Knowledge is power?

[onyxvixen]

What can you really know about a person you meet online? Do you find security in learning about them beforehand or are you just steadily building a misapprehension? Is the sense of security you feel founded or dangerously false?

Would like to hear people's thoughts and experiences on this please.

Thank you in advance x

 

[YANKEE DAN]

It's pretty safe to meet people online, you've exchanged e-mails with them so they can't kill you, there's a trail leading the police to them.

 

[rcuhljr]

frankly meeting people online can well be safer then meeting people in real life, but I don't think that's her actual point.

Many people present themselves differently online then they act in the real world and it's possible to become infatuated with someones online persona only to meet them in real life and find out they act completely differently.

I know online I talk and share quite freely, but even meeting someone I've been talking to an open with for months, I still tend to be as quiet and akward as a kid at a middle school dance.

*edit well I re-read it, and maybe her question was closer to what you answered.

I say meeting on the internet is safer since you can take many precautions like meeting in a public place, during the day, and notify a friend/relative of where you will be and with who.

 

[Wolfman1982]

Hmmmm I think I have met alot of people, who I first met online, and with only one exception(he was a bad apple), then all people I have met in real life, were the same as I met online. meaning, I think I have been lucky

 

[Tymeless]

everyone i've met from online has been great!

 

[davro]

People are often more open on-line,for a start there`s usually a degree of anonymity on a public forum.If there`s 1 to 1 e-mails you`ll hopefully discover more about that person,by the time it gets to that stage you can ask more personal questions and hopefully form a better picture.Dont ever meet anyone who wont speak to you on the phone first,if they`ve got nothing to hide and want to take things a step further they`ll just see this as a "next step",if not they`re probably married or hiding something else.If you meet then a public p[lace for a first meet is pretty much essential,somewhere with someone looking out for you in the background is ideal.I`ve met people from the net,all have been lovely people but then I`ve never met someone I didn`t feel I knew pretty well first.

 

[Etoile]

The vast majority of my friends are from the internet, and I've met more than 100 people in person who I originally met online. I think the original question might have been from a romantic perspective, though. Both of my current partners, I met online through the same chat space. We were friends first and the relationship developed into romance from there. If we hadn't been friends before dating, I might have been more apprehensive about the "first date," but as it is I was fine. Neither of my partners were from personals sites though - it was just a general chat space.

 

[onyxvixen]

Thanks guys

Was interested just as a hypothetical question really as I'm new to the site and have posted a personals ad. Thanks for your responses, they've all been insightful.