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Tips
Chatroom
Dating Tips and Chatroom Safety
Chatrooms are a great
place to meet potential friends, and perhaps a potential
partner. What's nice about chatroom dating
is you don't have to dress up and pass visual inspection
to
go there and enjoy some great conversations.
The anonymity of a chatroom means that if you mess
up or don't want to continue to get to know the
other people/person, you can just leave the chatroom.
If you don't want to be known by who you were then
you
can
simply change your 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 chatrooms.
STAY SAFE
Protect your identity
If you want total control of the information that is
revealed to the world through chatrooms,
don't use your personal or your work-related email.
You should sign up for an email account specifically
to use for chatting online like Yahoo, Gmail, or
Hotmail. If the chatroom you like to use has a profile
link, be sure to keep the information you provide
generic, like just your age and gender.
Don't reveal private information
Be careful about the information you give in casual
conversation. 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. It is vital that you use
common sense when using a chatroom. If someone spent
two weeks in a chatroom and wrote down everything
you said, how easy would it be for them to identify
you? Be careful never to reveal too many details
about yourself.
Listen to your head
Use your common sense and judgment. If someone sounds
creepy or a bit dodgey, there's a good chance they
are. If someone's flirting is getting a bit out of
hand for your liking, then speak up or change your
email 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
your not, otherwise you will only attract the people
that are looking for the type of person you are pretending
to be. It's much easier to always be open than to try
and cover up (or even remember) all of your lies.
Don't expect to much
Remember that you are using a chatroom, so you have
no idea what this people really look like or what
their personality is like. Be careful about building
mental images of people because if you ever proceed
to a meeting (or picture exchange) stage, you will
likely feel disappointed because the person doesn't
live up to the mental image you created. Keep an
open mind and you won't be disappointed.
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. Whatever you do, make
sure that you give a photo of you and not someone
else or you`ll never be able to meet the person because
they'll think you are someone else.
Develop common activities
If you've hit it off with a potential date, then start by making dates with eachother
to share online activities, like playing online games or sharing a forum. Talk
about how long you expect to communicate online before meeting. Make sure you
feel comfortable with a person before even considering a meeting. Meeting
If you get to the point in your online friendship/relationship
where you decide you want to meet each other, then
arrange to meet in public 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 the person
and have a back up plan to "escape". Ask
a friend to phone you an
hour after meeting and you can tell the friend you
will phone later if you two 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 time. Always be cautious.
Online
dating services are the preferred method of meeting people. However,
chatrooms have always been a popular venue for getting to know others and
eventually meeting people you've developed friendships with while chatting.
If this is your case, then be sure to always use common sense and safety.
It's easy to let your guard down after several successful meetings. Don't.
Stay alert, safe, and enjoy your opportunity to make new friendships or potential
relationships.
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