Otter, I've never done online dating but I suppose the hardest thing would be meeting someone local and actually setting in to place proper security measures for when you meet for the first few times. I would suggest letting a friend know where you are going, arranging to ring when you get back, all that net safety stuff. I personaly would worry about you. isn't it possible for you to join a night school or hobby class in your area?

Not sure about the US sites but I tried a couple in NZ before I met my current partner and geez....there are some real perdators out there. Just be careful hun (which I know you will anyway)

Both of my sisters met their now husbands on-line. The one guy I'd say wasn't a great catch, but the other one is. Of course, its just my opinion, its seems as though both marriages are going strong. One has lasted 6 years and the other 2. Both of my sisters were married before.

Hmmm...I met my fiance online...WI also has open court access, so I filtered him through that too! lol I met him off of plentyoffish.com My sister also met that ass that robbed her off this site too...I dunno, there's the good and the bad everywhere!

or you looking for a man or another woman

I believe in it, but then again I have found it, so I am biased.

I went through the UK Match.com. I met the best guy. He lives in Scotland and I may be moving in with him. Give it a try!!

well I had a horiffic experiance with online dating, I went to Georgia to meet someone I thought was a religious caring person only to find out that the person was involved with illegal things like finacial fraud, making false documents etc. I was in a hostage situation for about a month and was told I would be killed, my family would be killed if I said anything to anyone, I was raped and made to do drugs and illegal things. It finally stopped when I was in a Best Buy getting things they told me to, and I got cought because the vehical we were driving in was stolen and had an onstar tracking device in it. After I explained my situation and they checked it out, All the charges were dropped, They found several fake ID's, Checkbooks planted in the vehical. The persons ID and Credit card information they used to obtain the vehical happend to be a DA of that county. I am so thankful I could of been hanged!!!! so if you do find someone online. go to a police station to meet... lol

I want to go to Scotland, but not the hostage thing. LOL!

Otter-
I work with 3 people that have had great results on EHarmony.
One is married and I work for her.
One is engaged and is encouraging me to give it a try??
And the last is dating someone from the site.

I gave Yahoo Personal a whirl and it ended in bad results. Turned out he was a drunk/drug usuer. Moral to that story, be very careful and selective. Sometimes people aren't who they say they are.

As with anything worth discussing/debating, there are pros and cons but here's a few tips from one woman to another:

Be selective and stay in the drivers seat.

Don't let a potential love interest push you into meeting. Take it slow, share emails for several weeks, exchange phone numbers when you ready to and meet in person when you are ready and limit your meeting time, ie. lunch or for coffee at Starbucks.

Always let someone close know where you are meeting, his info, phone #, etc.
If the conversation starts to concentrate around sex, move on, NEXT!

Online dating has become very popular b/c so many people are unable to devote the time they want to finding the "one". Some work crazy hours, some are single parents, are no longer in the bar/club scene or hesitate in putting themselves out there.

If definately possible, unfortunately you have to go through a few rotten apples before you find the perfect one for you.

I don't see anything wrong with it, as long as ya screen him first. Plus, for my first date, I'd meet in a very public place. Sorry, no strolls down Park Avenue! You can usually tell on the first date if you're compatible, or not, 'especially if you've been e-mailing him for awhile. You can usually sense if he/she is genuine, or a fake.
My stepson is e-mailing this girl, from Russian... and I think it's a scam. But, just try convincing HIM of that! He won't listen and he's gonna get hurt. She's already asking for money! (plane fair) It's a scam. I'd go outside this community to find someone, though. TWO bi-polars in the same house? Either it would be the wildest, craziest marriage anyone has ever had... or, it would spell disaster. No middle ground... remember?
It would prove interesting!

Otterheart: I've had too much experience with online "mating" with little success. I read your profile and you have so many interests I wonder why you haven't met someone. But I have lots of interests and don't get involved in my interests enough to meet others. I think that's the best way but everything takes time, even online. There are lots of places that advertise free online personals but it's free for maybe 30 days max. That's long enough but keep track so you can cancel if you want without having to pay. They will still ask for your credit card info. I should "report" that my experience is with gay sites. I tried Yahoo Personals and they just want too much money. I feel like they are selling my body but I still feel like a prostitute. Before you start, write a personal profile so you can copy and paste it into their system. There have to be lots of websites that offer help on how to write a personal ad. Proximity will be your biggest challenge. If you're stuck in the boonies and with two kids, you'll be faced with commuting. Someone asked if you were looking for a man or woman. The places like match.com probably include women seeking women but a gay site is going to have more contacts. It's not easy. But in your profile/ad, try to be as positive as possible and realize that you don't have to present every little detail about you. The worst thing to do is place what you dont want. Be positive. You're looking for someone to reply and then you can be open and honest and fill in some details. But don't waste your time in the beginning because many connections go nowhere and that's a good thing. I'm not ugly and know my age works against me. I'm 65 but easily pass for 55. I look younger than some guys who claim to be 50 but many aren't being truthful about their age, including me this last time. I claimed to be 57 to avoid so many doors getting slammed in my face. So far I haven't had to tell anyone I fudged but I will when the time comes. Most indicate the age range their seeking and I fall within that category so Ive been okay so far. I don't want to claim to be too young or I won't be able to "keep up with them." LOL Safety is an issue, as others have mentioned. For women, meeting in public is always acceptable. Guys seeking guys want to take a short cut and there's nothing worse than having someone show up on your doorstep when you don't want to open the door after taking a peek. Having a picture of yourself will be helpful but you don't need to place it with your ad. You can say you'll provide it when they share their pic. I placed a picture of a pet so it shows that I have a picture available otherwise you can get skipped when others search with pic criteria selected. It's the words that will capture attention, not always a glamour shot. In your profile/ad, you also need to indicate what you're looking for, not just who you are. You'll be challenged with having two kids but there will be guys with kids. You might start with divorced, if that's the case, and then announce that you have children with the first reply. Most sites ask multiple questions that will ask if you have kids with an option of "will tell you later." Lie or tell the truth ONLY if you feel comfortable about it. Theyre only going to eventually find out so you might as well get it over with. Saying you have kids can also be a way to weed out the sex addicts, even if that's what you're looking for. LOL It's not easy if you're single so don't expect it to be easy if you're not single. What you will discover in the process, however, is that you will get more acquainted with who you are, what you want, and that's a good thing. When you respond, just like in the Daily Strength Discussions, I find that I come away knowing myself better. Sometimes that's good but more often it's just more homework. But if YOU want to try it, do it BUT DON'T avoid it because you are worried about what others might think. It makes me feel like a slut but as long as I treat others and myself with respect it's not me that makes me feel like a slut, it's what I think my mother or family members might think. When they begin to pay my rent, I may pay more attention to their wishes but unless I learn to lead my own life and do what I want, I'm going to be miserable. And meeting someone does not mean I won't be miserable. So good luck! We both need it!

my brother met his wife online. And he's NOT an online person. Anyhow.. they are both weird... they both believe that online was a tool for them to meet and continue their like 10,ooo year journey together.

My point is ... sure! I believe it can be a tool to meet people.

Now.. I have some Italian dude in Italy that seems to think that he'll come for a visit to the states, I'll meet him at the airport... and totally fall in love, go home, and have sex until the world ends.

HA~

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!