Staying safe online: Top 10 tips and best practices for seniors meeting people online

May 11, 2012, 8:15 a.m.

Bet you never thought you'd be meeting people through a computer, right? Or that you'd ever find yourself searching the internet for online dating tips and general dating advice. Alas, life moves pretty fast and if you're not up to speed with it, you're lagging behind. To ensure that you're a part of the former and not the latter, here are 10 tips and best practices for meeting people online.

Use senior dating sites to find potential matches. There are plenty of opportunities for you to meet people just about everywhere you go on the internet, from chat rooms to discussion forums, but the best way to connect with someone that's looking for the same thing you are is through senior dating sites that specialize in matching people up.
Research senior dating sites before using them. The fact is, there's a plethora of matchmaking sites out there -- some far better than others, some far costlier than others. Although registering with a pay service guarantees you the best possible results, make sure you shop around so you don't end up paying some ridiculously high rate.
Find out what kind of screening process the dating website in question performs prior to listing people on their database. The last thing you want to do is to get paired up with someone with a checkered past, or worse.
When meeting someone in "real life" for the first time, always pick a neutral, public place. The world's a much different place than it was decades ago, and you really never know.
Don't give away too much personal information to someone you're only talking to online. Things like your address, home phone number, and last name should be kept off the table until you get to know someone better.
Remember that honesty is the best dating advice when it comes to physical attraction issues. It's okay to post a flattering photograph of yourself for others to see, but don't be dishonest and send something in that makes you look a quarter century younger than you actually are, or 50 pounds thinner, or 5 inches taller. By being honest, you'll limit the risk of severely disappointing a potential romantic partner when they see you in the flesh.
Be realistic. There's nothing wrong with aiming for the bleachers your first time at bat, but the best dating advice on the planet reminds us that not everyone is qualified to play in the major leagues. What this means, quite simply, is that you should keep your head on your shoulders with respect to the kind of person that you're most likely to attract. The end result will be a much better, more suitable match for you.
One of the most undervalued online dating tips is to be straightforward about what you want to get out of a possible relationship with someone. If sex is what you're looking for, don't meet people under false pretenses of looking for a relationship. You could end up wasting a lot of valuable time, otherwise.
Although the temptation may be there, don't try to find someone who looks just like a loved one that you've recently lost. If you find yourself gravitating toward these types, it might be a good idea to slow down and ask yourself some very pointed questions about what it is you hope to accomplish by meeting someone new online. Anything otherwise would be unfair to the person you're interested in getting to know better.
Seek out dating advice websites. Just because your teenage years are far behind you doesn't mean that you're automatically an expert on the dos and don'ts of first dates and how to impress.