People fall in love — it happens. You could even say that it is natural and "human" for people to feel attraction to one another when they communicate over a period of time. Online love and romance take place all of the time, and usually begins as a back and forth of communication, be it emailing, talking on Myspace or Facebook, or commenting on blogs, etc. As with all things related to love and romance, there are ups and down to online love and romance that you should be aware of before you fall into a romantic situation with an online acquaintance.

1. Online Dating Sites - If you are looking for romance, check out the online dating sites. There has been a boom in sites that specialize in helping people to meet their perfect soulmates. By comparing each other’s profiles, these dating sites match up profiles for the best compatibility. Some examples are eHarmony, Match.com, and Yahoo Personals.

Many of these sites require paid memberships. For example, if you check Charmdate review this site filter their members through background checks so they are a little safer to surf. But paying a membership does not guarantee success.

Other dating sites are free. Anyone can register and create a profile with no filtering. The risks are a little greater but if you don’t find someone within a month, you are not out any money.

2. Social Networking – If you are looking more for friends than a date for the evening, social networking sites are the places for you. There are a ton of them out there. Some examples are Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter.

On social network sites, you get to post information about yourself along with current happenings in your life. You create a list of friends and can go read about what is happening to them. These sites are a great way to reconnect with old friends, keep up with new ones, or make contacts you can use for business.

3. Chat Rooms – If you are interested in starting up a conversation with people, visit some chat rooms. Many social sites have these features. Chat rooms are great for carrying on live chats and many rooms have certain topics or are intended for certain demographics.

Before you hop into a chat room, though, you really need to be aware of the topic (if any) and the proper way to conduct yourself. Some chat rooms are not very friendly to just anyone. And if you don’t know a lot about the topic being discussed, you will be ignored.

Hobby and Special Interest Sites – Hobby sites are good places to find people with the same interests. Whether it is music, movies, cars, or fashion, you can find just about any site with your interests. While you may not find a romantic interest at one of the websites, you can still meet new friends, gain resources, and have stimulating discussions.

Online Groups – Some groups have an online site for updates on group activities. These sites have email lists, forums where you can post discussions, and moderators that oversee the site. Online groups are great places to just hang. Some groups even get together in person occasionally and enjoy some ‘live’ time.