Are online friends 'real' friends?

[Tora]

When you finally get over the fear factor such as I; you'll realize that you're fearing like 1% of the internet.

[Carl]

When you finally get over the fear factor such as I; you'll realize that you're fearing like 1% of the internet.

While I agree with you, I'm pretty sure it's a good bit higher than 1%.

[SlayerOfLight]

You know the only reason you argue that is because you fear that you don't know who you're talking too.

It's called responsibility and watchfullness rather then ''fear'' how you imply it.

And I don't know if it's just me, but I do I notice that those with ''internet crushes'' are more likely to just blindly trust people over the internet rather then those who do not care to engage in such redicule.

[Tora]

Way to go off topic. How can you argue Responsibility and Watchfulness with such a low percentage of actual threats to your security.

[Si-Amber]

I'm the kind of person who chooses to trust that the people I'm chatting to online are generally honest, decent people, until they prove themselves otherwise. I don't see the point in distrusting people. I've had IRL "best friends" abandon me and walk out of my life. I've had online friends who have been consistant for 8/9 years. I'd rather trust people because life is too short.

I'd never meet somebody from the net for the first time on my own in a non-public place, but that is just common sense.

[SlayerOfLight]

Way to go off topic. How can you argue Responsibility and Watchfulness with such a low percentage of actual threats to your security.

Another way to go offtopic. I have my Anti-virus system to deal with threats to my security, but my common sense to THINK before calling someone on the internet a ''best friend''.

[Carl]

Way to go off topic. How can you argue Responsibility and Watchfulness with such a low percentage of actual threats to your security.

Another way to go offtopic. I have my Anti-virus system to deal with threats to my security, but my common sense to THINK before calling someone on the internet a ''best friend''.

Implying people don't think before doing such a thing? I put a lot of thought into everything I do. Online or not, people still have to earn my trust. The best friends I have ever known have been online. When I have problems irl people never try to help me, but Tora always does, and so do a couple of other people I know online. There are loads of people online I would never trust. There's loads of people irl I'd never trust. As of yet, I've been given less reason to trust people irl than online, even though I've had someone I met online completely lie to me 100% of the time I spoke to that person. It's a person-by-person basis, not an online-vs.-irl one.

[Woeler]

When you finally get over the fear factor such as I; you'll realize that you're fearing like 1% of the internet.

I don't have the desire to put my whole life on the internet and tell people I don't know.

To say, or to even imply that online friends are better than RL-friends is a laughable statement.
Call me once an online friend can put an arm around you via the internet.

It's all about limits. The internet has it's limits.

[ScarsLove]

Let bygones be bygones.

You can't 100% trust everyone you meet on the internet. People have gotten themselves kidnapped and killed following that logic. You need to have more caution when engaging a person on the internet. Sure life to short not to trust everyone, however it will be shorter if you 100% trust the wrong person and something like I just said above might happen. Caution people, caution is the key word. You even need it irl too.

[Carl]

I don't have the desire to put my whole life on the internet and tell people I don't know.

To say, or to even imply that online friends are better than RL-friends is a laughable statement.
Call me once an online friend can put an arm around you via the internet.

It's all about limits. The internet has it's limits.

If the person's a true friend it doesn't matter if they can put an arm around you or not. Besides, some people irl can't do that, either. Some people don't have arms, others aren't comfortable touching people. If someone's a good friend, they can make you feel good with words, irl or not. And besides, if someone is a good online friend, then eventually they'll meet up irl and then they can do those things.