Phone number, email address, or AIM handle?

Today things aren’t as simple as asking a girl for her phone number. In the age of cell phones and wireless communication, there are a plethora of ways to contact someone, each with its benefit and drawbacks.

Ask a woman for her phone number, and you may get a business card, work number, cell number, email address, web page or AIM handle. While some people may still prefer the intimacy of talking on the phone, it really depends on comfort level and personal preference. When you meet someone and hit it off, electronic communication is just like a phone call if it leads to a date. But there are pitfalls unique to the medium.

For one thing, it's very easy to be seduced by the informality of email or instant messaging. Conducting e-relationships can be tricky because email often allows people to become too casual too fast; however, it is a great way to connect with someone if one of the parties is uncomfortable talking on the phone or prefers discretion during work hours.

Regardless of how you communicate with a date, note what information you are giving this person. If an email address includes both your first and last names, you may want to think twice before handing it over to someone you just met in a bar. Likewise, web pages and business cards might provide a little too much information to a total stranger.