Long before my time, people had "pen pals." People (often far away) with whom they exchanged letters but typically never met. My wife's grandparents met this way during WWII, her church encouraged people to be "pals" with servicemen oversees... they "fell in love" via letters before they ever actually met. It seems the internet has replaced mail in several ways, including this.
I'm cautious. I don't give my last name, my address or phone numbers or even employment - just as a matter of policy, even when I'm 99% sure the other person is safe. I think this is just wise... but I also have a bad experience when I was a young teen (I STILL don't have a personal facebook page for this reason). I'm here at CH simply as an internet member - it's not personal.
.