Protecting yourself and your family should be your number one priority in any situation. When you decide to enter the world of online dating, there's an endless possibility of anything happening.

While it's fascinating to be apart of the virtual world of online dating, caution needs to be practiced at all times. Basically, you're opening up the possibility of meeting someone who might not be very stable.

When you decide to date someone that you have met online it is imperative that you put certain safe guards into place. Protecting yourself by not giving out your address, phone number, passwords, and other personal information is a no-brainer.

You can have fun without being paranoid that every man is a creep or serial killer. Just keep in mind that you will be meeting a lot more people than you would be able to at your local Walmart. And some of these people will not have very good intentions.

Guarding yourself and your possessions should be a given for anyone who is considering online dating. In fact, your computer should be one of the first things you safe guard before you decide to dive into the world of online dating.

No doubt you will be surfing the web for various relationship sites and if your computer isn't protected, sensitive information that needs to be kept from unscruplous individuals might get out.

The last thing you want to happen if you're chatting with someone you hardly know, is for them to walk right through your computer front door without your knowledge. If you don't have a lot of money to invest there are some awesome firewalls that won't cost you a penny to use. Just know that this needs to be done first, not after you start your love search.

Online dating may not be for everyone but if you're thinking about trying it out, protect yourself, protect your computer, and protect your privacy before you jump into the world of infinite possiblities that come with a lot of unforeseen events.

There are a host of other things you need to know before you jump into the world of online dating so be prepare to learn the do's and the don'ts the easy way so that you don't have to learn them the hard way. The prospect of meeting your mate online is exciting but don't let it turn into a nightmare before it begins. Take it from someone who learned the hard way.

Good luck and happy dating.