Lemondrop

The Internet: Depending upon how you choose to use it, it can be a benign tool useful for expanding your social and romantic circle, or a hellish hosebeast whose thirst for ruined reputations knows no bounds.

Basically, it's like Reese Witherspoon (wholesome, open, fresh) meets any of the trolls from any "Real Housewives" iteration (unbalanced and hell-bent on airing your personal business to anyone willing to listen to irrational nonsense.)

So how does a classy lady network socially with dignity and self-respect? Tristan Coopersmith, relationship expert and owner of Menu Dating Online, advises that there are seven deadly sins women should avoid if they wish to maintain digital dignity.

Thou Shalt Not:

1) Post Pictures Online You'd Hesitate to Show Your Grandma (assuming your grandma's not Cher): "You wouldn't show up on date in a bikini (unless it was a beach date), so save the slutty pics for when your relationship gets to sexting status," Coopersmith advises.

2) Let Facebook Do the Dating for You "Sure, Facebook foreplay is fun but it shouldn't take the place of the real thing," warns Coopersmith. "Leave a little mystery on your profile." And that also goes for wall-to-wall flirtations all the world can see. Oops.

3) Mistake His Profile for the Real Him You see his Facebook page and, damn, does he seem dreamy. Next thing you know, you're imagining you both posting your adorable wedding photos to your respective profiles, and all of your friends commenting on how you look just as cute as this crew. "Maintain your expectations because you are not going on a date with a one-dimensional screen but rather, a living, breathing guy," says Coopersmith.

4) Stalk Your Ex Online No. Just. Stop.

5) Disregard the Golden Rule Even in the case of the vilest of exes. "Treat your now-ex the way you would want to be treated," advises Coopersmith. "This means refraining from switching your status back to single until you've let him know he's been dumped, avoiding trashing him publicly on your wall, not retaliating against whatever evil he may have done by posting embarrassing photos, and so on. Cyber-karma can be a bitch, so it's best to play nice."

6) Engage in Gag-Inducing Status Updates "Some things are sacred and should be kept just for the two of you," says Coopersmith. For example, does everyone really need to know your favorite date restaurant or pet names for each other?

7) Over-Analyze His Online Actions No, of course we've never wondered why he's found the time to tweet 12 times today but still hasn't texted us back. According to Coopersmith, this sort of cyber-micromanaging will succeed only in driving you nuts. Let it go and enjoy the ride.

Bottom line, if you respect yourself and treat yourself with courtesy and respect online, others will follow suit. And those who don't, well, you can always de-friend them.