Forum Friends?

[Marlin in Minn]

How do you all consider the folks that you "cyber" meet on the forum?

 

Are they your friends? Or cyber friends? Or just people posting behind monikers that mean nothing to you? Or something else?

 

 

I'm curious how you all view the social enviroment that an internet forum creates..

 

[elbow]

Originally posted by Marlin in Minn How do you all consider the folks that you "cyber" meet on the forum? Are they your friends? Or cyber friends? Or just people posting behind monikers that mean nothing to you? Or something else? I'm curious how you all view the social enviroment that an internet forum creates..

 

I like to think that all people are basically friendly, in "real life" and on the net. But the people on the net are not my friends.. really. Would you call me to bail you out of jail?

 

Maybe like many of you, I have developed mental characters of those posting on HC, based on the parts of their personalities that come through in their posts.

 

I have respect for some (most actually) that contribute and post their experiences and share opinions. There are a few that seem to step over the line and would get themselves slapped down hard if they weren't hiding behind their moniker on the net. The internet has made some losers very brave.

 

What might make this forum a little unusual is that we are performers and have no problem performing for strangers at any time.. at least I don't. Does that make us more vulnerable? Maybe.

 

Bottom line... I think you can have good cyber relationships based on a mutual respect for each other's opinions and knowledge. I believe most of the posters here are good people with a common passion for music. That's what keeps me coming back anyways.

[THBv2.0]

There are people I've gotten to know on the forums here, to the point of exchanging phone #s and talking "live." There are others I've gone to see play live and a few who have come to see me. I've traded CDs with forumites and consider many of them friends. There is a forumite who is a DJ in Tulsa and plays my songs on his Sunday night blues show. He's certainly a friend, even though he has a knack for waking me up with phone calls.

 

 

Then there are people here who I vow to slap senseless should we ever meet. There are quite likely people here who don't like me.

 

 

I'm sorry, can you repeat the question?

 

 

[Beachbum]

There are some people here I'd like to meet sometime. I enjoy seeing the various pictures of people.

 

Overall I assume here is much like the 'real world' in that everyone isn't going to get along with everyone else. No big surprise.

 

I like to refer to the people I like here as friends. Maybe forum friends?

[Tedster]

I've actually met quite a few forumites..and the experience has always been enjoyable. I'm still kinda getting to know the Harmony Central crowd...but as for the Musicplayer forums (and a lot of them hang here as well)..if I know I'll be traveling I make it a point to hook up for dinner or beers or something.

 

Yeah, I'd call them friends...

[vanlatte]

I like to think of forum personalties as aquantances (sp?). Sort of like people you might meet in a bar somewhere, exhange pleasentries and small talk, but that's about as far as it ever goes.

 

Some I would love to meet, have a drink with and just hang out with. Others I would like to just jimmy kick.

 

 

[Blackwatch]

I feel friendly with many of the folks here but friendship to me is trust and active partcipation in person.

 

 

What surprises me are the few I'd like to reach through the screen and bitch slap. Just a few but surprising none the less......

[Marlin in Minn]

What surprises me are the few I'd like to reach through the screen and bitch slap. Just a few but surprising none the less......

 

I think we could all say that from time to time..

 

Although there's a lot of bickering that happens on these forums as a whole, I suppose given the cultural and age diversity it's not as bad as it could be.

 

Some posters are very well written and articulate in their posts, and are easy to communicate with. Others may post in a fashion that is hard to understand due to poor grammar or typing skills, while others seem to just be deliberately obtuse or inflammatory because they enjoy trying to piss people off. I don't really understand the latter, but maybe that's an age thing.

 

I don't subscribe to the "Friends are people who agree with you theory", how boring that would be. The folks that post with humor, thoughtfulness, tolerence, and at least a little intelligence ( you don't need much of this to be way ahead of me:D ) I at least consider to be casual friends.

 

And I have to admit, I enjoy seeing one of my forum friends deliver a well deserved "cyber smack upside the head" when someone gets out of line.

 

There's a good bunch of people on here!

[Blackwatch]

Although there's a lot of bickering that happens on these forums as a whole, I suppose given the cultural and age diversity it's not as bad as it could be. Some posters are very well written and articulate in their posts, and are easy to communicate with. Others may post in a fashion that is hard to understand due to poor grammar or typing skills, while others seem to just be deliberately obtuse or inflammatory because they enjoy trying to piss people off. I don't really understand the latter, but maybe that's an age thing. I don't subscribe to the "Friends are people who agree with you theory", how boring that would be. The folks that post with humor, thoughtfulness, tolerence, and at least a little intelligence ( you don't need much of this to be way ahead of me ) I at least consider to be casual friends. And I have to admit, I enjoy seeing one of my forum friends deliver a well deserved "cyber smack upside the head" when someone gets out of line.

 

 

 

Very well said Brother.......