Nice write up on an interesting topic.
I actually have two or three friends that I never had a fight or a disagreement with, that I know for 20 years or so. This 6 month rule is an interesting theory but in the end, it's just a theory
I feel that trusting other people from the start, instead of being on guard is always the better approach.
To cite the Tao:
If you won't trust, you won't be trusted
and
she trusts the trusthworthy
she also trusts the untrustworthy.
this is real trust
I tend to open up to almost anyone I meet, sometime this is met with a similar response, sometimes with the opposite. Sometimes it makes people open up as much towards me and make them distance themselves from me later. On some occasions, it just takes time.
I'm not saying that I consider anyone I meet as a friend, I also have about a handful of good friends in real life, as well as on Steemit. Sure, I know the real life friends a lot better but I don't interact as much with them as with my close buddies on Steemit (and Discord).
It's interesting, though, to think about the people that I would like to stay in touch with when Steemit was gone and consider them 'friends'. I can tell you there aren't many and that I know some of them less than 6 months but that doesn't stop me from being as friendly as possible to anyone I meet on here
Chau! :>)
Vincent