By: Richard T. Kessinger

Find an online dating service that does not limit you to fully explain who you truly are. Profiles that only contain check boxes and multiple choices offer limited choices to choose from and don't provide a chance for people to get an idea of who you are.

The first thing you will encounter on the web is a lengthy questionnaire. At some places, these questions will be very specific, and at others they can appear rather general. Either way, you need to tailor your answers so they genuinely say something about you and your personality. For example, when answering a question on professional sporting events, you should not just answer "yes or no." By revealing whether you prefer viewing at the event, at home, or in a sports bar, you have a much better chance of attracting a potential mate.

Had I been made to use the website for online dating, I would just be asked whether I would watch the games and how frequently do I watch. I would be in no position to express my real feelings towards baseball. Hence, it's good if you visit a site which makes you explain about yourself instead of using a standardized profile for you. Although computerized, automated profile searching for compatibility is designed to assist the submitter to locate profiles compatible with his or hers, it may not successfully locate the profiles of all persons who might be potential matches. Sometimes, however, if a person submits a profile with an accurate self-description, another person searching for a match will notice the potential compatibility and be directed toward the submitter's profile as a possible suitable candidate. That is why it is so important to be able to submit information that is uniquely relevant to the person being profiled. So many potential friends or companions may be just a street away, but may never be found without the right profile information.