Marie had just moved to a new city and had no idea how to meet new and interesting people in her area. She had tried the online dating thing back home where she met some pretty interesting characters and had a lot of fun, so she figured, "I might as well give it another shot, I could meet Mr. Right!" Marie posted her personal ad then waited for responses until she met the love of her life. Although it is a BIG secret between them, this is how she really met her husband! He noticed her ad and sent a message with his email address so she checked out his profile and liked what she saw. They were both new to the area and were tired of running into the same type of boring people they had been meeting and were both searching for something different. The timing couldn't have been any better because when she emailed him and gave him her phone number, they ended up talking for three hours just getting to know each other before deciding to have their first date. They were both in the same place in life, they wanted the same things, and they just seemed to click right from the start without rushing into sex, in fact they never even talked about it. Before they knew it, they were moving in together, got engaged, bought a house, got married and now they're expecting their first baby.... all within two and a half years! How many relationships have advanced in that kind of time? They are no different then any other couple, have their issues, problems, and everything else, but the only difference is in the way they met. Before you jump into dating online, here are some ground rules for successful online dating, not just a hook up... this is for serious applicants:

Do: Keep your photos current because when you meet in person you may both be in for a surprise!

Don't: Put any of your baby pictures or high school pictures from 10-20 years ago. Share those pictures for when you're actually dating.

Do: Keep your introduction short and sweet. No one wants to read your autobiography on a personal ad, besides, you need to have stuff to talk about when you finally meet in person.

Don't: Go on and on about yourself, set rules or list your high standards in that little paragraph because it is a turn off. If you seem full of yourself you might not get any genuine responses and all that nonsense may have Mr./Mrs RIGHT passing you by.

Do: Be sure to be honest about your hobies and interests because it helps when you both decide what to do on a date.

Don't: Lie about the things you're not really into because if you say you like to dance and you are either too shy to get on the dance floor, need courage in a can, or have 2 left feet, you're a big fat liar.

Do: Exchange emails a couple times before you meet in person so you can exchange more photos, but if you want to meet a quality gal/guy DO NOT GET FREAKY ON WEBCAM!

Don't: Fall head over heels in love over a couple of emails! If the other person keeps avoiding meeting you in person they probably put up old or flattering pictures and they don't look really like that!

Do: Exchange phone numbers and have a real conversation before you meet in person. Having a conversation over the phone will give you a better connection then just emailing because you both can hear the tone of each other's voice and you can listen to what your laughs really sound like instead of reading: lol, lmao, rofl, and hahahahahaa!

Don't: Be overly critical of your phone conversations, and it's totally ok to talk or joke around about your previous online dating experiences. Share your likes and dislikes, bad, funny or weird dates so you can both get a feel for your turn ons and turn offs. Also, don't fall too hard over a couple of phone calls and try not to spend too much time on the phone because you want to have stuff to talk about on your date!

Do: Meet in a well lit public place during the day if possible because you want to make sure you can see what the other person looks like in real lights, not dim ones. In the event that you've met a complete psycho, you have witnesses all around you to tell the cops what happened to you! Keep your cell phone handy in case you need an escape route. Have your friend or relative call you in 20-30 minutes to check on you to make sure everything is ok, this is your chance to let them know it's cool or if you need to make a quick exit..

Don't: Give them your address and have them pick you up at your place. This is a safety precaution, if you aren't attracted to this person once you've met in person, you may not want them to know where you live.

Do: Enjoy yourself and getting to know new people. Be open to trying new things like food, music, out door activities, and other things that ouitside of your norms.

Don't: Have super high expectations of your date. If you are too excited and it's a bust, you will be heart broken, so go out there with the intention of having fun and meeting someone new. No one sane ever got married on the first date!

Do: Have plenty of interesting things to talk about when you finally meet in person, but be honest, you don't want to be fake when your heart is at stake. Send out cool. positive vibes, not heated angry ones! You are already interested in getting to know each other if you've made it this far without putting the other person on your ignore list!

Don't: Talk bad about anyone or anything, you may come off as a total jerk/bitch! Ladies, we are our worst critics so be as confident as you can be on your first date... it's not like your date will be on the news and everyone will know how bad it went! This isn't reality TV either, so be yourself and have fun, the truth is, you're BOTH a little nervous!

Once you think you've met someone with potential, go on a couple of dates before you let them know where you live and don't go back to their place unless you think you might be ready to take your relationship to the next level - sex. Once you're at their place, drive your own vehicle there because if you aren't ready for sex and you need to get out quick you can jump into your own car and go home. It's better to be safe then get raped, so be smart about the pace you're taking in the relationship! Fortunately for Marie, her husband was the perfect gentleman when they first met, they went out on a lot of dates and when she went back to his place they cuddled and talked a lot before they started making out and having sex. There should be a lot of communication and intimacy taking place before you just hop in the sack, especially since you met online. You never want to come off as desperate, someone who is just looking for sex or they type of person that goes trolling the internet for a quick lay because they are too cheap to pay for sex or too easy to have any morals. Some of the people opting to try online dating are serious about meeting good people, making friends, and perhaps... falling in love.