Online Dating For Dummies [Paperback]

Judy Silverstein (Author), Michael Lasky (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 21, 2003

Chances are, you've heard about Internet dating from a friend, or an online banner ad has caught your eye. If you've given online dating a passing consideration, you may have some fears from all those graphic horror stories that jar your senses – and your sensibilities. Or you may think that meeting people via the Internet is only for the disenfranchised or socially unskilled.

From their own experiences, 20 million people can tell you otherwise. Online Dating For Dummies will get you off the fence and on the Internet dating path – with the skill of a seasoned pro. Like your best friend, this fun reference will give you the straight scoop on

• Gearing up with the right computer hardware
• Overcoming preconceived notions of who is online
• Talking the online lingo
• Enjoying conversation in chat rooms
• Considering date site options
• Establishing your screen identity
• Facing the consequences of not posting a photo

Internet dating is growing at double-digit rates every year, while other forms of finding a connection are flat or falling off. Internet dating, although far from perfect, is becoming the most effective and efficient method of getting introduced to a large number of available singles. Online Dating For Dummies shows you how to get your feet wet and how to dive in, making informed choices and exercising good judgment as you

• Sign up for a trial run on a dating site
• Try to describe yourself for your personal profile
• Initiate your first e-mail contact
• Make your first in-person meeting memorable
• Identify frauds and players
• Figure out what not to do if you really want to meet someone

Jumping into online dating with no preparation at all is possible – but not practical. If you follow the techniques in this friendly guide, your odds of meeting great potential matches will greatly improve, and you'll have far more fun in the process.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...covers strategies for success, including how to choose an agency, respond to potential dates and cultivate a relationship on-line..." (Aberdeen Press & Journal, Dec 03)

From the Back Cover

Know the lingo, post a photo, and make a date

Date online and find the perfect mate

Looking for that special someone? This friendly guide provides practical, proven strategies for everything from selecting the right dating site and establishing your Internet identity to building your profile and protecting your privacy. You’ll see how to easily make the transition from e-mail to phone to meeting in person.

Includes special offers* from these dating sites:

• Yahoo! Personals: 25% off the first month
• match.com: Free 10-day trial
• AmericanSingles.com: Buy one month, get a second month free
• JDate.com: Buy a three-month subscription, get a fourth month free
• Emode.com: Free 7-day trial
• lavalife.com: Free sign-up, plus a 25% bonus on a first purchase
• one2onematch.com: $20 off a VIP membership
• date.com: one, free trial membership

*See back of book pages for details and terms of each offer

Discover how to:

• Choose an online dating service
• Write an honest, flattering description
• Respond to potential dates
• Know who the frauds are
• Cultivate a relationship online
• Stay safe when meeting face-to-face

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 1 edition (November 21, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764538152
• ISBN-13: 978-0764538155
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #138,457 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #95 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Relationships > Dating

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars For People Uncomfortable with Computers?, November 22, 2005

By 

Peter McCluskey (San Bruno, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Online Dating For Dummies (Paperback)

Most of what this book says is either common sense or easy to find out by using an online dating service. They sound uncomfortable enough with computers that they seem to expect readers to prefer reading a generic description on paper to reading the online descriptions that the dating services provide.
Their idea of backing up email is to print it out.
They say on page 183 that meeting in person gives away your anonymity completely, then on page 237 they describe how to meet in person anonymously. That is fairly typical about how carefully they write.
Instead of this, I recommend buying Katz's I Can't Believe I'm Buying This Book.

35 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars PURE UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION & MORE!, February 10, 2004

By 

Steve Nakamoto "The Friendly Voice of the... (Huntington Beach, California USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Online Dating For Dummies (Paperback)

As a fellow relationship/dating author and advisor, I'm always looking for new information on this dynamic field. I was eagerly awaiting the arrival of this book because of the thorough nature and quality of the "Dummies" series. After a complete reading of this book where I took a lot of notes, I must say that it does an outstanding job of covering online dating and other related topics.

You get a certain type of quality when you buy a "Dummies" book. I didn't expect this one to be a great literary read or even one that I'd call "entertaining" (except for the hilarious cartoons in the beginning of each chapter). This book is simply stuffed with practical information and helpful tips. I do a lot of research on "Online Dating" issues and this is the best single source that I've found. If you ever come across any of my advice anywhere, you can bet that it won't be out of alignment with what is in this great resource.

This is a book that every man or woman who chooses to play the "online dating game" to win (find a good love partner) should have in their personal library. It's really that good.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Easy and Good, but NOT ALL ANSWERS!!!, August 9, 2007

By 

T. Marshall (Leesburg, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Online Dating For Dummies (Paperback)

I liked this book, but it isn't a book of answers. However, if you are a newbie to online dating, it helps a lot to read this book.
Most online daters have no clue what they are doing. The successful ones that you see on TV (doing eharmony commercials) are the lucky ones. That's why this book helps. It first gives you the low down on online dating and why it is completely different from real world dating. Since it is so different, everyone needs to take a different approach to it. Surprisingly, not everyone does.
How many times have you winked at someone and not recieved a response? How many profiles have you read that say, "I don't know what to write?" How many emails have you sent out that just didn't work?
Well, this book explains why these things happen in online dating.

However, it isn't a book of answers. It won't tell you what the perfect profile is, but will give you hints on how to write one. It won't tell you what the best picture is, but it will tell you not to post the same one twice. Treat it as a guide and you will be fine. Treat it as "the way" and you're in trouble.

For me, I was very excited to try online dating and would go online everyday to find new connections. After reading this book, I realized online dating is not a quick and easy way to find the love of my life (like eharmony advertises), but it is more of a long haul and it requires more work than I thought. This book really helped me realize that I needed to work at online dating much like real world dating.