What are your experiences with online relationships?

[Ambi]

In future, I will avoid having emotional connection with people I only know on the internet.


Sometimes they end up a complicated mess.

Sometimes they can cause the people in them to be tied to their computers.

Some people search online because they find no connection with the people who live near them.

Sometimes people aren't who they say they are.

Or there can be all the typical IRL relationship problems, but communicated over IM or something.

But it can work for some. Some people have married people they met online.


Discuss...

 

[TheNamlessGuy]

DELETED

 

[JRCB]

Eh, I would avoid them. You can't trust everyone on the internet. Some people just want to hurt you.

 

[Angerwing]

I've seen one online relationship make it work.

She ended up moving from America to Australia, and they lived happily ever after.

 

[Insanum]

everyone knows "that guy" with an online relationship.

Personally, i find that online leaves too much to much room for awkwardness.

 

[Dorian]

Rule of thumb:

Did you meet them on a site designed to match y'all up?
Avoid. They just met you with random person because you PAID THEM. It's NOT going to be good. Or, they're just outright lying about themselves.

Did you meet them on a site at random and gradually go into a relationship, like the process is MEANT to go?
Try it out. It's more than likely genuine if you're on an honest site, like the 'Scapist.

But experience firsthand?
Nein. Nada. Zilch.

 

[ThePocketWeasel]

It's hard to know if the person on the other computer is who they say they are. A couple of my friends I've met over the internet.
As for romantic relationships? Seems kinda pointless to me and like it's already been said some people just want to hurt you. It can work but it's rare.

 

[Harlemura]

My sister's bestest buddy was met online.
They haven't met face to face, but their good enough friends to only let me on the computer for about half an hour due to their never-ending rambles and meme refrences.
/rage

 

[TheNumber1Zero]

I have no interest in a relationship, online or IRL.
I find the thought of making a relationship online not worth the risk, and quite pointless. If I were to tell someone that their online relation was a terrible idea, and it ended up working out, I would congratulate them but would still stand by what I had said before.

No Experience, Negative Opinion.

 

[BonsaiK]

In future, I will avoid having emotional connection with people I only know on the internet.


Sometimes they end up a complicated mess.

Sometimes they can cause the people in them to be tied to their computers.

Some people search online because they find no connection with the people who live near them.

Sometimes people aren't who they say they are.

Or there can be all the typical IRL relationship problems, but communicated over IM or something.

But it can work for some. Some people have married people they met online.


Discuss...

I've met people through online dating websites and such. Haven't had a really strong relationship start that way yet, but I did get laid a couple times so it wasn't all bad. I don't build the relationship online though. I only build it to the point where she is like "okay, I think I'm ready to meet you in person" and then we meet in person and forget about the online bit.

Generally I find the people were exactly who they said they were, but that's not to say fakes aren't out there - I just have a good nose for spotting the fakes from the real ones.

 

[Axle_Bullitt_19]

Well for the two weeks I played WoW I had a girlfriend that got me a bunch of armor due to her being a higher level. I had payed her back and then she sent me a mail saying she found someone else who would do more for her that I ever would. After that I basicly quit WoW to avoid that from happening again.

 

[zen5887]

I know a guy, who met a girl on a certain video game news site. He flew over to Canada to meet her, fell in love and moved there. He is still over there =)

Also, I met my current girl over the net.

 

[Mordwyl]

Some of my best friends are foreign and if it weren't for long distance I would have dated them too. Intimate internet relationships are very VERY volatile; friendships on the hand can be more stable than real life ones.

 

[DeadlyYellow]

Only basic friendships, as anything deeper requires face-to-face contact. Otherwise I follow the AAIM rule (Always Assume Itsa Man.)

 

[InsanityRequiem]

everyone knows "that guy" with an online relationship.

Heh... That's me. I'm currently "That guy" as I am in an online relationship. And have been in it since June of '07. Roughly 20 months (1 year 8 months) I've been in it.

From my experience, it's a long and really dangerous means to have a relationship. You're more open and yet more prone to lying since you're talking behind a computer screen. You also have to be more open minded in this, as the length of time you two may be apart can start chopping bridges.

For example, my partner has a girlfriend as well. We both know about each other and we both are alright with it. I'm not able to be there physically in this relationship, therefore I gotta give some leeway. And hey, they both are happy with each other at the moment.

Another thing is that the distance can be very troublesome. I live on the West Coast of the US, while my partner's on the East Coast. That's 2000+ miles that separates us.

That's all I can really talk about right now with a nap-addled brain.

 

[GreyWolf257]

All of my relations are either short-lived or just hard to keep up with. For instance, there is a person who goes to this site that I have been trying to get with on MW2, but we are never on at the same time, considering the fact that we have an ocean and several time zones between us. I'm going to stay up until 3AM so that I have a chance of gaming with him tonight.