Texting is an easy and cheap way to communicate. A text message can get across what you want to say better than speaking face to face. If you are looking to meet new people in London, the convenience can be a godsend. However, there are many pitfalls to the simple art of texting. Here is a list of the most important problems to avoid when you want to meet people in London via text.

Have something interesting to say

Texts that amount to “What are you doing?” only inspire vague answers and can be seen as controlling in relationships or plain irritating in a dating context. This is especially true if have just started dating. London is a huge city and people treasure their time and privacy. Leading with bland questions is generally not a smart idea.

The dangers of autocorrect

Whether you are sending a text to the man you have started to dating, a work colleague or your boss – spelling is important. You make judgements of other people when face to face eg how they dress, their body language and their voice tonality – the same goes for texting. The information in a text message is two-dimensional, only your words and how they were typed are judged so avoid short cuts and make sure your spelling is correct or you run the risk of being judged negatively. Be careful to double check autocorrect hasn’t inadvertently changed one of your words before you press send – or you could seriously embarrass yourself!

Read between the lines

If someone is replying to your novel length text with short answers, this means they are either busy at the time or just not into you. Respecting peoples space is important and your friends and partners will thank you for it. If your texts are getting one word answers and contain no questions back to you it might be time to more on to someone new.

Short and sweet

Sending long or repeated messages was not what text messaging was invented for. If you want an in depth conversation, call or email your new friend. If a text conversation is going on for more than 3 messages, the chances are you will save time and get what you want to say across much better with a phone call.

Do not text when drunk

This piece of advice goes for all electronic communication. Like oil and water, alcohol and technology do not mix. Things that may seem profound at three in the morning after 10 beers often make no sense the next morning. Stay away from Tweets and status updates too, you can deny you said something stupid, you cant deny youve written it when its there for all to see. If you have work colleagues or bosses reading your feed, that spells double trouble and becomes especially important. You wouldnt be the first to lose your job for a stupid moment of drunk typing.

Avoid arguing

It is impossible to gauge intonation within a text; this is why anachronisms like “LOL” were invented. What might be a mild disagreement can easily turn into full blooded warfare within the confines of text messaging. If you need to talk about something with a person you are dating in London, call them or speak face to face, its amazing how much information can be lost without body language and tonality and most of the time these gaps are filled with our imagination, insecurities and grudges.