Every new form of communication twists the English language to suit its needs. The telegraph adopted the word STOP to mean the period at the end of a sentence. The telephone co-opted "get off the line" to mean "stop eavesdropping" on a shared phone line.

Today's digital communications have their own form of pidgin. If you're going to flirt online, saying less can get you more, and if you're going to date online, then chat rooms, IM clients and cell phones are your medium. You need to understand a whole new set of jargon.

Flirting with instant messaging, texting and chatting makes sense only when you translate it phonetically. Walk into a chat room and you might see:

"HT! How r u? I'm having a gr8 day. Can't w8 2 SYS! TTYL"

[translation: Hi, there. How are you? I'm having a great day. Can't wait to see you soon. Talk to you later.]

It's all about understanding the shortest way to type something. Let's look at the options:

Instant Messaging (IM)

IM is not only easy, it’s an almost foolproof way to start a conversation and let the flirting begin. On TRUE, you can IM by inviting someone to a chat room, then chatting privately. You get the benefit of real-time communication and you can edit yourself before you hit send. Lucky you — no more foot in the mouth!

It’s almost foolproof, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to do anything at all. You need to know about the person you’re talking to. Make sure you’ve looked at a profile, a photo and read About Me and Who I’d Like to Meet so you’ll have something to talk about.

IM can remove the awkwardness of a first face-to-face conversation. It’s a way to break the ice without the cup of coffee. It’s fast, it’s friendly, and a whole lot of fun.

Visiting a TRUE chat room is a great introduction for first-time chatters. You get to talk in a large group, so you can learn the ropes. Click into a room and just hang out for a minute until you get a feel for what the conversation is about. When you’re ready, jump on in and say hi. If you’re new to chat, check out the room called New to Chat where you can meet other first-timers.

The conversation below isn’t real, but it will give you an idea of what a chat room conversation might look like (with a translation in the right column):

Once you feel confident in the chat rooms, you're ready for a private chat. Decide who you want to talk to and make sure they're online (just look for the Online Now notice on the profile). Then click the Chat with me FREE button and an invitation will be sent to that person. If the invitation is accepted, a chat box will appear on your desktop — and you're on your way to real-time cyberflirting!

Text Messaging

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Text messaging, or SMS, is similar to IM but conversations are much more concise. Like IM, sending a text message gives you the benefit of editing yourself before you hit send.
You can send a text message from your cell phone to someone else's as long as both of phones are equipped with texting capabilities. You can also send someone a text message from a computer as long as the recipient's cell phone has texting capabilities. Remember, text messages go straight to a cell phone, so don't text someone at a time that you wouldn't call.
Texting is a good way to send someone a quick message like:

"I hope ur having a gr8 day"

[translation: I hope you're having a great day.]

or: "I can't w8 to meet u at the coffee shop @ 6!"

[translation: I can't wait to meet you at the coffee shop at six o'clock.]

So what are you waiting for? Try out your new flirting skills today in a TRUE chat room!

What’s your style?

Find singles who really click with you! Take our free TRUE Communication test! When it comes to relationships, what’s your communication style? Do you have the gift of gab or are you a gifted listener? Do you choose your words carefully or speak straight from the heart? Take the TRUE Communication test to discover your communication type and find singles who really speak your language! Take TRUE Communication now!