Chatrooms 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 chatroom means that if you mess up or you don't want to continue to get to know the person you can just leave the chatroom 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 Chatrooms. Stay SAFE! Protect your identity If you want total control of the information that is too often revealed to the world through chatrooms, 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 dodgey, 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 chatroom 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. |