Do you feel safe when dating online? My personal experience is that online dating was no more dangerous than other types of dating. Any time you meet someone new (a stranger, for all intents and purposes) you've GOT to be careful. This is the same whether you're meeting a friend of a friend, someone you chat with online, or contact through a profile.

While you shouldn't let fear paralyze you when meeting new people, you do have to be careful. This is especially true with meeting people online. No matter how many times we talk about safety, there is always a story lurking in the paper about someone who got duped by a guy or girl they met online. And it doesn't have to be that way.

To that end, the experts at Looking For Love have posted "ten safety tips to make your online dating experience secure, user-friendly, and safe." These are great, common sense tips to help remind you to keep your wits about you. The first one listed is key: use a reputable site. But I like the fifth one the best: use caution.

I'll add one to this list: just because you email someone doesn't mean you know him or her. It takes time to see them in different situations before you begin to get to know them. Until then, go slowly and cautiously.