I have dated online for the last decade from knowledge. It need not be a substitute for face-to-face presence, but you cannot question the reach of this media. I dated a Japanese girl when I was in Tokyo. I met her in real life and the dynamic was not nearly as interesting as the cellphone chat. I was too intense for her as well. Poor thing. My next date was a Filipino. This is my current GF, who is special because she displayed a lot of interest in ideas. I suggest you use chat rather than email when you talk to people for 2 reasons: 1. They dont have much time to bull**** 2. You have a record of their chats with you so you can analyse their content and reproach them (integrity check) 3. You have a trail of evidence - which is readily searchable
When I finally met my GF after chatting for 4 months there were really no surprises excepts for her querky facial expressions, and she is the best friend I have ever had. That was a person I reached out to on the internet 9000km away. I recommend it.
Thanks a lot dear for sharing your experiences with online dating. Sometime online dating can be a blessing and sometimes it may turn out to be a worst nightmare. So it is highly important to follow important guidelines when getting into online dating. I too use Gay Dating App and always stay within my limits when dating online.