I take the opposite approach of CANDC. I try to meet in person as soon as possible, after I establish that they meet my criteria and are looking for the same things that I am. The reason for that is that I don't want to waste my time messaging or develop an emotional attachment unless I know that (1) they are who they say they are, (2) there is chemistry in person, and (3) they are serious about meeting and, if we click, building a real relationship. A lot of people online are flakes, just want to text endlessly, are lying about who they are, or are trying to find something "on the side." I don't want to waste my time with any of that, so I just want to meet in person-- like good, old fashioned dating-- and see if there enough of a match to THEN take the time to get to one another at a comfortable pace. I don't like to move quickly either, but I do like to meet soon othwrwsie I could be wasting my time with someone I would never actually like in "real life." Just meet in a public place, tell friends where you're going to be, and don't let yourself be alone with them. Just meet at a busy coffee shop/restaurant and see if there's a connection. In my own experience, I click with maybe 5% of the people I meet. I actually went on a first date tonight, and it was fairly good. I like her enough to go on a second date. It wasn't an immediate OMG I'm seeing stars, but she was nice and I hope to get to know her better and see if something develops.