[POLL] About Friendship

[JuanMena]

Just now, I was talking with my dad about my experiences on this site, how I've met a lot of guys here, and how much I love to talk with you guys.
I was (just now) thinking about other persons I've met on the Internet, how we used to spent entire hours talking about our lives, wishes, hopes, desires, and whatnot.
Then, I remembered a girl (we thought we were cousins btw) that I met in highschool, and we became good friends... well... for some time... and one time chatting with her, I told her that I was going to spend some time with my other friends (people on the internet) and she said:

"Ha... "friends"... right"

Ever since that day, I kept wondering if only I considered people on the Internet as my own friends, people who you open to, with whom you talk, spend time, try to help... people that you've never seen, but you strangely trust and worries about you... do you think of them as friends?

The Legend of Zelda - Majoras Mask:
Can I ask... a question? Your friends... What kind of... people are they? I wonder... Do those people... think of you... as a friend?

I do, and I really want to thank you for listening to my shitty posts, and actually take the time to reply to my messages. I really hope I can, at least make you laugh a little bit.

 

[ThatGamingAirman]

I say sorta because if I become close to them then yeah definitely but everyone overall no their more close acquaintances

 

[FAST6191]

While forums in general are probably less prone to the whole parasocial relationship thing (though I am sure some passive forum watcher out could meet the definition) than other forms of internet fun the idea of friends for me at least is an odd one.

That "always friendly, never friends" is generally how I roll outside the internet. I generally figure I have enough friends and someone would/does really have to prove themselves to be added to the list.

"people who you open to" "hours talking about our lives, wishes, hopes, desires, and whatnot"
I don't do that in meatspace either. I might speak to others about theirs but nobody has a clue about mine. If I solve problems it is because it is fun.

All that said I might just be an antisocial bastard.

At the same time I can see others being different. Observationally I can see much of what would count as friendship as well.

 

[The Catboy]

I have many friends that I've made on the forums and bonds that have extended well outside of the Temp. There are many members I consider to be a friend of sorts or even a close "ally" as one could see it. People I respect and I am happy to see around the forums and many I talk to in private that I've grown close bonds with.

 

[Alexander1970]

Yes.

 

[Minox]

Most people no, a few yes

 

[Chary]

Certainly! There are many users here who I'd consider friends.

 

[spotanjo3]

Hard to say. I have seen some here are very rude and insult. I love to be friend with anybody but it is something to do with meet in person and to get to know someone better. I dont know if this forum consider us a friends. That's why I said it is hard to say. I am not going to say yes or no but either.

Remember, internet friends can be misleading to false information and those people are not who you thought they are. They can be lying to you even you knew your internet friends for many years and finally meet in person. And you found out that they are not what you thought. It can be lead to miserable or disaster friendship. Be careful.

That's why I can't vote this one.

 

[Kwyjor]

I don't know. There might have been a time once on some other forum where I would have said yes. But I've seen so many boards and so many commenters come and go. And there have been a couple of times in the past few years when some self-righteous bully has just stabbed me in the back. The way things are going, I don't think it's going to get better.

 

[spotanjo3]

I don't know. There might have been a time once on some other forum where I would have said yes. But I've seen so many boards and so many commenters come and go. And there have been a couple of times in the past few years when I've been some self-righteous bully has just stabbed in the back. The way things are going, I don't think it's going to get better.

Absolutely! By the way, 8 people click YES! Interesting. Maybe they didn't think but click it right away without think about it? LOL!

 

[DarkFlare69]

Internet friends are still friends. You spend time with them, talk to them, open up with them, the same (or probably even more) than real life friends. The chances of you finding someone you get along with are much, much greater in a selective environment filled with people who already meet one basic common interest: videogames (+ modding for many of us). I don't really consider talking to people in public forums worthy of being called "friends" but if you talk to them privately then it certainly could be.

 

[Goku1992A]

Unfortunately no (well for me) I can see I played online with some other users but I don't. I just comment on what my opinion is. For other users they may interact more with other users but for me I don't see it that way.

 

[spotanjo3]

Internet friends are still friends. You spend time with them, talk to them, open up with them, the same (or probably even more) than real life friends. The chances of you finding someone you get along with are much, much greater in a selective environment filled with people who already meet one basic common interest: videogames (+ modding for many of us). I don't really consider talking to people in public forums worthy of being called "friends" but if you talk to them privately then it certainly could be.

That's your opinion. To my point of view.. Internt friend can be either a friends and so-called friends, indeed.

 

[vinstage]

i think for some they can detatch themselves from the personality they have on the internet to be honest and so that includes the 'relationships' they make.
i think it just really depends on the context, i met a few people outside of gaming but realistically i wouldn't call a lot of people i know online friends.

 

[spotanjo3]

i think for some they can detatch themselves from the personality they have on the internet to be honest and so that includes the 'relationships' they make.
i think it just really depends on the context, i met a few people outside of gaming but realistically i wouldn't call a lot of people i know online friends.

Precisely! Just depends.

 

[FGFlann]

What is a friend really? What should friends be to each other? What level of dedication is expected? I don't think I ever really grasped what a loose term it was until late in life. It's my opinion that people who scoff at the idea of 'internet friends' expect too much from the concept of friendship. The hardest lesson I had to learn as a naturally trusting person, that wanted to form close ties with everyone I met, is that people are generally self-interested, and only under exceptionally rare circumstances will a friendly relationship ever be as strong as the bonds of family.

Friendship is a brittle concept and the transient environment of the internet makes this all the more apparent. Those bonds just never have the time to form. I've been around the internet and off for a very very long time and created a lot of relationships with a lot of people, but I was never able to form that kind of strong bond with anyone except my wife, and that took decades of dedication and loyalty.

 

[DarkFlare69]

That's your opinion. To my point of view.. Internt friend can be either a friends and so-called friends, indeed.

Well that really depends on what you mean by "friend", I meant someone that you know and talk to on an almost daily basis. Random people on the internet or that you've only talked to several times are not friends. There becomes a point where you know whether someone is genuine or not, and usually that can be figured out after only talking to someone a few times.

 

[spotanjo3]

Well that really depends on what you mean by "friend", I meant someone that you know and talk to on an almost daily basis. Random people on the internet or that you've only talked to several times are not friends. There becomes a point where you know whether someone is genuine or not, and usually that can be figured out after only talking to someone a few times.

That's true but it doesn't mean 100 percent, thought. Just beware. Sometimes they would ask to exchange pictures. I wouldn't do that because they might sent fake one and steal yours. Something like that.

It is hard.

 

[Deleted User]

i'm not active enough to consider anyone here a friend.

i'm one of those weirdos that takes friendships super seriously and i need to talk to a person directly for an extended period of time before i consider them a friend

 

[ThatGamingAirman]

i'm not active enough to consider anyone here a friend.

i'm one of those weirdos that takes friendships super seriously and i need to talk to a person directly for an extended period of time before i consider them a friend

Well then your name should be SemiLiveLatios