One of the hardest parts of dating online is you are never sure when to take it from online to offline. This is a difficult line to cross because once you do you either have the beginnings of a relationship or you find out you really are not compatible and you begin searching for someone new. The biggest question people have is generally when they should begin seeing each other in person. The general progression should be as follows:
Emails With online dating the way you get to know one another is through profiles and emails. You will email back and forth for a while and may even chat through instant messenger. Once you feel comfortable feel free to suggest talking by phone. Since many instant messaging services have free calls you may consider using this feature and keeping your telephone number private until you are ready to share it.
Telephone Calls Once you feel comfortable giving out your phone number, do. It doesn’t matter who makes the suggestion first and if you feel comfortable go for it. You may even make a comment like, “may I call you sometime,” to test the waters and see if you are both on the same page.
Meeting in Public When you are ready to meet in person, but without the pressures of being on a one on one date you should schedule a public meeting. This could be at the mall, park, or other public place, where you can see one another and simply chat. Once you feel comfortable with one another you may want to go on a real date. This may be the same day or later.
Real Date A real date shows you both are attracted to one another and are interested in exploring your relationship. You have built up slowly by chatting, talking, and even meeting, so you have a good solid base. Now it is time to take it a little further. Good luck and remember that if you ever feel uncomfortable you can always leave.
Yannis