I regularly stand atop my milk carton shouting to all those who will listen about the importance of every last letter and punctuation mark they put in their dating profile. My argument is that a dating profile represents the first and only look someone will have into who you are – or who you say you are. That’s why it’s important that no matter what you say, you’d better write it right!

I routinely surf dating sites to look at profiles but I rarely drop a note to say hello. It’s just not my style. If I find someone I’m attracted to, I’ll read her profile. If there’s something in it I don’t like, which could include things like gratuitous sexual innuendo, risqué pictures, poor spelling or lack of style, I’ll pass it by. I’m online looking for perfection, after all, and hope that whoever I meet is looking for that, too.

"People who are sticky on grammar will penalize you if you’re not up to snuff but those who don’t care won’t mind either way."

As it turns out, I’m not alone. To be truthful, I never suspected that I was. There had to be people as anal as me out there! An article I read recently proved it. It was basically about a few people and the emphasis they place on email that they receive. If the writer couldn’t spell or used too many short forms then they were saying something about their personality that was unappealing. In other words, there was no date forthcoming! Whether you agree or not with this approach, there’s something to learn here.

Dating is about options. This can mean more options or better quality choices. Whatever the case, a smart single will go to great lengths to perfect his or her profile for the masses. This means taking your time with spelling and grammar and checking and rechecking your written responses for faults and faux pas. People who are sticky on grammar will penalize you if you’re not up to snuff but those who don’t care won’t mind either way.

Online dating works. I used to doubt it when I first became single, but the more I surfed, the more I learned. I found different sites, tried different tips and tricks and eventually came up with a darn good profile that has served me well over the years. Have I found Ms. Right as of yet? Nope, she’s still out there. But at least I know that when she happens to stumble on my profile, she’ll see anything and everything that I need her to see and that, above all things, lets me sleep soundly at night.