Internet Friendship: That's What I'm Talkin ' Bout!
 

I have been blessed with true friendship with people I have found online.
In this thread I invite people to share their experiences of true friendship Found On The Net.
I am new to TFP and I haven't found any real buddies here yet but I'm hoping.

On a social networking site called Orkut (no link; I don't want to plug the site here) I have found some truely amazing people.
They seem to have become more than just a group of shared friends; they are more like a jati of soul mates that have traveled through the ages with me.
There is something quite different with true friendship shared online compared with that shared between good friends in real life.
It is hard for me to describe. Perhaps someone here will find it easier to explain.

Please share your experiences with me. I can't believe that what I have experienced is Unique.

Here is a little attempt at prose that I wrote to a young woman in India that found me and adopted me as her Uncle from America.
I hope you get a feel here for how deeply she has touched me.

Ode to Internet Friendship

Today I was adopted by PrincessPriyanka,
from far Tamil Nadu
She calls me Uncle Teddy Bear,
I call her my dear Princess Niece
Princess tells me she lives to become great astronaut,
like her fallen hero countrywoman, Kalpana Chawla
I tell her of my son in snowy New Hampshire,
he is near same age as her
And of his great courage in games of Ice Hockey,
I am such proud father
And now Princess adopts Kyle as Brother,
see him skating in her album
So I write her a short poem of acceptance,
when she asks me for friendship
The words just come into my heart,
I know not from where

Yes dear PrincessPriyanka we shall be friends

There is plenty room in my heart
for my sweet Princess Niece
far half-globe away now
I believe exactly how
someday will fill my sky
when she flies so highhhhh

I have several good friends around the world that I have found because of TFP that I talk to on a more or less regular basis and keep in touch with via other modes of communication.

A few years ago now, I belonged to a forum that was centered around my university, and via this site I made friends with a wide variety of people. I met this guy on there, P., who introduced me to his roommate, A., who also happened to be on this forum. I started hanging out with them a lot. P. got married and moved into a new apartment, and A. went home for the summer--unfortunately home is in the boondocks where there is no Internet, and we lost touch. But lo and behold, last summer A. popped online and messaged me, and we resumed contact after three or so years. His Internet access is still spotty at best, given where he lives, but if it does go out, he tries to get ahold of me some other way to let me know he hasn't just up and dropped off the face of the planet. I appreciate that.

I am really thankful for all of my Internet friends. I'd like to give a shout-out to Martian here, who kept me company when I worked graveyard, and still keeps me company today. :)

My best friend is somebody I met as a direct result of a local community based forum. Last year she posted about a Relay For Life team that she was forming. The kidlets and I went to the first team meeting, and joined the team. Our team raised around $8000.00 that year. We started spending more and more time together. July 4th, 2008, I get to marry her.

I got to know my current girlfriend of 3 years by stalking her on AIM. :thumbsup:

Yo! What am I? Chopped Liver? What about your buddy Lucifer, who shipped your ruffles all-dressed potato chips cross border?

Congratulations cj2112 ! That is an auspicious date. Not only is it a big country birthday but it is also the birthday of my son Kyle from my Ode to Internet Friendship.

Oh, I was thinking about you too. I just didn't want to mention too many people, lest this thread turn into some list of snowy's friends on TFP or a popularity contest of some kind.

I lost a wife because she met someone online.

I gained a wife because I met her online.

I have a number of very dear and special friends that I have met online, and some that I've not met IRL (yet) that I call real friends.

I agree with Snowy that a role call is unwaranted, but I've got at least one here.

I am a moderator at a popular automotive forum.

Over several years time, I began to develop friendships with the forum members, whether it be through general car talk, selling of parts, calling on the phone for technical advice, etc.

After a while, I stopped going to the forum. Several people inquired as to why, and I explained to a handful of members that I had been diagnosed with cancer.

Between the medical expenses, lack of spare time, and some mild depression, I had just lost the will to work on my own car. I had no desire to finish it at all, even though I was very close. The forum members were fairly upset as well, as I had documented virtually everything I had done to the car from square one with some lengthy technical writeups.

Unknown to me, a few of the senior members decided to help me out. They actually started a PayPal donation without my knowing, in an effort to raise enough money for me to finish the car. A ton of people donated, including many who I had never met, spoken to, or even communicated with on the forum. They just read about the situation, and were more than happy to donate. Before I knew it, I had a $1300+ check arrive in my mailbox.

I've never been so greatful for anything in my entire life. And for their sake, I went ahead and finished the car. The one fellow in particular who orchestrated the event is now my best friend, and I'll be meeting him face to face after graduation this summer for the first time.

I have many friends that I have met online or offline and communicate online.

My wife's friend in Iceland is someone who she doesn't talk to regularly. After I met her and her boyfriend, we became good friends because of regular IMs and emails. I talk to him just about every day.

Now no visit to Iceland would happen without a stay in either her home or her parents.

I can't count how many people from TFP I have met as there are many around the world. I look forward to many more.

if I ever meet up with that bastard flyman, i'm gonna kick his ass.......:D

Chassis, that's the coolest fucking story.

And to the OP, I think it's pretty clear that the TFP has made some good friends. I've never seen someone or something raise $2000 so fast. :)

Several years ago, I had joined a forum for support while I journeyed my way from oblivion to health. There were pictures posted, personal stories told and friendships growing. With this group, I lost over 100 lbs, gained the strength to leave a stagnant, unhappy marriage and job, and become a role model for my girls.

I was invited to assist the Administrator and also became one of a handful of Coaches at the site. One of my proteges (he credits li'l ol' me :D ) went on to become a professional bodybuilder. We've had several gatherings to raise money, and a small group of us remain bonded and have vacationed together and kept in touch all along. They are amongst the dearest and most special people in my life. One of them is my best friend, who lives across the country, but we often spend a good half day of the weekend on the phone together.

Although the site and most of the original members have somewhat disbanded, that small group has a bond between us that will never be broken. If any of them called me for anything, I'd be there in a heartbeat and I know that the reverse is true as well.

I think that the forum venue gives us an opportunity to speak and be heard. The nature of verbal (or would that be oral?) conversation makes it difficult for one person to get out what it is they want to say. When we can type out what we want to say, more is conveyed. We also tend to hold back a little less than we might in person. Maybe that has something to do with the close bonds we're able to form?

enough said