Anonymous wrote:I will be single soon, and have been thinking about what my online dating profile will look like. I've looked at a lot of profiles, and they are all so similar it's like they're all using the same formula.

Typical Photos:
- Here's me in a foreign country
- Here's me at a restaurant holding a glass of alcohol
- Here's me doing an outdoor activity
- Here's me at the beach
- Here's me driving a boat
- Here's me with my pet
- Here's me with my friends (may be hard to tell which one is me)
- Here's me with my kid (tacky!)

Typical Text:
- I love to try new restaurants (yeah who doesn't)
- I love to travel (yeah who doesn't)
- I love to laugh (yeah who doesn't)
- I love trying new things (yeah who doesn't)
- I love my dog / cat (yeah who doesn't)
- I love spending time with friends and family (yeah who doesn't)
- I am smart / sassy / sarcastic / adventurous (great, I guess)

Eh well, maybe people aren't really that different, but it's going to be a lot of work standing out amongst all that sameness.

Anonymous wrote:I will be single soon, and have been thinking about what my online dating profile will look like. I've looked at a lot of profiles, and they are all so similar it's like they're all using the same formula.

Typical Photos:
- Here's me in a foreign country
- Here's me at a restaurant holding a glass of alcohol
- Here's me doing an outdoor activity
- Here's me at the beach
- Here's me driving a boat
- Here's me with my pet
- Here's me with my friends (may be hard to tell which one is me)
- Here's me with my kid (tacky!)

Typical Text:
- I love to try new restaurants (yeah who doesn't)
- I love to travel (yeah who doesn't)
- I love to laugh (yeah who doesn't)
- I love trying new things (yeah who doesn't)
- I love my dog / cat (yeah who doesn't)
- I love spending time with friends and family (yeah who doesn't)
- I am smart / sassy / sarcastic / adventurous (great, I guess)

Eh well, maybe people aren't really that different, but it's going to be a lot of work standing out amongst all that sameness.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Curious what everyone else says in their OLD profiles to make themselves stand out? The laundry lists of what you don't want make you look unhinged, so I don't see a problem with posting what you DO enjoy. Besides, 99% if the decision is based off of the photo and then the presence of obvious deal-breakers (children, smoking, location, relationship goals, etc).

My profile did not have a picture, but I gave a verbal description of my looks, height, weight, and said something along the lines of “will happily provide a picture if you give me a good reason why you need it”. Had enough takers and interesting conversations followed by dates, but ended up meeting my husband through my hobby. However, not having a picture turned out to be a good screen.

I’m surprised people bothered. There are so many people out there and why go through the effort of convincing you I have a good reason to get your picture when there is a reasonable chance (based simply on numbers and probabilities) that I won’t be interested five seconds after receiving it - and I would say the same to someone seeing my pic, so this is not a matter of being cocky. There is a reason most people of both genders scroll through quickly.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You must be a man because only women say anything about smart or sassy. What I cannot stand is how women in the 1980's, who used to say "I am a single professional woman" now call themselves " a strong, independent woman". Have you ever heard of a man use these adjectives? It's so stupid.

Yeah, except some guys want subservient women - you'd be surprised.

Anonymous wrote:You must be a man because only women say anything about smart or sassy. What I cannot stand is how women in the 1980's, who used to say "I am a single professional woman" now call themselves " a strong, independent woman". Have you ever heard of a man use these adjectives? It's so stupid.

Anonymous wrote:
Typical Text:
- I love to try new restaurants (yeah who doesn't)
- I love to travel (yeah who doesn't)
- I love to laugh (yeah who doesn't)
- I love trying new things (yeah who doesn't)
- I love my dog / cat (yeah who doesn't)
- I love spending time with friends and family (yeah who doesn't)
- I am smart / sassy / sarcastic / adventurous (great, I guess)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Guys make swiping decisions on pics and pics alone, except for something really scary in the profile. The profile's only benefit is to include conversation subjects, so a guy can start a message.

For guys, the profile matters more because women will read it. But even then, there's only so much one can do.

I agree with PPs there is only so much the medium reasonably allows.

This. Men are visual and will base the decision on the profile picture alone. The text in the woman's profile is to allow conversation startups for the guy.

Text can tip the balance.

Smoking hot plus no text, or dumb text, or offensive / trashy text equals a nope.

If her looks are at least acceptable but I otherwise wouldn't have been interested, good text will make me swipe right. This is the woman who most needs to avoid being "basic" (I love to travel, I love to laugh, I love to eat food!).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The new thing I see ALL the time is “pineapple shouldn’t be on pizza”.

Lately I keep seeing people saying they like "the Oxford comma". Why the heck do so many people mention that?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Guys make swiping decisions on pics and pics alone, except for something really scary in the profile. The profile's only benefit is to include conversation subjects, so a guy can start a message.

For guys, the profile matters more because women will read it. But even then, there's only so much one can do.

I agree with PPs there is only so much the medium reasonably allows.

This. Men are visual and will base the decision on the profile picture alone. The text in the woman's profile is to allow conversation startups for the guy.

Anonymous wrote:The new thing I see ALL the time is “pineapple shouldn’t be on pizza”.