Long vs. Short Correspondence Times

[Misha]

Add some time to explain to a foreigner where is the nearest Russian consulate, to send him the link to the consulate's website, to explain him why does he have to be there at 7 in the morning, why does he have to purchase health & travel insurance in advance, why does he have to make 3x4 cm pictures and not just crop his face from a group picture taken during his last birthday, how to install Acrobat Reader which is needed to print out the application form, guide him line after line though filling visa application form... ad nauseum. According to my personal experience, in takes a week in the very BEST case.

Olga, I have to say, if this is the case, I truly have to wonder about some of the men in question  Ils ne sont pas très futés selon moi si c'est le cas.

[GQBlues]

But I realise that for Americans, who can't fly to Moscow on Friday evening and go back home on Sunday evening, things are very different due to distance and flight costs.

I know one guy who did.

He met a lady Tuesday and flew to see her by Friday. He even wrote a trip report for it. His handle was 'Freebird', from Atlanta, and his T/R appropriately titled, "My Weekend in Moscow".

[Blues Fairy]

What do FSUW prefer: having a long (6 to 12 months or longer) correspondence with a man before meeting him, or a short time period ( 2 to 4 months).

I may have preferred 2 or 4 or 6 months' correspondences but those never worked out.  My 3-year correspondence, however, did.  In the end, it's the result that matters.

[Olga_Mouse]

Olga, I have to say, if this is the case, I truly have to wonder about some of the men in question 

Misha, I'm truly wondering about it for maaaaany years now... Or is it just my famous luck? Dunno...

Ils ne sont pas très futés selon moi si c'est le cas.

Malheureusement j'ai jamais vu le site ou des hommes devraient écrire leur IQ apres leur age 

[Blues Fairy]

Malheureusement j'ai jamais vu le site ou des hommes devraient écrire leur IQ apres leur age 

Actually I found my now-husband on a website like this.  The site offered multiple tests, including IQ, personality etc. and most people had their IQ results shown on their profile (as a searchable parameter). 

[Misha]

Misha, I'm truly wondering about it for maaaaany years now... Or is it just my famous luck? Dunno...

Malheureusement j'ai jamais vu le site ou des hommes devraient écrire leur IQ apres leur age 

Ce serait quand même pas si mal. Cela pourrait faciliter le triage 

[Aloe]

Add some time to explain to a foreigner where is the nearest Russian consulate, to send him the link to the consulate's website, to explain him why does he have to be there at 7 in the morning, why does he have to purchase health & travel insurance in advance, why does he have to make 3x4 cm pictures and not just crop his face from a group picture taken during his last birthday, how to install Acrobat Reader which is needed to print out the application form, guide him line after line though filling visa application form... ad nauseum. According to my personal experience, in takes a week in the very BEST case.

I never had to explain any of those things to anyone   The man you described above sounds a bit on the silly side, who would want him? Especially the acrobat reader part. Computer-illiterate men just don't do the trick for me  
I did fill in both visa forms for my hubby though Wait i rememeber now, i had to explain to him why he must type in his travel passport number, instead of his national. Damn   What i actually did is open the form (its in pdf, so you cant change it), make a screenshot of it, then type in all the data in photoshop, save, and send him the jpg. Not because he didnt have acrobat though
By the way, russian consulates around the world seem to open at around 9. Don't have to be there at 7 at all. The line for visa is so short, you are done within 30 minutes of your arrival, no matter what time, as long as the consulate works. Now the line to the russian department.. Last time i went, i had to spend there 1 hr in line and 2 hrs sitting around waiting for them to print up one little paper

[civi68]

I had success with corresponding for 3 months, then telling a woman or women that I will travel and purchase a ticket 3 months in advance for a total of 6 months correspondence. I find that the more sincere women will stick with you. Yes, the correspondence will get routine. The more motivated women will stick with you as opposed to some who are on the sites for something to do or willing to meet men for something to do until they find the "one." Rarely, the one ends up being a foreigner and they leave the sites after a year or so.
   I found that the women who write briefly or write like SMS messages you can't get to know them and may not be sincere. I prefer the women who write detailed letters, ask me questions, talk on skpye, and share their thoughts. I also found that women who say they are not sure about leaving their country or say, "I don't know, America is far away, I can't leave my family, maybe Europe, etc" or say they have a good paying job and nice flat, usually in Moscow or St. Pete,  usually don't come through. So, I focus on ones who say they are interested in leaving for a good man. Once, I did meet a woman from Moscow who wrote briefly and we had a good time when I visited her twice. But in the end, she did not want to leave Russia. Mike

[Ravens9273]

While this topic started as to what people prefer I think it should also be looked at as to what works.

From my time here and people I have met a majority of the married couples had long correspondence. Myself included (2 years 4 months).
I think longer correspondence builds stronger bonds between two people giving a better chance of success when meeting.
During the years I have seen many do the quick visits and have seen very limited results leading to marriage in it.

This could be looked at in many ways. They did not build as strong a bond before meeting. Different motives etc...

I personally never believed in the foot race method. If someone wanted me to come so fast I would have to question why. But one thing I can bet is it would have nothing to do directly with myself.
I think the best way to get an answer to this question is to have a poll for married members and see how long the corresponded before first meet. In the end a marriage determines the success of the courtship.

[ML]

From my time here and people I have met a majority of the married couples had long correspondence. Myself included (2 years 4 months).

Are you talking about 2 yr, 4 mo before first meeting, before engagement, or before marriage?

[ML]

My 3-year correspondence, however, did. 

Are you talking about 3 years before first meeting, before engagement, or before marriage?

[tfcrew]

My guess 4-6 months is the average initial visit [after the lady invites.]

Some of our USA members haven't ever gone to Europe and may never will.
The OP [WmGo] has been a few times but what ever happened?
[Been absent for a year]

If a visa is needed [to Russia perhaps] a passport/visa expedited service is the way to go. The Wash DC office will place the visa in the passport that afternoon [for the extra...worth it]
The paperwork is FedExed to the embassy and back, and risk of loss in the mail [sometimes happens] is eliminated.

[LanaRUS]

I think, 4-6 month  often dialogue in skype   it is absolutely enough for decision-making about meeting.

[Rina_G]

My opinion - from first Hi! I gave 2 monthes for conversation
If in this period we stay on bla-bla-bla - and man doesn'r begin to talk (and to do something) for real meeting - I was continued my searching for.
If he wants to have a good conversation he aren't ready for serious relations now. 
You can pleasure talk with him your whole life but... in Skype lol

[Avis]

Facts, only facts.

Met my BF on day X.
In a week time he promised to come to see me not later than in 3 months time (which he did, could have done earlier but had his holiday booked long before we met).

So basically the rest of the time until we met we were getting to know each other better, and still do, and it's only getting better with every time we see each other in person (4 times by now).


If we lived in the same ZIP code, we'd have met each other in no time, I'm sure, as he literally went on rampage winning my attention and my time, left no room for me to think about other guys

My point is, if you guys click, it doesn't matter how long you email each other. You just click 

Bless you

[JR]

What do FSUW prefer: having a long (6 to 12 months or longer) correspondence with a man before meeting him, or a short time period ( 2 to 4 months).

Women prefer hansome men with lots of money))) The less time you spend getting to know someone before you know them will correlate directly to how much surprise (good or bad) you feel when you meet them.

Either way can work but I like the approach of not writing all, just go and meet some women in as natural a setting as you can manage. A few here have done that and it seems to have worked for them.

[Gator]

So basically the rest of the time until we met we were getting to know each other better, and still do, and it's only getting better with every time we see each other in person (4 times by now).

Bless you

Fantastic!  And bless you too.

 

[JR]

If we lived in the same ZIP code, we'd have met each other in no time, I'm sure, as he literally went on rampage winning my attention and my time, left no room for me to think about other guys

Can anyone say "Control Freak?" I knew you could

[Gator]

Can anyone say "Control Freak?" I knew you could

Huh?  Maybe you know more than me about Avis's situation.

Some women enjoy full attention and respond to it, contrary to the "pick up" books that suggest a man should act mostly disinterested as if he had plenty of choices. If Avis's man were coy in the beginning, perhaps Avis would have been unimpressed.

[JR]

Huh?  Maybe you know more than me about Avis's situation.

Nope, don't know a damn thing about it. Just being a smart ass, you have to admit I'm pretty good at it))))