Regardless of who you are or what you look like there is someone out there for you. Someone who would love to meet you and spend time with you, whether your are looking for a short-term or long-term relationship. If you're single and you feel it's time to find that special someone, or if you're busy and just don't have the time to go looking, you can try online dating.

The first thing you need to do is find an online dating site that suits you. There are lots of sites to choose from, some free and others paid. It's better to choose the paid sites as you'll get more quality service.

You'll have to decide what you're looking for in a site. Some sites offer live chat, IM and matching profiles. There are also sites that cater for special interests such as religious preferences, outdoor enthusiasts, couch potatoes, gays etc - anything you can think of. It all depends on your needs. Again, I recommend the paid sites, but if money is an issue you can try a free site and see how things go.

Here are some things to consider when choosing a site:

(1) Cost. How much are you willing to spend for membership?

(2) Features. What features are you looking for?

(3) Profile matching systems. Do you want the system to match you with someone or would you rather find that someone by yourself?

(4) Chat and IM's? There are websites that offer chat rooms and IM's on their sites. Does that matter or would you be happy just sticking to private email.

(5) Privacy. Some websites give you the option to limit who can view your picture and profile. However, if you wish you can choose to have wide exposure.

(6) Safety. Some websites do background checks of their subscribers to verify their age, marital status etc.

After you have chosen your site, write an honest but interesting profile about yourself. If you're serious about finding true love online, misrepresenting yourself will only lead to failure. The truth will come out eventually. Next, upload a recent, complimentary photo of yourself and you're all set.

Online dating is very popular today with the advances of technology and the increase of people who use computers. Online dating is a system for organizing a date and can be an excellent way to meet that special someone. Today, online dating is one of the most popular systems for meeting someone new to go on a date with.

Online dating has proven to be a successful method for meeting people and setting up dates. Many people have continued their relationships and have even been married because of online dating methods. However, all relationships through online dating aren't successful, unfortunately, but you may meet a new friend if you and that person are not compatible.

When you consider online dating, it is important to remember you need to be cautious. The Internet is not always what it seems and people are not always honest about themselves. Here are 5 online dating tips for your safety:

• 1) Establish Identities and Bona Fides

Even though the information you provide about yourself is honest, that does not mean that the other person has done the same. Until you can prove otherwise, assume they are lying about their age, gender, address, etc. However, don't fully assume that they're lying, since this ruins the conversations you have with them. Simply hold back and have enough disbelief until you get solid evidence to the contrary.

• 2) Don't give out Vital Personal Information

NEVER provide someone online with vital information that could be used to hurt you. These could be your bank account information or social security numbers. There are lots of scammers out there, and if the person you're talking to tries a little TOO hard to get vital information, then drop them immediately!

• 3) Be Patient

We all want to meet someone special but it's best to take your time to get to know the other person. A guy who may seem like a perfect gentleman, for example, may reveal stalker tendencies after a month or two. Avoid them like the plague, girls! For the men, I trust you've had your own share of nightmare axe-murderess ex-girlfriends too, and those who wipe out your bank accounts, so do be careful as well guys! Take your time getting to know your online date before committing to anything that might land you in hot water.

• 4) Offer to meet in Person

Once you're sure that you like your online date, you two get along, and you seem to have something going, maybe it's time for you to meet in person. This meeting is called an eyeball. This is the only real way you can make sure you weren't getting spoofed by an online prankster pretending to be a chick, or a scammer out to get your money. IF your date refuses to meet in person or makes excuses to avoid an eyeball, assume the worst and bail out! There's always another opportunity to meet someone better. Don't give up!

• 5) Take precautions when you Eyeball

Take the necessary precautions when you eyeball. Meet in a public place, keep the initial date a "clean fun" type, and don't take along large amounts of cash with you in case your date is a mugger. Let someone know where you're going and what time they can expect to hear from you again, just to make sure someone knows where to look for you and rescue you in case something Bad Happens.

Your safety should always be a priority. Never take anything for granted and assume nothing bad will happen to you.

I wish you every success in finding your true love if you choose to do so via online dating. But remember to be careful and good luck!