When the first internet dating websites began to gain popularity, they attracted people from across the planet very quickly and for a while people regarded them as a place for only the real no-hopers in the relationship world just like people dismissed the internet and colour television as mere fads, internet dating has become such a normal part of modern culture that there is no longer a stigma attached.
Another popular misconception with online dating, and one I aim to tackle in this piece, is that for those over 50 it is unusual and in bad taste to take your search for love to the internet.
Let me set this straight, you have as much right to love as the next person and don't let anybody tell you otherwise, your desire for companionship is perfectly natural and it is neither bad show or wrong to join a dating site.
Mature daters often find themselves more nervous than younger daters because of a general belief that dating is for the young and that at any age over 40 one should be settled down, married and aiming for a life without the fun and romance of the dating scene.
You shouldn't let this put you off in the slightest, it didn't stop me and now I'm happily engaged.
In short, you should ignore any and all social constraints that you might feel as you begin your journey to happiness.
It will only slow you down and possibly make you miss that special somebody before they're snapped up.