How to Be Successful at Craigslist Personals
Craigslist operates much like old-fashioned newspaper classifieds, so it's no wonder that it offers a personal section as well. Helping users find everything from a friend, to a date to a one-night-stand, Craigslist is often a valuable way to meet people, but it can also be dangerous. Reports of individuals using the personal ads to commit gruesome crimes surfaced in 2009 with Philip Markoff's -- the "Craigslist Killer" -- arrest for murdering women he met using the website. Keep yourself safe while using the website to increase your social circle.
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Instructions
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Select the proper category for the type of personal you want. Use "Strictly Platonic" when you prefer a friendship over relationship, or choose the correct category for your gender and the gender you prefer. Craigslist also offers "Casual Encounters" for brief and unattached sexual meetings, or "Missed Connections" to allow you to search for a person who you met or saw without getting additional personal information.
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Write an engaging tag line. It's common to use your gender interest in the title of you ad using the following format: gender4gender. For instance, a woman seeking a man would type "w4m." You can make your title stand out more by using humor to intrigue a possible match. Be specific to stand out: "w4m looking for love" is generic and often dismissible among the throngs of other ads.
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Be honest when describing yourself on Craigslist. Craigslist personal users have the ability to view literally thousands of ads daily and can sense the difference between a genuine and fake ad. What's more, if you decide to meet someone in real life, lies could cause disappointment and mistrust from the start. Instead, rely on your true attributes to attract the right type of person for the best match possible.
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Post a recent, realistic photo of yourself with your ad. Craigslist has a policy against pornographic images in the "Conduct" section of their terms of use, so ensure your shot is modest and a good representation of your actual looks. When potential daters are able to see what you'll look like, you'll receive more interest and better quality replies. Just avoid outdated pictures that don't provide and accurate representation of your current appearance.
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Keep your identity as private as possible. Set up a generic email to handle personal interactions or use the proxy email that Craigslist assigns to your ads. Use a nickname or handle and avoid giving your full name, phone number or address via the Internet to ensure your your identity is protected until you meet a persona in real life and form an actual relationship.
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Meet only in public places and keep yourself safe by bringing a cell phone and letting friends and family members where you'll be. A person who suggests meeting at a private place could be suspicious, so use public places such as malls, restaurants and the movies to stage dates to see if there's a true connection. Don't exchange numbers or other information until you're sure you want to continue the relationship.
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References
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