Find a chat area you feel comfortable with and keep showing up there. Even if you're just lurking and not saying anything, other regulars will get used to seeing your screen name, says Deborah Baumrucker, an on-line romance expert.
People start saying, 'Hello.
Men, Women and Machines is due out later this summer. When you finally decide to join in the scrolling flow, just be yourself and be honest. It's OK to send those private, instant messages to someone who strikes your fancy, as long as you're polite and respectful, says Baumrucker. But if you suggest going off to a private chat room with someone you just started chatting with, you're going to get the cold modem.