I don’t really post much here anymore, but there are Dopers I do have the priviledge of calling friend. I met them here, and they became “real life” friends too. I even have the pleasure of seeing them in person from time to time.
No, but I do have friends from other places on the Internet (LiveJournal, mostly). I don’t post here enough to make friends.
I count this as another occasion I might wanna change my name here cause it’s confuselated with others on the LL alliteritive bent, but, HeLL, I’se just too LLazy 
I’ve been here a good while; not a prolific poster though, and have seen so much come and go with all drama and evolution of this board. Have met some in person, and communicated with others via e-mail. My experience has been good, overall. Many of the long term posters here, I feel like I know them enough to count them as friends, having this message board as a common ground. If there was a need, I feel I could ask questions based on our common use of the SD for answers to questions.
One aspect of this board that most impresses me is friends you do not even know you have. I’ve seen it happen often here, that when someone is in real need, the good people here gather around for support, via words, but also with more concrete help. Sweet, good, intelligent, giving people. I’ve never particularly needed it in my own case, but I consider those people as good compatriots, and would give to them in need also. So, that’s a friend.
There are definitely people here on the dope I consider online friends and that I would be happy to consider a friend if I met them more regularly. There are several I communicate regularly by Email and many I like and admire.
Just in this thread are several I would consider at least online friends.
I hope most of you know who you are.
Jim
I think that in the strictest definition, a friend is somebody you know in the flesh. I’ve never met anybody from here. I’ve had RL dealings with a few folks, and we’ve e-mailed. I think we’re more like friendly acquaintances. I was recently asked to do a project by a Doper I’ve never, ever seen here before, but he knew who I was, and that I was the guy for his job. Others here are a collection of familiar usernames, and I remember a thing or two about, oh, a lot of you! Really! And some of you are strangers.
Communication by text only is quite strange: it’s a way to meet people you’ll likely never see.
I sure think of you as my friend, Winston. I really don’t have any other friends than my wife but you give me all the things I think of as a friend other than personal contact. You know what? Your a good friend. You never shit on me and when I think of you and your family it makes me feel just fine. I can see you playing with your children and loving your wife like a man ought to and it brings me a certain amount of joy. I have not always been the nice sort of man that I think I am now so imagining you and your family kind of makes my day. Peace be with you my Brother. I know you are a man just like me (other than being blessed with children) and it gives me a bit of hope that I might one day fit in with the rest of society and be, well, a human being that can walk among the rest of the world and be, well, I hope better than most in that I give all I can to everyone I meet. I hope you consider me your friend as well, as their is nothing I wouldn’t give you if you asked and I feel Blessed having known you. I lost my job recently as well as you and it saddens me to tell you that it was because I was standing up for those that had been treated badly by my boss. I was so proud when I read what you had wriiten about losing your job. Even though I lost my job due to me standing up for those that couldn’t (an Iranian imigrant) and those who wouldn’t (someone outside of my department), even though they gave me the opportunity to quit or be fired, as I have a shitload of customers (who are loyal beyond belief) I chose to be fired as when I explained to them why I lost my job they would take my side as it was about right vs. wrong. People know what is right and although they wont always stand up for it in RL they have no problem understanding what is right. Altough it took only 3 days to get a job still it stings to know that those that you worked for consider the principals I hold dear to me just a joke. They will learn when the money that once flowed like water dries up. Such is business. Fuck them running I always say, as I don’t need the ease of doing business while they lay down. Peace Be With You My Brother! Don’t let your children think that world domination is an easy task! You need henchman and lots of em’ if your going to make it work!
Fuck all of you.
No, I don’t think of anyone here as my friend. Nothing personal, I just don’t interact much with anybody here. On the other hand, I don’t think of any of you as enemies, either. I respect most of you as fellow travelers on this big ball of rock. But I’ve never had the opportunity to email any of you or chat, so at best, I think of everyone here in mostly neutral terms. But, I’m not outgoing, so I don’t usually make the first step toward friendship.
Yes, if I meet you in RL. Yes, if we interact (I reply/you reply… some of your posts are interesting but can’t really reply, though). No, if I consider Dopers collectively. Yes, if I consider Dopers individually.
You wish!
This isn’t going to involve… kitchen implements… is it?
I definitely distinguish between online and meatspace relationships. There’s too much communication that goes beyond the strictly verbal* for me to feel I can really know somebody with whom I have interacted only in text form. That said, I’ve made an effort to meet a lot of Dopers in the real world, and there are many people here who I would legitimately consider friends. I just can’t have that feeling without face-to-face interaction.
That said, among those of you I haven’t met and who still fall strictly into the category of “online acquaintance,” there are many I would like to do in the butt. So I guess there’s a kind of a, what do you call it, middle ground of sorts. The do in the butt ground. Yeah.
*In the strictly accurate sense of “based in words,” not in the colloquial sense of “spoken.”
You all are kind of like a friend-of-a-friend. You know, that guy you see every year at Steve’s Halloween party. You chat, you ask about his kids, you mention your new house. You have common friends, and that wipes out most of the initial ackwardness there would be with a total stranger, making conversation much easier. But you don’t really know each other.
Wait, wait, wait. You’re gay? Shit.
Well… yeah. This format allows me to zero in on those people that I share common interests with- I’ve met people here who I have more in common with than a few of my real life friends. elelle, Harmonius Discord, freckafree, twickster, Phlosphr and spouse, Shoshana, jsgoddess, and Labelless- all the outdoorsy types and gardeners would be more than welcome at my house. featherlou, SnakesCatLady, Fisha, Scubaqueen, TroubleAgain, Dung Beetle, anyrose, and all the other domestic animal pro spay and neuter rescue nuts should stop by for tea and cat hair anytime.
I find Vinyl Turnip, Cervaise, LeastOriginalUserName, and Wile E to be really funny, and would get a party invite were they close by. toadbriar would be the party guest of honor on account of her crazyawesome artistic talent. Dung Beetle and** gigi ** seem so very pleasant and cheerful, Kalhoun and eleanorigby seem to post exactly what I am thinking, usually 10 minutes before I get there. newcrasher should stop by with the family to see my remodeling efforts- he and I like the same architectural style. Sunspace the Alternative Energy Genius is welcome anytime, as is elelle, who knows everything I want to know about native plant landscaping and Buddhism. WhyNot’s knowledge of natural health is always good to read. Colibri is a hero, as is **Diogenes the Cynic ** because of their respective natural teaching abilities about nature and Christianity. AHunter3 and Indistinguishable force me to see an entirely different perspective about social issues. Mama Zappa, capybara, CC, and all the birders are fun to talk with and would be just as welcome in my home as are my real life friends.
Even the people that I have disagreed with (and nearly always learned from) would have a roof over their heads for a night if they passed through my section of the AT. I’ve got way more time to sneak and read the Dope a couple slow days per week at work than I have to compose posts so I doubt that I show up on any Doper radar, but there are many other names that I recognize and enjoy conversing with, and I have a surprising number of usernames + their favorite topics committed to memory and keep an eye out for them. So if by friends you mean would I invite them to my home, sure. Even some of the Doper freaks, weirdos, social misfits and Appalachian Trail hippies would find the key under the mat.
Did you just say meatspace? Oh my!
I thought the fun was over, then you came up with the butt thing.
Your the kind of person I don’t have the social skills to hang out with in “meatspace” . I’ll bet your a card, though.
p.s. My spell check didn’t know what to make of meatspace. I do believe you have invented a new word.
You’re way too kinky for me. Would you settle for a really brisk hug?
Pshaw. Shoulda been there for the Dopefest. I breathe this sort of stuff.
Well, crap. You’re hooked now.
Beau, I always think of you as the better, nicer version of myself. We have a lot in common, it’s eerie.