A few days? I'm new at this, but I matched someone locally and exchanged a bunch of emails. Here's hoping the first meeting goes well :)

9 months, 9 months, and yes.

Its not real till its real.

I have internet dated on this and different sites for the greater part of 7 years and I haven't met anyone of substance and good character this way yet. Then again, I have never met anyone of substance in a club or bar, either (back in the 80s).

How long have I waited before I met someone from online?Some people, I met after a week, some after a year of online/phone talks. One, I spoke to for a very long time and never met. I have had long-term relationships of up to 9 months this way, but most of that time was not "in person".

I do not believe you REALLY get to know a person until you spend substantial face-to-face time with them over MANY months, and over long stretches of time. I also feel you never really know someone's true character unless you live with them. Heck, some people can hide their worst character traits from you even if you live with them for a decade. I knew and lived with someone (whom I met in a club) a decade and they ended up stealing from me, physically stalking me, threatened my life and that of my unborn child in the end. You just never know. Some people can be quite charming cons.

That being said, there are people that I know that have had great success via internet dating. They have developed long term fulfilling relationships this way. Usually, however, they have been introduced through other internet friends when that has happened - or they have gotten to know each other over many years as platonic friends, respectfully, before meeting. They have also usually met in social settings/events with others and/or in public, busy places.

Most people I know say to meet in person in a public, busy place sooner rather than later. Don't allow fantasy of an online/phone life deceive you into thinking you really know someone. It isn't real till its real.

I do know that those that have succeeded have always assured that their needs were being met and that respect and mutuality was never violated. Those that have been successful in this medium have never let the wankers, wannabes, or cyber players get a hold of them. They never shared nude photos or had phone sex or cammed with anyone unless they knew and trusted them for quite some time....knew them "real life" FIRST.

I agree with Lex when he says: "I would advise never rushing into anything, regardless. People are not always who they say they are. In my experience, 88.8888888% of people are not who they say they are. Your mileage may vary. "

And, don't ever meet someone new in a far away state, in private, or in any situation which is secluded and could put you in a vulnerable position. Always let someone know where you will be if you meet out of state. Have the name, address, phone, photos, and internet address of that person and have someone or more than one person call you at different times if you will be with them for any extended period of time.

Good luck.

its been a month and hes coming down for new yrs..

i feel that i met my bestfriend

met one on here....talked for several months on the phone and here before meeting....

we had a great time together and it was what i expected it to be...but we just didn't click and so we decided to just be friends

i say, that you can NEVER really get to know someone enough over the phone or internet...that meeting is the only way to see if you are TRULY compatible....but the internet and phone can help get to know someone easier

I would probably have a better chance to meet someone in person from "Meet Old Farts" or "Senior Friend Finder". LOL!

Def what Nova said....

I met a girl about a month after talking to her online. There have been several that I am glad that I seen who they truly were and I didnt meet them

that is awesome advice!!! I have seen people saying 2-3 days to me thats a little scary...I think 3-4 weeks is a good start and you have to have talked on the phone and had lots of e-mails first. oh and I think ill tell a good friend where and when Ill be meeting someone and give them a time ill call to tell um all about it lol and if I dont then they have a few things there supposed to do. because with my luck Ill be the one to go missing lol

I never met any of the people from this site. I talked to them for awhile but most of them were too far and it just never happened. If they were closer it would of depended on how well i think we clicked and then i would of met them in a public place whenever the time presented itself.

About three months before we met

"Chi vai a letto con i cani, si leva con le pulci."

English: He who sleeps with dogs, wakes up with fleas.
Moral: Choose your friends wisely.

Not all "cani" have fleas

heehee....Well in that period in Italy, there was a good likelihood that most of them did.

And, the operative word was Doggzzz. Self explanatory.

All "cani" are not all necessarily "Doggzzz"

It depends on the person, how much they talk to me, how much I enjoy talking to them, how unique they're from others or appear to be, if holidays are approaching, and of course how far away from me they're.

The quickest I met someone through the internet was 3 weeks, she lived less than 5 minutes walking distance away from my apartment.

The longest was probably 2 years at least intentionally. I've met people online non intentionally as well being at the same concert...

The Italian idiom distinguishes that they could most likely be. In metaphor, but based on popular folk wisdom within that time and place; as well as the fact that great numbers of dogs used to run free and wild in the countryside in those days. Undomesticated.

I have nothing against the animal, dog.

Do I believe all men or even a majority of them are "dogs"? No.

That's being a smart woman!

about a week and a half .. and it was pretty much better.


but dont tell him i said that. =/

A couple of wks, after some ph. calls.