Are online friends 'real' friends?

[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.

[Scars Mate]

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.

I think this sums it up...

[SlayerOfLight]

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.

What makes this truth? Fear?

Implying gullibility makes it untrue?

[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]

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.

What makes this truth? Fear?

Implying gullibility makes it untrue?

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

[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.