by Ted Sherman

Created on: August 29, 2008   Last Updated: November 23, 2011

The first bit of best advice for women going on a blind date is to follow your basic instincts of observation and self-protection. After that, everything should make for an enjoyable occasion.

To start, there's the playing field. The internet has greatly expanded and changed the blind dating scene compared to the simplistic boy-girl days of just a decade or so ago. However, it isn't the only solution to blind dating, because along with all the exciting new computer bells and whistles, is the added potential for disappointment, wasted time, emotional problems and physical dangers.

Unfortunately, the internet has become a virtual free-for-all worldwide danger zone, where thousands of entrepreneurs and predators reach out daily with scams and lonely-hearts come-ons. The best advice for any woman agreeing to a blind date is to do some intelligent research first.

There are legitimate online dating services, and if a young woman wants to explore the field, she should keep most personal information secret. Select a separate email address in advance to be used just for negotiating with those services and anyone else you meet on line. Be very wary at first about giving out your address, phone number, email address, home location or any other personal information.

Never give out your Social Security or bank account numbers in any blind date situation. Finally, always understand, just like bricks'n'mortar employment agencies, even the most reputable online dating services are not in business to help you, but to make money. It is up to you alone to protect yourself and your pocketbook in any dating situation, online or otherwise.

Consider words of advice in some typical blind dating scenarios:

1. A friend suggests a guy she knows, a real perfect match for single you. She told him you weren't currently seeing anyone, and you'd be willing to go on a blind date. If she's a good, trustworthy friend, you may decide to take it to the next step. Worth a try ... right?

Ask her for all the personal information and history she has about the guy, or where you can get it. If the research all goes well, give her your phone number to pass on to the prospect. When he calls and suggests a blind date, keep the first meeting short and simple. A couple of hours for lunch or dinner in a good restaurant, a movie or concert and a discreet good-night handshake or short, passionless peck of a kiss. That's it, and if it results in another date, and another, you can decide to take it from there.

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