Online friends and offline friends shouldn't have the same value because friends in general don't have the same value. I value my friends from High School more than the ones from College. I value my best friends more than I value my casual friends. I value my best friend of 15 years more than I value someone I've only been friends with for 5 years. I hardly believe that there are people out there who view all their friends in the exact same light.
Well people online are people nonetheless.
Owen made this sig. R.I.P.
A stranger is just a friend you haven't met.
Coincidentally, I just finished spending the entire weekend with a friend I hadn't met in the real world before Saturday. I can honestly say I had more fun than I'd ever had in my entire life. This friend and I have become very, very close, but much of that happened over this weekend. I think real life friends are of a greater value than online friends. I believe there is a certain level of closeness that can only come from meeting face-to-face. That's not to say that online friends are worthless.
I definitely don't hold them at the same value. Offline friends you can actually interact with in a non-virtual way, and that's important for bonding. Online friends can be cool, but I hold most of my offline friends closer.
I have an ONLINE best friend but we were arch enemies when we are OFFLINE.
I have an OFFLINE best friend but we are arch ENEMIES ONLINE. The sad thing is it's true.
I've gotten a lot more personal with people online than off. But that's just my experiences. Thus I've gotten a much deeper spiritual and emotional attachment to certain people online than the ones I met offline could even compare to. Offline gets pretty superficial. Online can too, but not the people I got close to. You can value what you want, but don't dismiss either. I have a social life with friends I hang out with almost every day. I have a best friend. But he, nor any of them, compare to my best online friend. I feel way more comfortable opening up to her about things. And it's not because I type it. Phone's just as easy. But I'm sure I would have connected with her just the same if we lived near each other. The internet is just an outlet for meeting people, just like any other way to meet people. A friend is a friend. And its a valuable thing. Online or off.
I segregate my 'online friends' into where i met them . If i meet someone from a certain cite or forum ... i know that i need to be more leery .
There are some CRAZY Mo-Fo'z online !
Plus i like meeting people who haven't been scopeing me out cause i am 'young and fresh' ... BTW that is a total turn off !!!
(Ewwwwww...) :shudder:
Chuck Noblet: Can anyone tell me the tragic irony of the Trojan War? Tina? Tina: Um, that horses are friendly creatures yet a hollow, wooden one was used to destroy Troy? Chuck Noblet: Wrong and no. Anyone else? Chip? Chip: That the mighty warrior Achilles was killed by a small cut to his ankle. Chuck Noblet: Chip is wronger. OK, here it is. The tragic irony of the Trojan War is that though it was fought over Helen, who was young and beautiful, by the time they rescued her ten years later, she was old and ugly. Tina: But wasn't recovering the king's wife reward enough for the Greeks? Chuck Noblet: Tina, an ugly woman is never a reward.
Online friends are definitly worth it! All my best and closest friends are online. Offline, im very isolated, so I have only online people to talk to.
The last words of Oscar Wilde, to the wallpaper in his room - "One of us has to go"
Having someone to talk to and share feelings and interests with can always be nice, whether it's online or offline. So while I would admit I don't necessarily "know" people online very well, if we talk to each other, and that talking makes me happy, I would never say "I can't call you a friend". These days I talk online to a mix of real life friends who I don't see much, people I have met and a couple of people I've never met. Friends in general are good to have.
A stranger is something you've never interacted with. Once you've interacted with them (on any small level) they stop being a stranger. it doesn't matter if you've physically met them in person, or not.Originally Posted by Yamaneko
To answer the question, sure, internet friends are worth having... just so long as they don't end up being the only friends you have.
-"If she's happy then... I don't mind."
I don't think I could act the same way as I do with online friends as I do with offline.
there was a picture here
I never really think about it much but I value the real ones more. If it came down to the two groups it would be the real ones. They're the ones you really know. It doesn't matter long you talk to someone online. You can be pretty sure but you'll still never know who they really are. If they're who they say they are, if you can really trust them. I know people can lie to you in real life too but there are so many more things you can lie about online and being online, being just a screenname and text to everyone else just makes it easier. Theres no way to tell if someone is lying online unless you hunt them down and see for yourself. And considering some things thats not always a good idea.
Its still fun to get on and talk to people and make friends online, and there are thing you can talk about easier when your just typing, but to get close to anyone like you would in real life you have to put alot of trust in it. And you have to be carefull how much trust you put in it.
Last edited by Yavanna; 08-20-2006 at 04:46 AM.
Thanx to Dark Goddess for the GREAT sig. ^^
Having both online and offline friends is super. I feel closer to some people here then i do in real life, seriously!
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