When I decided to try internet dating a few years ago, I had to ask myself what it was that I was looking for.  And what I was looking for changed over the years.  For the most effective experience online dating, you have to be honest – not only to others, but with yourself as well.
When I first started looking for dates online, I had just broken up with my girlfriend.  Well, to be honest, she dumped me like a bag of babyshit in the garbage.  Miss ya, Christie!  So the frame of mind I found myself in was that of a playa.  By that, I mean all I wanted to do was date as many women as I could, and all at once.

This was great for a while.  No strings-attached relationships were what I needed.  And by dating a lot of women, it reminded me that there are plenty of fish out there, and they’re not all psychos.  Miss ya, Christie!
After a while, I realized that I wanted to focus on having a monogamous relationship, although I wasn’t looking for marriage right away.  So, I changed my profile on the dating site, and began seeing one woman exclusively.  This too was awesome.  She and I dated for about a year, but it ended when she was eaten by a shark while we were surfing in Hawaii.
By then I knew i wanted to be headed for marriage.  So I once again changed my profile to let women know that I am marriage minded.  And now when I contact women, I make sure they want the same direction.  This honest has saved me lots of headaches.
So my message is this: tell the people you meet online dating what you’re really after.  Honesty is the best policy!