While you might want to try and avoid the whole idea of flirting through Instant Messenger, if you find yourself on match.com there may be no getting around it.

Here’s a couple tips to save you from some potentially embarassing or agonizing moments that could be caused by IM flirting, or ruining a potential connection.

First and most important is keep the abbreviations and chat slang to a minimum. Unless you want them think you’re 13 years old. Also keep in mind that IM chatting is not like sending a text. There is no limit on the amount of characters, so there is no reason to use “2″ instead of “to”.

Keep the emoticons to a minimum. Abusing them gets annoying fast. Best to not use them at all.