Are online friends 'real' friends?

[Scars Mate]

[quote="Juliette"]Approximately 95% of my online friends have proven that they can be trusted. Approximately 0% of my irl friends have proven the same.[/quote]
I hate to say it, but it's pretty much the same for me.

[ScarsLove]

[quote="Tora"]If anything online friends are more truthful than ones you've met in person.[/quote]

I would say that friendships made online are alot riskier to make imo than friends irl. You know who you're about to talk to irl but not online. What if I told you I was a stinky 50 year old man posing as a 17 year old teenage girl to lure in prey? Anyone who knows me would know that's a lie but people who don't know me would get that picture in their mind. You never know who you're talking to through the internet which is why it's a riskier path to tread. But irl frends can be as risky. So it really all depends on the person. I know some online friends who are way more honest imo than anyone I've ever known irl besides my family.

And with what Juliette said, that goes for me as well

[Si-Amber]

I think your opinion on this subject depends on your personal experience. I've had some very reliable, dependable and caring online friends.

My least reliable friend? The guy I've been friends with since we were 3. We are still friends, but he has let me down a dozen times, sometimes quite badly.

Knowing someone IRL doesn't make them any more or less reliable. A reliable person will make a good friend online or in person. A unreliable person will make a less good friend.

[Woeler]

[quote="Tora"]If anything online friends are more truthful than ones you've met in person.[/quote]
totally depends on how good you are at making and maintaining real friendships. My best friend knows more about me than any online person I have ever met.

Might want to change ''you'' in ''I'' because it's by far not true for everybody.

[Scars Mate]

[quote="Si Targaryen"]I think your opinion on this subject depends on your personal experience. I've had some very reliable, dependable and caring online friends.

My least reliable friend? The guy I've been friends with since we were 3. We are still friends, but he has let me down a dozen times, sometimes quite badly.

Knowing someone IRL doesn't make them any more or less reliable. A reliable person will make a good friend online or in person. A unreliable person will make a less good friend.[/quote]
I think this sums it up...

[SlayerOfLight]

[quote="Tora"][quote="Nicholas"]Online friends can rarely be 100% trusted or relied on. No matter if anyone disagrees or not, it is the truth and I already learned this myself. Maybe if you met your online friend(s) several times in RL, But otherwise not.[/quote]
What makes this truth? Fear?[/quote]

Implying gullibility makes it untrue?

[Woeler]

[quote="Tora"][quote="Nicholas"]Online friends can rarely be 100% trusted or relied on. No matter if anyone disagrees or not, it is the truth and I already learned this myself. Maybe if you met your online friend(s) several times in RL, But otherwise not.[/quote]
What makes this truth? Fear?[/quote]
Natural caution and personal responsibility makes in truth.

[InsaneSeagull]

I don't quite get why everyone thinks online friendships are unreliable. I think that friendships you make depend on type of persons you both are. Of course, showing your true self can be problem online, but IRL too. World is full of masks. That would actually mean that every friendship is unreliable. And I agree to that, but making no friends is much worse.

Plus, finding friends with similar interests to yours are way much easier online.

[Tora]

[quote="Nicholas"][quote="Tora"][quote="Nicholas"]Online friends can rarely be 100% trusted or relied on. No matter if anyone disagrees or not, it is the truth and I already learned this myself. Maybe if you met your online friend(s) several times in RL, But otherwise not.[/quote]
What makes this truth? Fear?[/quote]

Implying gullibility makes it untrue?[/quote]
You know the only reason you argue that is because you fear that you don't know who you're talking too.

[Woeler]

[quote="Tora"][quote="Nicholas"]Implying gullibility makes it untrue?[/quote]
You know the only reason you argue that is because you fear that you don't know who you're talking too.[/quote]
Which is a totally normal thing to fear...