Are Virtual Friends For Real?

[futureyes]

Originally Posted by micjer

I found another pic of you futureyes!!

Hope you were OK !!!

hahaha micjer ... that silly photo of me still making its rounds ...

yup ... me as a kid ... one of my first dives ... hit a little too hard but came through unscathed ...

never did look good in candid shots ...

[Fredkc]

Are they, or can they be for real? well....

Here are some people I only knew from a chat room, for about 8 years now.

The man on the left, and woman on the right knew each other for about 5 years
online only. Then met, got married, and are married to this day. She is from Canada.
He from Arizona. Now they both are in Az working a business they started together.

The one in the middle, a mutual friend lives about 90 miles from me.
This picture is taken by me, about 2 years ago. We all met in San Diego.
Rented a sailboat for the day, then did dinner and bar hopping that nite.

Unforgettable day.



Virtual, or otherwise, a friend is a friend.

Fred

[bushycat]

Originally Posted by futureyes

hahaha micjer ... that silly photo of me still making its rounds ...

yup ... me as a kid ... one of my first dives ... hit a little too hard but came through unscathed ...

never did look good in candid shots ...

You were pretty cute kid. I think I saw you few years ago in Kona. You were having a great time. Just shows different aspects of friendship. I followed you around for a while and knew there was a connection between us.

Aloha,
BC

[TRANCOSO]

Fredkc
Re: Are Virtual Friends For Real?
Are they, or can they be for real? well....
Here are some people I only knew from a chat room, for about 8 years now.
The man on the left, and woman on the right knew each other for about 5 years online only. Then met, got married, and are married to this day. She is from Canada. He from Arizona. Now they both are in Az working a business they started together. The one in the middle, a mutual friend lives about 90 miles from me.
This picture is taken by me, about 2 years ago. We all met in San Diego.
Rented a sailboat for the day, then did dinner and bar hopping that nite.

Unforgettable day.

True love,
that's a wonder
these days

[micjer]

We should all post our pics then.

[Fredkc]

I'll go second...


Me in Charlie Daniels mode:



Me in "Sunday go to wedding" mode, w/haircut:



"... I can't wait to look in the mirror,
Cuz I get better lookin' each day..."

[TRANCOSO]

Originally Posted by micjer

We should all post our pics then.

You know what? Something tells me this isn't really you...

[Dantheman62]

Originally Posted by Steve_A

Hi old fashioned,

I tend to agree with you. I was a CBer many years ago. Of everybody who I spoke to on citizens band, how many do I still keep in touch with since my CB and the CB scene went down? None.

I have always thought that 'friendship' on the internet is just the same as what the CB was, only the media is different. Unless someone can prove me wrong...

Of course this does not mean to say that I treat everybody in a cold way. As we interact we receive a certain 'excitement' for want of a better word to be connected to someone on the other side of the world who shares common ideas.

Best regards,

Steve

Ah c'mon Steve, won't you be my friend?

Hey Fredkc, didn't you post a pic of you as a kid in your Sunday go to meetin clothes? With the tall socks and the boney knees? LOL

Here's a pic of me on my quad in the Mojave Desert...
47 going on 18, LOL, I refuse to grow up!
Don't I look like an alien? kinda? LOL

[Céline]

Ok first of all..there is nothing virtual about the friendships made on the internet...the forum is a virtual enviroment...

Are you a real person? am i?

We are not Avatars....

This is an old argument...

Friendships do not have limitations of time, or space....

[TRANCOSO]

After PA was shut down I realized how I would miss my virtual friends & I also came to the conclusion that friendship has many layers.

I'm glad the forum is online again, not in the least because discussing topics in the chatroom (GaiaLove, you're a hero!) is virtualy impossible.

I think the temporarly closing of PA has proven once again the truth of the expression that you value someone/thing truly, the moment it's no longer there.

[Majorion]

There a few people I've met on the web that I still keep in touch with, they are very much real friends to me, in fact they understand me better than some folks in real life. I think that text can be far more revealing of a person's nature and their way of thinking, than regularly assumed. Its great to find those like minded, the internet 'sectors' make it especially easy.

[Swanny]

I missed this thread
I've met many people from the net over the years and have made some great real life friendships.
Internet friendships can be as good as real life ones and even better IMO
I used to play a lot of online fighting games and spent probably 8 hours a day online with my mates, we all had mics and would chat away while playing. So I spent more of my time talking to them than anyone else at that time, just as I chat more to you lot about this stuff than my other friends.
Here's a good test, if you broke down on a cold wet morning at 3am how many real friends do you have that would leave their bed and come to your rescue???
Or maybe that's just a test on how good some people can be.

Friends come and go that's life.


I'd love to meet you all

Trancoso Dan and Fredkc fancy a beer or three??

[Mercuriel]

I will offer this experience for All to share.

Over ten years ago - I and My Twin Flame tied the Knot. Previous to this I had been involved in an Online Gaming Team and for the most part We had all become close.

Over time - I and another Member of that Team became fast Friends. We would call each other - Send cards on Holidays and what have You. When My Twin Flame and I finally decided to get Married - This Friend of Mine from that Online Team payed His own way up to Canada from the US, and served as My Best Man at the Wedding...

Simply put - We must go through alot of dross to get to the Jemstones but find them We will as long as We're on the lookout.

Can the Internet be Flaky ? Yeah for sure, but the same can be said of the Street...

[Stardustaquarion]

I think that if we are all here we may have meet each other already at soul level and we may have friendships that span millions of years

Beyond the appearance of flesh and bone there is the spirit and many of us belong to the same spirit families regardless of which path our current bodies have chosen

So hello lovely friends love to all avalonians

[TheChosen]

Some of the closest friends I've made have been from a MMORPG (Ultima Online) .. of course later I met them in RL as well which only strengthened the friendship

[pureheart7]

Originally Posted by TRANCOSO

Call me old fashioned, but I somehow can't relate to the concept of cyber friendship. To me friends are flesh & blood people with faces, voices & eyes you've looked into, people you've shared special moments in your life with and who you can blindly depend on, as they can depend on you.
Calling someone a friend means you would really miss that person, if (s)he wouldn't be around anymore.
Therefore I wonder; are virtual friends for real?

This is an interesting question~~
For me, balance is key. Personally I prefer real life friends, but also value online friends. I make an effort to meet online friends in person and have enjoyed deep friendships as a result.

It's easy to get pulled into the virtual world. In my opinion it can be a distraction, and may keep us from fully living life and taking action.

I prefer looking into someone's eyes and sharing a meal and laughter. I like hugs and kisses I enjoy sharing real life experiences together.

I want to share this interesting program that was on PBS Frontline--
"Digital Nation" distracted by everything....
it's worth watching: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontl...alnation/view/

It was an eye opener for me

[sunny D]

Originally Posted by TRANCOSO

You know what? Something tells me this isn't really you...

[lovepromoter]

Originally Posted by TRANCOSO

Online friends exist in cyberspace. When you're cut-off from the internet, you're cut-off from them as well.
By the way, do 'dreamfriends' exist?

you've hit the nail on the head dude, cyber friends and their cyber text are as fake as the gold our money represents!!!

dreamfriends are more real than real friends as its all about soul baby.

much love and respect

[lightwalker]

About 10 years ago a woman I met on-line from California sent me a link to a site that changed my life. I am not in contact with her and only was for a short time but I consider the action she did was that of a friend and I still give thanks to this day for her gift of that link.

Even tho I have no actual personal connection with anyone in particular here on this forum I consider this place my "cyber family" . You are the ones that are conscious and aware and doing something by your presence in this format that is creating positive change on this great planet and I am glad for this connection. The wisdom and the query and the conversation is great. Everyone here is eager to KNOW. And everyone brings the gift of themselves to the table so to speak and adds to this group. I hope it continue to expands. I think that the "trauma drama" stuff will come and go but the bottom line intention to bring about positive change is and will always out weigh the darkness.

Those one line puns and humor in the midst of the challenges always make me roll with laughter.

I am truly grateful for both Bill and Kerry for their participation and co-creations as messengers of change. I believe that in the annals of time they will be fondly remembered.

In the meantime you can now add a new definition to the word FRIEND in the dictionary.

lightwalker