As we're often commenting about the relationships or non-relationships with the people we connect to on the web, I thought a thread to explore, and debate these issues might be interesting.

In my everyday life I refer to ".....somebody I know off the web" rather than go into depth about whether they be a friend, acquaintance, a gaming mate or something deeper and more meaningful.
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Friends from the 'real' world I call friends/mates.

For friends I've met online; I'd call them internet/online friends. However, although I consider them friends, by prefixing the word with 'internet/online' indicates that they are not real friends, but people I don't mind talking to on forums, thus making a clear distinction between the two.

Does that make sense?

Agree to some extent with englishgent.

As I've said on here before, net mates are like workmates..'friends' while you are on the site, but as soon as you leave the site they just fade away.

I know and have met loads of 'friends' off the net now, and I could get a sofa to sleep on anywhere in Britain if I needed one. But whether I could if they left they stopped using the net..not sure.

I think the word friends are often used too readily on the net, and in my experience some [women] pick and chose 'friends' on a daily basis depending on looks/pics. Its that a basis for friendship? Probably one of the problems with net dating.

On the other hand I have had so called net friends, who havnt got any interest in meeting as friends, although they meet other people off the site. Even when they are coming close to you. Can these be described as friends??

But I think its a give away when you have a thread naming your friends on here, and no one mentions you. Little give away that is

i haz mah bitchez n mah e-bitchez init


Seriously though, i refer to everyone as mate, so it doesn't matter if one is or isn't tbh
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Most of those I've met in person I would regard as friends, especially if I've met them more than once.

People I know from online, who do want to meet if the chance arises, I would classify as acquaintances.

I generally don't bother with people who wouldn't actually want to meet, as it is a pretty strong indicator that somebody isn't who they claim to be.
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I'd class anyone that I talk to regularly and want to meet IRL as a friend. Obviously my opinion might change once we have actually met!

I've asked a couple of people to meet me thathave procrastinated/declined. However, we still stay in touch. I reckon there are some people that prefer to keep me as an online friend. Likewise, there are people that I don't mind chatting to online but would find uncomfortable meeting IRL.

*sigh*

The internet seems to add an additional layer of complication to socialising in general.

I class the majority of people that ive added on my facebook as friends and if ive added you to my msn and then i really do trust you. I never add randoms and would have to have spoke to you for a while before adding you on my msn, this i learnt from one person confessing their undying love for me after i think it was 3 maybe 4 days? hahah so im very weary about who i add there.

The majority of the people i talk to on a daily basis be it in the chat room or on msn and that includes the male men ive added. The thing is i make it clear that im not interested and only see them in the way as friends so no confusion can be made. Alot of these people also confide in me alot too, tell me their problems and all sorts and i have become very close to a number of people ive met from here, male or female, if they were in the area or i was in their area that i would be happy to meet and hopefully will be meeting one or two of them shortly and have a invite to go to Ireland too.

Also how someone looks plays no part to me, all because i dont fancy or find a man attractive i wouldnt not want to be their friend, and if i didnt want to meet up with them then really i wouldnt be talking to them on a daily basis, the only time i wouldnt meet with someone is if they liked me and thought they had a chance regardless of what i have said to them.

I in fact call people ive met from here and people i know in real life, friends, they come under the same bracket for me.

I actually find myself very fortunate to have met the people i have met from here, they are a great bunch of people and have made what have been a very hard 8 or 9 months so much more bearable.

Id also quickly like to point out that you dont have to see or talk to a friend every day to know that they are your friend, to know that they will be there when you need someone to talk to or ask for advice or when you feel down. If someone feels like that need to have that constant contact then really the issue is with them, not the other person(s)

*EDIT
Ive actually just noticed someone deleted me from facebook, guess my comments were taken to personal when they werent intended that way.... oh well Id love to say it was my loss, but really its not!!

It kind of discredits these sites in my mind, that most women I come in contact with, seem to want to become better friends after we have met. Some didnt want to know before hand.

Thats why I dont take friends on the net that serious now.

It can be a total surprise how you feel about somebody when you meet them but I guess it's akin to those people you meet in everyday life and they grow on you even though you didn't have the attraction or intent in the first instance.

I think I metioned before that once there was a guy I thought was 'ugly' but he was so lovely in character and over time what I originally thought were ugly features became those features that I loved most about his appearance.

I think I understand where both posters above are coming from though as jb wouldn't want to give somebody false hope as it's playing with emotions BUT I can also see jeggs point that some people change their mind on meeting and HE might have only wanted to be friends and nothing more. Either way, it kinda indicates that the 'meeting in person' thing is the only way to be sure which category you want that person to be in, lover, love buddy, acquaintance, friend.......
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