google Image search.  Most likely you were linked back to his FB page which provided you with his full name and location. Never rely on the name he provided you with.  Any guy who's used to doing this type of thing is a well-seasoned pro and knows better than openly offer you his real name or identity (especially when married!!).

ONLINE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

Be Web Wise
Be wary of communications that ask you to act immediately, offer something that sounds too good to be true, or asks for personal information. There are certain red flags to watch for that may indicate you're dealing with a scammer. Be aware of anyone who…

• Quickly asks to talk or chat on an outside email or messaging service


• Claims to be from U.S. but currently traveling, living or working abroad


• Asks you for money


• Vanishes mysteriously from the site, then reappears under a different name


• Talks about "destiny" or "fate"


• Claims to be recently widowed


• Asks for your address under the guise of sending flowers or gifts


• Makes an inordinate amount of grammar and/or spelling errors


• Sends you emails containing strange links to third-party websites

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission's advice to avoid online romance scams is available here: http://onguardonline.gov/articles/0004-online-dating-scams

Be cautious and use common sense. If personal details provided by another person don't seem to add up, they behave suspiciously or pressure you for personal or financial information – block communications with that person and report them to us immediately.

Block and report suspicious users
You can block and report concerns about any suspicious user anonymously from any profile page, email or IM window.

OFFLINE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

First meetings are exciting, however, always take precautions and use the following guidelines:

Get to know the other person before meeting them offline
Use the technology on Match.com that protects your anonymity to get to know someone before disclosing personal information or meeting in person. We don't conduct criminal background checks on our users, so if you would like more information about someone, we recommend using the Internet and government resources available to everyone. This can include typing the person's name into a search engine, reviewing public information made available by government offices, or using a paid service to obtain a full background report.

Always meet in public
Meet for the first time in a populated, public location – never in a private or remote location, and never at your date's home or apartment.

Stay in a public place
It is best not to go back to your date's home or bring them back to yours on the first date.  If your date pressures you, end the date and leave at once.

Tell a friend
Inform a friend or family member of your plans and when and where you're going.  If you own a mobile phone, make sure you have it with you.

Stay sober
Keep a clear mind and avoid doing anything that would impair your judgment and cause you to make a decision you could regret.

Drive yourself to and from the first meeting
Just in case things don't work out, you need to be in control of your own ride – even if you take a taxi.

Keep personal items with you at all times
You don't want to risk having personal information stolen.  If you're drinking, keep your drink with you at all times so it can't be tampered with.

Long Distance Meetings
Long distance meetings pose special safety concerns to take into account. Keep these tips in mind.

• Stay in a hotel. Check into your own room and avoid staying in the other person's home. If you can't afford a hotel, you shouldn't go.


• Use a taxi or rental car to get to and from the airport. Securing your own ride is important. Even if the person you're meeting volunteers to pick you up from the airport, do not get into a personal vehicle with someone you've never met.


• Keep your hotel location confidential. The person you're meeting should respect your privacy until you know each other.


• Remember to keep your family and friends posted. Tell someone who you are meeting, where you are going and when you will return.

 

REMEMBER: YOUR SAFETY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANOTHER PERSONS FEELINGS

IF HE'S BEING RUDE, DISRESPECTFUL, INAPPROPRIATE, OR MAKING YOU FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE IN ANY WAY--LEAVE!!  DO NOT worry about being rude or hurting his feelings.  DO NOT feel obligated to offer him an explanation.  It was his behavior that got you there to begin with, so don't feel bad or apologetic.  Simply tell the guy you need to excuse yourself to go to the ladies room, grab your purse, and walk out the door.  NEVER second guess your gut instinct!!!! I've had to do this a few times myself, and have yet to regret it!