One of the many problems with Internet dating is that so many people are on these sites because they want desperately to get married.

After many years on the dating scene and many false relationship starts, I have finally come to the end of my rope: my sex-column rope.

Dont get me wrong, I do adore writing this column, and never run out of dating experiences. Unfortunately, I am running out of fresh topics.

Every time I think Ive come up with something I have yet to discuss, I look in my portfolio, and sure enough, Ive written about it. Im not complaining; Im happy to have had this column for so long. Im very glad I still have readers.

I have talked to a couple of friends recently about this Internet dating trend and decided to look into what it all entails. I looked into eHarmony.com and match.com, both of which allow you to create a profile and browse for free.

After creating profiles on both sites, I kept getting e-mails from both sites. Honestly, match.com was more inviting for a handful of reasons.

Match.com allows you to wink at someone, which is exactly what it sounds like, without purchasing a membership. Also, it gives you a much more manageable list of options, complete with the percentage of compatibility for your desires in a mate. It allows you to browse your top matches and, when youre a member, you can e-mail anyone interesting with your assigned match.com e-mail.

After seeing these perks, I chose to subscribe to match.com for one month. I immediately found a couple of guys on the list that appear, on the surface, to be men I might date. I took a deep breath and e-mailed them.

Now I await their responses, or lack thereof.

I also have the ability to see the profiles of the people looking at my profile.

The second day I was a member, I received one e-mail and three winks from guys. Honestly, I was a little disappointed with the guys that seem interested in me. It is too early to judge, but so far, no luck.

One guy, who is below my minimum age requirement and not my physical type whatsoever, e-mailed me and said that we seem to have a lot in common. I gave him the benefit of the doubt and checked out his profile.

Much to my chagrin, we didnt have a lot in common. While I met almost all of his criteria, he met very few of my requirements. We dont have in common the following main points: religious beliefs, political opinions, education level or whether we want children.

I am on this site for fun and possible dating; he really wants a long-term relationship. I have to wonder what exactly we have in common in his opinion.

One of the many problems with Internet dating is that so many people are on these sites because they want desperately to get married. Just like in real life, one can smell desperation.

If you say in your profile that you definitely want kids, and then leave your criteria completely open for a mate, you appear desperate. If you are too specific in your criteria, you are never going to meet anyone.

I tried to keep mine in the middle ground. I absolutely need someone who enjoys going out to bars; I need someone who is taller than me, and no more than two years younger than me. I need someone who is not strictly religious or very conservative. These are my requirements. There are a million people out there. I am just hoping that I find someone who I can have a good time with.

More than anything, I want to be able to share my Internet dating experiences with you. If it is painful, I feel I should give warning. If it works, I want to make sure everyone knows that its not purely for people who cant get dates, but for people who may simply just be too busy or too frustrated to find anyone in real life.

Keep your eyes on my column to find out if maybe this will work for you. After all, this is the computer age. I can find the perfect shoes, the perfect dress and the perfect restaurant; maybe I can find the perfect date to go along with all of my other Internet finds.

If nothing else, at least it will be a good story to tell.

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