It is quite commonplace these days for people to meet online. The internet is a fantastic place to meet tons of new friends and get to know others.

Online dating is truly becoming mainstream. Now the world can be your oyster!

While you are having fun, I do encourage you to exercise caution and move slowly. The internet allows you opportunity to get to know about a person before you decide to meet them in person. While that is a great advantage, you can also be fooled. In many cases all that glitters is NOT gold.

Chatting online can create a false state of intimacy. You think you really know John or Angela and the attraction you begin to experience often does not hold up with a face to face meeting.

One of my clients was spending an increasing amount of time with her new friend Mike. They exchanged pictures and chatted several times a week at first. As things seemed to progress, they found themselves attracted to each other. Sound good so far? Just hold on a minute.

Angela found herself intrigued about Mike. He said he was recently divorced and was looking for a princess to spoil. His marriage was good but over time he and his ex wife grew apart. He had one daughter in her early 20's who just landed a pretty good job after college. He was looking to retire in a few years.

Angela began sharing more and more about herself. She talked about her teenage kids and Mike even said he would be a good role model for her teens. Things seemed to moving along nicely.

After a few months of chatting and exchanging emails, Angela felt it she was comfortable enough to give Mike her cell phone number. After all, they were attracted and wanted to meet face to face. They spend a good amount of time chatting. They even talked a few times about plans for the future and both expressed an interest getting married if the right person came along.

He would text her when he went out of town on business and would IM her often. A real relationship seemed to be developing.

Mike expressed his desire to talk to her and to finally meet her. One day, he just called her on the phone. She was not expecting his call and was not prepared for it. She was in the middle of fixing dinner, getting her kids settled and a million other tasks.

Needless to say, that first phone call was not a romantically charged great conversation they talked about so often. It was pleasant but no sparks were flying. What happened?

Well Mike stopped all the attention almost immediately. When they chatted online, he would say he was busy at work, on his way to play golf or give some reason he couldn't talk to her.

Angela was hurt and so surprised. She thought she was doing everything right. She was not needy or clingy. She never nagged him. He said she was fun and had an air of mystery. They seemed like a good match. Nevertheless, Mike disappeared.

After looking back on the path of this relationship that could have been but never was, Angela could see how a false sense of intimacy was created online. They both were buying into something that would not stand up to the reality of their everyday lives.

This happens quite often in online relationships. You must be cautious yet not afraid to try getting to know someone online. Just make sure what you think is happening is real and not created by imagination.

As online dating has become more popular, one group's sign-up rate soared - the Baby Boomers! Maybe it's because they're tech-savvy enough to log on and navigate the 'net, zeroing in on exactly what they want because life's too short for mistakes and misinterpretations, but Baby Boomers are the fastest growing segment in online dating across the board!

Some are logging into online dating sites and starting over - others making the firm decision to finally find the one they're ready to commit to after all of these years for the first time. It's not just for college students and recent graduates anymore.

One thing researchers have noticed is that Baby Boomers who have never been married sign up with mainstream dating sites on the 'net. Divorced Baby Boomers, on the other hand, increase their potential matches by signing up for online dating networks where there's a narrowed definition of the members - whether it's by age group or interests.

Many Sizzling Seniors have put to rest the younger generations' requirement of good looks and increased sex appeal. They're seeking a partner they can grow old with, and it's more important to find someone they can get along with rather than enduring another 15 to 20 years of having to clash with their spouse about topics they disagree about.

Online dating is making more sense than most realize for today's savvy senior. Living life in a way that makes sense - on their terms! Online dating relationships amongst baby boomers is at an all time high.

I'd like to offer you free access to our wonderful relationship tool. It is our Relationship Start-Up Guide: 50 Things You Should Know Before Starting a Relationship. You can pick up your copy at http://www.RelationshipAdviceHeadquarters.com

From Bj Moorer and http://www.RelationshipAdviceHeadquarters.com

Don't get intimidated reading other people's profiles to the point that you can't even make yours go live because fear causes you to feel like you don't live up to the rest of the online dating pool.

Some people have the guts to post their profile and then find themselves frustrated because when they give match-making a shot, others turn them down because they don't live up to their demands, expectations, or desires right off the bat.

Thousands of people are finding that one true love on the Internet, and it's worth learning the ropes before you sign up at any dating site so that you'll know the game before you go in and not get upset if you run into a few shallow people here and there.

Anyone who has a set list of demands before dating someone will surely find themselves disappointed. If you met Mr. or Mrs. Right on the street, you wouldn't have a tip sheet of their profile to read before you said "hi" and discovered the spark underlying your conversations.

The dismissing process can be abrupt and blunt, so don't let it hurt your feelings if someone says, "Thanks but no thanks" without giving you a shot. This is often only because people are joining dating sites to cater to their dilemma of limited time to spend searching for a mate.

Sometimes people put things in their profile list of Must-Haves that they don't really mean. For instance, a man might add that his mates must look like a supermodel, when what he really means is he needs to have an attraction. It's doubtful he's ever even been in the company of any supermodels!

Online dating allows you to get to know the other person's personality and get to know if they'll mesh well with you.

Get comfortable with them on the 'net before you leap into the real life dating scene.

You never know if the person you're about to meet in person is a frugal soul or an extravagant spender willing to pick up the tab for the two of you.

Before you and potential partner decide to meet up and introduce yourself face to face, consider the best options you have to mapping out your first date and overcoming the jitters that lie ahead.

Creativity always delivers a good first impression. If both of you are on a budget, and going Dutch, then you may want to take a fairly frugal approach. That could mean spending your day on a picnic at the park, having a nice walk along the beach, or even inviting the other person over for a home cooked meal.

If you're adventurous, you may want to visit a theme park and ride the thrilling rides in between trying your best to win an overstuffed animal for the person you found on an online dating site to take home.

Movies used to be a cheap option for online dating firsts, and in comparison, they still are. But in some parts of the country, a movie can get pretty pricey if you plan on devouring items from the concession stand and go when the prices are not matinee-friendly. If the two of you are fans of the arts, you can visit a museum for next to nothing and enjoy the adult atmosphere.

If you can afford to splurge a bit more, then consider going to a professional sporting event or concert together as your first date. There's plenty of action that eases your need to continue the conversation, but also lots of opportunities to allow you to have fun and get to know one another.

Having dinner can be a great way to break the ice, and you can choose a restaurant to meet at that won't break the bank, but will make a good first impression with your online dating match.

There are many matches made on Internet dating sites where the pair want to live life to its fullest, sparing no expense - even for their first date! If this is you, why not plan a trip to Paris or another part of the world?!

If thrill-seeking is more you, you could parachute, take a tourist ride in a helicopter, or go Scuba Diving!

Don't falsify your online dating profile to appeal to your prospects. Many people add some false facts to make themselves look good.

There are some things you should also leave out if you want to make a good first impression. It doesn't mean you have to lie about who you are or what you believe, but sometimes it's best to present yourself with your best foot forward in the beginning.

First, try not to sound like a bitter, soured person who is already burnt out on the opposite sex. If you had a bad experience with your boyfriend, don't sound like a man-basher in your profile. No men will want to take on someone who has that much baggage following them around.

Negativity in general is a turn off for many people. If you hate the traffic, hate the weather, hate your job, and hate your life - what is there to like about you? The people you encounter on online dating sites don't want a fixer-upper - they want someone compatible with their own personality.

Even if you've been plagued by bad first dates with other dating site members, don't focus on what went wrong, but find the silver lining and talk about the details you did appreciate - even if it was just a learning experience.

Try to stand out from the crowd. Cookie cutter profiles are a turn off and if you don't give the reader anything unique, how are they supposed to be impressed enough to choose you from the masses?

Trust is a commodity in demand both on and off the internet when it comes to finding love. Is the online dating scene even worse in attracting men and women who are married but secretly seeking others for extra-marital affairs?

While men are typically typecast as being the louts in this kind of arrangement, they're not the only perpetrators. Some women are seeking partners at online dating sites as a security measure against being alone in between partners.

But for the most part, online dating site participants are genuine people who are single and seeking the perfect match for their love life. Most of the despicable people who are married and straying go to websites devoted to playing the field while taken, so there's not as much danger encountering these individuals on a single online dating site.

Still, it could happen. If you don't take precautions to get to know someone before taking things too far, then there maybe those who accuse you of playing a part in the adulterous relationship.

Don't be willing to just accept someone's profile as the truth. You need to get to know your online dating prospects before agreeing to meet with them or engage in any romantic relationships.

Sometimes, love moves more quickly on the internet, so you have to protect yourself against the possibility that the other party isn't being completely up front about who they are or what they're seeking.

You don't want to be plagued by guilt and shame that ensues when you find out you've been the unwitting accomplice in a triangle of love with your online dating partner that the other person's spouse knows nothing about.

If you discover someone you're interested in has been playing the virtual field while still tied down to someone in the offline world, then you need to abruptly end the discussions and move on to someone who was more forthright in their disclosure of who they are and their marital status.

Some bloggers are taking adulterers who use online dating sites to task, accusing them of violating the unsuspecting party's Constitutional Rights and making it more than just an ethical or moral dilemma.

Make sure you ask questions and notice anything unusual in the prospect's demeanor. If you do get lied to, don't chalk it up to common practice in the Internet dating online community - most people are honest in their love pursuits on the internet.