11:54 am Friday, 4th October, 2013
So, what’s your definition of the most important thing when hooking-up offline? For us it’s safety. Remaining safe and well is the one thing in online dating that is paramount, but when people withhold information to protect their identity online, how do you actually get to know them better before you hook-up?
Firstly, make sure you have read our ‘safe dating offline’ article and then have a look below for our best ideas on how to become better aquatinted with your online match before you decide to hook-up.
Demand more pictures
You’re totally within your rights to ask for more pictures. If they refuse to share any with you then must wonder why this may be? People have the ability to privately upload pictures on our secure dating platform so there’s no excuse.
Keep the conversation going for a while
Despite what their pictures are telling you, always make sure that you have maintained a rapport with one another over a long enough period of time to get to know them better and to the point that you would trust them enough to meet up with them.
No real name?
If you’re not getting their full name then you will need to question this also. Make sure that you Google and Facebook them too...just to be doubly sure that they are a real person.
Be very inquisitive
Get questioning. There’s nothing wrong with quizzing them but make sure you leave the irrelevant questions be. Finding out what type of pasta they love is all great but you really need to build a profile of them: so start asking some revealing questions. What job do you do? What job do you want to do? Where’s your favorite place? Who’s your best friend and why? All of these questions will enable you to build a better profile of them as a person.
Read their profile
Too obvious...think again. Once you’ve chatted over a period of time make sure that you head back over their profile and notice the details. Match up the things that they have told you within conversation and compare it to what they’ve put on their profile. This does not always mean obvious things, such as they have said they have never travelled in an email yet when you look at their profile they claim they’ve trekked the world! Clearly, look out for them but also read into the not so obvious ones such as if they have said that they’re ‘an out-going party animal’ however on their profile they have stated that they “live and breathe Minecraft”. Build up their small inconsistencies to get a better idea of them.
Video chat
Ok, so you might be a bit dubious and nervous but this one but is certainly worth doing. When I first meet someone I always wonder if I will recognize the other person and have a horrible embarrassing moment where I say “hi” to the wrong one. Video chat will certainly help you to get to know someone better and also save any similar nerves to mine.
Staying safe is paramount, and if nothing else you don’t want to go wasting your time on a bad date. The above ideas should give you some strong points when finding out about your online date better, and remember you’re entitled to every bit of information you need to feel safer before hooking-up. Never feel pressured into anything and simply say no if you’re feeling unsure.
