Services:

. Instant Messaging
. Mail Messaging
. Advanced Search Option
. Anonymity

Review: Ashley Madison has made a niche for itself by servicing a market that is usually overlooked in dating circles - married people. Although you don't have to be attached to sign up, the site is certainly geared towards discreet relationships. If you're in a relationship, you normally don't have a lot of time to spend with someone else. That means that your time away needs to be spent well. In the case of Ashley Madison, time well spent is clearly meant to be intimate.

The profile quality is OK, but could be better. It lacks a lot of the essays and questions that generally flesh out a personality type on more traditional portals. Instead, it focuses on a handful of multiple-choice questions around what kind of encounters you're looking for and open to. Certain sex dating sites have criteria like this, but one really gets the feeling that Ashley Madison is sincerely trying to provide a place for inconspicuous encounters. Photos are scarcer than on traditional dating sites as many of the members are serious about discretion.

Amateur is the best way to describe how Ashley Madison looks. Looks aside, the site runs well and does its job. Search offers about ten different options of criteria you can enter and it does have a keyword search tool that works well. As with the better dating sites, Ashley Madison has laid the groundwork for good member growth. Guests can wink and show interest in anyone on the site, but only paying members can instant message and email. That means if you are able to get your winking down to a science and can find members who've paid for credits, you might not have to hand over a dime to make a connection. This pay-as-you-go system gives you 100 credits for $50. Email can be sent to other members for five credits while instant messaging session's start at ten. The pricing is decent, as long as you are able to show some judgment on how you use the credits.

There really aren't a lot of extra features with Ashley Madison. There's a button that used to enable phone chat and the site does have a neat little "boss" button that switches your screen instantly from the layout to a generic office supply store screen in case someone comes up behind you while you're busy surfing profiles. There's an extensive acronym dictionary on the site for those new to instant messaging.

The Ashley Madison Agency has found its place in the romantic affairs market and continues to build on its success. If you're attached and in search of something more, check out AshleyMadison.com.