Absolutely. Actually, my oldest internet friend(actually, it even makes her my oldest friend as I don't keep in touch with classmates) just hooked up with my best friend. Hopefully, it'll last. I've only met her once and that was after 5 years of chatting.
Poll: Internet friendship?
- Thread starter lord.jeff
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I have some that I consider as good as IRL friends and we'd probably be friends IRL, if we weren't living in different countries. I talk with them almost every day. We play games together. We roleplay together. They're all bronies like me. Yeah, I'd say they're important I just wish we were living closer to each other XD
I don't view it as a true friendship, mainly because you're viewing an individual through a filter.
The only real way to experience "friendship" is to be in the physical presence of an individual. I'm not saying that initial online based interactions are not a good foundation, more you can't truly know someone until you meet them.
This theory continues to evolve; for example you can't truly know your partner until you live with them as people can "act" for long periods of time if some downtime is viable between interactions.
The only real way to experience "friendship" is to be in the physical presence of an individual. I'm not saying that initial online based interactions are not a good foundation, more you can't truly know someone until you meet them.
This theory continues to evolve; for example you can't truly know your partner until you live with them as people can "act" for long periods of time if some downtime is viable between interactions.
I voted other.
I can't make friends with people online. I just can't percieve them as actual friends. I'm not saying nobody should have online friends, this is just a personal quirk. I can't feel close to people I've never met. I percieve them as people, but no matter what we talk about or what we do, they'll always be in the same corner of my brain as people that ride on my tram in the morning - somewhat familiar but not in any way close to me.
I can't make friends with people online. I just can't percieve them as actual friends. I'm not saying nobody should have online friends, this is just a personal quirk. I can't feel close to people I've never met. I percieve them as people, but no matter what we talk about or what we do, they'll always be in the same corner of my brain as people that ride on my tram in the morning - somewhat familiar but not in any way close to me.
I sometimes feel online friends are better than real life ones. Then some random asshole on the internet reminds me that I'm just thinking about the Escapist community.
Meh. Real life and online friends each have their pros and cons.
Meh. Real life and online friends each have their pros and cons.
It all depends on the person, if you interact a lot with the people online then they are important, its the same for people in real life, you might get along real well with some classmates, co-workers or even family members.
You as a person assign importance to the people you interact with.
You as a person assign importance to the people you interact with.
So by that logic, if you met your onling friends in real life, they would automatically become boring and/or annoying by sheer virtue of the fact that you are face-to-face with them.Blargh McBlargh said:
If everyone you've met in real life is boring/annoying, you aren't making much effort to actually get out there and meet people.
Friends are friends, whether you get to know them in the flesh or through text. Granted it's harder to tell if a person online is really all they say they are, but people will bend the truth regardless of the means of communication. It's also more convenient online, with or without being face-to-face friends, because emails and IMs can have hours between responses without as much awkwardness as being face to face and going quiet.
Of course it's sometimes hard to remember that just because a person talks to you doesn't mean they see you as close a friend as you may see them. Or maybe they feel you're closer friends than you believe you are.
Of course it's sometimes hard to remember that just because a person talks to you doesn't mean they see you as close a friend as you may see them. Or maybe they feel you're closer friends than you believe you are.
I'm kind of an anti-social dick so internet friends work really well for me. Its all the stimulation you get from an intelligent personality without having to put up with the strain of their physical person. I realize there are probably some limits to human interaction thats completely virtual, but like I said, its a lot less stressfull for me than having to talk to an actual person.
Some internet friends are really internet acquaintances who you meet in one game and they are your friend only in the context of said game. This is like some work, school, activity friends who you never care to see outside of work, school, or that activity. Those aren't real friends either.
Some I have played with across multiple games/platforms for years and have kept tabs with, these are basically real friends who live far away. Those who live close, or I happened to travel near in this context I have met in person and gamed with in person though so I guess they crossed over into the real friend category?
Some I have played with across multiple games/platforms for years and have kept tabs with, these are basically real friends who live far away. Those who live close, or I happened to travel near in this context I have met in person and gamed with in person though so I guess they crossed over into the real friend category?
well i have quite a lot of online friends. for one, the majority of my friends that i knew personally have become online friends after i moved to Florida and they stayed in California. however i do have a LOT of purely-online friends that i know a lot about and mean a lot to me. they've helped me (emotionally) to get through some hard times and are quite fun to talk with.
but i think i'm something of a special case... seeing as i belong to the Furry community (something i generally don't advertize despite my avvi) and online friends tend to be quite important to us...
but i think i'm something of a special case... seeing as i belong to the Furry community (something i generally don't advertize despite my avvi) and online friends tend to be quite important to us...
