Poll: Internet friendship?

[lord.jeff]

I was wondering how do people view online friends that they've only been able to interact with through games, and messaging in compression to real friends. I know interaction with people online is limited but does that mean that they are automatically less of a friend for it? Do you have any online buddies that are just as close as your psychical friends? And of course why or why not?


For me I do have a few close internet friends, first I have fun gaming with these people also I was able to talk through a few things with them, without worry of it getting to certain ears.

 

[Worgen]

Most of the ones I have are just kind of there but I've got one that is as good a friend as any of my real life ones, perhaps better.

 

[s0p0g]

i dont get close to someone who in the best case exists as some voice on my headhones. friends are people you can sit face to face with while talking about stuff, or doing stuff, or drinking stuff ^^

in the end i have even less information about some internet person than a "real" person

 

[Marter]

I'm possibly even closer with them because I can actually talk to them every day, while my real friends (many of whom have been relegated to "online friend" status due to moving away for university) I might only see/talk to once a week or sometimes even less.

Granted, the times you hang out with real-life friends are generally better than any time with an online one because you're, you know, actually there with them.

But I do value online friendship quite highly.

 

[Mr Fixit]

They are important & I enjoy talking to them just as much as real friends, I've found that i tend to open up more to online friends than my "real" friends.

 

[Colour Scientist]

I don't have any internet friends who I would consider as close as my IRL friends.
There are people I enjoy talking to, sure, but I would pick my real friends every single time.

 

[Neonbob]

They are absolutely important.
I've met most of them through this site, too!
And I talk with them pretty much every day, about damn near everything.
They're always happy to listen to my shit, I'm happy to listen to theirs, they entertain and advise me, and they're just good people.
Plus I have a great deal more online friends.

 

[Geekosaurus]

They're not as important as IRL friends, but yeah, it's nice.

 

[Timmons]

i have no proper online friends

 

[staika]

I do find friends that i make online as important maybe not as important as friends I made IRL but I talk to my online friends much more than my IRL friends because of college and university has kinda moved us apart. I have quite a few people I know on this site that I would consider good friends, it doesn't take much though if you can listen to my insane ramblings then I will consider you a friend

 

[sky14kemea]

All my online friends are important to me. I talk to them almost everyday, and I'd do anything for them if I could. ^^

Some of them have become real life friends too, since I meet up with them every now and then (Obviously not often because of distances).

 

[Soviet Steve]

Yes, but then again anyone who lives in my area tends to lean towards being a scumbag and I am very happy that I am only living here temporarily.

 

[Rawne1980]

I have people I know online but I wouldn't call them friends.

There are some I game with and some I chat with on forums. I don't do any of that social networking stuff like Facebook or Twitter so I don't really care about that.

At the end of the day the people I know online are simply just that.

My friends are people i've known since I was a kid and grown up with. They come round for a coffee and we go out for a beer. Our wives all hang together and our kids play together.

 

[ScoopMeister]

I don't think I've really got anyone who I would consider a real friend online, because I don't really talk to them- whereas I do with my friends who I can actually see in person.
Besides, most of the people I talk to online I knew in person already anyway.

 

[Wushu Panda]

I was wondering how do people view online friends that they've only been able to interact with through games, and messaging in compression to real friends. I know interaction with people online is limited but does that mean that they are automatically less of a friend for it? Do you have any online buddies that are just as close as your psychical friends? And of course why or why not?


For me I do have a few close internet friends, first I have fun gaming with these people also I was able to talk through a few things with them, without worry of it getting to certain ears.

I view online friends as modern day pen-pals. People you almost never see in person, but still keep a relationship with. The only difference with modern times, is that you can communicate in real time instead of waiting several weeks/months for a reply.

 

[Keava]

Yup. Why not? After You play with same people for 4-5 years, and talk with them for another 2-3 years it stops being even relevant that You haven't ever met in real life.

 

[DSK-]

I know/knew my UT clan mates better than I did with my real life University friends. If they were every in trouble I'd do my best to get over to help them out, including the ones from Germany. Great people, they helped me out in many different things over the years and even though most of them no longer play the game, we still keep in touch. Can't say the same for my real life friends of the past, though

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

My best friend is a guy I met on WOW he is the person I seem to have 'meshed' with most in my life.

I live in the middle of the countryside in a small city so it's hard to meet people who are interested in gaming for example. It's not really something that is big up here. I think I would feel like a total outcast without the net lol.

 

[ultimateownage]

I've met several of my internet friends in real-life. Luckily I didn't get raped.
I know a hell of a lot of people online, and most of them are on-par with most of my real-life friends.

 

[HalfBakedCheeto]

Online friends are the only friends I can make, because of my looks, so i'd say yeah, they're extremely important to me.