Hey, thanks! And hopefully contributing some worthwhile info here, too :)

I'm a huge fan of OKCupid! I agree that sending messages is a numbers game. But it's win-able for sure (as you've proved, Whitson)! I've noticed guys can tip the numbers in their favor with this basic strategy: 1) Find something in a girls' profile that he shares in common, then 2) ask her a *question* about it.

Sounds like you're crushing it!! That's awesome. And you're welcome — I'm happy to help! If this was useful, you might like the smart online dating tips on www.menaskem.com!

WITH your pets is ideal. Otherwise you're not showing what you look like, which is the whole point of profile pictures. Just have someone take the picture for you! That's what sisters/friends/moms/strangers on the street are for...

You bring up a great caveat. A caption naming the kid as your nephew, friend's kids, etc. is a good rule of thumb!

I think that's a great point! My brothers/friends and I have all shown each other our profiles. It definitely helps to get an outside perspective to make sure you're doing yourself justice!

Yup, exactly! Starting conversations can be one of the biggest hurdles in online dating. Photos that highlight shared interests can help others figure out what to talk about in their messages. That's online dating gold!

I think you're talking about OKC's My Best Face: http://www.okcupid.com/mybestface Looks like you now have to rate 200 photos to get a report.

You're smart to play around with your profile pics! Experimenting with different pictures definitely helps you figure out which one gets your profile more visitors.

Great point about well-lit, in focus pictures!

That's a great policy! I try to do the same.

I can understand that! But if you have a great photo of you and a friend, there are ways to "protect the innocent." Touch Blur is a free app, for example. Though creative cover-ups can be a way to stand out, too. I saw one guy with tons of pictures with his friends...but all his friends had cat heads!

Try meetup.com. Should help on both accounts ;)

Re: photos with kids: I think it depends on what the guy's looking for. If he wants to meet a woman who's interested in having kids/raising the ones he already has, then those pictures help him get that message across. But like you said, you're not interested in that. So you can see those pictures and know to move…

I think this is surprising, too. Maybe it's the age-old Fear of the Crazy Cat Lady? Pfff...

I definitely agree: online dating is not a one-size-fits-all. Neither are people! That's why it's so awesome to have a tail0r-made dating machine helping us meet people who are a good fit for us!

Aww! You had me at "little-legged, big-eared dogs" :)

Most people don't put all their eggs in the online dating basket, and probably go to bars all the time. But one advantage I see online dating having (over meeting in bars) is that it's useful to zero in on people with similar interests, values, politics, etc. Plus, after talking online, you already have lots to talk…

Glad it's useful! I've heard that visitor traffic to OKC increases in the spring time. I don't know if that's true (other than in my own personal experience) — but if so, you picked a perfect time to update your profile! Hope you meet some awesome people :)

That's awesome! Profile pictures outside the norm (just a face) are great conversation-starters — as you well know! Oh, and nice avatar ;)