Time Between Replies?

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Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2009 12:44 am

What do you guys think is the best strategy as far as replying to the lads. Do you like to reply as soon as you can, wait a day, 2 days, etc? I've sometimes found myself online at the same time as my lads, and will get caught up in an email conversation back and forth with replies within minutes. Is this a bad idea? It seems like the best bet to hook a lad is to spread your replies out so that they have invested more days into your bait, but it's just so tempting to reply immediately when you get a fresh message! Smile

Any words of wisdom from the masters would be duly noted. Thanks!

Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2009 12:54 am

The rule of thumb is to let them wait a bit... but I've varied between same-day replies and letting them stew a while, without ill effects.

Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2009 1:54 am

I go for 'what would my character do?'

One of my characters is only online for about half an hour in the evening. If he can't write to all his correspondents during that time, some have to wait.

Another of my characters, however, will be browsing online for hours when she is at home, and is quite happy to email back and forth with anyone.

A third character gets round to writing business letters only twice a week. But will reply to an email from a 'potential love match' absolutely immediately, hitting 'Reply' within seconds of the mail being received.

What's the best strategy? It is said the best strategy is to write once a day, and to reply to emails sent by Lads the previous day. I think the frequency or infrequency of writing is probably secondary, however, to creating a consistent and believable character. And that's why I just simply do what my characters would do.

Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2009 8:53 am

Replying immediately is something I tell most of my mentees not to do. Well, at the start of their careers, that is. When you don't have a lot of experience yet, you tend to make mistakes if you reply immediately. Especially when you're fresh, you tend to react on their mails, while you should be acting. A lot of simple errors can occur when you're being too fast. If they do want to mails multiple times a day I tell them to write a reply, but not to send it yet. Read it again in an hour - would you still send exactly the same thing? In that hour you had a bit of time to think about it, and most of the time you find yourself you're editing little bits in the reply. Live chatting isn't easy, you have to be able to think fast. I'm not saying it's a bad idea, but that it's easier for you when you put a little time between it.

Baiting Guru Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 3193

I'd agree with everything else said. I did bait a huge number of lads once, replying as quickly and with as little thought as I could. That was fun and educational, but it didn't lead to any long-running baits.

Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2009 2:29 pm

At this time of year you could probably go at least a couple of days without replying and still have a good excuse for the long wait. Very Happy

Out doing last minute christmas shopping all day/visiting relatives/on holiday/christmas or new year party/got into a fight at a new year party and got arrested/got arrested for drunk driving after the new year party/etc etc etc...

Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2009 3:07 pm

..another reason for not replying immediately:
The moment their email hits your inbox is a convenient moment for the lad. He is already in the cyber cafe, he has already paid for his online time, he is already 'working' on you and your story.
Waiting even 2 hours increases the chance that they have to come back to the cyber and pay for another hour. You never know for sure when it is a bad moment that you could aim for, but you do know when it is a good moment that you can avoid.
I often write a reply immediately or pretty quickly, but leave it in drafts for a while.

Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2009 3:11 pm

I kind of figured those were the types of answers I'd hear, since I thought that would be the best approach too. It's just so tempting to fire off an email as soon as I can, because then I am anxiously awaiting the newest entertaining email from my lads! Smile

I have one lad I've been working on for about 6 weeks, and I've been emailing him multiple times a day, so we have had a LOT of conversation. He is so dumb though, I have made him fill out forms, send me pictures, go on wild goose chases to meet me, etc. I'd say at least 5 times he has gotten so mad that he has told me to never email him again and to forgot our business deal, but I can always draw him back in! Smile

I've got 3 characters I'm using, and on my newest character I have a few new lads I just started on. I think I will try and slow down the reply speed with these guys just to drag out the days invested by the lads. The more days invested, the more likely they are to stay on the hook I figure.

Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2009 4:56 pm

^^^ ..and if you get bored while waiting to send your replies, you can always bait more lads.
Although that does make it easier to get your stories crossed and make mistakes.

Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2009 8:32 pm

I think it all depends on the situation. In the beginning I often keep it at one or two a day, but when it comes down to things like having a lad on safari, I've had more than 10 an hour.

Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2009 11:13 pm

To Bolleboos: Oh trust me, I am baiting as many lads as I can right now! Smile

I am a newbie but I am totally addicted to this and think it's great. I am learning the ropes pretty quickly I think.

Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2009 12:04 am

You're going to hear a lot of different responses in this thread, and it's hard to say that any are right or wrong. It's all up to personal preference.

I noticed a lot of people have given the advice to not reply immediately. I'd say that depends on your story. If it makes sense and you feel right by it, then go for it. If you feel awkward about it and think that your lad might make you for it, then hold back. Personally, I've replied to lads on getting their e-mail many times before. I don't believe I've ever been dropped or made for it.

In the end, it's all a matter of preference.

One piece of advice I'll give you, though, is to avoid writing two letters in a row if your lad doesn't respond for a while. In my experiences, the lad pick up on that very quickly. Although, if it looks like a bait is dying, the lad has dropped you, and you have nothing to lose, you might try it as a last ditch effort. Again, it's all about preference.

The best thing to do would be to try out different strategies and see what works best for you.

Oh, and welcome to Eater. Thumbs up

Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2009 11:50 am

Whatever delay circumstances dictate. When I'm close to getting a trophy, safari, bank account or whatever, the mails flow thick and fast. After he's delivered, it doesn't hurt to wait a day or two, even longer, then in addition to the pain the wait has caused him, you can slap him around for the flood of emails he's sent you whenever you decide to come back.

419Eater is my life Joined: 10 Jul 2008 Posts: 366

I had one bait that I tied to a monthly meeting. Each month the scammer would be in the position to supply some needed document or official response. If the lads/laddette was late the "adgenda" item was simply delayed to the next month.

Like most organizations there would be a burst of activity around the meeting date and responses between meetings would be a week or more.

The bait lasted a couple years involving lads/laddette. This is also one of the few times I believe I was dealing with a laddette. One of the lads involved may actually have been a lawyer.

p.

Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2009 1:38 pm

Quote:

What do you guys think is the best strategy as far as replying to the lads.

The idea is to keep them off balance and convince them of both your sincerity and flakiness at the same time.

So you can answer some e-mails immediately, maybe even send 2 or 3 responses; then go silent for a few days and let the Lad get frantic.

Keep altering the rhythm; remember that the Lad is working for you, not the other way around. Smile

Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2009 3:54 pm

I find that responding within a reasonable time at the start helps get the hooks in them. Obviously not 2 or 3 replies in a day, but as people have said, respond as if you were a real victim. Let them get invested in you, so that when you became a pain in the ass, they have a hard time letting go of you.