|
Chat room
Dating
Chat rooms are a great place to meet
potential friends, and perhaps lovers and
even better you don't have to dress up and
pass visual inspection to go there.
The anonymity of a chat room means that if
you mess up or you don't want to continue to
get to know the person you can just leave
the chat room and don't go back or you can
change your log-in nickname.
This is not a license to be obnoxious, but
it does give you plenty of room to practice
making friends with strangers.
Here are some tips to help you out when
using Chat rooms.
Stay SAFE!
Protect your identity
If you want total control of the information
that is too often revealed to the world
through chat rooms, don't use your personal
or your work-related e-mail. You should sign
up for an e-mail account specifically to use
for chatting online. Sign up to a free
e-mail service.
Don't reveal private information
Be careful about the information you give in
casual conversations. Don't give any hint of
your work place, your home town or other
personal info that can be linked to where
you come from.
Listen to your head
Use your common sense and judgment. If
someone sounds creepy or a bit dodgy,
there's a good chance they are. If your
flirting is getting a bit out of hand for
your liking, speak up or change your e-mail
address and nickname.
Getting to know people
Be honest
If you want people to be open and honest
with you, you must also do the same. You
don't have to go into personal details, but
don't pretend to be someone you are not
otherwise you will only attract the people
that are looking for the type of person you
are pretending to be.
Don't expect to much
Remember that you are using a chat room so
you have no idea what this person really
looks like or what their personality is
like. You may build a mental image of them,
but don't, because 9 times out of 10 you
will be wrong and will feel disappointed if
they don't live up to your expectations.
Keep an open mind and you won't be
disappointed.
Develop common activities
Make dates with each other to share
activities, like playing online games or
sharing a forum. Talk about how long you
expect to communicate online before meeting.
Don't fake photos
If you decide to swap pictures, send a
current picture which is flattering, but
doesn't hide or distort your true
appearance. Misleading pictures are probably
the leading cause of disappointments in
relationships that start on the Internet.
What ever you do make sure that you give
them a photo of you and not of someone else.
Meeting
If you get to the point in your online
relationship where you decide you want to
meet each other, arrange to meet in public
(particularly females) where you will be
comfortable and safe. Meet in a busy place,
over coffee or a casual meal. Be prepared in
case you don't like them and have a back up
plan. Ask a friend to phone you an hour
after meeting them and you can tell them you
will phone later, if you are getting on
well. If you aren't getting on well you can
make an excuse and leave. Remember to always
let someone know where you are at all times.
|
