How to Block Your Date – Try JDate’s New Feature
Oct 30th
Say Goodbye to your Online Date
I received an email in my Inbox today from JDate®, the largest online dating site for Jewish singles announcing their new all-block feature. The email simply said, “JDate’s Got Your Block.” It was a catchy email and got my attention.
Now at the bottom of each online dating profile on their site, you have the ability to say goodbye forever to the bad date or former beau who broke your heart while looking for love online.
Since cyberdating safety is such a hot issue now, I think this is a great move from JDate. It’s simple to use and not much different than Facebook’s blocking feature. If you want to block someone for inappropriate behavior or someone you simply don’t want to have looking at your personal and online identities, here’s instructions on how to block your date:
1. You pull up a profile of someone you are interested in blocking.
2. At the bottom of the profile, it will say Report a Concern and the word Block.
3. Click on Block and a drop down menu will appear with the choice of:
- Block member from contacting you
- Block member from appearing in your search results
- Block member from viewing your profile in his/her search results
4. Click Submit and you’re done.
Screenshot A
Screenshot B
Voila! You have erased that person from your search and from contacting you, should you desire.
Should you use their blocking features? I think it’s terrific that you are given a choice of options. From putting one toe in to the entire 10, the selection is up to you.
Naturally, the person you have blocked may realize you have done so, but dating should be about a matter of choice. If you’re uncomfortable, then go ahead and block someone. If you want to leave the door open for future communication, then I suggest you don’t block him or her. They won’t be happy to see you have done so.
For those who haven’t been able to get over their ex and are obsessively looking at their profile, this feature is for you.
At the end of the day, you’ll want to enjoy your experience and find someone to meet online rather than spend time on deciding which profiles you should block.
Will you use their blocking feature? Comments are always appreciated.
Note: Screen shot taken from my personal profile on JDate’s site
Interested in trying JDate? Click here to join
Harvard’s Michael I. Norton on Ask the Cyber-Dating Expert Radio Show
Oct 30th
Ask the Cyber-Dating Expert
Have you ever tried virtual dating?
In this episode of Ask the Cyber-Dating Expert Radio Show, host Julie Spira spoke with Michael I. Norton, Associate Professor at Harvard Business School about research that shows that going on a virtual date increases your chance for success when you meet in real life.
So what exactly is a virtual date?
Learn how you can go on a simulated date with avatars to benefit and help improve your online dating search. You’ll also hear about how social networking sites can improve your chances of finding love online.
Listen for dating advice and to hear more about dating, love and romance in a Web 2.0 World.
Cyber Love Story of the Week – Jessica and Michael
Oct 29th
Jessica was so busy with work and overwhelmed by all of the emails on Match.com® that she almost never met Michael. She had corresponded with a few men, and finally made the time to meet Michael at a restaurant in Oakland, CA.
When Jessica arrived at the restaurant, the hostess informed her that they were about to close. Going with the flow, she decided to wait for him outside on the sidewalk, when suddenly came up to her. She wondered, “Is this Michael?” She started talking to the gentleman and suddenly realized it was another man who had written to her on Match, who she had taken a pass on. She didn’t want to be rude as the man was rambling on and on about James Joyce, when finally Michael, her blind date, arrived.
She managed to introduce “Dave” the other Match suitor to Michael, and as awkward as that might have seemed, Michael and Jessica had the first date of many for the rest of their lives. The two were married in September, five years after their first date. Hopefully Dave found love online as well.
Congratulations to Jessica and Michael, our Cyber Love Story of the Week.
Do you have an online dating story to share?
Read More Cyber Love Stories>>>
Ask the Cyber Dating Expert Radio Show Featuring Virtual Dating
Oct 28th
Ask the Cyber-Dating Expert
Get ready to learn about virtual dating as we’ll be devoting an entire segment on the topic on this week’s Ask the Cyber-Dating Expert Radio Show.
It’s with great pleasure to announce that Harvard Business School Associate Professor Michael I. Norton will be our featured guest on October 30, 2010.
Norton has been featured in the Economist, Financial Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post. He will be discussing his study, “People are Experience Goods: Improving Online Dating With Virtual Dates” from the Journal of Interactive Marketing.
You’ll find out why going on a virtual date before meeting for the first time will result in a better experience.
Call in at 646-929-0012 on Saturday, October 30, 2010 at 2pm/ET, 12 noon/CT, 11am/PT to learn more about dating, love and romance in a Web 2.0 World.
Weekly Flirt – Halloween Edition
Oct 27th
Click here and let the flirting begin>>>
Love Potions – Candy Corn Cookies
Oct 27th
- Cooking Time: 9-11″
- Preparation Time: 10″
- 18 oz tube refrigerated sugar cookie dough
- 1/2 c flour
- 2 t lemon zest
- 2 t orange zest
- 1/4 t vanilla
- yellow food coloring
- orange food coloring
- 1/2 c white chocolate chips
- organ and yellow sanding sugar
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Beat flour into cookie dough, then divide into three parts.
- Beat lemon zest and yellow food coloring into 1 part; set aside.
- Beat orange zest and orange food coloring into another part; set aside.
- Beat vanilla into remaining plain part.
- Roll each section into a long rope.
- Lay side-by-side on a lightly-floured surface, with the orange in the middle.
- Use a rolling pin to roll (lengthwise), forming one sheet of dough with three stripes – plain, orange, yellow.
- Use a knife or pastry cutter to cut into triangles.
- Bake 9-11″ and let cool for 1″ before transferring to rack to cool completely.
- Microwave chips for about 1″ to melt, then dunk some of the tips or backs into the chocolate and sprinkle with colored sugar.
Love Potions courtesy of Bake Space and Tyler’s Aunt
It’s Tuesday Game Night on Chemistry
Oct 26th
Happy Tuesday!
Chemistry.com® is making it more fun and easy to use their online dating site. If you haven’t tried their Tuesday Game Night, now’s the time to log on and play.
From 6pm – midnight, Central Time.
Here’s how it works:
1. Flirt and enjoy 2 Chemistry Starters, free with any of your matches.
2. Send an email after the Chemistry Starters are complete.
3. Subscribe to keep the communication going after the event is over.
Who know’s? Your Halloween date might be with someone you’ll meet tonight!
Top 10 Favorite Halloween Songs
Oct 26th
Rather than focus on only one Cyber Love Song this week, I couldn’t resist sharing my Top Ten Favorite Halloween Songs with you to enjoy all week long.
From Spooky to Thriller, with Witchy Woman in between, I hope you enjoy these seasonal favorites and share some of yours as well.
Enjoy!
1. Spooky – Classics IV – One of my favorites, because it’s about love and romance.
2. Witchy Woman – The Eagles – The mystery of the woman in this song made it a hit for the Eagles. Enjoy this live version.
3. Monster Mash – Bobby “Boris” Pickett - You might not know who the artist is, but you’ll certainly recognize the song. No Halloween party would be complete without this seasonal favorite.
4. Witch Queen of New Orleans – Redbone - Another personal favorite that I enjoyed playing on the radio. You’ll be humming Marie, Marie, da voodoo veau, she’ll put a spell on you.
5. Ghostbusters – Ray Parker Jr. – The title theme from the soundtrack film will fill you with laughter on Halloween
6. Black Magic Woman – Santana - This song by Carlos Santana will always will be an incredibly sexy and classic tune that will never go out of style.
7. I put a Spell on You – Credence Clearwater Revival (CCR) – This bluesy song is one of my favorites.
8. Frankenstein – The Edgar Winter Group - No vocals, but the title alone merits its inclusion on the list this Halloween.
9. Wherewolves of London – Warren Zevon – Although he is resting in peace, the Wherewolves will always be around to help us howl during Halloween and Warren continues to make us laugh.
10. Thriller – Michael Jackson - No Halloween would be complete without the excitement of this thrilling b bestselling song from the late King of Pop.
Honorable mention: Time Warp from Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Do you have any other favorites to add to this list? Best wishes for a happy, spooky, fun and flirty Halloween from your friends at CyberDatingExpert.com
When In Doubt, Wear Red
Oct 26th
Design by Susana Mercedes
I have always believed in the significance of wearing red on a first date.
Here’s what we intuitively know about the color red:
- Red is the color of love.
- Red ignites passion.
- Red is the signature color for Valentine’s Day.
- You give red roses to a blue lady.
- Red is sexy.
- Red is a powerful color for women in the bedroom and the boardroom.
- Red stimulates the heart to beat faster.
Recently, I wrote an article on Huffington Post about why men were attracted to women who wore red. This behavior was backed up by a research study from the European Journal of Social Psychology called *”Red and Romantic Behavior in Viewing Women.”
In the above mentioned study, male undergraduates were shown photographs of young adult women. Some women were wearing the color green and others were wearing red. As they were looking at photos alone, the study showed similar behaviors to those who would view women’s profiles on an online dating site. The men appeared to ask more forward questions to the women in red as compared to the generic questions asked of the women wearing green.
While wearing red won’t guarantee a marriage proposal, it is more likely that it will result in more forward conversations according to the study.
I have been recommending that women wear red on their first dates with men for many years. My online dating profile always had a photo of me wearing red. The man who proposed to me, who I met on JDate, affectionately called me “The Lady in Red.”
Red might not be your favorite color, but wearing red when going to singles events and meeting men for the first time will capture the attention of the men in the room. I feel so strongly about the color red, that cover of my book, The Perils of Cyber-Dating shows a girl wearing a red dress getting ready for a date. We know that men are visual and are likely to remember what you wore on your first date, so why not wear red to make your first impression?
Wearing red to attract men is so powerful, that the Jewish Journal came to my home earlier this year to shoot a video with some of my expert online dating tips. Where did they start? In my closet of course. They wanted me to talk about the red dresses that were worn on many first dates. Men and women everywhere are backing up the research from the experts in the recent study on the color of red.
Does that mean I think you should toss out your favorite green shirt? No. But since first impressions do matter and men are looking at hundreds of photos every time they log online looking for love, perhaps wearing red isn’t such a bad idea at all. You have a split second to make an impression online and having a profile photo and catchy screen name to draw a man in, is important. Men are, and always will be visual. Once you get past the color test, it’s time to show him the authentic you and let your personality shine.
*”Red and Romantic Behavior in Men Viewing Women,” Daniela Niesta Kayser, Andrew J. Elliot, Roger Feltman, European Journal of Social Psychology (October, 2010)
How To Flirt On Halloween
Oct 25th
There’s no doubt about it. Halloween is one of the most fun holidays for singles and couples of all ages. Dressing up for Halloween is an absolute must. Halloween costume stores start popping up in August and visits to the pumpkin patch are in abundance.
So how does a single person enjoy this fun and flirty holiday? I believe that Halloween gives you permission to jump out of your comfort zone and become more approachable. Besides the youthful trick-or-treaters ringing your doorbell, singles holiday parties are in abundance. I suggest you RSVP to as many as possible, grab a few friends and go out with a smile on your face along with a devilish grin.
In preparation for Halloween, it’s also a good time to brush up on your flirting skills. Dr. Pat Allen, author of “Getting to I Do” and one of my mentors, teaches the 5-second flirt technique and encourages singles to flirt with 5 men every day and gaze into their eyes for five very long seconds. Although it’s a challenge and may seem like an eternity, on Halloween it should be a piece of cake, or at least a handful of candy corn.
Let’s start with selecting your sexy Halloween costume. Although you wouldn’t dress like this on a first date, you now have permission to show some skin without the expectation of jumping into the bedroom. Some of my favorites are from Leg Avenue. Check out the selection at Pure Delish, will give you free shipping on orders of $75 or more.
Halloween Cheerleader
1. The Cheerleader. What guy didn’t fantasize about being with a cheerleader in high school? Now’s his chance with this sexier version guaranteed to put a smile on his face. Cost $38.
Halloween - French Maid
2. The French Maid. This class Halloween costume never goes out of style. Now’s your chance to flirt with him with your duster in tow. Who knows just where he might be ticklish? Cost $65.
Halloween - Queen of Hearts
3. Queen of Hearts. Poker night will never be the same after he sees you in this Queen of Hearts outfit. Approach him and make a bet. See if he ups the ante. Price $75.
Now that you have your costume selections ready to go, look at your local calendar section for Halloween parties. From charity events to speed dating to Haunted House parties, there are events going on all week long. Take advantage of the fact that Halloween is on a Sunday. That means from Thursday-Sunday you can get the most of out of your Halloween costume and practice the art of flirting on men who are dressed like Tarzan and George Clooney.
Don’t forget to bring your camera or Flip video and set your camera settings to movie. Go up to that cute guy and compliment him on his costume and ask if you can take his photo. Better yet, jump into the shot and have your friend take a picture of you and that hot guy. Then ask him if you can friend him on Facebook or email him the photos.
At the end of the week, you can memorialize your Halloween festivities in a video on YouTube or upload the photos to Facebook. Go ahead and tag him, he’ll be flattered that you took the time to do so.
Julie Spira is a worldwide authority in online dating and a dating advice columnist. Visit her at CyberDatingExpert.com where you can share your Internet dating stories. Follow her on Twitter @JulieSpira.
