Keeping EoFF and IRL separate

I was having an interesting conversation with Parker and it led me to this thread.

I'll keep it brief, because I am known for rambling on and on, but basically, do you keep your world here in EoFF completely separate from your 'real life'? Would you be embarrassed if your 'real life' friends found out you regularly go on a Final Fantasy forum? Do your friends and family know?

For me, I'm very much embarrassed if any mention of EoFF ventures outside it's realms. If someone posted something on facebook about EoFF, I'd be... not angry, or even annoyed. But I'd try and brush it under the carpet as much as possible, so to speak. It's not that I'm embarrassed of EoFF itself - It's my third family in my eyes and I love it to bits. But I'd be embarrassed if my 'real life' friends found out. I don't want to be labelled a geek as such (even though I look like one) and it being made public knowledge that I go on a gaming forum is hardly helping that much. :p

But I digress. What are you guys like then on this issue?

I don't keep them separate. EoFF is pretty much my social circle until I make friends :(. Other than that, I mean, I don't really care about what people think about the fact that I'm on a Final Fantasy Forum. If they seriously make fun of me for something I do on my personal time, not sure they're worth my time.

You are embarrassed of us. How sad. :(


I don't actively tell people, but I don't actively tell people about myself in general anyway. It's not a case of being ashamed or embarrassed, I just don't see a need to tell everyone that I love anime and video games.
If someone were to see me a'browsin' EoFF and asked what it was, I'd tell them. I am a massive nerd, and I'm quite happy to share that, if questioned. xD

I used ot be. But i've embraced my inner nerd and post about it and befriend people etc. If i'm ashamed of it, then why would I enjoy it?

http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/3318/kfm5.png

But aside from that, I have never been particularly bothered if people know about my web browsing history, they always know I am a massive geek from all RPG paraphernalia I have, and all the consoles I own as well.

I don't keep them seperate. Granted I don't go around telling everyone about it either outside of sharing a few thread links on Facebook. But if someone asks I'll tell them and I won't shy away from mentioning it if someone asks what I've been up too etc. Odds are in this day and age that most people frequent some websites, they might not actively contribute to them of course but everyone has their own little dirty internet secret.

My EoFF friends are very important to me and The Summoner of Leviathan has met a few of my "irl" friends. When it boils down to it, there isn't much of a difference between my "irl" friends and EoFF friends for me. It only feels weird talking about my online friends because some people frown upon it. I don't go out of my way to talk about it but it's hard not to.

I never actively connect the two, buit I never hide the links either. Translated that means I'd never invite a mate here as NONE would be interested but if someone here mentioned it on myu bakebook I wouldn't give a trout.

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Originally Posted by Formalhaut

Would you be embarrassed if your 'real life' friends found out you regularly go on a Final Fantasy forum?

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No

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Originally Posted by Formalhaut

Do your friends and family know?

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Ahaha what friends? My family doesn't know but they wouldn't be surprised if they found out. They knew I had that WoW blog and fanbase after all.

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Originally Posted by Shauna

I don't actively tell people, but I don't actively tell people about myself in general anyway. It's not a case of being ashamed or embarrassed, I just don't see a need to tell everyone that I love anime and video games.
If someone were to see me a'browsin' EoFF and asked what it was, I'd tell them. I am a massive nerd, and I'm quite happy to share that, if questioned. xD

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Yeah, pretty much what I was gonna say. Apart from the anime thing, that's just for neeeerds.

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Originally Posted by Pantz

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Originally Posted by Shauna

I don't actively tell people, but I don't actively tell people about myself in general anyway. It's not a case of being ashamed or embarrassed, I just don't see a need to tell everyone that I love anime and video games.
If someone were to see me a'browsin' EoFF and asked what it was, I'd tell them. I am a massive nerd, and I'm quite happy to share that, if questioned. xD

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Yeah, pretty much what I was gonna say. Apart from the anime thing, that's just for neeeerds.

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:colbert:

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Originally Posted by Pike

Ahaha what friends?

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Are you also... full of hate :kaofight:

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Originally Posted by Pantz

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Originally Posted by Shauna

I don't actively tell people, but I don't actively tell people about myself in general anyway. It's not a case of being ashamed or embarrassed, I just don't see a need to tell everyone that I love anime and video games.
If someone were to see me a'browsin' EoFF and asked what it was, I'd tell them. I am a massive nerd, and I'm quite happy to share that, if questioned. xD

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Yeah, pretty much what I was gonna say. Apart from the anime thing, that's just for neeeerds.

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:doublecolbert:

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Originally Posted by Tardar Sauce

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Originally Posted by Pike

Ahaha what friends?

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Are you also... full of hate :kaofight:

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No, I'm full of bashfulness. :blush:

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Originally Posted by Freya

I used ot be. But i've embraced my inner nerd and post about it and befriend people etc. If i'm ashamed of it, then why would I enjoy it?

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I feel somewhat similarly on this issue. Not actively wanting to discuss a topic is feeling ashamed of it. When I was in my previous Job I was ashamed to let people know i liked anime, so I never told anyone. It's not like I will actively go out my way to hide it, but If someone were to ask me about my interests I would always lead with games and hide anime until it was prompted by the other party. The feeling to me is that I am not ashamed of who I am, I just don't go out my way to let people know all of my stranger interests.

I think there is a similar situation here. You aren't embarrassed or ashamed by your lifestyle, but at the same time you'd rather people didn't ask too much about it. If it were to come up in coversation though, I doubt you'd have much of an issue talking about it.

I'm not ashamed of it, but I don't actively talk about it either. This is mainly because I have maybe two friends who actually share an interest in Final Fantasy, and I have talked about EoFF with them. I have a couple of family members I would talk about EoFF with, but I haven't heard from those family members in a long time. I never hide when I'm on here and other people are around, and I would talk about it if anyone asked me about it. It all depends on if my friends would be interested if I would bring it up.

EoFF is something I would not actively seek to talk about with the people I know IRL. I may have brought it up with my brother a couple times though, but he has never really sought to join me. :P Oh well, his loss.

I'm not bothered, I mean people know I'm a massive geek and worked for a few years as a writer for a game development company. However being a massive geek and a member of EoFF doesn't stop me being a social person and enjoying my life to the fullest.

Um, I'm very openly dating someone from the forum, and he met my ENTIRE FAMILY today.

I think that's about as cross-over as you can get.

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Originally Posted by Tifa's Boobs

he met my ENTIRE FAMILY today

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help me save me

It's not so much from embarrassment as it is the fact I don't want to have to talk to irl friends about it. My online and irl lives are very separate, and facebook awkwardly merges the two. I don't want to be in the pub with my friends and have one of them ask me what a ciddie is or who parker is or whats an iceglow because someone has mentioned it on my wall or something.

At first I did keep EoFF and IRL fairly separate. But then I got closer to some EoFFers, and the distinction just became rather silly. Friends are friends, no matter how you came to meet.

And I've never been ashamed of what a big nerd I am. Most offline friends of mine don't know about EoFF only because it's never really come up in conversation (generally because they're not as big of nerds as I am).

None of my friends, family or coworkers know that I have any kind of gaming system, not even cards, because cards can be nerdy and I am definitely not a nerd. Sure, I met my husband on eoff, but I tell everyone that I met him in a garage when my motorbike fell to pieces and they all fell for it because hot damn, he is one long tall drink of American water and have you seen him hold a spanner? Man, babetown. Sometimes people from school ask me about Daniel Towns, and I'm like, what the hell man, I don't know, we weren't even that good friends anyway. Have you seen his glasses? Nerrrrrrd!

I try to keep this place a secret from people I meet but my EoFF tattoo is usually a dead giveaway.

Well, it wouldn't be if you didn't insist on wearing those crop tops.

I plan on merging the two by abducting the lot of you and forcing you all to live in a penal colony far away from any civilised society, and I will rule you all as a benevolent dictator. It's for the best.

I'd be far more embarrassed by some of you people finding out about my real life friends then my real life friends finding out about you.

Take from that what you will.

It works on a person to person basis. My best friends and my mum know that I spend a lot of time on here, they know that I met and stayed with a bunch of friends from here while in USA, and they know that I met my girlfriend on here. My father and everyone else does not know these things however. I dunno if it's embarrassment, maybe a little, but mostly it's just that there's no reason to tell anyone that I'm not close to about it. As far as my Dad is concerned... he's just old school I guess, and I don't think he can fathom the idea of meeting a really close friend or girlfriend online. Mostly it's just easier to keep them separate.

When my co-worker saw me browsing on here often and started asking about it, I told him about it and when he asked who I was on here, I said I was Loony BoB. He gave me the incredulous stare and proceeded to go here and read some of "my" posts. After a while he looked at me and went "... seriously?"

The amazing part is I still haven't told him and he still talks to me and I haven't died of shame yet.

Do you guys seriously specify to people that you met your significant other on Eyes on Final Fantasy? Not judging, just curious. I tell people I met him "on the internet" and leave it at that. I don't feel there is a need for any more details because I don't think anyone would care.

(SPOILER)We didn't meet on EoFF anyway, we knew each other long before we each joined

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Originally Posted by Pike

Do you guys seriously specify to people that you met your significant other on Eyes on Final Fantasy? Not judging, just curious. I tell people I met him "on the internet" and leave it at that. I don't feel there is a need for any more details because I don't think anyone would care.

(SPOILER)We didn't meet on EoFF anyway, we knew each other long before we each joined

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I tell select people I met him on the internet, an even more select few that it was on eoff, and mostly I tell people I met him while he was traveling with his band. It's not that I'm embarrassed, but I feel some people can judge, and I don't need to explain myself so I just give them an answer that they'd understand more.

Basically, I tell smart people I met him on the interwebs, I tell silly judgey people a big lie. :3

My family and friends know I like video games and being a geek. Most of my friends are also in to geeky games so I wouldn't be ashamed if they knew I went on here.

I had an awkward moment at work though when one of my co-workers noticed the site and was like "that looks familiar...buncha nerds go on there huh". He is not about that life though so smurf him.

I tell people I met him on the Internet and if they ask if it was a dating site I say no, on a nerd forum. It's not really any of their business past Internet but I have some beef with online dating sites now for reasons so I don't want people to think that.

*Not me criticizing people who use them, I have a few particular reasons why I really don't like them but to each their own and I'm not going to judge :monster:

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Originally Posted by Raistlin

At first I did keep EoFF and IRL fairly separate. But then I got closer to some EoFFers, and the distinction just became rather silly. Friends are friends, no matter how you came to meet.

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Emerald Aeris was an IRL friend got me into EoFF
Dated Araciel
Lived with Peegee
Met Jojee, Jiro, MILF, Enano, Shiny, others
Maintain a friendly relation with a few eoffers while Raistlin and I retain a pretty good friendship and Jiro is now a near by friend and Locky & Noodle Boy spread rumours of possibly visiting us up on the Sunshine Coast.

(SPOILER) I may seem unapproachable or disinterested but I am pretty easy going and like a good time and good people.

@pike The 3 or 4 people who know I met Tara on the Internet know that I'm only active on one nerd forum, so it's not a stretch for them to guess. But I don't tell anyone willingly that I'm a member of a Final Fantasy forum.

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Originally Posted by Chemical

Met Jojee, Jiro, MILF, Enano, Shiny, others
Maintain a friendly relation with a few eoffers while Raistlin and I retain a pretty good friendship and Jiro is now a near by friend and Locky & Noodle Boy spread rumours of possibly visiting us up on the Sunshine Coast.

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We've never met. O_o At least not in person anyway unless you were lurking behind me some where.

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Originally Posted by Chemical

Met Jojee, Jiro, MILF, Enano, Shiny, others

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Wut

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Originally Posted by Shiny

We've never met. O_o At least not in person anyway unless you were lurking behind me some where.

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There you have it folks; the dangers of the internet summed up in one post. Thank you, and goodnight!

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Originally Posted by Pike

Do you guys seriously specify to people that you met your significant other on Eyes on Final Fantasy? Not judging, just curious. I tell people I met him "on the internet" and leave it at that. I don't feel there is a need for any more details because I don't think anyone would care.

(SPOILER)We didn't meet on EoFF anyway, we knew each other long before we each joined

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I tell people that we met online a decade ago, and this is usually so shocking to them that they don't ask any specific follow up questions. Scandalous!

For the first few years of my membership here, I had to keep EoFF and my personal life very separate. My mom flipped her trout when she found out I was talking to internet criminals and rapists and stalkers on the internet and lived in mortifying fear that one of you nerds were going to invade our house and rob us at gunpoint at any point in time. And she hated Daniel Towns. Hated him.

Buuut once Spiff and I got together, the two started to merge together, mostly. Some of my friends in school knew that I talked to people online, and I think they thought it was a bit odd but didn't really say anything against it. I mostly kept it private, though, because I didn't want to be judged. It just wasn't something that was common in the early and mid 2000's. Now, EoFF is all over my facebook, and my friends know that I have friends in "faraway places". Close friends know I met them online and sometimes I can see that acquaintances want to ask "how did you meet these people?" but they never do.

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Originally Posted by THE WORST

And she hated Daniel Towns. Hated him.

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Oh god xD Guess the spreadsheets were just too much.

She didn't even know about the spreadsheets and she still hated him.

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Originally Posted by THE WORST

And she hated Daniel Towns. Hated him.

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Oh my god xD

Why did she hate him so much?

Because we were dating and he was a SCARY INTERNET FOREIGNER

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Originally Posted by THE WORST

My mom flipped her trout when she found out I was talking to internet criminals and rapists and stalkers on the internet and lived in mortifying fear that one of you nerds were going to invade our house and rob us at gunpoint at any point in time. And she hated Daniel Towns. Hated him.

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Well, you were with Daniel Towns, the guy who shows off his wood to anyone who will pay attention to him and collects girls' hair. Her fears were clearly warranted.

He never got my hair.

just you wait until his wedding

he'll sneak up behind you and *snip*

The thought has crossed my mind before and I am actually truly terrified of this happening.

we'll all be watching the live stream too so don't freak out too much

anyway i haven't actually made a proper reply to this thread

i'm dating someone from this forum and I met her entire family yesterday. that's pretty dang real.

my immediate family knows I have internet friends and know that i've met them. i never really kept it a secret from them. they weren't a huge fan of me talking to strange people from the internet when I was a teenager, and I didn't meet anyone until I was like 19. they wouldn't have let me do so beforehand, I don't think.

some of my IRL friends know that I have internet friends, but I don't think I ever said from where. I've admitted to some of my non-EoFF internet friends that I'm a member of a final fantasy forum.

my eoff and irl lives are separate but overlap a bit. wouldn't have it any other way

Most of my 'irl' friends are nerds, but not as nerdy as me. So I've never really hid it from friends or family. My family would just be like "What's a Final Fantasy?" and my nerdiest nerd friend would be all "I think I might have been there once." The rest of my friends would be indifferent.

I don't see any point in hiding EoFF, it's a part of my life and if people think my generation don't use the internet to meet people then they're rather oblivious/ignorant. No problems here, really. I don't like mixing work and the rest of my life, but they all know I spend a lot of time roaming the forums and anyone who asks about Danielle probably knows how I met her.

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Originally Posted by THE WORST

The thought has crossed my mind before and I am actually truly terrified of this happening.

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I'm not sure if I have ever actually snipped someone's hair and I don't think that collection has been added to in a decade, and long may that continue.

I was a perfect gentleman of a boyfriend to Shorty and her mum is just an internetphobe.

Well I am clearly horriblw with names or names to accounts or both....
But there were 2 meet ups I went to. One in Toronto (thought that was MILF but nm) Second was in Chicago (thought that was Shiny)...

Or option 2, you start looking into a restraining order.

I totes keep the 2 separate. Just like everything else in my life... My friends stay separate from each other, my family, I try to keep a certain distance between whoever I'm dating from my parents. Ya know.

EDIT:

I don't have friends! Silly me!

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Originally Posted by Loony BoB

I was a perfect gentleman of a boyfriend to Shorty and her mum is just an internetphobe.

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This is also true. He didn't do anything, she just hated him for being foreign.

Welp, I've never been to Chicago ever so not possible, but now I'm a bit paranoid so thanks for that!

I thought I saw Rye one time before I even met her, but that was years ago. I swore to myself then that if I ever saw one of you in person I'd run very far in the other direction, so I did just that. Turns out, probably wasn't her anyway.

I remember keeping who I was dating on here secret even to my family. They knew who he was eventually, but did not know I met him on EoFF. Only my one friends who was a member on here knew that. That is more because of value privacy than being embarrassed. When it comes to relationships I don't openly like to out who I'm dating right away as people are insanely nosy.

I think I gave up the idea of keeping them separate when a bunch of EoFFers showed up to my wedding.

If you want to keep them separate, it's easy! You just never talk about one to the other :)

Thanks to some defining friendships from my teenage years, my life would be pretty different today if I'd kept EoFF and my offline life completely separate. I'm very glad I didn't put a harsh divide between the two years ago.

I'll never be active again to the same extent as I was years ago, but I wouldn't say I hide anything! It just doesn't have much reason to come up.

When I tell people we met 'on the internet' they assume it was at a dating site, so I try to clarify that it was an online community about a video game series. I don't mention the site name or the series because I know they don't care.

Or I just tell them I saved her from drowning.

I do mention that there is a forum that I frequent a lot, if asked I say it is a video game or FF fansite, depending on the geekiness level of the querent. I do not keep it a secret, nor do I divide the two. Like Faris said, I have met her "IRL" friends and she has met my roommates, my current boyfriend and my last ex. I also have other online friends too, some of which Phil/HNB knows because we both used to frequent the same site.

I keep it completely separate. Except for the fact that I married the guy I met here and Calliope just spent the weekend at our place and I've met a bunch of you in the past.

No but really, it is generally pretty separate from my offline life. It occasionally crosses over though.

If the true information on who I am, what I do, where I do it, who my superiors are, or even how I exist, ever came to light here at The Eyes On Final Fantasy Forums Experience, there would be no telling how far the destruction, mayhem, carnage and revolution and mayhem could conceivably go. Despite this, my calculations have ensured that we may all remain safe, with certain measures, and certain goals, to be taken into the heaviest of accounts, with no pinching of salt to be taken with these measures, thus inducing mayhem, carnage, revolution, etc.