Do online friends really exist?
Half of my "real life" friends started off as online friends. We even call each other nickname versions of our screen-names on the website we frequented, instead of using our real names... ahem. So yes, online friends really exist, and it's exactly the same :)
For someone you've not yet met, I don't think it's the same thing, because people can be SO different in person than online (and that's not to do with people deliberately lying/making themselves out to be someone they aren't, which does happen. It's just that I can't garner a correct impression of you, for example, from your little icon and your board posts and profile :) ) But once that friendship moves into the "real world", even if not very often, it's the same thing.
I'm certainly not averse to meeting people from this website as friends. But like I said in another thread, my problem is I overthink things, second guess myself, and go nuts trying to read people's minds, ha ha :)
My Christian mentor is a lady I met on a parenting website and have never met in real life! We are Facebook friends, though - lol! I think of her as a real friend. We have shared the ups and downs of life with each other. We both pray for each other. We have agreed to meet up one day - not sure when, though.
Thanks :) This is a first-foray into the online world for me so the whole concept is a bit weird.... Anyone had any bad experiences?
Hi Giselle,
I have met a few people after corresponding on-line. One date was a disaster as he talked about Islam and how the people would try to convert you (that went on for almost 30 minutes) and when he didn't like my answers to his questions things went from bad to worse. Other dates were okay - but didn't have a 'future', and so we didn't meet up again. It's harder on-line because some guys think they can 'peg' you from your profile/what you chat about but unless they meet you in person they really don't know. A guy I chatted to recently basically told me I was a snob when I asked about his use of "LOL" and that he thought he was the funny one.
I do like Facebook though - I met up with an old high school classmate from there.
Hi Giselle, I had joined a site and for 6 months i was really only chatting. I decided to shut my profile down and I thought, before I do I may as well meet someone. I ended up meeting with a guy who was 10 yrs younger than I. He was the biggest story teller of all time!! He was also very deceptive. I agreed to meet for a coffee first. This was great as it made it easier for me to say "i've finished my coffee and thanks for your time", which is exactly what i did lol. He was the first person I had ever met from the site i was on. He then began to text me from a different phone number. I then had to put my "foot" down and tell him nothing was going to happen between us. I didnt hear from him again. This only happened within the space of a couple of days so it wasnt anything over the top but yea, it still wasnt nice.
Other than that, I've really only had good experiences, have made friends who I still keep in contact with :-)
(P)eace (O)ut ...
Thanks all!
I've just come back from catching up with some mates who run a soup kitchen. One of them had a lady with him who he had met online, and believe it or not, the soup kitchen thing was the first time they'd met. He's in his, um, 50's I think, and he hasn't gone for a spring chicken. She seemed nice and they got along well I thought. So there seems to be hope :)
I'm thinking that some people just take it all so seriously. I think I'm going to not stress and just meet people, treat it as an adventure!
Thanks Giselle!! I enjoyed our little "adventure" meeting at Church last Saturday night... You chirpy spring chicken you!! Oooops! I've got to stop writing what I'm thinking!! (Just so everyone understands.... IT WASN'T A DATE AND WE HAD CAPERONES!! Hehehe! Do I get a smack now??? Ouch!)
Dear Michael, I'm not going to smack you. :) I am gunna correc yur spellin (again). CHAPERONES! c-H-a-p-e-r-o-n-e-s.
Sunday was a bit of an adventure wasn't it? Sorry I tripped over your wooden leg - it looked so real, you don't even walk with a limp or anything! And please stop apologising for the finger-in-my-drink thing. I can laugh about it now but it was embarrassing then and I would prefer to put it in the past. I just didn't realise you had leprosy. I should have guessed from your profile and been a bit more understanding rather than screaming like that. I am sure they will find a cure eventually.
(lol. It was really lovely to meet you!)
this is probably my last post... no I do not mean the thing with a bugle... I have physically met on this site six of the most beautiful and delightful ladies any Christian man could ever wish to meet. Each and every one of them has had their story to tell, their share of heartache, their share of success but most of all they have had a deep and abiding love of God. I will count them all as friends for a long time to come although some have drifted in a different direction and we do not have much contact now.
There have been no disasters, no scammers, no insincere ladies looking for something that is wrong.. All absolutely and utterly delightful, encouraging, nurturing and a real joy.
So I must say that my experience has been nothing but positive, some I suspect will probably remain at only one date (unless of course you change your mind...) whilst others I am fully assured of will be friends for a long long time.
These ladies have been prayerful, mindful of God's Word, careful of causing any pain or inappropriate expectations and have shown me that God still has on this planet many wonderful and delightful godly Christian women. For that I give Him praise as you delightful ladies are his glory.
There are other ladies here that I have corresponded with but have not yet had the pleasure of meeting face-to-face, this is mainly the tyranny of distance with people scattered between Hobart, Townsville and Alice Springs.
Let me thank you now Giselle, for the book you sent to me, my 14-year-old son is using it in a debate on the existence of God at his high school next week.
May God bless you all, I have had a great time but I do feel at the moment it is time to move on, my kind regards also to Chris992, who has been loving and patient, along with many other great ones such as Kendall. Yours with love, Jim
PS I am a building and pest inspector working Sydney wide, business is a bit quiet at the moment so if you know anyone who needs a building and pest inspection (prepurchase) or advice on building issues or a pest inspection... give me a call Jim 0413 877 332...
is it not just a little cheeky of me to try and get some free advertising in before I disappear !!! I could not leave without being a little controversial now could I.... God bless you all, Jim
Or are they invisible/imaginary and not quite 'real' friends?
Does any one understand what I mean by this? Do you only meet them if they ask you (you ask them) for a date, or do people meet up as friends? Have you ever physically met anyone you met online, and what was that like? Are they a different 'sort' of friends, or is it exactly the same?