Online dating has never been my thing. The idea of hitting the Net for the specific purpose of “meeting someone” just always came off a little bit lame to me. In the same token, I’d be lying if I said I never hooked up with someone I met on the Internet. In my defense, though, it was generally after knowing the person after an extended amount of time.
We’ve all had our fair share of BlackPlanet booty calls (yes, the site is still alive and kicking) or MySpace mackin’. If not, we at least know someone that has. While those days are long behind me, there’s a lot of people that still get their groove on when they’re logged on.
Over the course of the past few years, social networking sites like FaceBook and even Twitter have replaced the club scene for some. Instead of guys sending drinks over to the a pretty woman’s table, they can now just send a friend request. If the intended target is interested or has mutual friends, the pair starts up an online dialogue that may or may not spill over from the virtual to the real world.
For those looking for a less subtle approach, there are loads of dating sites, where people can simply post their likes, dislikes, interests, Zodiac sign and dating requirements to a pool of eligible bachelors and bachelorettes. For every horror story, there’s a success, but navigating one’s way through the digital divide can be just as tricky as the club.
Enter Flyness, a former shy guy turned author, who’s come up with his own way of mackin’ on his MacBook. In 2008, he penned From MySpace to My Place: The Men’s Guide to Snagging Women Online, which was so successful with the fellas that Flyness dropped a follow-up for the ladies, From MySpace to My Place: The Ladies’ Guide to Finding Mr. Right or Mr. Right Now. Recently, he upped the ante with his third book, The FaceBook Date Book For Men.
The books have created such a buzz that Flyness wound up featured on The Tyra Banks Show, Abiola TV, and several nationally syndicated radio shows.
Do’s & Don’ts For Men
You’ll have to watch the above clip to get the full context of some of these tips, but I know some folks read the blog on the mobile so here’s a cheat sheet for the fellas.
Dos
1) Make sure you’re crisp
2) Have pics with other fly women
3) Keep your profile short & sweet
Don’ts
1) No shirt off pics
2) No hardcore theme music
3) No e-stalking
Do’s & Don’ts For Women
You’ll have to watch the above clip to get the full context of some of these tips, but I know some folks read the blog on the mobile so here’s a cheat sheet for the ladies.
Dos
1) Have your hair and gear right
2) Have real pictures of you—from this year
3) Have a positive attitude in your profile message
Don’ts
1) No half-naked pics
2) No children as your main picture
3) No leading on
What did you think of Flyness’ tips for online dating? What tips would you add to the mix? Do you think that his books can actually work in snagging a mate online? Have you ever tried online dating? Do you have a success story or was it a disaster? Have you ever met someone online who looked nothing like their picture? Do you feel that a lot of people on social networking sites are just looking to hook up or are there an equal amount of people looking for real relationships? Do you feel that social networking sites have replaced the club scene? Do you think sites like Match.com and eharmony.com can actually work? Do you think it’s possible to find love online? What about on a place like BlackPlanet? Would you buy my book whenver I get around to actually writing it?
Speak your piece…
