Rules to Follow for Online Dating

Between disease and DWI's, more and more single people are turning to the Internet as a way to meet people, and maybe even find the love of their life. While the tale still holds true that sometimes there is a bad person lying to you on the other end, I am here to tell you that you can successfully have a social life AND find the love of your life, all courtesy of the World Wide Web.

One of the secrets to being successful online is being honest. If you yourself are honest, others will tend to be honest with you. When asked to send a picture, always send the most current you have. I do not care if you think you looked better ten years and twenty pounds ago. Moreover if someone sends you a picture you even think is not real or is old, RUN! The only way to build a healthy relationship is with a strong foundation. Being honest includes being honest about what you want. Are you just looking to date, make friends, or fall in love? Being honest about yourself and about what you expect will avoid a lot of heartache in the long run.

Always be careful, cautious about which information you share in the early stages. If someone is asking you too many questions that you do not feel comfortable with, do not answer them. Everyone has a comfort level, and if someone is wanting to violate that comfort level, that is not a good sign. Sure, you want to ask if he or she has a job, possibly even what profession they may be in, but if someone starts asking salary take it as a red flag. In the early stages, it is best to know the basics, but there is no need to wonder about a person's financial/material life in the beginning. Usually this means either the person is only after material gain, or maybe they plan to rip you off. Beware and take care!

Another awesome secret that most people are not aware of is thinking outside of the box. There are a gazillion dating sites, social networking sites and chatrooms on the web, both free and pay. In my experience, I have not noticed a difference between the pay-sites and the free ones. Both have a balance of good, quality people and not so good, quality people. In addition, the free ones tend to have more members since they are free. I had found moderate success in these venues, as have friends of mine. You will find that almost every one will ask you the same questions in the beginning, and that becomes very old very fast. That is when my friend thought outside of the box. First thing she decided to do was create what she called her "Owner's Manual". She found a free web host and created a web page dedicated entirely to who she was, how she believed a relationship should work, and what she was looking for in a partner, out of life. The response was phenomenal. She had a date every night of the week for two weeks straight.

When you do decide you are ready to meet the person on the other end, do not have too high of expectations. Remember, until you actually meet someone in person, you will never know how honest he or she has been with you to that point. Instincts only work so well, and no matter if you have talked to the person a day, a month or a year, you can get to know them like you can when you are together face to face. Inevitably, there is the possibility that there will be something off, and most of the time it can be a deal breaker. If you go into each meeting with only the expectation of meeting someone new, getting to know a new perspective on life, and maybe even a good conversation, you will find, nine times out of ten, you will have a good experience, and maybe even find the love of your life.