I met my fiance and the father of my next kid online
It was a dating site, we were both very careful though. We chatted on the site for a while before even exchanging msn- and the we chatted on msn a while before we met. We met in a very public place- a mall (when it wasn't busy) and we just went for a walk around the mall, and had a coke in the food court.
Try to make sure it is a place that has people, but is not crowded, if something were to happen, and it is very crowded, things tend not to be noticed, and if they are most time, crowd-apathy will prevent anyone from helping.
It's relatively safe, but you just have to keep your head about you.
Don't let him meet your kids until you are sure he is a normal person you are interested in.
And remember, online dating is like putting in an extra step. Just becuase they seem cool online, doesnt mean they are. You have to meet the person a few times to ensure they aren't having an online persona. And once you like the person THAN think about dating them...
That's how I did it. I met a few people from that site, and some were flat out strange. (one guy proposed on the second date, and tried to buy me a parrot!) But if you have realistic expectations, and you are careful, you can find a potential, I did!
