I do pretty well getting dates from online dating sites - but I'm observing something I don't understand on okcupid.

This is what I do: I exchange 3 messages. If there are increasing questions coming from the girl about me, my work, etc., I decide to ask her out after 3 messages.

5 girls in a row in the past week, I had very similar exchanges with them where they were responding fast as hell, smiley faces, all that shit. Then I suggest we meet up. Next thing I know, their profile turns into the white box with the heart in my inbox. I guess that means I was blocked.

So should I maybe be waiting longer to pull the trigger?

Very simple. Yes. They don't know you other than what's on their screen. Dude no need to rush lol some games take alot longer than 3 messages. Its not a race for numbers. They are scared... as they should be of crazy people online.

Unless you've spent a good solid week or two, with them online and on the phone. I'd rather you not be so quick about asking them out, there has to be, just has to be a base level of comfort which should be established here.

Achieve that and you'll never be blocked.

_________________
" You're born alone and you die alone and this world just drops a bunch of rules on top of you to make you forget those facts. But I never forget. I'm living like there's no tomorrow, because there isn't one. "

Be aware that some girls online just for validations and chitchat, they have no intention of meeting up. Also some of them DON'T look the way they do in the pictures, hence they're not fond with the idea of face to face in person.
Online game does take a while to build since you can't build comfort that fast through a screen. And they DO have all the time in the world to make decision about the date, unlike in real life when they have to do it right on the spot without any opinions from their friends.

Really good advice - thanks to you all. I actually never talk to them on the phone before meeting. I'll try that out.

I'd say the majority of these fuckups have been me pulling the trigger too early now that I read these comments.

There was one, though, the other day I think falls into the looking for validation camp taohackne talks about. She initiated with me, we exchanged like 10 messages over 3 days, the rest is history.

Lots to learn. cheers.