Fools rush in.

You have to guard your heart. This goes for women as well as men.

If you are serious about finding "the one" or at least a serious relationship, I think you have a pretty standard blueprint you can use and then modify the details.

Honest communication.

Never send money.

Never ask for inappropriate pic nor accept inappropriate bics.

Have some empathy with the other person but learn the yellow, orange and especially the red flags.

Understand that this is the wild west. Where the bad people outnumber the good people by a fairly wide margin....take personal responsibility.

A pretty face and hide a black heart.

Don't lost hope.

Chit chat and text is fine at the start but I would say within a week or two at the outside, you should know if you are going to click if you talk every day or every few days and both parties are in it with honesty.

Meet in a neutral location in person if possible. For coffee, drinks or maybe dinner. Don't expect more than a good conversation right off...you're mingling.

If things seem wrong.....be wary. If too many things seem wrong, be polite and tell the other person you don't feel a click and move on. Or at least let them know your misgivings and see if it really is something odd.

For me, if a woman can't have a voice conversation with me within a week, just to say hi and hear my voice and let me hear hers...that is a red flag.

Video chat is another one you can do but again, some of the nefarious people out there are into very slick, professional operations.

The final step is a face to face at some point because, that is the point of being here. You are not looking to date a text screen I hope.

Be wary, stay hopeful, because you gotta shovel a lot of dirt to find a diamond, in the rough or not and once you find that diamond, then you got to cut, polish and make it work into a beautiful thing.

But diamonds are worth it aren't they?

I give it a few messages or a few days to decide that I don't want to meet.

You hit the nail on the head. I was trying to make that same point which you stated so eloquently. Thanks. Congratulations on finding a relationship.

Topic: How long will you chat online with someone before you decide

As long as it takes to feel comfortable going off-site.

Good question. There is probably no one answer that fits all, better to see how the chat develops, when and if you do meet up always meet in a safe place and be extra careful until you feel you know enough about them to know they are genuine.

I agree with you.

I like to chat for a few weeks but figure if they are far ... more then likely we will stay as friends ... but if they where closer...or can travel
I would like to meet them ... if they spark my interest ...after a chat in here ...

After 3 - 4 interactions I decide it is:
A) a scammer
B) too far away
C) not my cuppa tea
D) just be friends, or forget
E) torment the scammer

Just about it
I really like E) LOL

How long it takes online before I meet them:

Most stay in the computer forever.
Others about 3.5 minutes (plus travel time) - You just can't really get to know anybody unless they sit/stand right in front of you. Most of the time this online stuff doesn't work for me. I meet most people while traveling through the world.

Never, I don't do the internet dating thing

i should learn how to communicate better with women. Any nice girls want to help me practice?

People no longer talk over the phone or face to face.

The first chat normally lasts 30 seconds before I am bored. So I just don't bother chatting anymore, unless it is with friends on the forum. I am not going to pretend for politeness sake. I have better things to do and time is precious.

Same here it's hard to give my phone number out. But I really like long distance relationship. I don't know it's just my thing.

hi

So far, about five minutes between me saying no thanks and them asking for my email address, WhatsApp or sending an unsavoury link. That's if I forget to immediately block them .

I prefer meeting in person asap before the feelings start kicking in.

This ... I think its best to see how ...
I am treated on line before meeting ... why waste time ... out of the 4 I have met off line ... we did not connect very well ... so it is good to talk here first ... before they start lying to you

Atimes it doesn't come the way we wanted. What if the person you found youreself Loving is not in same country or continent with you, what den do you do?