When evaluating personal ads on the Internet, your first clues about who and what the person is all about can be deduced from scanning the uploaded photo ...closely.

One sure indicator that a person might be hiding something is if they try to be cute by printing a photograph of their cat or their baby picture. Also watch out for photographs that appear to be out of focus or look as if they have been smeared with Vaseline.

Many age defying tricks are obvious. For instance, if the subject is standing twenty feet away from the camera, you can almost be certain they are much older than they claim. It is best to stick to subjects who have head shots. However, even a head shot may not reveal all. Women today can use make up and lighting to make 78 look like 28.

Blurry photographs or ones that look like they have been given the "Vaseline" treatment are also dead give aways that you may be dealing with a good match for grandpa instead of you. If the woman has her hair tightly pulled back in a ponytail, she is probably older than she appears, as that is what is called "the poor man's facelift."

Also look for props and devices that may be there to make the subject look hip, such as a red sports car, gold chains and bell-bottoms. Women who are shot holding their stuffed animals or pets may also be much older, as the eye is immediately distracted away from the face by the cuteness of the animal.

If every thing about the photograph itself appears normal, try examining the expression on the person's face. Do they look like a deer caught in the headlights? Are they smiling or scowling? Are they unkempt or did they go to the trouble to dress up for the occasion?

Perusing the person's written biography is also must. If literacy is a must on your list of must-have qualities in a partner, avoid contacting profiles that have too many spelling mistakes.

Paying attention to the tone of the way the profile is written can also give you tons of information about the individual. If they try to write a non-profile by talking about everything but themselves, then they might be evasive and not into commitment. If the profile is written in a sarcastic tone, remember that their humor is a defense mechanism that might one day be used against you.

Avoid profiles that read like personal diaries or a litany of complaints. An example would be "I decided to give this a try after my husband beat me and left me for my sister." Any references to recovery, addiction, mental illness or personality disorders should also go on your "ignore" list.

Avoid profiles that use overtly provocative language such as "horny housewife" or "I'm a bull in bed." These individuals might actually be suffering from a condition known as a sex addiction.

Assess a profile to see if it is too good to be true. For instance, one might want to ask why "a handsome, wealthy brain-surgeon" is looking for love online.

Also avoid profiles that seem to concentrate too much on what the contact is looking for in a partner, but mention very little about the author. An example would be: "I am looking for a woman who is a good cook, enjoys swimming and long walks in the country. She must have an above average I.Q. and be below 120 pounds. Brunettes and people under the age of 24 need not apply."

Ignore profiles where the respondent has not bothered to write more than a few words about themselves. If they don't have enough energy to write a profile, they probably won't get off the couch to meet you.

Lying about one's age is a big problem on the net as well. Underage Romeos can often be spotted by their amateur language, references to pop culture and bad spelling

Older liars on the Internet are harder to recognize. For instance if a woman is claiming to be thirty two, but her interests are bridge, golf and listening to Englebert Humperdink ...chances are she's lying. , If a man writes that he is "hip to the sounds that people groove to" he is probably over fifty.

Lying about your age can also get you into trouble if you do meet someone you like and they believe you. This happened to a thirty nine-year-old friend of mine who claimed to be thirty-two (and she looked it too!) She met another forty-year old man on the net and they went out for months and months, until... uh oh... her birthday rolled around.

As it was her fortieth birthday, which most people consider to be a milestone, all of her friends were put in the awkward position of concealing her real age from her boyfriend. Of course, all of this was all blown sky high when her mother showed up, unannounced at the party, sporting a birthday cake with forty candles on it.

Unfortunately, because she described herself as "honest" on her character profile, she and her boyfriend ended breaking up after a series of "what else are you hiding from me?" type fights.

Dishonesty is not always the best policy when it comes to creating a profile on the Internet. Sooner or later your imposture will be revealed —by the Driver's license falling out of your wallet and onto the floor, the sudden obvious onset of menopause, or your hairpiece falling off during lovemaking.