Online friends

[Reckoner]

I'm friends online with a few people. I've been gaming with a crew of online friends that I have never met IRL for a decade now .

And indeed, there are some ASers I converse with constantly.

Saintless, don't say anything about my yaoi relationships lol.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Reckoner

I'm friends online with a few people. I've been gaming with a crew of online friends that I have never met IRL for a decade now .

And indeed, there are some ASers I converse with constantly.

Saintless, don't say anything about my yaoi relationships lol.

He always groups up and plays with Archon_Wing whenever we are online for SC2.

[Ryonea]

Online friends.... Just as my RL friends, I don't have a lot of them, but I can say that the few friends I have are really close with me

One unique experience was that I found my first GF through a local forum that was about 5 years ago, and it didn't end well

What I like about online friends is that they tend to reflect their true self more than in RL (At least most of people whom I met), but this is sometimes could be quite a problem when meeting IRL coz they'll act different, not as talkative as when they're online

Only met a number of people IRL, though... geographical problem since I don't live in a very well-known area.

[whitepearl]

I have online friends, mainly from message boards I have participated in—this one included.

Nothing wrong with having online friends. Especially if you are shy and are afraid to approach people like I once was. :lol:

[Kotohono]

Hmmm I don't really want to say this, but tbh I generally have friends who I am to closer/trust more online than IRL .

I'd say I have 5 or 6 friends online who I consider particularly close, though in my defense I have meet up with two of them in RL before, attempted but failed for various reasons with two others, and have/do talk to them thru phone, or skype at times, so isn't like I only know thru text completely . So meeting up in person isn't needed for me to become good friends with someone. Also I have a number of people I talk to online as well whom I'd call friends either from forums, or games, but I am not really as close to them I suppose.

And well part of it is I generally have trouble really getting to know people in person, and then opening up to them, since I am fairly shy and quiet in person unless I've know them for awhile, but even the few closer IRL friends I have, I can't say I've managed to be who I really am around most of them.

[SilverSyko]

I have online acquaintances. No real online friends.

While I wouldn't mind being familiar with more people on forums and such, it's harder to come across as the person I really am over the social shield of the internet.

In the end it's always better to be friends in person rather than through the internet.

[Konata42]

I wouldn't say I have online friends rather acquaintences that I see In forums I frequent.

[AnimeToonzaiFan182]

I have Online Friends on 4KidsTV,and on Anime Suki! I love to have online friends!
You have Online Friends? I love Anime! I watched Sailor Moon online and on TV last night!

[Hiroi Sekai]

I consider everybody I talk to on here as an online friend. I've never had any issues with any of you and many of you share long, insightful conversations with me; I can't really say that I do this with my real life friends too often.

[xl_Legit_lx]

I have 3 close friends. We met in the same gaming community.

My friend, Gurk, who is here as "Avalon"...we have known each other for going on 5 years. So, I'd say, we pretty much talk about everything. We even came to this website together. Hah.

My other friend, from the same gaming site, we were pretty close. Applied to same colleges (ended up going to different ones), but still work in the same major and help each other out. Also known him for going on 5 years.

Those are my two close friends from online.

-Legit

[Knightrunner]

Originally Posted by xl_Legit_lx

I have 3 close friends. We met in the same gaming community.

My friend, Gurk, who is here as "Avalon"...we have known each other for going on 5 years. So, I'd say, we pretty much talk about everything. We even came to this website together. Hah.

My other friend, from the same gaming site, we were pretty close. Applied to same colleges (ended up going to different ones), but still work in the same major and help each other out. Also known him for going on 5 years.

Those are my two close friends from online.

-Legit

Keep those friends close. I lost ties with mine when the years pass by so always talk to them in some way, shape, or form.

[xl_Legit_lx]

They have my number , haha and facebook.

-Legit

[Neat Hedgehog]

Originally Posted by Gamer_2k4

And if they had...less than noble intentions, why travel all the way over to where I live, or why have me come there? If you're going to rob or rape or kill (or whatever) someone, why not do it locally? Why spend months talking to them on the internet if that's all you're going to do at the end?

Because some people get off on "stalking their prey" and they're less likely to get caught if they target an area further away from where they live. There are actually plenty of reasons to make it worthwhile that come to mind pretty quick.

Originally Posted by Dr. Casey

Yeah... I'll be glad when this line of thinking finally starts to die away. Unless I'm mistaken and everyone that posts online is secretly a serial killer rapist, I think there's way too many people that have this kind of paranoia.

Well, if you would notice, I didn't really relegate my paranoia to people you meet online. I don't trust people I meet in real life first, either. I mean, I would never meet with anyone in private without having known them for at least... two years? And then I probably wouldn't eat or drink anything they offered me. No, I'm not kidding.

This is probably because I cannot read people, so I never know what people are about to do or say unless I have had a very long time to learn their behavioral patterns. It pretty much impossible to learn them if all I can do is read text, so there is no way that would ever consider the idea that I "know" anybody that I just talked to online.

[Otaku Guy]

I love online people! I think people tend to show who they really are online then they do IRL.
Although I dont have many online frineds the ones I do have are awesome!!
But I am always looking for more, I dont think you can ever have to many frineds. You know, just people with common interests that talk to each other on a regular basis, I think its fun regardless of what you talk about.
If anybody wants to talk message me~!

[Gamer_2k4]

Originally Posted by Otaku Guy

I love online people! I think people tend to show who they really are online then they do IRL.

I would say just the opposite. People are more likely to cover up who they are online because it's so much easier to do.

[Kotohono]

Originally Posted by Gamer_2k4

I would say just the opposite. People are more likely to cover up who they are online because it's so much easier to do.

I disagree as "social standards" effect how many people act in person in public, so it's much more encouraged to not be who you are, while online isn't encouraged in the same way.

[Otaku Guy]

Originally Posted by Gamer_2k4

I would say just the opposite. People are more likely to cover up who they are online because it's so much easier to do.

Well yeah you have a point. Because people actually do pretend to live different lives online, thats a fact you cant say that they don't
But on the other hand you cant say people who may act a certain way in public to fit the "social standards" don't be who they really are online.
It goes both ways.

[Gamer_2k4]

To the both of you, I imagine it goes either way. Niche communities are easier to find and become a part of online, so yes, if you're in one of those, you're representing yourself better than you might in real life. On the other hand, social standards and dynamics exist online as well as in real life, and it's much easier to deceptively conform to them online. I've experienced both sides of it: I've known people who lie and hide who they are because they want to be accepted, and I've known other people who are completely open because, hey, what does it matter what online people think?

[synaesthetic]

Like most very serious technical types, my online face isn't all that different than my actual face, since "online" is just as real a world to us--in terms of business and making money, anyway.

It also helps that most of the people I interact with frequently online are also people I knew locally at one time or another.

[Hera]

Talk about online friendship:

I've been Facebook friends with a guy for about half a year. We interacted normally and friendly. No problem between us at all.
But there were two things this guy did recently that made me think, "you suck":
1. We asked each other's IM screen name. He gave me his MSN but didn't add me on there (I sent him a buddy request but he never accepted it.).
2. One day his best friend suddenly asked me, "Who are you?" which took me by surprise. It meant that this guy kept me a secret all this time. When I answered his friend that "I'm so and so's FB friend. I know him from this fan club...", she still thought I was "shady" or something because she started showing the attitude, like, jumped into the middle of my conversation, really annoying.
I think this guy may not be a good friend to keep around Thoughts?