At the risk of flogging a dead horse, I am devoting this column to the wild frontiers of Web dating. From the cute, pink Lavalife posters in the metro to the subtle but popular pickup tool friendster, it seems as though the taboo once surrounding Internet dating is gone. Sure, people are still a little shy about it, but those with success stories usually don't mind spilling the details. "So, where did you guys meet?" we always ask the happy couple. "Oh, on Lavalife." Touché, we think, and go home and check out the website. Just curious, of course.

Over a lunch of creamy penne, a friend was telling me about this great new guy she'd met-a hunky, scientist type, doing his PhD at McGill. Sadly for him (not her), he'd made very few friends in town and was looking to meet new people. When I asked ...