You can’t private message on here; that feature is disabled. You can email, though. Conventional wisdom says that if a person has put their email address in their profile, then it’s okay to email them. However, if you do so, be sure to put “so and so from the SDMB” or something in the subject header, or they’ll probably delete it.
Of the 30 people who have posted to this thread, I can recall some personal facts about 22 of them, or at least something about their posting style.
I’ve never met anyone from the Internet, but you’re all quite real to me. 
I remember occasional facts about certain people whose personalities come through very strongly in their posts, but honestly most of the usernames I see just wash over me. I’ll often be reading a thread and notice that a poster I’ve never, ever heard of has 3,000 posts or something.
I have no doubt that the opposite is true as well, that others see my posts and say, “What the? Who is that?”
Oh, and people who have meltdowns in the Pit stick in my mind. I don’t feed the flames, but I have to admit I get a kick out of reading those.
I tend to remember people who have said they liked me, and tend to forget who I’m supposed to be pissed at. For example, I’m pretty sure I called Maud’Dib some nasty names a little while ago, but I can’t remember why. Oh, wait, the tattoo thing, right? Aw, whatever. Hard to keep track. I’ve thought about keeping a list of people I don’t like, just so I can remember who they are and why I don’t like them, but that’s, y’know, psychotic. As a general rule, I feel that friendships should be boardwide, while rivalries should be confined to the specific thread(s) in which they arose. If I get pissed at someone in one thread, I try to be neutral to them in the next one. As in everything, there are exceptions.
I’ve been to one Dopefest, which was only attended by one other person I’d had any interaction with on the boards (Hiya, White Lightning!) but most of the other Dopers I met are much more firmly fixed in my mind, even though I still don’t have much interaction with any of them. Especially Kyla, who gave me a ride to the 'fest shortly before fleeing to Michigan. Probably because of something I said.
Since he’s here, I do remember dantheman telling me I use the line “Stupid OPs get stupid responses,” too often, but that particular thread got locked before I could pretend to take offence. So I’m going to do that now:
You bastard!
Thankyewv’rmush.
Hey, you had plenty of time to say something! Which I thought would be along the lines of, “your rant is lame” …
I didn’t really expect the thread to go anywhere, so I didn’t bother to check back until I noticed it was locked and wanted to find out why. If I had known that three seperate posters were going to say nice things about me in it, I’d have come back sooner to revel in the accolades.
Yes, well… let that be a lesson to you, young man!
** Muad’Dib** sigh Of course I remember you. You hang out in the desert with a bunch of loonies and all of a sudden it’s ** Muad’Dib** now, huh? Enough to bring tears to your family’s eyes Mr. Atreides. Not good enough for us now, are you? Well, you do ‘your own thing’ now, whatever that is. Grammy Selma’s been weeping for weeks now.
Actually, I do remember the odd thing or two about posters, and I have been a bit stunned when I’ve read someone mention personal info that shattered some idea I got about who they actually were.
I’ve been a member of this board for a few years, and, well, I’ve formed at least mild online friendships with a few of the posters, either through AIM or LJ. I met a few of the dopers when I was still in high school, and I’m not quite sure if any of them still post anymore [this was before** Anniz** got married; she was really sweet, and it was just an interesting ride out to the theatre with Sanibelman and Hypergirl…]. I do see the people who post here as actual people, and occasionally the visualization of the threads is just bizarre and amusing.
Unfortunately, I haven’t been posting nearly as much because of my LiveJournal; it’s addictive to just read my friends’ list and post all the time.
Well, of course I am of the “other” school of thought here.
I have met many people on this board who have become dear friends. Some of them have become among my BEST friends. Yes, I DO have a best friend here in "face-to-face’ land…and I have many other good friends here, too. Oodles, actually. For those of you who think that someone who bonds with people they meet online is someone who can’t find friends any other way? Well, that certainly isn’t true for me. I could go on about this, but I don’t think that A) You’d believe me, since you don’t understand the whole concept to begin with and B) What would be the point?
BUT…I have met some people on this board who I consider as “some of my best friends” too.
I have met some of them “face-to-face”, but the thing is…I met them in person BECAUSE they had become so dear to me…it didn’t happen the other way around. [sub]I have to tell you, my life is too full of stuff I HAVE to do to mess around travelling ANYWHERE I don’t WANT to.) [/sub] I didn’t meet them and form a connection…I met them online (through this board) and bonded with them, and BECAUSE I had bonded with them, I made the effort to meet them. And when I did, it was as though I had known them forever. I don’t require physical presence for deep friendship.
Shayna is one of my best friends. I love her, and I consider her my sister. I met her on this board. I have travelled to stay with her numerous times, and the thing is…I felt that she was my sister before I ever met her in person.
::shrug:: that is my take on the situation.
I do remember things about the bots we’ve gathered. Weren’t you the beef, bean and cheese burrito guy?
Got your number, pal.
I explored a similar thought here.
It came to naught.
Are you a real person?
Scotti is. Boy howdy, is she. I could probably be a better friend…, I just need to work on it. A bit.
HA! I’m one of the few he actually doesn’t see as a Lisa program!
So, Muad’Dib, how does knowing that Esprix is gay! :eek: make you feel?
Esprix
Witty and pretty.
Pity I did not remember you better. There was a time about a year or so ago when some Esprix guy posted on the Sinfest boards and although the name sounded really familiar, and I knew that the guy was likely about to be flamed, I did not post there. I felt foolish afterwards.
BTW, how did you choose your name?
I’ve gone to a few (Manhattan-based) mini-gettogethers. Based on that, I’d say that short of hanging out with people IRL for several hours per evening for dozens or even hundreds of evenings, I get to know folks a lot better reading what they’ve posted.
(Of course if these gettogethers took place in less noisy environments, that would help)
Yup, that was me. Got an earful over at the PvP boards, too. 
A variation on the word “esprit” which means “witty, effervescent and vivacious.”
Esprix
Yup. I have people on here whom I regularly talk with on the phone. Or are we just jacked in to the Matrix?
Eh.
… and then you realize: There IS no Straight Dope …
I lied a bit when I posted this thread. The truth is that I sort of view everyone that way, although it is intensified on the Internet.
I recently found out that I am high functioning autistic. It is bizarre to find a reason behind the angst. It is like I have been a deaf person desperately trying to conceive sound all of these years.
I think what you just posted deserves a thread of its own, Muad’Dib. If you want to do so, go ahead and post a new thread with a link to this one. I’m going to close this, not because of anything you wrote, but because it’s a three year-old thread with posts from quite a few people who no longer post here.