If Amy Joanne Lawson followed all of the advice she got about online dating, her username would be "ShoeDonut."

Lawson, a 42-year-old administrative assistant, checked out a library book about online dating before creating her profile.

The first step to creating the perfect profile is choosing a user name that reflects your personality, the book said. It suggested she combine two of her favorite things or activities.

"Shoes and doughnuts," Lawson said. "Those are two things I feel passionate about."

But she didn't think "ShoeDonut" would strike the right chord. So she chose "SewBeachy."

"Then I realized it sounded like, "So B****y."

So began Lawson's adventures in online dating where selecting a user name is only the beginning of an often unpredictable journey.

The online dating industry claims it's working. One in six recently married couples met on an online dating site, according to a study commissioned by Match.com in 2009. That year, more than twice as many marriages occurred between people who met on an online dating site than between people who met in bars, clubs and other social events, the study reported.

But of course, all matches don't lead to the altar.

After the world learned that Notre Dame linebacker Manti T'eo's online girlfriend never existed, CNN invited readers to share their own online dating ups and downs. While none were quite as dramatic as the T'eo scandal, readers agreed: When looking for love in cyberspace, prepare for an adventure.

Lawson began online dating at the end of 2011 when she realized she wasn't meeting anyone her own age in Gainesville, Florida.

"When you're 43, it's tough," she said. "I had no idea where to meet anyone my own age in a college town."

So she turned to the Internet. She was serious about potentially finding a match, but she was willing to give most people a chance ... and have a sense of humor about it.

"I probably think about 'Star Wars' more than anyone should," Lawson wrote in her OKCupid profile.

Lawson remembers one date with a news director (or so she thought) with vivid detail. After talking to the man for a few weeks via text and e-mail, she decided to meet him at a sports bar. Even though they ordered the same kind of beer, Lawson did not think they were a match made in heaven.

"So the waitress brings our beers, and he reached around and he said, 'Oh I forgot my wallet,'" she said. "Thank God I had money in my account at that point."

When they walked out to the parking lot at the end of the date, he told her he didn't have a car. As Lawson drove him home, he also admitted he was unemployed.

"I'm really not materialistic, but I just didn't think it would work out," she said.

Lawson said her favorite part of the date was when she texted him later to tell him she didn't think it would work out between them. The text he sent her back read: "To think I gave you points for not wearing flip flops."

Shannan White met her ex-husband on a computer bulletin board in the 1990s when she still used a dial-up modem.