Personally, I'm tired of meeting men at bars. After a short period, the bar scene just seems ho-hum. The same lame cover band, same water downed drinks, the same men, the same women. Because of this, I decided to ditch the bars and try online dating. I had my initial reservations but many of my friends tried online dating and met some worthwhile people. In fact, almost 40 million American singles try online dating sites to find romance.

However it is still best to observe safety measure when dating online. With millions of strangers out there, someone will never know if the person they are about to date is 100% harmless.

Here are some safe dating tips for people who are into online dating:

1. Anonymity

Even if you're already eyeing the profile of somebody that you particularly like, it is still best not to divulge any personal information like e-mail address, home address, contact number, or any pertinent information that would reveal your true identity.

2. Honest profiles

Being honest does not necessarily mean revealing personal information immediately. Being honest with one's profile means simply being true to one's self. It's best not to create a dishonest profile or to display a fake picture. At the least this will disappoint others and waste their time if they find you are not what they wanted after all.

3. Pressure measure

It would be safer not to meet somebody who pressures you to meet immediately. It could mean a lot of things that might not be favorable to you.

4. Inconsistency

Be wary of people who are inconsistent with their profile information. They may not be telling the truth about themselves.

5. If somebody seems to be depressed, it would be better to stop all contacting with them.

Uneasiness is a good indicator if something is likely to get out of hand. If you feel uneasy or uncomfortable about any relationship, stop communication immediately.

I must admit that I have had a couple of horror stories with meeting men online so I definitely had to reevaluate my approach to meeting men online. All of these things boil down to the fact that safety on online dating starts with you. Set certain safety rules for yourself and stick to them. No-one can give you better protection than you yourself.