Hello and welcome, new and returning redditors! Thank you very much for opening this post. That was an excellent decision you've just made! :D

This post is meant to familiarize you with how this sub is run and how to effectively achieve your desired result. Also be sure to read the sidebar, any [META] posts, and any sticky posts you may see. Please read on.

HOW TO PM

This is BY FAR the most important part of this whole shared experience because there are still plenty of people that don't know how to do this. That's why this section will be right at the top where everybody will see it, even before the how-to on posting, the rules, etc.

"PM" stands for "private message" or "personal message." A PM is a message sent from one user to another and cannot be seen by anybody besides the recipient. Most, if not all, of the correspondence that happens through this sub will be and should be through PM. This is for the privacy of all involved. This is to significantly reduce risk of doxing, harassment, spam, scams, and catfish.

STEP 1:

Find a post you want to reply to then click on the username.

STEP 2:

Click "Send a private message."

STEP 3:

Fill in the boxes, then hit "send."

And voila! In 3 easy steps, you too can achieve your hopes and dreams!

From here on, all replies to those PMs will be found in the inboxes of those users.

CONTACT INFO AND IDENTIFYING DETAILS IN PUBLIC ARE STRICTLY FORBIDDEN

All posts and comments containing this kind of information will be removed and repeat offenders or those that reveal others' information will be banned.

Kinds of forbidden information: full names, addresses, phone numbers, emails, mobile app IDs (kik, WhatsApp, Snapchat, etc), IM IDs (Skype, yahoo, etc), external profiles (facebook, okcupid, tumblr, instagram, twitter, etc), any kind of specific information that would allow a person to deduce an exact location or person, enough information that would allow a person to deduce an exact location or person, etc.

This kind of information should be shared ONLY through PM, and never in posts or comments.

HOW TO CREATE A QUALITY POST

Basically, you click on the button in the sidebar that says "I want a text friend!" tell your audience about yourself and what you're looking for, then hit "submit." Same as PMing somebody, it's as easy as 1-2-3!

To expand upon the content and quality portion, let's break down the parts of a quality post:

• intentions/expectations for communication

What are you doing here? What would you like to come from this?

Texting is the primary means of communication between people that meet here, but if you're also ok with some text app or picture sharing app, feel free to make mention of it. If you'd like to transition to another form of communication after some time of building rapport, you can talk about that as well. Casual conversation partners and friends are what most people will be looking for here, but it's ok to look for flirting and romance, as well. Just make sure you're being clear with what you want and what you hope for.

• topics for discussion

Is there anything you want to talk about, specifically? Do you have a range of loose topics you like to converse on? Let your audience know. If you'll talk about anything, you can say that as well.

• hobbies/interests/lifestyle/anything interesting that can be used to prompt conversation

What do you like to do? What are you doing with your life? What fascinating experiences have you had? This is your opportunity to make a connection with somebody similar to yourself. It's also a chance to build yourself up and attract the kind of attention you want. Nobody wants to talk to a bore.

• additional information

As for the other criteria (age, gender, location, what gender(s) you want to text) - none of this is important unless you're looking for something other than conversation and friendship, or if you want to talk about something that actually has to do with these things. If this is the case, make sure you include these in your post.

"So what does a quality post actually look like?" you may ask.

Well, a quality post will have enough information to get the party started but not so much that it's a chore to read through completely. It will also be friendly and inviting. It will tend to offer as much, if not more, information than what is being asked of the audience. Intentions and methods of communication will be clear. The poster will not come off as boring or demanding.

EXAMPLES OF QUALITY POSTS

EXAMPLES OF NONQUALITY POSTS

OTHER STUFF

Most of the users of this sub are going to be in the United States and Canada, so if you are NOT in the US or Canada, it will be a good idea to mention what nation you're in.

Other social subs: /r/MakeNewFriendsHere, /r/r4r

Other phone-based social subs: /r/Kikpals, /r/snapchat /r/WApals, /r/TelegramR4R, /r/TelegramGroups, /r/furrykikpals, /r/CleanKikpals, /r/bbmpals, /r/VoxerPals, /r/Wickrpals.

Even more social subs can be found on the sub's wiki page

Aside from all this...

BE RESPECTFUL

Do not insult or "creep on" the other posters and commenters. If there are issues with this, let us mods know. We take harassment very seriously.

Otherwise, if anybody has any comments, questions, concerns, please bring them up here, or shoot us some modmail.

HAPPY TEXTING! :)

^{Posterity: first intro // no contact info // milestone history // milestone promo}

^{11/30/15 5:46AM CST (GMT -6, not DST)}