Finding just the right match for romance in today's fast-paced world can seem almost impossible. The bar scene doesn't often work. Church isn't for everyone. And grocery store produce aisle pick-ups are kind of creepy. For many the answer has become online dating services and the results are pretty amazing. Successes are reported every day whether the goal was finding a new friend or a spouse.

While it used to be that successful matches made online, the ones where marriage resulted, were the things of headlines and tabloids, that's not the case these days where more and more people are meeting online, forming fast friendships and then turning those connections romances that work.

The services available online can and do work, but they aren't for everyone. Careful consideration should come in before signing up. And if you do sign up, be honest about yourself, interests and even appearance for a better chance at finding the right match.

Despite the success stories, however, there are a lot of stigmas associated with online dating. All and all, they're not very fair. After all, since we're now in a "one world" situation where boundaries between countries are blurred by the Internet, finding lots of interesting people online from all over the world is more than possible.

Dating services online can really help cut down on some of the problems associated with finding the right match for a simple date or even a long-term commitment. By matching personalities, likes, dislikes and so on, these services can "cut out" some of the trouble that goes along with regular dating.

The secret behind most of these services is to compare the personality profiles of clients, match interests and line up folks from the same geographic area for potential dates. Once possible matches are made, many services allow, and in fact encourage, clients to first get to know each other online by corresponding or talking in instant messages or via a phone. This helps establish whether a bond is present or if another candidate should be checked out.

Cutting down on the hassle of dating, these services can prove incredibly successful in pairing up people of like minds. While it's true opposites attract, a lot of long-term successful relationships are forged through commonalities.

If you've decided to go the online service route, chances are you'll enjoy the experience. But, remember, it's a good idea to be careful when actually meeting your match. Good safety precautions are in order whether a person's date is met online, in a bar or even at church.

Before heading out on that first date, consider doing the following things:

* Insist on meeting in a public place. This is for your security and your date's, plus it can help take some of the edge off a first-date situation.

* Make sure someone you know is told where you are going.

* Get the person's full name. Pass this along to the person you've told about the date.

* If you don't feel comfortable on the date, say so politely and move on.

While online dating is great for matching people, precautions should be taken in actually meeting matches. With a little common sense and some diligence, an honest to goodness match can be found. There may even be a soul mate out there in cyber space.

Remember when using online dating services that these generally match people and personalities. This doesn't mean a computer can ensure "chemistry." Be prepared for a few strikeouts and consider the experience as a fun exploration, not a last-ditch effort.