Secrets, lies, and the internet.It is no coincidence that these three terms go hand-in-hand-in-hand.

As much as the internet might be known as the public information superhighway, it is also a seductive mistress where many of those secrets and lies originate. The number one secret kept very well over the internet? The act of having an affair, better known as 'internet infidelity.'

And believe it or not, there are even websites out there whose sole purpose is to "help" those who are already married to meet other married people in order to stage online affairs (which will usually carry over from the cyber world into the physical environment). And if a participant on one of these websites is really unhappy in his or her marriage, becoming involved in multiple affairs (either online or otherwise) is an expected form of retaliatory behavior.

In the past before the internet technology boom, having an adulterous relationship was a much more difficult thing to accomplish, especially when it came time for the cheating spouse to make his or her illicit plans without being discovered in the process.

The present online era has brought about many changes in the communication capacity, and with it has come the ability to be more secretive and sly about one's daily life thus making it much simpler to be married and having an affair.

How has the internet furthered the cause for a cheating spouse?

For starters, the internet has brought with it the existence of E-mail that the adulterous husband or adulterous wife can utilize to drop a quick message to his or her extramarital partner, using as racy or suggestive a tone as desired since there is no risk of the other party's spouse ever hearing the contents of said message over an answering machine or voice mail service.

Although there is the issue of many married couples sharing one common E-mail address, setting up a nondescript alias for a new (and hidden) E-mail account is something even a five-year-old child can do, thereby making it very easy for the unfaithful spouse to stay in contact with the other party without the knowledge of his or her marital partner.

Then there are the websites found in the online world that provide the means for cheating spouses to meet up and carry on in secret. The one adjective to accurately describe these websites is exactly the reason they work and are becoming so popular with the married crowd - and that word is "anonymity."

Usernames and other fake provided information (such as addresses, occupations, or even the truth about actually being half of a married couple) make it easy to hide without one's cover being blown, hence making the two affair participants feel more comfortable and secure in their union.

And though it is unfortunate that adultery websites of this kind are even a part of cyberspace, there is nothing that can be done to outlaw them otherwise there is the risk of violating the free speech amendment.

Last, there are the new internet-capable cellular phones out there that can accept E-mails. Though these phones are touted as being more convenient for the busy career-oriented public as a reason to purchase one, their downside is the same thing as their advantage - being able to read E-mails while on the go and not having to wait until one has arrived home and must sign onto the computer in order to check who has contacted him or her for the day. And of course this only makes it less tough to set up an extramarital date since one can find out about it on the road instead of at home where his or her spouse may be waiting in the wings.

So if the internet gives an adulterous spouse the opportunity to keep things more secret, how is it possible that so many victim spouses wind up finding out about these signs of having an affair?

The answer is the same as for criminals who get caught: those who engage in these types of immoral behaviors tend to leave shreds of evidence behind that will give their secrets away. In other words, even something as insignificant as a piece of hair from the head of the "other person" found in the marital bed on the victim spouse's pillow is a surefire way to have one's secret affair be discovered.

Then again there is always the "other woman" or "other man" who enjoys making a phone call to the husband or wife of the cheating person to inform him or her just what has been going on behind his or her back, a ploy which is generally used by the "other" party in order to secure their place in the married person's life and make an attempt to get rid of their spouse, consequently sticking to the mantra that "all is fair in love and war."

Then there are those who make the call out of the goodness of their hearts, but unfortunately these good souls who are also cheaters are very rare and hard to find.