Do you believe online friendships are as strong or real and RL friendships?
Online friendships can or may have an emotional side to them but they lack the physical side...... Now I'm not talking sex with I say physical. The simple joys of going out to eat, watching the sun come up or taking the kids for a pony ride.
I value the friendships I have online, I like you folks!! I also value the friendships I have in the real world.
Here is an example, it's 1:18 AM local time, my phone just rang. It's Cathy, a real life friend for 30 years. Gotta go talk to her..
Barry (maybe we will watch the sun come up....) Barris
posted on July 23, 2000 11:32:49 PM new
Barry! There you are, you little stinker! Where ya been hiding?
Oh boy oh boy, another Maui ponderment! And yes, I pestered her to slap one on...
Ok, pondering here...
I think it's a mix of both for most folks but I have to tell you that the friends I have made on line are often more brutally honest... and there's no facial expression to read or interruption, so you can spill your guts and sometimes more than you'd like. My best bud in the whole world is Maui... does anyone not know that? lol
I met her online in a chat room, what is it, about 3 years ago now? And from that point we started yakkin every day. Email, IM, and sometimes I just call her up out of the blue to say WHASSUUUUUUUUUP! lol The thing I like most about her and the thing that annoys me most about her are one and the same: that brutal honesty I spoke of before.
Some of you may have seen us banter or bicker at one point and think that we're royally pi@@ing each other off but we can yak like that cos we're on the same track.
I also really like making friends in here.
I also enjoy RL friends but I rarely go out, and by that I mean parties and such...the friends I have are the ones I talk story with outside of the school, or a couple of the neighbors, and thanks to eBay I've made a few good friends at the post office. (There is a tourism book somewhere that mentions the Kihei Post Office as one of the top places on Maui to get local gossip )
So, if asking which do I prefer, I don't know if I can say... at least not until the paint fumes wear off, lol (been painting the bathroom and have the giggles at the moment )
But friendships formed online be as strong as RL friendships? You betcha!
posted on July 24, 2000 10:27:45 AM new
AWWWWWWWWW....me wuvs her catty watty too.
I think online friends know me more than the REAL ones...and for the reasons cat said above. Gotta read the words more than the expressions. And cat....ditto about being best buds
posted on July 24, 2000 02:09:03 PM new
Actually, I feel that you can be even more honest and yourself with online friends. I mean for obvious reasons. Some of the comments I have left or humorous statements I have made would have sent my board of elders through the roof. Frankly I am at the age where I really don't care.
Help I'm a fun-lovin' guy stuck in a stuffed shirt profession!
posted on July 24, 2000 05:06:44 PM new
maui, great ponderment!
pastorleon I've really enjoyed reading your posts here at AW
for me this is a hard question to answer, because it's like comparing apples and oranges, it's two different kind of friendships. Both can be close, honest and sharing but online you usually don't ever see the person offline so you can't share physical activities like Barry pointed out.
but I've got to agree with the honesty part if you choose to be honest, and are lucky enough to find the other honest posters, the ability is there to have more honest friendships because you've eliminated a lot of surface distractions from the offline world and you are only relating to the words someone cared enough to post.
Barry is my friend even though we'll never meet up.
Hey Zip and K-cat
regards
Donna
edited to correct my spelling
[ edited by LadyofLake on Jul 24, 2000 05:15 PM ]
posted on July 24, 2000 05:23:24 PM new
First off-AW is the only chat I indulge in so my opinion may be biased. For me, AW has been a tremendous info source to so many questions about online selling---AW more than anywhere has helped me be the success, albiet small , than eBay chats, off shoot chats, rival chats. Probably more than anything ---is the wonderful diverse incredibly intelligent and knowledgable posters that post here. We all don't always agree, and sometimes sparks fly, but I've noticed we all sorta come back here and try again to type our opinions and beliefs. On line friends are not to be confused with RL friends. Actually, I don't have scads of RL freinds, those I have I treasure. So--to get into this cyber friendship is going to be a bit of a rough going. Maybe--its what we want to get out of this forum. An exchange of info and opinion is what I am looking for--friends---nah. Paraphrasing someone here( forgive me--I have a bit of a short term memory loss) "I love humanity--it's people that I can't stand"
posted on July 25, 2000 07:46:17 AM new
On-line versus RL friendships---they really are two very different critters. I come here to AW to lurk and occasionally post because of the diversity of opinion and wealth of information. After a while, it really does seem that you know the other posters, but that hardly compares to a twenty-year RL friendship that spans marriages, births, deaths and all that comes in between.
That said, I have made one online friend (a seller who specializes in my favorite thing), and we keep in contact beyond business. I value his friendship and would love to meet both him and his wife. I have to think that is rare, though.
I'd say that yes, you can make friends on the boards. I only have time to go to two (takes me too long to type) and I mainly interact here. I've met many interesting people and truley enjoy what you write. Yes, I consider you all friends. After all I talk to you much more than I do my RL friends due to just sitting down here and slopping around. I enjoy the jokes, the deep discussions and the interaction and I can be totally honest. With my RL friends something is always interupting any discussion we may be having.
Pastorleon, You are a character and I'm glad you joined us.
Everybody, Mybid has had a pretty rough 2 weeks. Have a thought for her, please.
... Now I'm not talking sex with I say physical. The simple joys of going out to eat, watching the sun come up or taking the kids for a pony ride.
but not in RL.