Articles: Top 10 Rules of Online Dating

1. Don't reveal your privates.

While there are plenty of tasty fish in the cyber sea, don't risk letting a poisonous blowfish into your private aquarium: get a separate, dating-designated e-mail address for your privacy as well as your convenience. After all, you don't want to confuse your dates with your porn.

2. Your profile is your online face.

Look your best: put effort into what you say. Here's how:

Be honest. Aren't you seeking someone who is?

Be descriptive--of who you are and what you want. Weight can change, hair can be cut or dyed, but what's on the inside is what will make or break a relationship.

Decide: How far is too far? Determine your geographical boundaries based on what you're looking for--a casual date, a life partner, or maybe just a playmate--and consider how close you'd like each one to be.

Picture, picture, picture. We're not shallow, but let's face it: romance is about attraction. Be sure to use a recent, clear photo--it wouldn't be fair for Elvis to post his "pelvis" pics during his fried banana and peanut butter days. Even Elvis wouldn't want to show up only to have his date not recognize him.

Keep it fresh. Edit your profile often. If you've finally gotten that long-awaited eel taming certification and are now planning to pursue "the art" full time, people should know about it.

Last: Have a friend read your profile and give their (un)biased opinion.

3. Start digging!

Who better to find a date for you than you? Although you can sit back and wait for others to respond to your ad, do you really want to put all your dating options into somebody else's hands--especially since you don't know where those hands have been?

4. Get real.

Ask yourself... Are you really right for each other? Before you write that first response, think "compatibility." Remember that high school crush who you thought was perfect for you--until you discovered they wrestled alligators, when the only thing you planned to wrestle was your way to the front of the cafeteria line? That doesn't need to happen again--especially now that you've got their profile to fill you in on any alligator activity up front. Reptiles are fine as long as you're fine with bumping into one in your bathtub every morning.

Oh yeah...when you do write that e-mail, spell-check, willya? It's only common courtesy.

5. How are you? Now...who are you?

Hugh Hefner wouldn't be half as sexy if he kept mixing up his bunnies. How did he remember which was Mandy, which was Sandy, which was Candy and which was Myrtle? Surely he took notes, and in the tradition of studs and studettes everywhere, so must you. Whether you want to tie ribbons around your finger or construct an integrated database is up to you; we humbly recommend saving all names, phone numbers and key identifying features next to your computer (i.e. Sal, 40, likes to fish. Hates seafood).

6. Start your conversation with a bang.

Whether in e-mail or on the phone, give your prospective date something to respond to. While "Hi, how are you?" is polite, "Hi, I loved your alien abduction story--did they use probes?" will get the exchange fired up.

If you're feeling good about each other so far, the green light to meet is lit. Now, make sure to look both ways.

7. Boo! It's your date!

Whether or not you passed it in high school, now's the time to learn about chemistry--and whether or not you and your potential mate have got it. Before starting your lab experiment, be sure you've got optimal conditions: as with chemistry, include a measured dose of outside influence with which the elements may react. In plain English, do something interesting and social. sea

Good: Coffee (Sip, chat, sip, chat faster, chat FASTER, SIP, DESSERT!!); museums ("Haven't you always wanted to sneak in after dark and feel up the statues?"); fairs ("Wow, I've never seen a...rooster...that big before!"); botanical gardens ("The xylem-phloem action of the coleus vulgaris is almost...arousing, don't you agree?").

Bad: Dinner (Chew chew, don't like you and we haven't finished the first course, who's paying for the lobster?), Movies (Grope-grope... "Wait, whose leg is that?"); concerts ("I think you spilled beer on my shoe." "What?" "Huh?"); parties ("Yes, I'd like to introduce, um, my 'internet date.'").

8. Digital doo is a don't.