Profile Part 1 – Create your Internet Dating Screen Name

When I first started using internet dating websites, I never gave much thought to the screen name at all. I would always just put random letters or easy to remember word rhymes like “CrudeDude347″. But, as I hope is becoming apparent, all of your profile text (yes, even your screen name) is actually important. Your screen name is on the top of her search results when she’s looking for you. It’s on the sender column of her email queue. It’s on her Wink Page (if you send her winks). And it may be how she comes to remember you in her brain in the earlier stages of communication. So we must choose a screen name that indicates something about yourself. Who you are, what you are looking for, or what can she do for you? For example the screen name “Come_Sail_With_Me” indicates that you like sailing and one of your dates will involve cruising the harbor. Or the screen name “Want_Golf_Buddy” indicates that you, well, need a golfing buddy.

Some screen name rules

Don’t use city names. A lot of guys use city names in their profile. I used to think this was ok in the early days. But now that so many men from your city are competing for dates, merely putting your city name simply doesn’t say much about you.
Don’t use your zip code.
Don’t use your birthday.
Don’t use your birth year.
Don’t use the current year.
Don’t use your last name.
Don’t use your first name – unless it’s a cool name. (“Bob,” for example is not a cool name.)
Don’t use cliché movie character names like “TheTerminator.” Unique character names are ok though.

Bad screen name examples

Twelve1981 (Your birth year is not very interesting information.)
BobHeartsrain (I don’t know what “hearts rain” means…Does he love rain? So what…)
AaronMarcus (Never give your first and last name to strangers.)
jameson2008 (Why put the current year? She knows what year it is.)
g250s0f51g406 (Hard to get more random than this name.)
youMARRYme (She hasn’t even met him yet!)
DarkKnightHK (Comic book geeks are notoriously forever single.)
LagunaCarRepair (This guy is too conspicuous about his occupation.)
James_28841 (Do not include a string of ridiculous numbers after your name.)
Zero-skilz (Never put a zero in your screen name — too many negative associations.)
freezefreeze (This is just a meaningless word repeated twice.)
ontheinternet (Of course you’re on the internet.)
Engineer1983 (He just put his boring job and his birth year. Horrible.)
velvet_Blade (Never make any mention of cutting tools or violence.)
M23 (This sounds like the model number for a gun, not a real man.)

Good screen name examples

AlexDaBassMan (Good. He’s got a cool job and made a witty name.)
Catch_29 (Clever. Catch 22 is a famous book.)
DateableDancer (Good. He immediately told her what kind of dates to expect.)
IrishLadSmiles (Cheery.)
KerouacMac (Unique. Jack Kerouac is a famous writer.)
SomeWhatTrivial (Funky. I like it. Ethereal.)
ImRonBurgandy (Funny movie character.)
ProbablyKidding (Good one.)
DaCatsPajamas (Unique.)
Best_u_EverHad (Good. Cocky and funny.)

TIP: Generally, you should try to use as many characters for your screen name as your dating website allows. This causes your name to “stick out” more when she’s examining her email queue.