Just as with normal real-world friendships, online relationships need to be tended and to be allowed to grow over time. Here are some fast growing tips:
1. Take Time and Make Time: Does your online date email you often? Do you do the same? Neglecting virtual meetings can be considered not nice, so treat each other’s time with respect. If it’s lacking, it might mean that it is time to move on.
2. Communication Needs to “Feel” Right For Both of You: If one of you is too hasty about organizing a meeting, for instance, that can create bad feelings. So, please, don’t rush things; just take your time to learn more about each other and engender trust.
3. Respect Each Other’s Privacy: Don’t share the other person’s email addresses or digital photos with your friends online, for example; especially if your online date sent you the information in confidence.
4. Share Special Online and Offline Fun Times: when online: send online greeting cards; links to favourite sites to upload digital photos of your favourite pet or car; download music and video clips; post on favourite forums of interest. When offline: if you’re exchanging addresses or post office boxes, send printed greeting cards and postcards and/or small items from your area (like a key chain with your state flower).
5. Share Recipes: People get tired of just discussing the weather, so a very popular subject to turn to is food. Sharing information about favourite foods and recipes will break the ice and even help form a friendship; talk about your culinary skills, or the lack thereof, and preferences. Search online for free recipes to share and take photos of your culinary masterpieces and share them with your online date too.
6. Bidding at Auctions: Ebay auctions sell just about any and everything. Therefore, surf about and enter searches like the dates you were in high school. Share nostalgic memorabilia of old games and toys and TV shows from when you were young or when your parents or grandparents were small.
Online dating can be an educational and fun experience. So learn more about each other and have fun while youre doing it. Take a cyber-stroll down ol’ memory lane together and see what’s cookin’. Tend your online friendship. Water it with care and over time it may sprout and grow.