Diana Wueger defends getting a drink with an online stranger:
I choose to be an optimist about people. In my experience, most people you meet from the internet are more likely to be awkward rather than scary. As a caveat, I’ve been talking to people online for at least 15 years, and I believe my instincts, my bullshit detector, and my Google stalking skills are pretty well honed. I’m sure I’ve talked to unsavory characters online, but I’m very careful never to meet anybody face to face whose identity cannot be verified through some quick Googling. I do not put myself in situations where I don’t have an exit route, and if I feel remotely uncomfortable, I have no problem standing somebody up or making a lame excuse and hightailing it. As long as you have a Plan B if things go south, the risk is absolutely worth the reward.
Men, especially gay men, are far less cautious. But again, the risks are worth the reward. If they weren't, people would soon stop.
