"We have only spoken by phone once, he travels out of town and we are both married. We have not exchanged phone numbers. He gave me his hotel number," -- Pam, 33, Tennessee.

"I used to talk for hours on AOL with this one guy, and finally we decided to meet off-line," says one 21-year-old AOL member.

Many members do pursue an offline relationship, but more often than not, these relationships do not work out as well in person as they did online. AOL is a safe haven for people to mask themselves and to get to know a person intimately first instead of an initial physical attraction. A person can create a fantasy image of himself or herself or of the person to whom they are talking, an imagery which often cannot survive the reality of meeting the person face-to-face.

Michelle Weil, a psychologist in California, feels that even when people are truthful online, online relationships are limited. "You're only accessing a portion of a person. As people, we need a tactile physical presence to make a complete bond. We need to see their face, see their gestures and smell their breath," says Weil.

Do's and Don'ts of Online Dating Do not give out personal information over the Internet. Do give the relationship time before you decide to meet offline. Do meet in a public place such as a cafe, restaurant or museum. Do drive individually to the place where you decide to meet. Do meet in a well-lit place, preferably in the afternoon or early evening. Do tell someone else where you will be when you meet your online friend, just in case. Do not have high expectations. Do trust your instincts, whether good or bad.

Many AOL members are optimistic about AOL and cyber-romances.

"I feel that AOL dating is just as safe as if you meet someone somewhere else," says Joe, 21, from Illinois.

Meeting a person in a bar is harder to do for people when they are looking for a mate and AOL is an easy way to meet that "perfect" person.

"In a bar or something, you may not have the guts to approach someone; in here (AOL), there are no inhibitions," says Joey, 25, from New Jersey.

According to Time Magazine, "Untold thousands are flirting, courting, marrying, and even cheating online." Some members sign on to AOL to simply talk and find themselves involved in a relationship even if they are married.

"We have only spoken by phone once, he travels out of town and we are both married. We have not exchanged phone numbers. He gave me his hotel number," says Pam, 33, from Tennessee.

AOL has opened up a new medium for people to meet and find love, but many people, including online users, are skeptical of the whole cyber-romance experience.

"I don't know about that," says Becky, 21, from Philadelphia, Pa.. "I mean, you really have to be careful online. There are people who can lie and can really hurt you, emotionally or physically," she adds.

Although thousands of positive relationships are formed every day on AOL, some relationships do not always end on a positive note. As a member of the AOL community, each individual has to be aware of the dangers and consequences that could arise from a cyber-romance. A person's vulnerability is heightened when sitting behind a computer screen through which false identities can be created. AOL members should realize that although meeting online can be a fascinating experience, nothing is 100 percent safe, including a cyber-romance.

** All names are fictional so real AOL identities cannot be identified. ***Thank you to Dan (Jazzurb) for all your help on this.