Picking A Proper Username

There’s two things people first see when looking at your online personals ad: Your picture and your username. Most people put a ton of thought into their profile picture and completely ignore their username, but you should know that it’s just important. In a survey done by UCLA by users on mainstream dating websites, over 85% of participants said they wouldn’t message someone back who didn’t have an appropriate user name.

Well, what is an appropriate user name? If you don’t know the answer to that, then you probably won’t be able to choose one!

The most common user names are simply the users real name. This is acceptable if you’re using your first name, but you always have to protect yourself on online dating sites, and allowing everyone to see your full name along with a photo, you’re asking for trouble. If you’re going to use your name, try either just using your first or, if that’s taken, your first and your middle.

Stay away from anything that could be considered offensive. I have a friend named Kyle who drives a 1969 Chevy Impala, so he had his username as Kyle69. Of course, if people don’t know about his passion for the Impala, they’re going to take that the wrong way. Read your username with a dirty mind to insure that there’s no chance it could be taken the wrong way.

Anything personal is too personal. You have to remember that the people you’re trying to attract people that you’ve never met, so having names like ‘Divorced2times2kids’ is giving away too much information about yourself too soon.

Before you register, go on a free online dating site and check out their passion personals. Look at the usernames of people registered and see what is attractive to you. You’ll quickly get the hang of what is appropriate and what isn’t, which will easier let you make your decision.

When all else fails, simply express something you love! SkiBunny13 is great. It lets people know instantly that you enjoy skiing, but it doesn’t get too personal. Find a good middle ground between personable and not giving too much away, and you’ll be off to a good start in your online dating journey.