I've read dating advice from just about every source imaginable, and the truth is that it gets real old, real fast. Half of the "experts" doling out advice haven't even tried online dating themselves...what good does that do? What I want is real, relatable dating advice from someone who has actually been in the trenches and experienced the (all's fair in love and) war first-hand.

This month, I'm in luck. A. Chertorofsky, a "single widowed man age 49 who has met some personable, attractive women on Match.com," has written a guide for women about how to find the right man on Match.com. Finally - real advice from a real person!

"I want to be honest about what works and what doesn't from a guy who genuinely likes women," writes Chertorofsky. "Not just the sex part. The whole Venus and Mars planetary divide part. Take it for what's it worth -- free advice from one on the other end."

Here are his top 6 tips from the other side:

1. Ignore men who aren't polite, genuine, and thoughtful. If a man introduces himself by sending you a "Wink," don't dignify his overture with a response. "That's just some lazy slob who probably can't write or has decided you are not worth the time to write," Chertorofsky says.
2. Your photos really do matter, so choose wisely. Like it or not, online dating is a bit like choosing real estate - you're going to go with whatever property looks best in the pictures. If you can't find at least 3 photos of yourself that you like, it's time to crack out the camera. Do: smile. Don't: take a selfie in the bathroom mirror.
3. You're only as good as your worst picture. This is my new favorite online dating motto (Thanks, Chertorofsky!). You could put up 9 great pictures and 1 disastrous picture, but it's the disastrous shot that's going to be remembered. Don't post photos that aren't an accurate representation of what you really look like, but do take the time to choose your most flattering shots.
4. Be congruent. If you're a sex kitten in your photos and talk about how much you want a serious relationship in your profile, what message are you sending? A confusing one, that's what. Decide what you're looking for and stick with it, or you risking attracting men who aren't actually right for you.
5. Do not write "I am a sexually confident woman." It's not that you can't be a sexually confident woman (you should be!)...but writing it is likely to attract the attention of suitors you don't want. If sex isn't your goal, don't make it the focus of your profile.
6. Be honest. Write what you want to write, about who you really are. Don't write the profile that you think men will be attracted to. If it's not true, it doesn't belong in your profile.

To find out more about the dating site Chertorofsky had success with you can read our Match.com review.

When online dating first came along, everyone was horrified. "Meeting someone? Online? Sounds like a service for freaks and losers and axe murderers."

Then we all warmed up to the idea. "Online dating? It's awesome. You can meet people from all over the world without leaving your couch and you don't have to spend every Saturday night deflecting losers at the bar."

Now online dating seems almost...old-fashioned. Dating algorithms and static profiles nearly feel like a thing of the past, while low-key social networking is all the rage.

Zoosk, from day one, has managed to take the best of online dating and merge it with social networking, creating a site that's always ahead of the curve and stands a real chance of becoming the future of modern romance. Shayan Zadeh, co-founder and co-CEO of Zoosk, recently had a chat with The Washington Times about where online dating is heading and what Zoosk is doing to stay on top of the game.

Zoosk's strategy is about one thing and one thing only: staying competitive. Zoosk began on the Facebook platform in 2007, then expanded into a website and mobile dating as the market changed. "We've focused on bringing together the best aspects of social networking (like news feed, live chat and video conversations) to the world of online romance," said Zadeh, ensuring that Zoosk is always relevant.

Now the market is changing again, and Zoosk is adapting to keep up. The question Zadeh and Zoosk are currently working to answer is "How could we keep Zoosk members engaged with the site, even after they found love?

Their solution - Couple Profiles - was launched in April. Couple Profiles give couples - whether or not they originally met on Zoosk - a "dedicated place to celebrate their relationship online" where they can "share photos and relationship milestones, like anniversaries, vacations and special events, with family and friends." Zoosk is aiming to turn itself into a "romantic social network," not just a dating site.

"We really see social networking for couples as being the next evolution of modern romance," explained Zadeh. A survey found that 77% of Zoosk members use technology to connect with their partners throughout the day (the majority interacted with their significant others 3 or more times each day). That's a massive market that Zoosk intends to conquer, with the new Couple Profiles feature and its mobile services.

The days of romantic social networking may have just begun, but I like the idea already. Can't wait to see where it goes.

To find out more about this popular dating site you can read our Zoosk.com review.

We have added a new review to the Social Networks dating category for the site Meetup. Like the other Social Networks that we have reviewed, Meetup is not strictly a dating or singles site. Meetup allows visitors to find various types of local groups in their neighbourhood. These groups have topics that range from fitness and hobbies, to businesses helping businesses. A large number of groups Meetup has though deal with singles looking to meet other singles. That is why we thought Meetup would be a good site to review since it does offer a way for singles to meet locally both online and off.

To find out more about this popular free group networking site please read our new Meetup review now.

OkCupid has a reputation for being the hippest of the online dating sites, and after seeing the banners they recently put up for users using ad-blockers, I have to agree that it's a reputation well-deserved.

Ad-blockers are great for users...but they're not so great for ad-supported sites, like OkCupid, that rely on advertisements to stay in business. Now OkCupid is taking on the issue of ad-blockers in a creative, humorous way that I think has a real chance of swaying its users.

"So normally there would be an ad in this spot. But you're using an ad-blocker like a boss. Here's a solution: You donate $5 to us once, & we remove all ads from the site forever." That's part of the text from OkCupid's new banner that appears to members with ad-blocking software installed. It's not a premium service offered for an extra fee - OkCupid has that already - instead, it's a direct and clever appeal to those using ad-blockers to support the site they love.

The reality is that no site wants to bombard its users with off-putting ads, but in order to remain free, ads are necessary to make ends meet. "Imagine running a restaurant where 40% of the people who came and ate didn't pay," explains Ars Technica. "Most sites... are paid on a per view basis. If you have an ad blocker running, and you load 10 pages on the site, you consume resources...but provide...no revenue."

Hardly seems fair when it's put that way, does it?

OkCupid's new solution to the problem works like this:

So normally there would be an ad in this spot. But you're using an ad-blocker like a boss; like a boss who hates ads. & that's cool, except that OkCupid is ad-supported, & we need money to run this beast. Here's a solution: You donate $5 to us once, & we remove all ads from the site forever. You don't have to see garbage ads; we make a little of the money back that we're losing from the blocker. Everyone wins.

A plea like this could come off as desperate in the wrong hands, but in OkCupid's hands it works brilliantly. It's not asking users to put up with ads anyway, or pay an exorbitant fee for a package of (mostly useless) extra features that includes ad removal. It also doesn't feel like OkCupid is selling out or trying to overhaul its entire business model. Instead, the banner's direct, funny, and intelligent tone fits in perfectly with the attitude of the rest of the site, giving users a little bit more of what they love about OkCupid in the first place.

To find out more about this dating service please read our review of OkCupid.

A lot changes as we get older, so it's no surprise that our dating habits change, too. OurTime.com, a popular dating site for mature singles, knows that the way we date when we're 20 is much different than the way we date when we're 50. And why shouldn't be? That's 30 extra years of experience - 30 more years of learning what you want, 30 more years of discovering what you don't want, 30 more years of heartbreak, and 30 more years of romance.

All that experience adds up to a much more knowledgeable dater, one who has a clear picture of Mr. or Mrs. Right. OurTime.com surveyed 2,200 singles to find out exactly how 50+ singles differed from their younger counterparts. Here's what they found:

• Religion is more important to younger singles. 70% of men and 59% of women over 55 said they're willing to date people of other faiths, compared to only 56% of singles in the 18-34 age range.
• Race is a different story. 2/3 of adults 18-34 said they're happy to date someone of a different race, compared to only 46% of adults 55+. Split by gender, 65% of men and 51% of women said they're open to interracial dating.
• Politics was a much closer race. 60% of mature singles and 66% of younger singles said they'd date outside party lines.
• Younger generations are more willing to snoop. I blame their familiarity with technology! 63% of people 18-34 said they think it's wrong to snoop through a significant others text messages, voicemails, and emails. The percentage rose as age rose: 60% of singles aged 35 to 44 and 75% of singles over 55 agreed that spying on an SO is a no-no.
• Opinion was split on cheating. Older men are more willing to give cheaters a second chance than older women. 53% of women said they wouldn't try to work things out with someone who was unfaithful, compared to just 35% of men. That's compared to 42% of adults overall.
• Appearances become less important with age. 68% of adults over 55 said they'd be willing to date someone they thought was less attractive, versus 59% of adults ages 18 to 34.
• Health, however, becomes more important. 64% of singles over age 55 said they would not date someone with health problems, so eat right, exercise regularly, and take your vitamins!
• Older singles might be more experimental than you think. 65% of the over 55 crowd are in support of dating more than one person at the same time. 41% of younger singles agreed, but the rest preferred to stick to monogamy.

To find out more about the dating site which conducted this survey you can read our OurTime.com review.

There's no denying that Facebook and other social media have become a big part of our lives. The vast majority of us have a Facebook page, (and many also have a Twitter or FourSquare account and a Pinterest page among others). So what does that mean for our dating lives?

Facebook has become a way for us to update our network of friends on everything that is going on in our lives, sometimes on a minute-by-minute basis, depending on how much time you spend on the site. It's also a way for us to check in on other peoples' lives. People use their status update tool to announce everything from a new baby to an engagement to what kind of coffee they had for breakfast. While it's great to keep updated on the lives of our friends, when is it too much?

Studies have been conducted recently on this topic, and whether too much time on Facebook can lead to jealousy or depression. While there are no definite links between clinical depression and social media use, there was a study from the University of Salford in the U.K. that indicates social media may cause anxiety and lower self-esteem.

While this study was not extensive - about 300 people participated - about half of them reported that using social media has made their lives worse. In particular, they noticed feelings of jealousy and low self-esteem when they started comparing their own lives to those of their Facebook friends.

For example, if your ex-boyfriend posts a new photo with a mysterious woman, or friends a member of the opposite sex, you might find yourself not only curious but jealous. And this might lead you to more stalker-like behavior, trying to figure out who this woman is and why she's in a photo with your ex.

Sometimes posts can seem insensitive to single men and women: posts announcing a couple's marriage, new engagement, a trip to Europe together (complete with pictures of the happy couple), or an announcement of the baby they are expecting. While these events are all wonderful, it can make single Facebook friends start dwelling on all the things they don't have.

While we can't prevent people from posting a million pictures of their new babies on Facebook or gushing about their new loves, we can take a step back and limit the time we spend on social media sites. We could also block certain people from our feeds, if they have a proclivity to gush. Regardless, it's important to keep perspective. Some people gush on Facebook in order to convince themselves of their own happiness. Others just want to share. Either way, don't take it personally - it's not about you. The more you can distance yourself from other people's status updates, the more secure and relaxed you'll be in your own life.

To find out more on how to use this social network as a dating tool and if it is worth doing so, please read our Facebook review.