Things to do before that First Date (a newbie question) (2)

I am fairly new on this site, so cut me a slack for asking the kind of a question that every member with some seniority on this site apparently already knows. When you have the first online contact with your prospective date, is it a proper etiquette, or a rule of sorts, to go on emailing each other for some extended period of time, before actually meeting? This is the feedback I've received today. When my date said that, I felt like I was acting reckless, careless, and whatnot, by meeting him shortly after the
first online contact. He told me that I should have exchanged a few emails first, ask questions and learn about one another that way, before actually contemplating a date. Then why would he give me his phone number??

My opinion was (and still is ) that virtual communication has drawbacks vs. actually meeting in real life, and that the drawbacks outweigh the benefits. I think that it's easy to pretend certain things about yourself while typing away at your computer.


Furthermore, when people pretend, they can even half believe in it at the time, although it's not true and they know it, and it will sure come up later, but still, they'd go for it. You follow me? My opinion is, that the best way to learn about one another is to meet in the real world.

What do you think?