AndieIsMe is online now AndieIsMe — Advice Member-Moderator Post #1  June 5,2010, 10:38pm
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I have been using my Google Reader to find interesting (or at least relevant) dating topics. I found a "dating coach" (personal trainer ) who offers profile reviews, rewrites and full on "we'll do it for ya" stuff. Not terribly expensive.

I am confident in my own writing skills and ability to express myself on paper but was curious about what they do. Taking what you are and putting it down in "their" way seems a bit off to me, but it works for some, so I'm not knocking the service. What baffled me were the testimonials.

Four or five people who had this service rewrite their profiles and their success. (All attributing it to the service, of course) Normal people they appear. But the rewrites were so... weird. I don't know what the befores were, but the afters are quite tiresome to read. I'm wondering if I'm the only one who thinks this.

Here are some excerpts:

Profile 1: I drank grappa shots with the Canadian secret service before meeting the Prime Minister, whose name I did not know. I caught a plane at 1am to avoid Hurricane Floyd in Palm Beach, but it caught up to me in Philadelphia.

Profile 2: If I can't find a good, blue-collar, hole-in-the-wall bar on every corner, there's something wrong with a city. Which is why I left Cleveland for Baltimore instead of San Francisco.

The reason I found #2 odd is because after reading the other profiles it seems a pattern to mention a place they didn't move to instead of where they live now.

The profiles seemed disjointed and filled with half sentences of "I like XYZ." and "He/she like ABC." They went from one topic to another then back again. It was like reading essays from 5th graders (scratch that, 3rd graders).

So, I wonder if my approach is a bit off. Should we all write in this manner. Do these type of "not really written by me" profiles work? Am I wrong in my thinking that full sentences and paragraphs are the way to go?

Has anyone ever tried these services? Did they accomplish what you couldn't? Did they express on paper the real you better than you could?
 
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AndieIsMe is online now AndieIsMe — Advice Member-Moderator Post #2  June 5,2010, 10:40pm
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After rereading the profiles again, I've concluded that my style of writing is better suited to me than anything anyone else can write.
 
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Avalon1k is offline Avalon1k Post #3  June 6,2010, 12:05am
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I will hire out as a profile/dating coach......
 
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robv_la is offline robv_la Post #4  June 6,2010, 1:06am
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Well if you look at a profile as an advertisement then hiring someone to put the best ad for you make sense. But I tend to think a profile is more about a reflection of who you are. So if someone reads it and doesn't like your profile, they don't like the way you write (or think).

Still I like the story approach in the examples you gave. Instead of saying what you like and dislike directly, it gave the same information in context. I might have to borrow some of that approach, while staying true to my writing voice.
 
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meri75 is offline meri75 Post #5  June 6,2010, 2:09am
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Yep, I was thinking along the same lines as robv_la. Sometimes very short sentences with various information can convey more detail (for my analytical brain to pick over later, lol) than a small paragraph of the same length which only covers one topic. I do also find that style more interesting to read, because it does read like an excerpt of a short story, rather than an itemised list.

What I am curious about though? Are those stories real events? Or were they in place to showcase skillset and draw clients?
 
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2clueless is offline 2clueless Post #6  June 6,2010, 7:31am
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To be honest, and it's probably a minority opinion, I strive to make my profile reflective of me in a basic way and nuetral --i.e. red flag free--that's all. While some people detail and steam clean their profiles like a fine sports car, I just run mine through the $10 car wash so it represents me well and that's that. I am a writer. I love words. But still, I resist the urge. I kinda think that less is more when it comes to profiles.

I don't buy into the belief that a fantastic profile (text) is going to result in a better outcome. For better or worst, I think pictures matter a lot and I find myself wishing more for photo makeovers (or just photos period) rather than profile text makeovers.
 
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AndieIsMe is online now AndieIsMe — Advice Member-Moderator Post #7  June 6,2010, 7:43am
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meri75 wrote :
Yep, I was thinking along the same lines as robv_la. Sometimes very short sentences with various information can convey more detail (for my analytical brain to pick over later, lol) than a small paragraph of the same length which only covers one topic. I do also find that style more interesting to read, because it does read like an excerpt of a short story, rather than an itemised list.

What I am curious about though? Are those stories real events? Or were they in place to showcase skillset and draw clients?
I was thinking the same thing. Where did that information come from? It was just an odd way to say "I moved here because...". I don't like boring profiles, but to jump something about a Canadian Prime Minister to something about Florida and Philadelphia.

But, back to the question at hand. Has anyone ever used these kinds of services?
 
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Sassafras54 is online now Sassafras54 — Advice Official Moderator Post #8  June 6,2010, 10:10am
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Never used one.

I have to say, I spent a couple days on Match.com last year, and the only profile I remember at all was a guy who made the entire thing an entertaining hilariously funny story, clearly made up. All it told me about him was he's funny and he can write, so it didn't convey what profiles usually aim at. But man it was memorable! I almost fell off my chair. If he'd been anywhere near my age I'd have contacted him.

Profiles! They're a challenge.
 
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howardtheduck is offline howardtheduck Post #9  June 6,2010, 1:30pm
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I find it hard to grip a pen to write.
 
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