It’s not a question of views vs. replies—I read a lot of posts and I travel a lot, but I seldom respond to any sort of request for travel companions.
I’m far more likely to respond to someone organizing a modest, local meetup, whether with or without  . This allows a gradual face-to-face assessment and consideration of possibilities, and it’s more likely to result in shared travel at a later date.
More often I’ve just met people along the road and traveled with them for a period—they’re already headed in the same direction, possibly on a similar schedule and with similar interests and financial limits. What’s more, there’s less of an ongoing commitment to someone I just met, and this is generally a good thing, since well-matched travel companions are rare (IMHO). I’ve also met people on the road, kept in touch, and traveled with them at a later date—sometimes years later.
In direct answer to your specific question (“How many people actually meet a stranger and go traveling?”), I’d offer that I’ve done this quite a lot—but never that I can recall by meeting someone online, here or elsewhere.
Mark
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