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News and Society > Dating > The beginner's guide to online gay dating
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Article rating : 0.00, 0 votes. Author : Jason Smyth
It can be very daunting. You've never used a gay dating website before. What will they be like? What will I need to do? Will I really be able to find the man of my dreams? Read on, as Jason describes the most common features of gay chat and dating sites and lets you know what you need to look out for.
There are literally hundreds of gay dating sites on the internet. Many of these can charge a hefty monthly fee, but I would recommend that if you're new to this world, then you should dip your toe in by using a free gay chat or dating site. Simply type "free gay chat" into google and you'll have plenty to choose from.
Once you've chosen which site to try, you'll inevitably need to choose a username and password. Try to find a username that you'll feel comfortable with in a few years time. Many guys make the mistake of adding their age or year of birth into their username, but do you really want to be Jamie21 when you're 26? After all, these sites can be very addictive and you're more than likely find friends as well as possible partners.
Once you've chosen a suitable username, you'll then need to create an online profile. This is basically a description of yourself and can include everything from your age and physical description to your likes and dislikes and sexual preferences. The trick to filling in these profiles is to be as honest as possible. After all, the idea is that you'll eventually meet the man of your dreams. So, what's the point pretending you're a 6 foot muscle man, when you're barely 5 foot and haven't seen the inside of a gym in years?
I would also recommend adding a well focused photograph, showing your face clearly. You'll find it quite common for many people to simply refuse to reply to your messages if you don't have at least one clear photo of yourself. Again, use a real photo. And if you suspect that a person is using a fake photograph on their profile, then ask them to send you another photo taken in a different location. If someone isn't using a real photograph, then they probably won't have a full photo gallery of snaps taken in varying locations. And is something looks to good to be true, then it probably is!
The type of information you include on your profile will depend on what you expect to find in the online world. Are you looking for the man of your dreams, or simply for a man just for tonight? You'll find that every type of guys is catered for, from the bears (larger hairy men) to twinks (younger looking boys above 18) with every fetish in between.
Most gay chat and dating sites will let you create a list of either friends or favourites. This will let you know when particular people are online. So you could find a profile of a man you want to talk to, but he isn't online right now. So add him to your favourites list. Then, if he comes online when you're there too, you'll know instantly. Just because someone isn't online, it doesn't mean that you can't send a message to them. They'll either receive it the next time they log into the service or they'll be sent an email letting them know that they have a message waiting for them.
Don't get carried away in your virtual world though. If something looks too good to be true, then it probably is. And never be duped into giving away personal information, such as your phone number or full address. If and when you do decide to meet someone who you've been chatting to on the internet, then do so in a public place, where they'll be other people around. And always let a friend know where you are going and what time you expect to be back.
Use your common sense and don't get carried away and you'll soon be having fun in the online gay dating world!
Jason currently works for www.bent.com which is a gay owned and gay run company. Bent includes a free gay chat and dating site called Bent Live, Bent Magazine which is a free monthly gay glossy magazine and Bent Shop which ships worlwide.
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