www.marriageadvice.com

Immediately upon opening this site, users encounter a pop-up ad offering access to a free e-book, “101 Marriage Secrets.” Simply by providing a name, email address, and zip code, users can access this book, which addresses many marriage issues, including the following:

1. Stop any argument cold in its track.
2. Regain the respect of your partner.
3. How to affair-proof your marriage.
4. Change your spouse's behavior.
5. Improve your communications.
6. Avoid the # 1 problem in marriage.
7. Solve conflicts peacefully.

Upon entering the actual site, users have access to a large collection of articles, blogs, products, and tips. Again, by simply entering an email address, users gain access to the free marriage advice tip of the week. Users can also search articles and advice based on the marriage issue in concern; the most popular articles range from “Keeping the Fire Lit in Your Relationship or Marriage” to “How to Be the ‘Ultimate’ Parent” to “Rebuild the Trust You Have Destroyed,” an article about dealing with infidelity.

The sheer number of articles and advice on this website provides a good starting point for internet users looking for marriage advice. However, this site does not delve deep enough into the problem of infidelity, so users interested in this problem should seek advice from other places as well. For example, the article mentioned about, “Rebuild the Trust You Have Destroyed,” does not provide active steps for rebuilding that trust, although it does provide a good general idea of what needs to be done. The article advises that spouses/partners need to “become free from deceit by learning to open up and keep fewer secrets.” This is a good starting point for anyone trying to overcome an infidelity. Internet users trying to look further into marriage counseling should try the Marriage Counselor directory.

http://www.counsel-search.com/

This site provides detailed articles explaining marriage counseling and the questions surrounding it—Does it work? How much will it cost? How do you choose a counselor? Once users determine if marriage counseling is right for them, they can use the helpful link “Find a Marriage Counselor,” which provides a search tool to find counselors by city and state. http://www.dontdatehimgirl.com/

This controversial and well-publicized site provides a space where women can post pictures of men who have hurt them, as a “warning” to other women to not date him. When I accessed the site, it contained much more diverse information that I had expected. I expected a blog with photos of guys and comments from the women who hate them. And yes, the site provides a search tool whereby women can search to see if a man they are dating has been tagged by someone on the site. But I also found much more. What I found was a site that allows women to do such things, but that also provides relationship advice, advocacy of domestic violence awareness, and articles about women in general. The site also requires users to create a member profile as a protection against misuse of the site.

Perhaps this diversity of content stemmed from the lawsuit brought against the site by one of the “victims,” a man whose picture was posted by a woman he used to date. The site now provides a tool for women who have posted pictures to reconcile with the man/men they posted on the site. If the woman decides the man deserves a second chance, then the site allows for this to occur.