An Exploration of the Most Widely Used Online Internet Dating Sites

Online dating can lead to off-line friendship, love and even marriage. Exchanging written correspondence, is a great way to build loving, trusting relationships.

However, you could expose yourself to the risk of physical harm if you proceed without caution. You wouldn't give a stranger on the street your name, address and telephone number.. don't do it online! Protect yourself with the following common sense guidelines, and enjoy the start of what might become a very beautiful friendship.

Remain Anonymous -

Don't give anyone online your real email address, last name, phone number, address or place of work during your early correspondence. Stop communicating with anyone who tries to pressure you into giving this information. Check with your ISP server and make sure that your Online Profile does not give out more personal information than you are comfortable with.

HotMail, Google, Yahoo

Don't make the mistake when you started using online personal ads! Many of us use multiple signature lines for our personal and business email correspondence which include our phone numbers and addresses. Don't sent 'strangers' personal information by including 'personal' signature line in email to them. Please Don't take that chance.

Nicknames -

Don't call yourself 'Pretty Woman'. Protect yourself against unwanted advances and use a gender-neutral nickname in chat rooms, discussion groups and on message boards. As you can see, common sense is the key to staying safe during your online search for love.

Meeting offline for the first time - Don't allow yourself to be pressured into meeting anyone. If they threaten to terminate online correspondence if you don't meet them within a certain time frame, end your online connection. Nice people don't make threats or put pressure on people they care about.

When you do decide to meet someone whose company you enjoy online, meet in a public place and bring your friends. Your online friend will understand and accommodate your wishes if they are honest about their intentions towards you. If during the date, you decide to go somewhere else, use your own car.

Don't agree to hiking dates or meetings in remote areas until you know someone very well.

Plan a short initial meeting. If, on meeting, you know you won't be seeing this person again, sharing coffee and a little polite chat won't be as painful as spending a long day together.

Keep the date light-hearted and fun and leave as originally scheduled. Answer honestly if asked whether you'd like to get together again. Tell your friends and family where you are going, with whom, and arrange to check in with them at a specified time during the date and again when you arrive home.

If you travel to meet your online love, make your own hotel and car reservations and don't give out the name of your hotel

Drive yourself to the hotel,or take a taxi. Follow all of the recommendations above about meeting someone for the first time. Provide your family or friends with necessary contact information.

Getting out of Trouble -

If you start feeling unsure or uncomfortable about your date, politely extricate yourself from the situation. Excuse yourself and leave by the back door if necessary.

Do not hesitate to ask for help from persons nearby, call your family, friends or the police if you feel the situation warrants. Trust your judgement and don't be afraid of potential embarrassment. Better to be embarrassed than physically hurt.

If you follow all of the previous recommendations, you will feel safe and enjoy your online dating experience to the fullest! Be happy, find love!

• Intuition and Romance
• How to Pick a Dating Site

10 Online Dating Safety Tips

Online dating offers people an unprecedented opportunity to find that special someone, or just to make some interesting friends. While the world might not be full of "loonies," there are just enough of them out there to make it a possibly risky adventure.

Follow these basic safety tips to minimize the possibility of a dating disaster happening to you.

1. Post recent photos of yourself that really depict how you look. Don't try to make potential dates think you are something you are not. Honesty will always pay off for those who are sincerely seeking a companion.


2. Don't plan too big a date for your first meeting. Just get together for a cup of coffee during your lunch break. Leave yourself an out if the date is a disaster.


3. Don't drink too much when you're getting acquainted with them. Alcohol is well-known for its ability to make a person lose their better judgment. It can also make someone seem much more interesting and attractive to you than they actually would be on a day-to-day sober basis.


4. Meet in a public place. To be really safe, let someone know about the meeting, and ask them to contact you at a predetermined time to make sure you are safe. Don't forget to take your cell phone with you, so you can phone for help if you need it.


5. Watch out for would-be dates who seem to want to be all things to you without admitting to any flaws. Some will try to get you to think they are super-adaptable and would fit into any type of situation. Very few people are really like this. Look instead for someone who is not afraid to pin themselves down.


6. Set up a separate email account just for dating correspondence. Make it anonymous, and don't call yourself by a name that has sexual overtones. Doing so will attract the wrong type of potential dates.


7. Pay attention to your gut feelings. Maybe you can't put your finger on what exactly is wrong, but if you have reservations about progressing forward with a particular person, back off. Our intuition is often a step ahead of the game, picking up on weird comments or behaviors that our conscious mind might not notice. Trust your instincts.


8. Remember that identity theft is a very real possibility these days. To protect yourself, first, stay anonymous with your potential date until you are sure you can trust them. This means you don't reveal your phone number or street address prematurely. It also means you don't leave your purse with them while you go to the ladies' room.


9. When you're having those first few real dates, don't leave your drink unattended. Consider the possibility that they might slip something into it.


10. Don't let them pick you up in their own vehicle. Instead, drive yourself or get a taxi. Don't leave with them or go to their home afterward until you've had enough dates to know you can trust them. Similarly, don't take them home with you either.