Photo by A.D.A. ~ Anna Duncan Art

We know it’s hard to believe, but at one time it was actually difficult for a geek to get a date.

Alright…maybe it’s still hard sometimes, but the Internet has made it a heck of a lot easier than it used to be.

Now there are a huge number of dating and social networks designed just for geeks. That means it’s incredibly easy to meet other geeky guys and girls, people for whom your obsession with WoW or your mad web design skills are actually a selling point.

Read on and we’ll show you the best places to meet other geeks online, as well as resources for maximizing your chances of meeting that special geek who’s just right for you.

Dating Sites for Geeks

1. Geek 2 Geek — Probably the biggest and most well-known of all the geek dating sites, Geek 2 Geek bills itself as the best place online to meet geeks. It requires a paid membership, but you can easily get started with a free profile to browse their listings and see if anyone strikes your fancy.
2. Sweet on Geeks — Another extremely popular geek dating site, the creators of Sweet on Geeks are PR machines with a knack for getting the site featured in mainstream media (like this review from Boston.com. Sweet on Geeks also features Geek Singles Nights all over the country.
3. OtakuBooty — The name is a bit bizarre, but this site is actually a really great place to meet other geeks. It has tons of members and more girls than most non-geek dating sites (a major plus for you guys). Even if you’re not into Otaku yet, you may want to buy a Vegeta outfit and get started so you can meet the plethora of fine cosplaying girls and guys on this site.
4. Soul Geek — Created by voice actor and proud geek Dino Andrade (husband to Mary Kay Bergman of Southpark fame), SoulGeek.com boasts over 15,000 members and has grown into one of the Internet’s top destinations for Geek romance.
5. Nerd Passions — This site is a tad generic, and it’s cut from the same template as other “Passions” sites for geeks, including Trek Passion. Computer Passions, Gaming Passions, and Shy Passions. Still, it’s very popular and 100% free, so it’s definitely worth giving a spin.
6. MeetMoi — Not designed specifically for geeks, MeetMoi is actually a location-based mobile dating service. Still, anyone tech-savvy enough to use this site is probably going to have a fair amount of geekiness to them, so your odds of meeting a compatible geek here are pretty good.
7. intellectConnect — Embrace your inner geek and someone else’s too. intellectConnect bills itself as the Internet’s top meeting place for the artsy and intellectually curious. Translation: you’re likely meet people on this site who’re actually smart! A welcome change from most dating sites…
8. The Right Stuff — Even more exclusive than intellectConnect, The Right Stuff only allows members who are students, alumni, and faculty members at the most elite universities. They screen heavily and membership is not cheap, but you’re practically guaranteed to meet someone with a higher level of intellectual sophistication.
9. SquareDating — This site also screens members based on their connections to the world’s top academic institutions. It’s still pretty restrictive, but includes more schools than The Right Stuff and membership is a bit cheaper.
10. iQcuties — You need to pass an IQ test to join the site. It’s only six questions and there’s no time limit, but the questions are fairly tough. If you pass, you’re granted access to this social networking site for people with above-average IQs.
11. Datecraft — If you like World of Warcraft, then you’ll love this virtual dating realm. Ok, it’s not nearly as high-tech as WoW itself, but it does let you browse gamers’ profiles, chat with other gamers, participate in forum discussions and post pictures.
12. Gorgeous Gamers — Another dating site for gaming fanatics, Gorgeous Gamers lets you rate guys and girls with hardcore gaming obsessions. There are also forums, groups, personal blogs, member videos and more.
13. The Onion Personals — If you love the satire and twisted social commentary of the Onion, it’s a safe bet you’re a bit geeky. At the very least, if you enjoy their humor you’re smarter than most of the population, as will be the other singles on this dating site.
14. GeekPlusOne.com — When the “Interests” section of this site’s members’ profiles asks users to list their favorite aspects of computer science, gaming, literature, mathematics and natural science, you know you’ve hit on a serious geeky dating site.
15. ScientificMatch — This site uses your actual, physical DNA to measure your compatibility with other singles at the genetic level. Don’t worry, there’s no blood draws involved, just some cotton swabs you rub on the inside of your cheeks.
16. GayGeeks.org — The place for gay geeks, queer nerds and intellectual bisexuals. GayGeeks.org is a free site that doesn’t make you “prove” how geeky you are. If you’re gay and you consider yourself a geek, you’re welcome here.
17. AnoniDate — A dating site for Internet communities. Whether you’re a /b/tard, a WoW addict, or even a Furry, you’re certain to find someone just as weird as you are. We had no idea there were girls on 4Chan, but apparently there are quite a few.
18. AnimeDates.com — Few things are as geeky as Anime (we’re sorry, it’s true!), and this site provides a place where fans of Anime, Manga and J-pop can find that special someone.
19. Bee My Geek — Quite possibly taking the prize for geekiest website name, Bee My Geek (reminds us of that “Let’s Bee Friends” card from the Simpsons) provides a way for keeps to connect via forums, groups and member blogs.
20. Geek Flirt: Geek Dating and Personals — It appears a little underpopulated at the moment, but GeekFlirt.com has signed up nearly 200 members and is targeted exclusively towards geeks. It’s worth a try, even if it’s not the biggest geek dating site online.
21. OmniDate — While not targeted exclusively towards geeks, OmniDate offers a virtual dating experience, complete with character avatars and interactive environments. It’s about as close as you’ll get to a MMORPG in the online dating world.
22. The Atlasphere — Online dating for the Ayn Rand set. If you are John Galt, you’re sure to find your Dagny Taggart here. And vice-versa.

Geek Dating Articles and Guides

23. Dating Guide For Geeks (v1.0.0) — This dating guide from Linux Help covers just about everything you need to know about geek dating, with tips ranging from personal hygiene and asking someone out to breaking up.
24. The Men’s Guide To Dating Geek Girls V 1.0 — Geek girls rock, and this article is packed with great pick-up lines and other pointers to maximize your chances with that cute geeky girl you’ve got your eye on.
25. 9u1d3 to OnLINe D@tiNG — A guide to online dating written entirely in leet-speak. If you can understand it, you’re a certified geek.
26. Why Geeks and Nerds Are Worth It… — From the Best of Craigslist, 15 reasons why women should pay more attention to the quiet geeks and nerds, and less attention to the flashy boys.
27. 11 reasons to date a female geek — Joyce Carpenter lays out the myriad reasons why you should go out with a girl geek (hint: it has to do with fixing computers).
28. In Defense of Geeks or Ten Reasons Why You Should Date a Geek — What is it with fixing computers? Are they really breaking that often? This post was written by Robert Scoble’s wife — apparently Robert really knows his way around a motherboard.
29. Maryam, there are plenty more reasons to date geeks… — A response to the above article listing 10 more reasons geeks make great dates. Thankfully, none of them have to do with fixing your computer
30. 10 Reasons NOT to date a Geek (unless they don’t follow this pattern!) — In our opinion there are NO reasons to not date a geek. But perhaps we’re biased. This post lists some of the reasons you might want to steer clear of those sexy geeks.
31. Top ten reasons Geeks make good fathers — Should things get serious, you’ll be glad to know geeks make good dads (and moms) too.
32. Ten reasons it isn’t always easy being married to a Geek — Then again, keep in mind that if you do get married, your geek spouse probably can’t fix your car (we sure can’t, but then again we couldn’t fix your computer or program your Tivo either).
33. The Do’s and Don’ts of Dating Geeks — Another post by Robert Scoble’s wife Maryam. This post goes into much more detail and dishes a variety of great tips on making your geek relationship work.
34. Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Date a Geek Girl — If you’re a geeky guy, then a geek girl may be the only woman who truly understands you.
35. Why Geeks Make the Best Lovers — Here’s the top 10 reasons why geeks make the best catch. The first one: Geeks don’t cheat. Are they sure about that? Seems like the crowd at our local comic book shop are pretty adept at playing musical beds.
36. Sex Tips For Geeks: On Being Good In Bed — This guide is designed to show geeky guys how to be better in bed, but the advice could apply to any guy who want to improve his bedroom skills. Some of the language is a bit NSFW.
37. Top 10 Ways for a Geek to Impress a Girl — A quick and funny post from Mingle2, one the Internet’s top free dating sites.
38. UserFriendly Geek Dating Flowchart — A classic illustration, meant to be funny, not useful. You might get a kick out of it or you might be insulted. Admittedly somewhat lame.
39. iDating Goes Warp Speed with iPhone — Heard of iPhone speed dating? Sort of like normal speed dating, but participants select who they want to date from a batch of iPhones, then send a message via the iPhone asking that person out.
40. Top 10 Ways to Attract (and Keep) a Geek — The guide to the attraction, care and maintenance of a geeky guy. Quick tip: Be supportive and congratulate him when he reaches a new level, whatever form that takes.
41. Top Ten Geek Dating Tips — Some special pointers for all you geeks and nerds who are hooking up for the first time with that fanboy/fangirl you just met in a chat room the other day.
42. Why you should date a Geek Girl — If you aren’t already convinced of the date-worthiness of geek girls, Bee My Geek has 7 more reasons to give them a try.
43. Look Better Online — Even if you’re a schlub in real life, you don’t have to look that way in your dating profile. This service specializes in taking top-quality dating pictures designed to make you look your best.
44. Twitter nerds unite to share pick-up lines before Valentine’s Day — “If I were an enzyme, I’d be DNA helicase so I could unzip your genes.” Those are the kind of 140-character-or-less gems you’ll find in this short list of Twitter pick-up lines.
45. 5 Geeky Marriage Proposals That Worked — Should things progress, at some point you may find yourself wanting to pop the question. Here’s five awesomely geek marriage proposals that met with success.

Blogs

46. Geek’s Dream Girl — Two geeky girls’ guide to scoring with girls like them. Great for guys looking to understand how the female geeks mind works.

Books

47. A Girl’s Guide to Dating a Geek — Discover how to plot revenge, diagnose common geek ailments, and find the perfect gift for your geek.

Videos

48. Internet Dating Tips for Geeks — Chris Pirillo’s top five tips for Internet dating, from a self-admitted geek who met his own way-out-of-his-league wife online.

Quizzes

49. Geek Quiz — Ever lose your car keys and wish life had ctrl+f? We’re more likely to wish it had a ctrl+z. Take this quiz from dating site OnePlusYou.com and see just how geeky you are.
50. Take The Nerd? Geek? or Dork? Test — As you know, there’s a big difference between a geek, a nerd and a dork. The geek writes the software, the nerd understands how to use the program, and the dork is just confused by all of it. Find out which one you are.

Other Goodies

51. Bedpost — An online app designed to show you how often you get busy, Bedpost lets you keep detailed records of your amorous escapades (should you happen to be that weird).

Photo by ms golightly

1. Browse the local farmers’ market.
2. Go on a picnic. All you need is a blanket, fruit, sausage, cheese, crackers and water.
3. Fly a kite.
4. Enjoy a romantic home-cooked meal.
5. Cook dinner together.
6. Go apple picking.
7. Give a massage.
8. Go to the beach.
9. Attend an open-air festival.
10. See an art-house movie matinee.
11. Build a snowman.

Photo by Gnome J

12. Have a barbecue.
13. Share a sundae.
14. Attend an art gallery.
15. Take a hike.
16. Go to a book signing.
17. Go for a bike ride.
18. Play miniature golf.
19. Attend a wine tasting.
20. Go fishing.
21. Go sledding (with a thermos of hot cider or cocoa).
22. Visit the zoo.
23. Rent a movie.
24. Pick up movie at your local library.
25. Drive go-carts.

Photo by celebdu

26. Go window-shopping.
27. Invite friends over for board games.
28. Do a Google search for free things to do in your city.
29. Eat out with a gift certificate from Restaurant.com.
30. Drive through the country (especially good around Fall).
31. Play at a playground (swings and teeter-totters are fun!)
32. Attend a planetarium show.
33. Browse antique shops.
34. Go to an open mic night at a coffee shop or bookstore.
35. Volunteer at a favorite charity.
36. Attend a high school sporting event.
37. Watch Shakespeare in the Park.
38. Have an indoor picnic.
39. Star gaze (Orion is an easy constellation to spot).

Photo by Paul Keleher

40. Take a pottery class together.
41. Go bowling.
42. Play pool.
43. Go to the local community pool.
44. Feed the ducks at a local pond.
45. Go ice skating.
46. Go roller skating.
47. Play laser tag.
48. Play frisbee.
49. Go kayaking or canoeing.
50. Skip rocks at a lake.
51. Watch a meteor shower (here’s when they happen).
52. Attend a local high school, community college or university play or musical.
53. Go camping.
54. Play basketball together.
55. Visit a botanical garden.
56. Go spelunking (but be careful!)

Photo by min wye

57. Get a cup of coffee together (hopefully at a spot that offers free refills).
58. Take a factory tour. Breweries that offer free samples are especially fun.
59. Take dance lessons at a local community center.
60. Visit local historic landmarks.
61. Put together a puzzle.
62. Carve pumpkins (around Halloween). Or go trick-or-treating (you’ll need Halloween costumes).
63. Go strawberry picking.
64. Attend a flea market or swapmeet.
65. Check out yard sales.
66. Assemble a model airplane then fly it in a park.
67. Go out for brunch (cheaper than dinner).

Dating doesn’t have to be expensive. Often, your date will be more impressed with a creative dating idea than they will if you spend lavish amounts of money on them. So get creative, save money, and have fun!

It takes a little extra to impress that computer-programming, webpage-designing, online-gaming, social-networking apple of your eye. So what do you get the girl whose proclivities run to the geeky side? We’ve been scouring the web to find you this year’s 12 coolest gadget gifts designed to make your little tech-junkie swoon.

1. The Pat Says Now Velvety Valentines Mouse

If your geeky girl is anything like mine, she spends a lot of hours in front of her computer. Give her something that’ll make her think of you with this heart-shaped Velvety Valentines computer mouse. At $45.99 from Amazon it’s not exactly cheap, but can you put a price on love?

Plugs into any USB port on a Mac or PC. No word on how to get coffee stains out of that red velvet, though.

2. The TearDrop iPod Water Resistant Bathroom Speaker

Let your valentines sing along with her favorite songs anywhere there’s water—in the shower, the bath, the jacuzzi, or at the beach. No matter how wet this player gets it keep cranking out the tunes.

Battery operated, it works with a variety of mp3 players, including the iPod Nano and Shuffle, and retails for $58 from Molla Space.

3. The LED Flashing Sweetheart Kit

Show off your soldering skills with this little circuit board, equipped with 28 LEDs and a plethora of diodes and resistors—allowing you to create a customized blinking heart-type thingy. Your valentine will either be impressed with the personal touch or think you’ve been a bit touched yourself.

Available from ThinkGeek for just $9.99, batteries and soldering iron are not included. Check out the full range of geeky Valentines gifts from ThinkGeek.

4. The Heart Calculator

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways… And if the number starts to get really high, just whip out this nifty little heart shaped calculator.

At just $3.99 from Amazon, you won’t exactly be splurging, so complement this gift with some flowers and chocolates too. But isn’t it the thought that counts?

5. The Diane Von Furstenberg Sidekick

A big step up from the Heart Calculator in both processing power and price, the Diane Von Furstenberg Sidekick is a camera, music player, and text messager all in one—and it’s even covered in kisses!

Nothing tells your geek girl you love her like expensive electronics. Available from $175 at Amazon.

6. The <3 Collection Necklace

This Valentines Day, say it with emoticons. A gift only a truly geeky girl would get (or want, perhaps), this necklace says “I love you” with just two keystrokes.

The <3 Collection Necklace comes in both 18k gold vermeil ($85) and sterling silver ($75) and is available from Sweet Tooth Designs.

7. The Addject Kissing Love Tester

Are you and your loved one compatible smootchers? Find out when each of you grab one end of this little heart and give each other a kiss. If it emits a soft glow and a soothing refrain of “Love is in the Air”, then you know it was meant to be.

But a nasty buzz greets those who’s kissing chemistry is not just right. Or maybe you just need a little more practice? Find it on Amazon.co.uk for only £3.95 (about six bucks).

8. The Newman Heart-Shaped Kissing MP3 Player

This gift is two halves of a heart-shaped MP3 player exchanging a sweet and tender kiss. Each side works as a functioning mp3 player, one for you and one for her. And when you’re with her you can reattach them and rock your little hearts out together.

Almost impossible to find, unfortunately, although you may be able to order it here if your Chinese is good. If you’re able to buy it, $55 should get you both halves.

9. 8-Bit Dynamic Life Shirts

Every gamer knows when your hearts start to drop below 2 1/2 you’re in trouble. And that’s what you’ll see on this shirt when you’re away from your true love.

Get two people wearing these shirts within hugging distance, however, and the hearts on both of shirts start to light up until you’re fully powered with six hearts and ready for action.

The battery pack is concealed in a small pocket sewn inside the shirt, and the animated decal is removable for easy washing. Pick it up from ThinkGeek for just $11.99. But remember, in order for it to work you need the two of you. Check out the full range of geeky Valentines gifts from ThinkGeek.

10. Go Light on My Lips LED-Lit Lip Gloss

Even when the lights are off your lady can keep her lips luscious and lovely with this LED-illuminated lip gloss. It even comes with a built-in mirror for perfect application no matter how dark it gets.

A not-especially cheap $38 gets you any of the following colors: invisible, chili spice, popping pink, red carpet, and brown sugar baby. And hey, it’s even monogrammed with your initials.

11. Geek Love Poem Babydoll

If your girl loves the web, odds are good she’ll also love this babydoll t-shirt. And if you’ve got a girl who knows hex codes and geeky Internet memes enough to understand this shirt, then you’ve truly got something special.

Available for $18.99 from ThinkGeek. And check out ThinkGeeks full range of geeky Valentines gifts while you’re at it.

12. CLOCKY Moving Alarm Clock in Raspberry

Some of us need a bit more motivation to get out of bed in the morning. With Clicky, hit the snooze button more than once and this alarm clock rolls off your nightstand and tries to run away, forcing you to get up out of bed and chase the little bastard down.

Available from Amazon for $48.95, the new raspberry color makes it perfect for your sleepy valentine.

Flirting’s not just for the bars and nightclubs. There can be dozens of chances every day to meet and connect with interesting people — at work, while picking up your morning coffee, at the news stand or bookstore, at the supermarket, or even on the subway.

If you know what to say and how to send and interpet those crucial physical signals that say “I’m interested”, your chances of making a connection with the object of your desire skyrockets.

So to help get you started on building your flirting skills, we went ahead and scoured the web to bring you the very best in the art of flirtation. Hope you enjoy it!

General Flirting Guides

1. The Science of Romance: Why We Flirt — Time magazine details the “contact-readiness” cues, those physical cues that indicate that you’re prepared for physical engagement. A great guide to the psychology and biology behind flirting.
2. BBC: Flirting and body language — The BBC lays out the golden rules of body language for flirting, and the five secret sexual signals that let you know someone is flirting with you. Believe it or not, the way you walk and stand is more than 80 per cent of a person’s first impression of you!
3. The SIRC Guide to flirting — One of the most detailed and frequently-reference guides to understanding the art of flirting available anywhere online. A truly great read, but make sure you’ve got at least an hour set aside first – there’s a lot of advice here.
4. How to Flirt – The Mahalo Guide — One of the better Mahalo guides we’ve seen, covering in detail the top flirting do’s and don’ts. Flirting don’t #2: Don’t act like a stalker.
5. How to Flirt – The wikiHowGuide — Similar to the Mahalo guide (even uses some of the same photos), but contains lots of unique and valuable content that makes it a very worthwhile read.
6. When Is Flirting a Good Thing? — Susie and Otto Collins explore when flirting is harmful and when it’s healthy. We all know flirting is fun, but don’t let it get out of control.
   
   
7. How to Flirt: Flirting Tips Help You Show Interest — A quick checklist of many of the body signals you can use to express interest, and how to recognize when someone is exhibiting those same signals in response to you.
8. How to Chat Someone Up — The BBC’s guide to approaching people and starting conversations. Apparently it’s all about creating opportunities where you can subtly talk to someone without it seeming like you’re hitting on them!

Flirting Guides For Girls

9. Flirting Tips for Girls – How to Flirt — CosmoGirl’s guide to flirting. There are ways to catch a guy’s eye without losing your cool. This article shows you why the key is to do small things that leave a big impression.
10. Flirting Moves No Man Can Resist — Cosmo has crafted the ultimate bag-him bible with this excellent article for women, with maneuvers that will make him feel like a man while putting you in control.
11. A Top to Bottom Guide to Flirting — A nice overview of the most effective female flirting strategies from the book “Superflirt”, detailing moves like “The Butt” and “The Banana Prop”.
12. The Flirting Guide from nzgirl — Great guide from the classic site about love and relationships for girls, with tips that’ll soon have you batting your eyelashes up there with the best of them.
13. How to Flirt with a Guy – The wikiHow Guide — wikiHow delivers a comprehensive set of rules for maximizing your flirting skills with that guy you’ve got your eye on.
14. Saying no, the right way — This guide to saying no, politely but firmly, will show you how to turn down a guy who’s flirting with you.
15. An Idiot’s Guide to Flirting — A little bit silly, but actually a pretty good guide to attracting a man through subtle flirting.
16. Flirting Tips for Lesbians — Great flirting advice for the girl who likes to flirt with other girls. Flirting can be subtle or overt. This author prefers the subtle kind.
    
    
17. An Illustrated Guide to Flirting After 40 — Flirting’s not just for college kids. This guide shows you how flirting after 40 can be a heck of a lot of fun, although some of the tips here seem a bit bold (texting a stranger that you’re ovulating?)
18. Learn To Flirt Like A Pro — Eve Marx, author of Read My Hips: The Sexy Art of Flirtation, teaches you what works when flirting with a man (and how to know when it’s gone too far).

Flirting Guides For Guys

19. Top 10 Signs She’s Flirting — Flirting with a girl is a whole lot easier when you know she’s flirting back. This guide from AskMen.com shows you the signs to recognize so you know for sure.
20. A Guide to Flirting and Dating — A comprehensive and realistic approach to succeeding when flirting with women, including how to keep your flirting from drifting over into harassment.
21. Jerry Talley’s Guide to Flirting — A fun and interactive guide to picking up girls. We like to think of it as the Choose Your Own Adventure guide to flirting.
22. The Top 10 Ways To Communicate Sexually — David DeAngleo, author or the highly recommended Double Your Dating ebook, shows you how to put out a vibe that makes you irresistible to women.
23. Is She Attracted to Me? — Dating expert David Wygant offers up some great tips on how to gauge a woman’s interest by getting her to follow your body language.
24. Scoring a German: Flirting with Fräuleins — A very detailed guide on how to flirt with German women. Most of the advice should apply to just about any nationality, although the Germans prefer to be a bit less forward than us Yanks.
25. Signs she’s interested — When you’re flirting with a girl, how do you know she’s interested? This guide from AskMen.com shows you the signs, and if a lot of these signals are coming your way, it’s a pretty safe bet that you’ll score a date this weekend.
26. The Top 5 Social Skills You Need to Succeed with Women — This article can come off a bit cocky, but actually lays out some great tips on developing the social skills that will boost your ability to attract women.
27. Common Flirting Mistakes — A great guide from AskMen.com on how not to blow it when flirting with women. Remember, a friendly punch in the arm is not sexy…
28. How Women Flirt — Women are much more subtle about flirting than men, so the physical clues aren’t always obvious. MyBrotha.com shows you how to recognize when she’s interested.
29. How To Flirt With Women In Bars — Flirting in bars can be trickier than you think. Here’s how to advance through the three stages of flirting and not blow it.
30. How To Carry On An Amazing Conversation — David Wygant shows you how to create presence and awareness so you can take your conversation skills to the next level.
31. The Gentleman’s Guide to Flirting — Tasteful flirting from a British perspective. Great tip: Don’t let yourself become that reliable, steady, dependable person who she would never think of in a sexual way. If you find yourself in this situation ‘you’re basically Ducky from Pretty in Pink’, so watch out.

Books on How to Flirt

32. How to Attract Anyone, Anytime, Anyplace: The Smart Guide to Flirting — This book will show you how to bring out that fun, flirtatious person buried deep inside you, the one that’s anxious to get out.
33. Double Your Dating — Written primarily for men looking to build their flirting skills with women, this book is the ultimate guide for men who want to attract more women. Especially useful tips on how to use “secret” body language to keep a woman’s attention.
34. Flirting 101: How to Charm Your Way to Love, Friendship, and Success — A good flirt knows how to make anyone around them feel good, and that’s a very powerful skill. Luckily, it is a skill that can be learned. This book shows you how.
35. 101 Ways to Flirt: How to Get More Dates and Meet Your Mate — A quick read, with just 101 tips, each getting a paragraph or two. Nothing overly complex, but lots of hidden gems.

Special Situations for Flirting

36. How to Flirt Online — Another great guide from AskMen.com that shows you how to meet girls without getting up from your desk.
37. How to Start a Conversation With Someone on the Train, Bus or Subway — Have you ever wanted to talk to an attractive person on the bus or train but ended up waiting too long and letting him or her get away? Great advice on meeting people on public transport, and how to send the proper body language to the person you’re interested in.

Advanced Flirting Topics

38. Meta-case study: Rabin’s guide to flirting — A complete and thorough research paper dedicated to the scientific analysis of the art of flirting. I kid you not…Read this and you’ll be a flirting phD.
39. Psychology Today: Flirting Fascination and the Science of Flirting — A thorough review of several studies on flirting. A detailed and comprehensive look at the science of flirting.

When relationships end, the emotional aftermath can be brutal. But good advice can greatly speed up the healing process and help you move on.

While there’s no shortage of breakup advice on the Internet, most of it’s redundant or just not very good. We’ve scoured the web to find you the best online resources to help you deal with an emotional breakup and begin getting your life back on track.

For Girls

1. How to Survive a Break Up (For Girls) — Starting from the moment he breaks up with you, this article will show you how to handle it with grace.
2. The DUMPED! Break-up Survival Guide — GirlPosse’s step-by-step plan for getting yourself through the first month of a breakup.
3. Get Over Him: Eight Tips for Surviving a Breakup — A compilation of eight ways to move past your breakup as suggested by iVillage message board users.
4. How To Survive a Lesbian Relationship Break-Up — 10 steps for the girl who’s just lost another girl.

For Guys

5. How Guys Survive a Break Up — This article breaks it down into three steps: Get over it, get back to it, and get even.
6. After the Love has Gone: How Men Can Survive a Break Up — Five great tips to help you forget her and get back to your life.
7. How Do Men Get Over Breakups? — When it comes to breaking up, men get just as bent out of shape as girls do. Here’s some time-tested guy tricks to get over your heartbreak faster.
8. 11 Tips For Getting Over Your Ex — With this blueprint from AskMen.com, you’ll forget that girl and pick up the pieces of your shattered heart in no time.

For Everyone

9. How to Survive a Breakup — Insight on surviving a breakup, with 11 great tips for picking yourself up and moving on.
10. The Emotions of Grief During A Breakup — There are 3 phases of grief: 1) shock and denial, 2) great emotion, 3) acceptance, reorganization and integration. You’ll spend most of your time in step 2, but here’s how to get through them all.
11. The Post-Breakup No-No List — It’s time to be a mature, healthy person who has self-control and self-restraint and most of all–self respect. Don’t make these post-breakup mistakes.
12. Coping with a Divorce or Relationship Breakup — A very detailed and comprehensive guide to grieving and recovery for your breakup. Highly recommended.
13. How to Survive a Breakup — How to recognize the most common emotional reactions after a breakup.
14. Coping with Separation and Divorce — Mental Health America offers a factsheet with several valuable tips on dealing with your breakup.
15. Getting Through a Breakup — Great advice on getting over a breakup from the UCLA Center for Women and Men.
16. Recovering From a Break-Up — UC Riverside Counseling Center’s advice for managing a breakup.
17. Break-ups: How To Survive Them — Informed and in-depth breakup survival tips from a psychotherapist offering online counseling.
18. The Secret How To Get Over A Break Up — Extreme suffering during a break up is always a sign that your mindset towards life and your own person is not correct.
19. Villanova University Relationship Breakup Guide — Valuable advice on dealing with the emotional response to a break up and feeling better.
20. Get through a Breakup — Grown-up strategies for feeling better sooner, including getting some exercise and forcing yourself to interact with other people.
21. Extreme Breakup Recovery: Maximum Healing, Minimum Time — Details the Extreme F.A.S.T. method, an effective, simple and practical alternative to heal faster than you thought possible.
22. 7 Post-Breakup Pick-Me-Up Tips — Sound and effective advice for checking out of Heartbreak Hotel.
23. How To Break Up: Part I — There is no one perfect way to deal with a break-up, but there are helpful things to remember – and do – if you find yourself in that position.
24. The Magic Formula For Overcoming A Break-Up Fast — More great advice from relationship advisor and a break-up coach Eddie Corbano.

Moving On

25. 10 Ways You Know You’re Over Your Ex — If you can picture your ex having sex with someone else and you don’t care, you’ve officially moved on.
26. Getting Past Your Breakup — 10 things to do to move on now!
27. What NOT to Do After a Break Up — 3 tips on what to avoid after a breakup.
28. The Aftermath of Breaking Up — Lyra Pappin explores the difficult aftermath at the end of a relationship.
29. Rediscovering Yourself & Being Your Own Person — This article gives advice on finding your identity again after losing your partner.
30. The Ex Factor: How Your Friends Help You Survive a Breakup — Your friends can help you survive a breakup, but it’s important that you take care of them too.
31. How to Inch Your Way Back to Being Sociable — Start by getting back in touch with the people you already know, then begin maximizing your exposure to social situations.
32. How to Move on After a Failed Marriage — The emotional and legal aspects of ending a marriage can be tough, but don’t be afraid to love again.

If You Are the One Who Wants To Breakup

33. How To Break Up With Somebody In 7 Steps — Breaking up is hard to do. If you want to break off your relationship, there’s no painless way. But it can be done effectively. Here’s how.
34. How To Break Up: Part II — Catherine Specter’s follow-up article to her first on how to handle someone breaking up with you – this one’s about how you can break up with someone tactfully.
35. More Tips on How to Break-up — LifeSpy offers a handful of great tips on how to break up with someone tactfully.

Running Into Your Ex Afterwards

36. On Being Friends With The Ex — Some people don’t end things and don’t know how. If your ex is one of those, don’t let him or her lead the way. Take charge of ending it and not remaining friends.
37. Meeting Your Ex Girlfriend After A Breakup — 6 Do’s And Don’ts to help guys make the most of an encounter with their ex-girlfriend.
38. 6 Tips on Playing it Cool During an Ex-Sighting — If you happen to bump into your ex, keep it short. These tips will show you how.
39. Sex With Your Ex — Very tricky, and probably not a good idea, but it can be managed. Here’s how.
40. Why Sex With The Ex Is Bad News During A Breakup — And, of course, why you really shouldn’t be having sex with your ex.

Break Up Songs

41. 10 Best Break Up Songs For Killing Your Blues — 10 classic breakup songs, plus links to the Amazon downloads.
42. Top 10 Breakup Songs — The best breakup songs from AskMen.com, starting with “No Woman, No Cry”.
43. Five Songs To Get You Through The Night: The Messy Breakup — The formatting on this blog post could use a little work, but there’s some really good break up songs here.
44. Empowering Break up Songs — MamasHealth.com compiles their list of songs that send the message: “You hurt me, but I’m strong and I don’t need you.”
45. Top Five Break Up Songs — These songs will get you through every emotion you’ll be dealt in a bad case of heartache.
46. Lesbian Break-Up Songs — Sleater-Kinney’s “Good Things” and Liz Phair’s “Divorce Song” make the list of top lesbian breakup songs.

Breakup Blogs

47. Getting Past Your Past — A very in-depth and well-written blog on getting past your breakup and becoming the best person you can be.
48. Loves A Game — One of the top blogs devoted to relationships, breakups, and divorce.
49. The Breakup Blog — Pretty decent blog with lots of great break up advice. Also promotes an ebook on how to get your ex-girlfriend back.
50. Breakup Babe — Somewhat rambling but still engaging blog by Rebecca Agiewich, author of BreakupBabe: A Novel, on how she survived a horrible breakup.
51. Breakup Girl — An animated blog series on the adventures of Breakup Girl, all based on letters from the blog’s advice column.
52. Breakup Survivor — Not so much a blog as an interactive site offering breakup advice and support – a fun and valuable resource.

Breakup Books

53. How To Survive the Loss of a Love — Well-written online book helping you understand and survive your breakup. Each section is composed of short bullet points for easy reading.
54. It’s NOT me, it’s YOU — A complete guide to break-up survival with a smile.
55. Extreme Breakup Recovery — Jeanette Castelli’s guide to recovering from your breakup, with more on her Extreme F.A.S.T. method.
56. It’s Called a Breakup Because It’s Broken: The Smart Girl’s Break-Up Buddy — It’s a bit rough to hear that your relationship was broken, but sometimes the truth hurts. This book is full of solid ideas for avoiding the common mistakes associated with failed attachments.

Photo by knivesout

Here are 29 great quick and easy ways to make yourself more appealing to the opposite sex, even if you’re more Tom Arnold than Tom Cruise. Best of all, they won’t take much time out of your busy schedule.

1. Be Confident! Confident people are like catnip to singles looking for that special someone. If you’re comfortable with yourself, other people will be attracted to you. Many singles are looking for clues to gauge their compatibility with you, and quickest way to do that is to examine the signals you give off. Being confident goes a long way!

2. Be Real! Worried you won’t be able to hold a candle to that guy or girl from one of those dating reality TV shows? Don’t worry! Rarely do you hear someone gush that they found their perfect match based on “rippling muscles” or a “perfect white smile”. Relax—there are still plenty of people who are waiting to meet someone just like you!

3. Be Clean! When it comes to appealing to the opposite sex, it’s not all about the clothes you wear or the money you make—sometimes it’s about keeping your body clean. Let’s face it – someone in a nice suit with body odor is not appealing when placed next to that sweet-smelling guy or girl in a t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Good hygiene is critical at all stages of dating; no one wants to be near someone who smells bad!

Good hygiene and appearance is about more than just odor, though. How your clothes look is important too! Impress potential love interests by keeping holes and stains to a minimum (and it doesn’t hurt to break out the iron once in a while, either).

4. Be Cool, Calm, and Collected! It’s a scene you’re all too familiar with—the rude guy in line at the bank, the lady in front of you at the grocery store arguing with the cashier, the couple in the restaurant yelling at the at the server—one of the best ways to be more appealing in the dating scene is to simply keep a cool head.

Rudeness is never sexy—before losing your temper, try stepping back and looking at things from the other person’s perspective—most confrontations are due to a lack of communication or a misunderstanding of what’s been said.

When others see you as an even-tempered person, don’t be surprised if you get a lot more invites—cool, calm, and collected is definitely in, but anger, “road rage”, and loud confrontations in public are out!

Photo by justtohottotouch

5. Be Punctual! Meeting someone new is exciting, but so many people spoil a good date by showing up late, or worse—showing up late without alerting the other party that you’re running a little behind!

When you tell someone you’ll show up at a certain time, keep your word and show up when you’re scheduled to, if not a little earlier. You’ll be perceived as a considerate and reliable person who can keep their word, which naturally does great things for your appeal in the eyes of the opposite sex!

6. Be Conversant! Education isn’t just classrooms and textbooks; it’s the sum of our life experiences too. Increase your appeal by paying attention to world events—that way when everyone’s talking about the Fannie Mac crash, you don’t blurt out, “Oh, is your friend Fannie going to be OK? Did she fall really hard?” While that may earn you a few chuckles, not being well-informed is rarely attractive.

7. Be Funny! Having a great sense of humor can be a magnet that attracts just about anyone—especially in the dating scene. A man or a woman with a great sense of humor can diffuse any situation, which puts nervous and tense singles at ease. Needless to say, when potential partners feel relaxed and happy this opens up plenty of opportunities in dating. Not harboring the spirit of Jay Leno? Try memorizing jokes, or paying close attention to the friend that leaves you in stitches and their best material – you’ll learn a ton about what works!

8. Be Polite! Who doesn’t like a person who says please and thank you? OK, there might be a secret club of anti-thanks fanatics hiding out there somewhere, but for 99.99% of the dating public, people who remember to spice their words with a good round of “please”, “thank you”, and a dash of “you’re welcome” for good measure are a welcome commodity.

9. Be Flirtatious! In the hyper-connected triple-shot espresso world we live in, it’s more than OK to be a little flirty. In fact, receiving attention from a flirty stranger is often how we first realize someone is interested. Increase your “wow” factor by letting your fun side out—make eye contact, tell a joke that might not be quite work safe, and be sure to pick up on the physical here: if the target of your attention looks great, say so!

10. Be Tasteful! Don’t let your flirtatiousness get out of hand. Many singles mark a bad encounter by how rapidly things go downhill—and watching harmless flirting spiral into something gross or uncomfortable would definitely be a bad encounter for most people!

To maximize your appeal, tread carefully with your flirtation – leave a few things to the imagination. Your advances should resemble a good newspaper article—long enough to indicate interest, but short enough to still be interesting (and not scare off the object of your attention!).

11. Be Mindful of Your Personal Info! MySpace and Google can either be your best friend, or your worst enemy. As we move about online, we share information about our lives that is more public than we may imagine. Forums, message boards, mailing lists are publicly archived, and even Plurk and Twitter are indexed by Google. So a potential love match who types your name into Google may find out more about you than you bargained for.

Using a pseudonym isn’t even 100% protection anymore, especially if you use that handle in real life as well! Increase your appeal to the opposite sex by being your own PR team—keep private things private, and be aware that public information truly is “public” in a digital world. Don’t say anything you might regret if someone were to “Google” you!

Photo by ValetheKid

12. Let Go of Your Ex! What do good exes and bad exes have in common? Both take up too much space in our minds! If we have good exes, then we focus on all the good moments we have without realizing that memories are often different from fact – and sometimes we bury things we don’t want to recall. If we have bad exes, then we focus on every negative thing they ever did – without leaving any room for any potential partner to occupy our mental space.

Boost your appeal in the eyes of interested singles by letting go of your exes, good and bad. They’re just clogging up space in your head, and if anyone’s going to take up space in your head rent-free, why not the person of your dreams?

13. Ask Good Questions! Let’s say you’ve been taking these tips to heart and have gotten a date. Don’t blow the awesome potential for a great time by talking only about yourself! Show that guy or gal that you truly are listening to what they have to say by asking them questions about items they’ve brought up, as well as about their lives in general. While it may seem like “small talk” to some, it’s a great way to show you care about more than just your own world.

14. Be Wary of the Green Eyed Monster! Jealousy can crush even the strongest of relationships – don’t let the tender shoots of your attraction be trampled by it. Remember that as a potential partner, your focus should be on how you complement the other person’s life, not take it over completely. Understand that the other person needs their time with friends and family just as much as you do, and the active search for others isn’t a strike against you. It’s just another facet of human nature you will have to deal with in order to remain attractive in their eyes.

15. Give Space and Resist Stalking! New relationships bring a lot of positive energy into our lives, but knowing when to back off and give space is one of the most attractive qualities we can have, as well as the most overlooked. Learn to give others their space – if they want to get in touch with you, they will call or e-mail you. Avoid randomly showing up at their house or at work – it makes new partners feel very uneasy. Don’t violate their space!

16. Be Open to New Ideas! Interested singles love finding potential love matches that are willing to try new things, whether it’s that hip new restaurant downtown or reactivating all that Spanish you learned in high school for a trip to Panama. Keeping life fresh and vibrant isn’t only appealing to the opposite sex, it’s also fun for you as well – life is too short to do the same things over and over again! Spice it up, and you’ll find your love life getting spicier by the minute. Unsure what to try next? Check out 43things.com, where you’ll find a cluster of lists of things people want to do and goals they want to reach. That site will give you all the inspiration you need to go out there and see everything this great world has to offer!

17. Be Supportive! If you found that perfect match, congrats! Want a quick secret to keeping them around for the long haul? Support them, even when it comes to the “dream stuff” they want to do or goals they want to achieve, such as going back to school or completely changing careers. Showing your partner that you care about them is absolutely appealing, and when times get tough, your continued support will be one of things that make all the difference.

18. Be Good To Your Parents! As odd as it may seem, in the age of computers, we’re all looking for a real human connection – and nothing is more “real” than family. For better or worse, you only get one family, so make sure to take care of them even as you hunt for that special someone. When you find that person to date, how you treat good old Mom and Dad can make or break the relationship. It is highly unappealing to be with someone who argues continuously with their parents and relatives, so make the most out of your “dateability” by keeping the goodwill high with your folks back home. When the time comes to bring home that perfect match, it’ll go over so much smoother to have your family welcome you with open arms instead of cold silence.

19. Be a Steward to the Environment! Rising gas prices, melting polar ice caps, and global warming have all raised concerns in our society about the status of our changing world – it should be no surprise that singles on the lookout for the right partner are becoming more environmentally conscious as well. Boost your appeal – as well as your “green cred” – to these singles by making small green changes in your life as well. If you haven’t started recycling, now would be a great time to do so, and if you’re still using those old school light bulbs, switch out 2 here or there for the new compact fluorescent ones. Not only will you look good in the eyes of all those potential love matches out there, but you’ll be taking better care of the planet we all call home. Since we only have one, you better start “going green” regardless of your dating habits!

Photo by b-leam

20. Be Careful of Bad Habits! If you’re a smoker or drinker, that isn’t necessarily an evil thing, but there’s no getting around it: many singles prefer nonsmokers and light or social drinkers. The days of smoking like a chimney and/or drinking like a fish are long gone – today’s singles are looking for people who live cleaner lifestyles. Increase your appeal to these people by making the steps to quit and maintain a smoke-free life if you’re a smoker, and if you’re known on a first-name basis down at the local bar, try cutting back how many nights you’re seen tossing back a few. Not only will your body thank you for these small changes, but your wallet will too! With all the lovely and interested singles you’ll meet, you’ll be thankful for that extra pocket change!

21. Be Ready to Take Risks! If walking on a tightrope comes to mind when you think of the word “risk”, you can rest easy – that’s not the type of risk we’re talking about. Interested singles today want partners that are ready and willing to take calculated risks – like starting a new business with investor capital or taking on a new project at work. Taking on challenges that you might not be 100% ready for shows that you’re willing and able to roll with the punches of life, rather than needing to have everything perfectly planned and scheduled. Learning to take smart risks and weigh your real odds goes a long way in other places besides the boardroom – members of the opposite sex looking to date you will be pleased when they find out about your new skills!

22. Be Able To Make Mistakes! Just as it’s appealing to the opposite sex to see that you can take risks, it is also appealing to see that you can handle making mistakes. If you can handle your own mistakes with grace, chances are you will be able to handle the mistakes of others – including that special someone – with grace and understanding. Don’t be afraid to admit where you’ve come up short – those that try hard to cover up mistakes will find that the harder they try to cover them up, the more likely those mistakes will appear bigger than what they are. No one is perfect, so shooting for perfection is a dead end street.

23. Be Honorable! In order to be at your most appealing to interested singles, you should strive to be honorable in every aspect of you life – even when no one’s watching. The singles of today want to know that they can count on you, rely on you, and take your words at face value. Being honorable means doing the right thing to the best of your ability, even when you see “shortcuts” or “cheats” you could take to do something easier but at the cost of hurting someone else or damaging something else.

24. Be Kind to Children! Whether or not you’re ready to start a family, interested singles want to find partners who are kind to children. In the most literal sense, children truly are our future and taking care to watch over them isn’t just appealing to the opposite sex – it’s downright sexy! Caring for children doesn’t mean you have to turn your house into a shelter for every orphan in the neighborhood – it can be something as simple as returning a ball to the kids playing out in the yard, or driving a little slower when children are at play. Even for interested singles not actively looking to raise a family, having concern for children shows that if necessary, you can be a strong protector.

Photo by Jokin BCN

25. Be Good To Your Friends! Interested singles want to make sure you don’t live in a vacuum – the worst mistake you can make is to shut out all of your friends for that special someone that comes into your life. Show your friends that you care about them even when someone new comes along. In fact, double your appeal to the opposite sex by finding ways to include your friends and your new partner in everyday life. (Hint: game night.) Nothing like a friendly competitive night of Monopoly with your good friends and a special someone to get the ball rolling!

26. Be a Listener Instead of a “Hearer”! Do you really listen to what’s being said or is it just “noise”? Don’t worry – even the most attentive can sometimes fail to truly listen to everything that’s being said. Interested singles like to know that you are truly listening to what they have to say, so don’t hesitate to do just that – listen! To make them really realize you’re into them, give them your full undivided attention when you can – stop typing on the computer or watching TV. Eye contact goes a long way to showing interested singles that you’re a listener instead of just a “hearer”!

27. Be Able to Be Heard! Opinions are like something else everyone has… OK, you know the old line. What’s not old is giving a real opinion that’s uniquely yours. Standing up for what you believe in is appealing to the opposite sex because the world would be a boring place if we all agreed with each other! If you’re shy, try “testing” your opinion out on your friends – including defending it without being rude – before talking about something controversial with that special someone.

28. Have Hobbies! Having passion is great – now follow it up with a great hobby for a real winning combo! There are so many hobbies to choose from – anything from skydiving to chess. Within each group lurk interested singles that will be more attracted to you once they realize you share their passion for a particular hobby, like the couples who scuba or rock climb together. Even if your hobby is a little tame – after all, it’s fair to say that collecting stamps doesn’t really raise the heart rate like jumping out of a plane 15,000 feet in the air – there’s still plenty of interested singles that share those interests!

29. Be On a Journey of Constant Improvement! No one is perfect, and even though school may be years behind you, that doesn’t mean your education is behind you. Once you finish formal education you’re thrown back into the world of personal education – that is to say the education on how to be a better human overall.

Show interested singles that you are always looking to improve and you’ll find more people attracted to you. Showing that you realize that you have areas to work on signals to singles on the hunt for a great partner that you’re a person that they can grow with and get better with age – and what can be better than that?

Feeling like we’ve missed that finishing tip that would mark #30? Well, we would have included it, but if you’re reading this, chances are you’re well familiar with #30, and that’s to be YOU! After all, when it comes to the subject of great, wonderful you, who else would be a better tour guide and all around subject-matter-expert? You, of course!

We hope you’ll take these 29 tips to heart in your quest to make yourself more appealing to the opposite sex! For now, take care of your loved ones, and never give up hope! If you follow these tips, you’ll definitely realize very quickly that there’s someone out there for everyone – including you!

These 7 tips on dating safety are among the most important rules to follow:

1. Arrange to meet your date somewhere besides your home
Never allow your date to pick you up at your house. Remember, this is someone you barely know – they shouldn’t even know your address yet! That also means they shouldn’t be dropping you off at your house after the date is over, either.

2. Meet in someplace public.
For a first date, go somewhere that will have lots of other people around. You could even go on a double date, or with a group of people. Avoid secluded areas like parks or your date’s car.

3. Provide your own transportation.
You’ll need to get yourself to and from the public place where you’re meeting your date. If driving, don’t forget to make sure you have plenty of gas.

4. Use your cell phone number.
It’s much safer to give your date your cell phone number than it is to give them your home phone. If you provide your home phone, your date can easily go online and find your home address

5. Give a friend details on where you’re going and who’ll you be with. Arrange a time to call and check in, or a time to meet up with friends later that night. That way, if you don’t show up, someone will be aware and know where to look for you.

6. Use alcohol responsibly, if at all.
Alcohol impairs your judgment and lessens your inhibitions. If you do drink, keep it to a minimum and keep your drink in sight at all times. Don’t leave it with your date while you go to the bathroom, as date-rape drugs can easily be slipped into your drink.

7. Don’t assume your date is safe.
Never to let your guard down on a first date. Just because your date “looks clean” or claims to be religious doesn’t mean they’re safe. And if something doesn’t seem quite right about your date, you’re probably right. Best to call things off.

Remember, on the first few dates you’re still getting to know someone you’ve never met before. You need to creating a safe environment for yourself. Online dating is a fantastic way to meet new people, but you’ve got to consider your safety first.