The Date Wrecks blog has conducted an interesting experiment: Dating profiles for two girls (one slutty) and two guys (one slutty) are posted on Craigslist. The nature and volume of replies are recorded. Here are the experimental setup and the results.

It’s hard being a guy. CNN reports that–surprise!–men have trouble reading women’s signals. Why?

• Men are socially lame: “Men…misidentified 12 percent of the images as sexually interested, the study found, while women mistook 8.7 percent of images.”
• Women are confusing: they may be too embarrassed to show clear interest and “too nice” to express a lack of interest.

How can men read women better? Supposedly by looking out for lip-licking, shoe-glancing, arm-touching, and hair-fidgeting. Poor guys.

The Boston Globe’s Carolyn Johnson reports on SweetOnGeeks.com and the world of nerd dating more generally. Highlight of the article: the guy who dresses like a pirate “as often as I possibly can.”

CNN offers don’ts for your dating profile photos:

• Don’t include animals or babies
• Don’t include other people
• Don’t use fuzzy pictures
• Don’t use old photos
• Don’t go overboard with touch-ups
• Don’t use sexy photos
• Don’t flash gang signs
• Don’t exclude your face

While there’s some good food for thought in here, I have to disagree on several points:

• Animals and babies – If you adore your pet or your new niece, do you really want to date someone who would be scared off by a photo that reflects that fact? Just avoid having half-a-dozen such photos–that’s overkill. And let the reader know if the kid is yours or not!
• Including other people – C’mon–having friends and family is a good thing. Just avoid shots of you with your arm wrapped around hotties of the opposite sex.

For extra credit, I’ll add two don’ts of my own:

• Men, don’t take your shirt off – A shirtless man comes across as arrogant, sex-obsessed, and trying too hard.
• Women, don’t exclude your body – Several of my guy friends avoid girls with face-only photos, suspicious that the girls are hiding major weight problems. If you’re a healthy weight, include a full-body photo.

In true Dating Don’ts style, CNN tells women how NOT to get a second date:

• “Forget” your wallet
• Cry
• Get all TMI
• Fixate on your ex

Granted, this article offers more parody than sincerity. But ladies, you could consider it a to-do list the next time you’re on a date with a guy you’re not interested in! Be sure to do your homework: brainstorm some juicy TMI and practice your crying-on-demand.

Yahoo! Personals offers an article on the rules governing phone conversations with people you’re dating. In brief, observe business etiquette:

1. Mirror their phone behavior
2. Don’t play games
3. No one’s too busy for a quick phone call

Eh. Possibly true, but not so entertaining