I know that this has been done to death written about rather a lot, but I think sometimes things are worth repeating; and it may just be that there’s something here that’s new, or approaches things from a different angle.
So, for what it’s worth, as a seasoned OD’er (Bumble, Guardian Soulmates, Match, among others) this is what I’ve learned about ‘reading’ people’s profiles and getting a clearer idea of the reality that you’ll be dealing with, rather than the image they want to project.
NOTE: This guide is by no means exhaustive: books have been written on the subject, and even they don’t cover it all. But I’m hoping some of it is at least useful.
Also, a distinction: these are pointers to help avoid pitfalls, not to find an ideal match. But on the way to finding who really suits you, these pointers may help save you some time by sifting some of the non-matches out.
Usernames
These are rarely, if ever, randomly chosen – not unless someone has used a random name generator (and there’ll be a reason they’re using that). Usernames are not random because we humans are rather awful at selecting anything randomly. What we think is random is usually a result of underlying patterns of behaviour and thought – often deeply ingrained – that we are not aware of.
In other words, our OD handles are often a kind of Freudian slip where we betray something about ourselves that we might not otherwise share. It is the place where we hide in plain sight.
Even ones that are someone’s name or a combination of name/numbers tells you something about them that’s worth knowing.
Tagline
Taken in combination with a person’s username, and you have already got a significant piece of insight into an aspect of their personality, or more. Don’t believe me? Think back to someone you’ve dated and tell me if their name/tagline didn’t offer something that you later learned was true. I’ll stake my anonymous reputation on it 
Profile picture
We all know which pics to avoid by looking at them – and many of them thankfully are so blatant that we can discount them immediately (e.g. torso pics/bathroom pics/bed pics, etc.). It’s also worth paying attention to how a photograph makes you feel, too. Notice the person's expression; where they’re looking. If they're smiling/laughing, does it reach their eyes? Cover everything else and look at their eyes; sometimes you’ll see a different expression entirely – one that perhaps runs counter to the rest of their face/other elements in the photograph. That's the one to pay the most attention to.
Potential red flags
I never go near anyone who says the following:
- I’m easygoing
- I’m honest/trustworthy
- I’m not a player
- I have no baggage/don’t want someone with baggage
- I'm looking for something/someone uncomplicated
Basically anyone who pleads their case either for/against a particular quality.
Why? Because, similar to projection, people confess their less savoury character traits and behaviours by stating their opposite. In other words, they have elements of the very thing they say that they are not, or that they do not want.
I also avoid people who:
- Call women “girls”
- Say they’re looking for “the one”, “mr/ms right”, “my other half”, etc. – anything that suggests a prospective partner is somehow there to save or complete them. They’re the first people to check out when reality hits the fan.
For the most part, this is all unconscious. So if you equip yourself with this knowledge, you have the upper hand.
Finally
I’ve found a “one strike and you’re out” policy works best when meeting up. Yes, there are rare cases where someone is ill and cancels last-minute, or a bus doesn’t show up; and, yes, perhaps my tolerance levels are a little jaded. But that’s what OD does – it jades you, and for good reason: in an age where these sites are a dime a dozen, and our culture has adopted a Poundland mentality towards cultivating relationships, then I’m afraid that giving second chances are often a declaration of one’s self-worth, or lack of it.
I remember only too clearly standing outside a tube station, middle of winter, waiting for a date who never showed, and who in truth I knew wasn’t going to turn up (I didn’t pay attention to the signs – or didn’t want to). When he texted back “Sorry! I totally forgot and I’m out of town. Let’s meet up when I’m back?”, the only sane reply was one I have never regretted: “All the best.”