Have you made lasting friendships online?

This thread's dedicated to stories of having met someone online (defined as over the internet, whether by chat, email, professional affiliations, etc.) which evolved into what you consider one of your closer friends. I welcome stories of meeting a mate/lover, virtual but close penpal, or thoughtful expositions on how the ubiquity of the internet has changed our personal relationships. Let's try to avoid stories of how it helps you keep close with far away friends and family whom you might not have kept up with because you're too lazy to do so without email and Instant Message, you can start your own thread for that BS.

I have two very close friends (hope they think the same... ) formed online, and tangentially, an ex girlfriend for which the relationship's genesis began in the early days of the WWW.

the first of those two friends, he'll go by "D" here, I met while working in Germany, on the CompuServe network. The internet had not not began to take off at that point. Year was circa 1993. I forget how we started talking, but it probably had something to do with AppleScript on the Macintosh, which must have evolved into us finding other affinities. But it continued, and once I moved back to the States, it started including phone calls, but regardless we were in daily contact as we both insulated ourselves from the drudgery of leaving the house for a 9-5'ish job. After probably three years of only knowing one another from the emails, chat and phone, the ex (mentioned above) thought she'd surprise me one birthday by buying me a ticket to Oklahoma, arranging things with him for my visit, then springing her "surprise" on me a couple days before I had to go.

I wasn't that happy with her for doing that when she presented her plan to me. I understood why she thought it was a great thing to do because she obviously saw how close the two of us were. But my feeling at the time was like, "the relationship is awesome just as it is, why risk a contrived face-to-face encounter which could very well screw that up?" What if we're not two people who would pal around together if we lived in the same town?

The second relationship (well call him "H") began five, six, seven years ago (I forget now), but we had actually crossed paths a year prior. I discovered someone had posted one of my freeware utilities on his ftp site for his customers to download, and hadn't requested permission to do that from me. So I sent an email asking why the software was on his site, got a somewhat snippy response back, but he said he'd remove it and one of his customers must have put it there. that event came and went, then mutual business intererests brought us back together later on much different terms, and practically overnight the friendship blossomed. Not only was he such a pleasure to hang out with (virtually) and talk to into the wee hours of the night. He was quick to show appreciation for my work and I have learned so much from him. And I'll probably never have a business relationship with anyone like the one we've had. He never stopped being a decent human being just because there was money involved.

"H" and I finally did face time, and have since visited one another several times on our opposite coasts.

With just a few short interludes I've been working from home or home offices since '95, and it kind of sucks. But it would be far worse not having "D" and "H" in chat most days of the week. I have many other friends/family to chat with in any given week, but those two are mainstays.

Who else has met someone initially online who turned into what you consider a close friend? Or lover, wife, husband? Who has felt as I did that a friendship that's grown without face-to-face might be better off remaining that way? If there came a time where one side or the other suggested getting together in real-time, what was that like prior to the meeting, and after?
-w

 

I don't know about lasting friendships, but there are people I've known on the internet since as far back as 1996. Some still visit my video game message boards daily. But being the messed up wacko on crack I am, I don't think any of them would be caught dead being with in 100 miles from me!!!!

 

I've made several excellent friends through the online SEO forums, actually. People like DazzlinDonna, RustyBrick, EGOL, Webby, Wit, McAnerin and many others. It's very rewarding and a great experience to have - it's also of great help when it comes to business. Sometimes one person just can't see the forest for the trees.

Great thread idea, BTW.

 

I can't say it for now, but I have a friend there in Belgium. My uncle who works there introduced me to her and I say our friendship is going strong.

 

The only real friendship I made on line was with my current girl friend. Obviously met on a dating service, met each other face to face, fell in love, sold everything in the UK and headed to run our own in bar in Lanzarote. (the very short version! )

Other than that none really.

 

I have loads of 'friends' online now, and a few select very close friends. It's obvious that if you spend enough time on the internet, you're going to 'meet' people who turn into real close friends.

One guy I've known for about 6 years now, Let's call him X. Ha. We just hit it off straight away. I had alot of family problems around the time we met, and believe it or not, he kept me sane. Some things are just easier to discuss online..There's no bullshit, or shyness..You don't have to hold back. We would talk for hours on end, and eventually met as he only lived 20 minutes away from me. As things go..Life turns hectic, it's all rush rush rush and we lost contact for a while, but we've started talking again just recently and it feels just like old times. He's definately one in a million... yet - someone I would never normally talk to/notice/pay any attention to in my shallow life.
So I have the internet to thank for that.

Then there's Cherry. Ah, I've only known her about a year or so, but feel like i've known her forever. We just get on so unbelievably well. We can chat complete random crap, we have our own funky secret codes, & joke around...yet if somethings wrong or one of us needs advice or needs to talk, we can openly discuss our problems and she's always there for me. I call her my Mother Teressa. She doesn't bullshit - She tells it to me straight and says whats best for me, even though it doesn't seem like it at the time. I absolutely love her, she's my bokker and actually I can't imagine not talking to her or 'having her in my life, now. <3

There's especially another one in particular, but I won't go into that.

Nice thread, wkw.

 

Met this girl online once, on ICQ.. it's our first wedding anniversary THIS Sunday.


DAMN YOU ICQ!!!


I also go to LAN's now and then to game, and met a whole bunch of people there who I talk to almost every night, we go out as couples to eat or watch movies.

And if I bumped into yfs1 down the local, I would

 

I've been speaking to several people for some time online (perhaps 5 years) wouldn't say they're lasting as i've never met them in person.

 

I met Mike (sitetutor) about a week ago and we live 16 hours away. Now I can't get rid of him - he is in my house...

I think he needs gas money? Or maybe he has a warrant in California...

 

SiteTutor's like that. just stop feeding him and he'll eventually leave.

 

Lol. I wonder what made him give you the nickname H.. Mr. Hogan ;p

 

I fed him and he left??? What's up with that?

 

Maybe it's your cooking.

 

Ninety percent of the people I meet are through the Internet...been that way for the last five years. A lot of those are come and go people, not all close friends, but I still enjoy their company when we have a chance to hang out. It's not an everyday thing but we do meet up now and then.

Of course I also met my sweetie online while blogging, that was almost four years ago.

 

LOL (if it was my cooking.)

It was my wife's cooking one night, then we went out to hometown buffet last night because my kids love that place (even though the food is nothing special)

My wife left me about 8 meals in the freezer that are all great! I am so spoiled....

 

I met my wife on the net