Internet Dating Guide

1. Take the direct route by joining internet communities. The most obvious method of internet dating involves going to a personals website. There are several top rated services out there with a single website having as many as fifteen million subscribers. You can also choose the less direct route to internet dating by joining a social networking website. In social networking communities, people are drawn to each other by one or more sets of mutual interests and/or beliefs. Take advantage of this as part of your internet dating strategy. In addition, some social networking sites have dating websites, which are usually free–mainly because people normally meet each other in the forums and find dates that way.

2. Look out for scams. Occasionally, you will come into contact with some really crafty internet dating scheisters who will establish a relationship with you and then, after they're confident that you are in love with them, they'll start hinting that they're having financial problems. In this economy, it's not hard to build up a story where one day life is going just fine and then boom! You find out they've been laid off. What comes next is fairly logical: at some point they'll need money. In other cases, the scammer will ask you for money to fly them out to meet you. The latter scam is quite easy to see through: why not just buy the tickets to fly them here or better yet, fly out there? Nevertheless, there are many scams like this that you will encounter online.

3. Know who you're talking to. In this day and age, the technology to verify the identity of people you're getting to know online is simple and cheap. At the very least, all you need is a webcam or a microphone. A lot of instant messaging services include voice or video chat; this would at least verify, with a good level of certainty, that the person you're talking to is the gender they say they are. Not everyone has the computing power or money to do this, but if you and the other person are willing to do frequent video chats, there is a good chance that they've got little to hide about their identity. However, it is not a solid guarantee.

4. Be safe at all times. If you choose to meet someone you have encountered online, be sure to have someone watching over you. If you are leaving town to meet someone, let a relative or friend know where you're going. Bring a cell phone, keep it on and keep it with you at all times. Be fairly certain of what sights you'll be going to see and any other parts of your itinerary. Don't get taken somewhere that puts you out of reach of the world. If your love interest is coming to meet you, have a friend or family member ready to turn to if things go wrong. There's nothing wrong with having someone shadow you, if possible. Just remember to be willing to return the favor if necessary. Also, doing a background check on the other person isn't an irrational decision, whether it involves internet dating or a classmate.

Tips & Warnings:

• As with real life dating, the more online venues you're involved in, the greater your chances of success.
• Always reserve some level of caution that someone you meet online might not be who they say they are.