Two of my really good friends are in the very early stages of a relationship. They work in the same industry and have been friends for years, but finally felt the romantic connection when they found themselves single at the same time. The catch is that they live over a thousand miles apart.

Long distance relationships are more common than ever, as travel has become cheaper and ways to communicate plentiful. Dating sites like eHarmony and Match.com make it possible to even begin a new relationship without having met in person.

I’m gonna share this with y’all because it’s just too rich to not tell someone. I am chatting, right now as I type, with a dude who claims to be interested in dating me, another Facebook friend who is enamored by my apparent ability to be charming in the few lines of a status update. Real life, eh. But social media, I’m slaying ‘em. Anyway, he just told me that among the other qualities I appear to possess, I’m pretty, but not too pretty, and that’s one of the things he likes about me. Join me in a long, blank stare, won’t you?

When people find out I married a guy I met on the Internet, I am prepared for the inevitable question: how could you be sure you knew the real him? In the age of Catfish, it's a fair question. But then, if you've done any Internet dating, you know there's one quick way to strike at least a few of the crazies right off your list.

Take a look at their screen name. Does it make you laugh? In a good way or in a "OMG what kind of nutbag loser would actually put that out there?" There you go. The Internet dating world is full of nutbag losers, and their hilariously awful screen names are like big flashing warning signs.

Not sure what I'm talking about? The Stir talked to some Internet daters and rounded up some of the absolute worst dating profile names they've seen on the Internet. Believe it or not, they're all real ... sadly!

There’s never a dull moment in the science of studying single women. I often find myself thinking something along the lines of “Eff this English degree, I’m going back to school for statistics” because clearly, honey boo boo, that’s where the credibility, cash, and major publisher book deals are. Endangered animals teeter on the brink of eternal extinction, but for some reason, no species is more fascinating and ripe for study than the common Womanus Unmarriedus. In this latest round of findings, published at The Atlantic, we learn that geography is also a contributing culprit to our ringless status—a welcomed deviation from the routine look-how-suckishly-your-parents-raised-you approach. “The Worst Cities for College-Educated Women Trying to Find a Decent Date” takes a look at the gap between folks 35 and under in 102 U.S. metro areas. Wow, just a decent date? And the bar slips even lower.

Sigh. Former Bachelor Ben Flajnik has resorted to online dating to try and find himself a suitable mate. Yep, turns out a female fan discovered Ben's profile on Tinder, an online dating app. (They have apps for this sort of thing now? Who knew?)

She then tweeted Ben and said, "Haha did this just happen? Hit me up on Tinder."

And being the nice yet geeky dude that he is, Ben replied to her with, "Tinder is hilarious."

Way to be smooth, Ben. Way to be smooth.

These days online dating has become a commonality. So many of my girlfriends have tried it, and I even know a few who have great relationships because of their experience on the web. Which is why it doesn't surprise me that Teen Mom Farrah Abraham decided to check it out herself. And get this: She says she has a new man now because of it!

Yup, after three days of using a popular website (she doesn't reveal which one), the MTV star says she found a real Christian, a gentleman. Three days.

Let's rap about this for a minute, right? In three days, whether you're dating online or in the flesh, what are you telling a person that sparks your interest in the first three days that solidifies a relationship? The answer: the good stuff.

I'm happy for you, Farrah, but I wouldn't shut down that dating profile quite yet.

Because it’s just not easy enough to sow your horny oats in the real world and initiate a sexual relationship by your own devices online, ta da! May the social media gods present Bang With Friends, a Facebook app that takes connecting with someone to a whole other level. With the click of your mouse, you could be logging off of The Book and having some very tangible sex. Provided you get banged back, of course. 

Like sexting your husband or boyfriend? Well, you might not feel so free and easy with the sex videos and risque photos once you read this. Oh, it's super cute when that mom hands off an eyebrow-raising video to her husband on his way out of town in that smartphone ad. But how safe is that video, really?

A new study by McAfee on "Love, Relationships and Technology" sure paints a dark picture of what happens when love goes wrong. Exes threaten to release nude photos to the public, stalk you on Facebook, and log into your banking account! How much electronic trust should you give your Valentine?