Boyfriend/Girlfriend threads
As stated in the rules and guidelines, these threads
are considered acceptable here. So long as they follow certain rules and guidelines, those mostly being that users make sure that their posts are within the pg-13 limit.
However, many of these threads are not getting the same courteous response that requests for friends are getting. In fact some users are very rude.
Example:
Quote:
Get offline and find yourself a real girlfriend, loser
Not only is this type of statement rude, but it's completely uncalled for. Whatever your opinion on online dating might be,
you do not have the right to insult people for their dating choices and whether or not they wish to bring it up online. That is their personal decision, not yours.
If you don't have anything nice to say don't go in the thread. If we find you flaming another user you will be warned or possibly even banned. So if you don't have anything nice to say then don't go into the thread, don't take that risk.
If you wish to voice concerns over online dating, please be courteous and do it in a forum that encourages debate, rather than purposely trying to start an argument here or chase a user out of the forum because you feel what they are doing is wrong. This is against Gaia's rules, and it is a serious and warnable offense.
If you at any time feel as if you're being flamed or that someone is making a trolling comment towards you, please do not hesitate to report their post, along with a reason on why.
A few Words on Online Dating:
Gaia Online does not have an official policy regarding online dating. However, we realize that people will use Gaia to find potential boyfriends and girlfriends. As such, here are some helpful guidelines on making good friends and safe connections online.
1. It is very, very easy to lie.
That 14 year old girl you're talking to from Arkansas just might be a 40 year old man from Illinois in truth. The avatars you see posting and around the forums are just that, avatars. They don't tell you a thing about the person who is on the other side. Not their gender, not their age, not whether they're attractive or not. They are just pixels. Keep this in mind at all times and be cautious about who you trust and what you say.
2. Personal information is best kept personal.
As much as we sometimes wish it otherwise, there are some shifty people around the internet. People who will pretend to be younger and try to get pictures, images and other information from you that they can use to harm you or find you.
Do not give out your name, address or phone number! The last thing you want to do is give someone a way to find you and hurt you if they indeed are out to cause harm. There are some scary people out there, and most of them do not wear signs telling you that. Always be cautious when it comes to what you share, and who you share it with.
3. If you do meet an online friend, bring company!
What you see of someone online is not necessarily who they are. Pictures can be forged, ages can be lied about, and so on and so forth (noting a pattern here?). If you do decide that you absolutely have to meet someone that you met online, bring a parent or multiple friends. This way you won't be putting yourself in a dangerous position and your friends or family can bail you out if things get dangerous.
Last but not least ....
4. Meet in a PUBLIC PLACE.
Meeting in public like at a coffee shop or a shopping mall gives you an open, friendly place to meet. It also puts you in a place with a lot of people so that, just in case things don't go exactly as planned or you feel like you're in a dangerous situation there are people around that you can call on for help.
Even if you're convinced that the person you're about to meet is the person of your dreams, and you decide to ignore every other rule you see here, PLEASE make certain that you follow this rule! If you're right and this turns out to be unnecessary, you can always meet them somewhere more private later and if it happens that way, best of luck to you. However, just in case, this last rule will keep you safe.
Best of luck in finding love.
heart
