Friends Online
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How long have you been using IRC or chat and gotten to know new friends through this route? Any thoughts / feelings / comments on this?
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I've been using chat since 1996!! I've got mixed feelings about it... have met some nice people and some not-so-nice people who try to take advantage of my niceness.Originally posted by Rhonda:How long have you been using IRC or chat and gotten to know new friends through this route? Any thoughts / feelings / comments on this?
One lady I've gotten to know (you know her too, Rhonda!
) has been a blessing to me, and I hope our friendship will continue forever, even after we meet up IRL! 
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started off abt 10yrs ago.....in those days it was the 'in' thing called Teleview
then internet came and took over......
i've made countless frens from these channels.....including all my bfs.... -
I started in 1999... SL exposed me to IRC and then ICQ and the rest is history!
I've made quite a lot of friends that way. I'm still friends with a handful of them, a few have become really close pals, the rest are best forgotten.
I guess the internet has become such an integral part of our lives that it now has a part in virtually all aspects of our daily lives already. -
did not make any new friends through IRC or chat ........Originally posted by Rhonda:How long have you been using IRC or chat and gotten to know new friends through this route? Any thoughts / feelings / comments on this?
only new friends through sgforums
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I have been making friends via this route since 1993 or 1994. I know 1994 for sure because I was busy playing Diablo instead of studying for my 'O' Levels.
Anyway I have made lots of great and close friends this way. mIRC was sooo different back then. Lots of role-playing and stuff instead of the boring a/s/l stuff you get these days.
I think it is a great way to meet new people outside your current circle of friends though one still have to exercise a certain amount of caution -
I met rhonda..
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used donkey years ago but not anymore.....dunno why....just stopped.....
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Has IRC really changed over the years (the interaction, the crowd, camaraderie, etc.) ?
Or is it us, the user, growing older and tired of it ? -
initially all netfrens were through sgforums then followed by some other forums/frenster...
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'Netfriends'...Originally posted by Estee:all netfrens were through sgforums and some other forums/frenster...
Just wondering, do you view 'netfriends' as different? Do you allow them into your lives or do you continue to view them as just 'netfriends'?
I ask cause I know of folks who somehow view people you meet over the net as folks you shouldn't take too seriously. They make comments like, 'Aiyah! You meet them over the net one! What do you expect?!' -
Good question! Both, I think.Originally posted by choco B:Has IRC really changed over the years (the interaction, the crowd, camaraderie, etc.) ?
Or is it us, the user, growing older and tired of it ? -
I am guilty of that commentOriginally posted by Rhonda:'Netfriends'...
Just wondering, do you view 'netfriends' as different? Do you allow them into your lives or do you continue to view them as just 'netfriends'?
I ask cause I know of folks who somehow view people you meet over the net as folks you shouldn't take too seriously. They make comments like, 'Aiyah! You meet them over the net one! What do you expect?!' I think some of the net friends I've known are alright & close friendships can be formed, but some are really weirdos!! 
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Well I have some people who stay in the 'netfriends' category whereas others become friends or even good friends
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netfrens will remain as netfrens till i meet them up...Originally posted by Rhonda:'Netfriends'...
Just wondering, do you view 'netfriends' as different? Do you allow them into your lives or do you continue to view them as just 'netfriends'?
I ask cause I know of folks who somehow view people you meet over the net as folks you shouldn't take too seriously. They make comments like, 'Aiyah! You meet them over the net one! What do you expect?!'
Whether can develop further or remain as acquaintances, it all depends on the 'chemistry' between us liao... if we 'click'... i'll see ourselves hanging out more together... and thus status of the frenship will go into another level... meaning 'letting them into my life' as u mentioned...
i understand what u mean for the last paragraph... when i tell my brother i met my kakis through the net... he gave me the look... i was like... what's wrong?? haha... i know that there's storys about bad guys lurking round the net... but u dun 'one stick kill all' right?? i also hang around online... does that make me a 'bad guy' too??
oh well.... but one must learn to OPEN the eyes BIG in this cyberworld. -
Oh yeah!!! I remember the weirdos!! Bbbbbrrrrrrr!!!!Originally posted by SydneyLibrarian:I am guilty of that comment I think some of the net friends I've known are alright & close friendships can be formed, but some are really weirdos!! -
Have you ever experienced situations where you start to consider them as friends or good friends only to find out that they still stick that 'netfriends' label on you and keep you at a distance?Originally posted by elindra:Well I have some people who stay in the 'netfriends' category whereas others become friends or even good friends -
I think I'll just stick to making & meeting female netfriends after that... lesson learnt!Originally posted by Rhonda:Oh yeah!!! I remember the weirdos!! Bbbbbrrrrrrr!!!! -
You mean there're no female net weirdos?Originally posted by SydneyLibrarian:I think I'll just stick to making & meeting female netfriends after that... lesson learnt! -
dun non-online frens do that too?? hmmm.... they find that they cannot 'click' with you... and thus an 'acquaintance' tag will be tagged on you....Originally posted by Rhonda:Have you ever experienced situations where you start to consider them as friends or good friends only to find out that they still stick that 'netfriends' label on you and keep you at a distance? -
There are but I guess unless you are a guy you won't meet one unless she is lesbian or somethingOriginally posted by EricDraven:You mean there're no female net weirdos? 
Met a couple of weirdos as well but they backed off when you show your claws. I think weirdos prey on people who won't fight back for themselves. -
I'm sure there areOriginally posted by EricDraven:You mean there're no female net weirdos?
But I'm looking for friendships only, so that's alright -
Very very true! hehehe! Here's my very own quote again, 'Just because I choose to sheath my claws does not mean I've been declawed!'Originally posted by elindra:There are but I guess unless you are a guy you won't meet one unless she is lesbian or something
Met a couple of weirdos as well but they backed off when you show your claws. I think weirdos prey on people who won't fight back for themselves. -
I think that friendships established online in its various modes (forum, irc, etc) tend to progress at an accelerated rate. In some cases they have a shortened life span too - they spark off, peak and die off relatively quickly. It's easy to feel close and familiar to someone over a short period of time, much quicker than a friendship that develops in real life. That's perhaps due to the level and frequency of interaction online, compared to in real life when many external factors come into play.
Thus while I do feel close to people online, if the period of interaction has been quite short and mostly via online interaction only - in real life I will still tend to put up my guard. Because I know that what goes on online will never translate exactly into real life.
But I'm more of a reserved person by nature anyway, so that may influence the way I develop online friendships, offfline. -
I've never used IRC or ICQ to make friends, but i've made plenty of friends through the forums in the last 3 years. I lost contact with some of them when a few of the message boards closed but I still keep in touch with others. Before I joined sgForums, many of them were foreigners.