1. Because e-mail is communication without the help of physical charm, personal conversation, or even the elegant formatting of a letter, it's especially important to write clearly and concisely without losing sense of your personality. Avoid stilted speech; do not assume a level of familiarity with your correspondent until it seems merited; and use the spell-check function.

2. Your personal description and profile should not include profanity, off-color jokes, or statements that could intrude on another person's sense of rights, respect, or comfort. Offensive speech is nothing more than a shrill and vulgar bid for attention.

3. When you attempt to correspond with someone for the first time, address them as "Dear __" or "Hello __," and sign off with "Regards," "Yours," "Sincerely," or "Best wishes." Reserve "Love" for well-established relationships.

4. In response to someone's correspondence, try to refer to at least one or two items they mentioned their work or hobbies, for instance. Otherwise your email may read like a monologue, producing weariness, indifference, and apathy on the part of the reader. Inquiries about the other person are the best way to stimulate communication online.

5. Be honest in your personal description. Misrepresentations of profession, personal appearance, and other matters are insincere an expression of insecurity and disrespect toward others.

6. Cultivate a sense of humor. In an awkward situation, as online matchmaking invariably can be, humor can put others at ease.

7. If an online dating correspondent asks for a photo, comply. You may think that looks don't matter, but if your correspondent has asked for one, clearly he or she thinks they do. You may express your concerns about privacy, or ask your correspondent to send a photo first, but you should make the effort to reward his or her portrait with one of your own.

8. You are entitled to correspond with more than one person at a time. You are not being disloyal or dishonest, only searching for the person who is best suited to you. Similarly, you should not expect that a person who contacts you or pursues a correspondence is corresponding with you alone.

9. Respond to people who contact you in a timely fashion (within several days), even if you're not interested in pursuing a correspondence. If someone has taken the time to send you a message, it is good etiquette to reply, even if just to say that you're not interested.

10. If you conclude that you and your correspondent are not right for each other, offer a brief thanks for their interest but state that you do not feel that you will make a good match. You do not have to state your reasons, but you do need to inform them of your decision so that they will not waste time and energy continuing to write to you.

11. If a person says they no longer wish to communicate with you, do not argue with them or try to change their mind. If you wish, send a brief "Best wishes" or "Good luck," but it’s not wise to communicate with them further. Do not initiate online arguments; never threaten or allow yourself to be rude. One person's conclusion that you are not a "match" does not make them deserving of your abuse.

12. In today’s dating world, either the man or the woman may suggest the next dating step. Men may offer to give out their phone number first, in case a woman is concerned about her privacy and/or security. First meetings should take place at a well-lit, inexpensive public place, like a coffee shop, for instance. This offers just enough time for introductions and brief conversation. So if there’s no immediate attraction, you’ve still got your evening free and clear. But if there is, the rest of the evening is all up to you.