Well hello in the name of meaningful conversation and maybe witty banter!
I resonate with your post, so I'll go ahead and answer the "stuff to get started" from back to front.
I believe that although it's pretty hard to discern whether the person you are talking to on the other side of the screen is genuine, it's worth a shot if your guy says go with it. However I would say not in a particularly bad way if you clearly lack common sense and fail to see bigger pictures then maybe internet friends aren't for you, that might be my moms social worker reasoning but I say what I say. With anything there's a level of risk that goes with, whether you're prepared to take the leap and deal with repercussion of good turned bad then by all means go ahead but if it something you could have seen beforehand then I'd say "that's life".
On a personal level I can say the internet friends I have are wonderful (I met them on here) 2 of which I've been friends with for 2 & 3 years respectively and the other for a couple months. I know I've never seen them face to face, we've never really had proper voice chats yet, but I trust what my gut says about them and they haven't given me cause for concern yet. Still it's not all 100% fairy liquid trust, there's still the unknown element that may never be addressed, but until we get to that, it will remain as is I guess..
Why I'm on Reddit looking for friends.. I guess it's easier opening up to people who can't see you directly as you have so many options where you can shut them out if needs be, rather than IRL. I have experienced some things in my life where people have shown me just how ugly the human nature can be, and it's nice to get away from that every once in a while and if I find someone here, who replaces the one that I lost or never really had out there then it's a win. This is by no means out of insecurity or absolute loneliness or desperation, I hold myself in a higher esteem than that because I know who I am and what I'm worth. But I'm not inhuman, I have feelings that can be hurt the same as anybody else, so if I want to look else where for friends then I will.
Most controversial opinion.. That's tricky because to most things I'll have to have a think about but then after I will defend my corner. But to pick one, as it pops up a lot in the conversations I here or partake in is "Who pays on the first date?"
On a surface level, I don't really think it matters so much in this day and age, due to how society is evolving and all this stuff about equality and feminism and who's gets to demand who's rights. However I have different standpoints:
A) from my cultural point of view, it's about how men treat, respect and care for women. You have shown you're interest, and by asking the lady out it means you are prepared to go the extra mile and accommodate everything to do with the date which includes paying. Because for one it shows that you have the financial means to support (however this can backfire with people trying to show off and be over the top, causing embarrassment and unnecessary grief and stress). Despite this there is becoming a very blurred view on the role of a woman which I hate, because men can be very degrading at times for no reason.
Going back to older times where this was the norm then I wouldn't say anything because that's just the way it would go, but not all the time, the first date is special so if the guy pays he pays. I will say here that chivalry isn't dead, and some men will like to do what he can for his lady to show he loves her, and it's only the first date! There's plenty more where you talk about finance etc, and you don't always have to take them somewhere which requires you to whip out your wallet or purse.
B) from a religious view, the male figure is the head of the home so he must take care of his family (girlfriend before that)..meaning he must have the means to provide adequately and know when to keep things simple or go all out if he wants to. But again it's the first date, if you want to impress sure but don't break your bank trying to do so. As a man you must take charge and it's only fair and right to do so as your given duty.
C) from a view as a "young" adult. It's 50/50, if I'm being taken out on a date, and my boyfriend would like to pay, then I'd let him do so, if he's approached me with an interest, it's his idea on where we're going, then it's all on him, because he decided all this. Of course I would offer to pay politely, not undermining his effort or "masculinity", and he would know that because of the people both he and I are. but it's being mindful of the day and age we're in, money is a luxury we don't have it in heaps.
Or say for instance he called/asked me or I called/asked him and we both decided on a place, because it's a joint decision then we both pay. I can't stand it when boys and girls alike expect the other to be cashing out all the time. In life sharing the load is highly encouraged, what do people think they'll be doing when they get married?!
A lot of the time we've got this whole "man supposed to" "woman supposed to" all wrong when it comes to trivial things like this. Since now a lot of people are moving away from tradition I guess things like this are constantly pulled into question about what's right, wrong or to be expected, but what I've just told you is how I feel (in far fewer words than what I could say but hey, I've already written you a dissertation :D )
What about you?