Oh dear time to reveal my darkest past. Or to quote Bill Shakespeare “I have suffered the slings and arrows (knives, guns and attempted murder by burnt casseroles, indigestion and possibly food poisoning) of a thousand outrageous fortunes, hence known as online dating. OK t’was I that volunteered for this assignment and I do take full responsibility.

First thing first, after your forties and if you have been in a stable relationship, (well up until it self destructs), you will not be prepared for the nuances of this new millennium, when it comes to meeting the opposite sex. Once upon a time it used to be so simple, just whack on your Viking horned helmet, jump into a long boat, set off to an out of town place, then simply sack and pillage it. Then sail off into the sunset with your new love, thrown over your shoulders.

But now a days, all that has changed. Man and woman have evolved. This style of behavior is no longer politically or socially correct. Hence Online dating now allows us new ways to flirt to each other, become fond of each other, as well as perhaps meet our cyber soul mate. Thanks to your Mac or Pentium processor we have unleashed boundless possibilities to interact, socialise, communicate and generally tell so many white lies about ourselves there is a distinct possibility we may even believe just how wonderful we all are.

OK there is a plethora or a heck of a lot of Online Dating sites for us to publicise ourselves and spread our good virtues. If you don’t know take a look at my site. I will be updating on a regular basis the sites that you are likely to find the person of your dreams.

Some sites are free or have free attributes, but generally you can expect to pay around the $20 or so a month subscription, which allows a few features like being actually able to send an email or have a chat.

Before you join any online date site a word of caution. Do not divulge too much about yourself for a multitude of reasons. Apart from the fact family and friends may also be on the site or your ex, or Church group, you do need to be discrete. Until you get to know someone online do not reveal your full identity. This applies especially to the raunchier adult dating sites. Pray to God that your church group is not on there as well.

One thing to learn is never to believe anyone’s age in the demographic profile. Because of the complexity of the age button, there is a strong chance we may underestimate our age by at least 5 years if not depending on our vanity by 10.

The other thing is Photographs. Who was it that said a photograph never lies. Well that was before Photoshop and airbrushing became all the rage. Not to mention as in case 1. We tend to put our most appealing photos up there to hang in our cyber galleries. Sometimes it is just so hard to find a decent shot that is again somewhere 5 to 10 years on the other side of reality.

Of course the dead giveaway is when you do go on your first date and you surprise your new friend with a bald shiny head, or have mysteriously put on 30 pounds to your voluptuous figure. Hmm…. honesty is the best policy. Unless of course you have your own patented Acme Time Machine. “Turn back the clock 15 years, without painful surgery. Get yours today for the amazing low price of just… wait for it… Sorry it doesn’t exist just yet, just surveying to see if my readers were blonde, strawberry, or brunette. Or grey or bald.

OK then the really curly one is the Question now tell everyone about you. Remember your first week at school. How you just about embarrassed yourself when you had to get to the front of the class and tell all and sundry about you! Its best to put something down unlike a few that leave this requirement blank. Obviously unless you have a crush on psychics like Uri Geller. The reality is no one else can read your mind in all probability. So best to put down a few things that are your positives and better attributes. If you are an extrovert this will not be a problem at all, other than telling too much about yourself. Again try to keep it accurate.

The above piece of advice was written after seeing on one entry.. “This site is dedicated to all those that

Lost souls that have died at their computer desk waiting for the right person to come along!”

Now the Question that reads something like what are you looking for in a Partner, try to avoid the obvious answer like “A Pulse!” Think carefully about what you do want. What your needs are. What your likes are. What your dislikes are. Things like physical appearance. Obviously the age of your potential partner. Their vices like smoking or drinking, if you want or don’t want someone with them. If you want other children in your life or if they need to be prepared if you have children to accept them as well.

Look online dating can be a lot of fun. Just accept the fact that it’s not the most perfect system and people can and do lie on line. Some small some big fibs. That not everyone, is who they say they are and some forget to mention, or it has slipped their minds that they are still married and go home to the family each night. This applies equally to women as well as men in these liberated times.

The main thing is to keep you mind and eyes open. Let others know what you would like in a date or a partner. Don’t overly reveal too much about your self or your private details. Never give away your address, real name or phone number.

Additional tips.

1. Get yourself a free email account with a different name to your own.

2. Buy a prepaid mobile phone that is separate to your every day phones. So that at worst it can be discarded if you have attracted the wrong sort.

3. Never put your real name down on the dating site.

4. Do not give out your name, address, or phone number until you feel comfortable and know the other person you are communicating with.

5. Try to be accurate in your description of yourself. It’s far better for someone to love the person you are, than what your were, or just a fantasy of what you would like to be.

6. When going out on your first date make sure other people know where you are and who you will be with and what time you expect to be home. (There are a lot of good people out there but OK just be cautious.)

These are just a few tips to help you find enlightenment on your path to happiness. If you would like to find more about online dating or relationship matters make sure you visit Love101s.com where we help you build healthy and loving relationships.