My partner and I have had many discussions about online personas as opposed to ‘real-life’ personalities. He says my online personality is different to my IRL personality. I disagree! In real-life I can either be a total “dag” and make fun of myself and always find a funny side to things, or else I can talk openly, sincerely, seriously and honestly about my thoughts, feelings and experiences. I feel that I’m the same person online as I am in person… I’m just curious (particularly those of you with partners who are also members in here)… whether you feel - and whether your partner perceives you to be - the same, whether you’re online or in person.
I’m nice on line. I’m nice IRL. 
Actually, the only difference for me is that I can be wittier on line because I have time to think about what I want to say and I can phrase it just so. While I do have my moments for real, they’re not as frequent. And I don’t know how frequent they are here, come to think of it. I think I’m clever, but others may see me as inane.
I don’t have a partner who posts here, but I think I can answer the question anyway. Internally, I’m the same in real life as I am online. I type what I think, express my thoughts in the manner in which they occur in my head (with a bit of judicious censoring if I’m agitated). The difference is that in real life I rarely speak at all. If you (or anyone) were to meet me, I wouldn’t be able to look at you or say more than a word or two. I’d probably sit and stare at the floor or, if I weren’t paralyzed by my typical assortment of irrational fears, I’d get up and walk away. You would think I was insane or deaf or otherwise disabled.
I love online communities. They’re the only venue I have, aside from art, in which I am capable of being and expressing who I truly am. It has made my world considerably larger and far more interesting.
I tend to get more pedantic online. I’m a lot looser in person, and also less likely to engage when I hear something I might comment on- I just let it pass, keep things light.
If you can believe it, I’m far more annoying IRL.
I’m pretty much the same IRL as I am here.
Make of that what you will.
I’m pretty much the same in real life as I am here. The only difference is theres some stuff that I don’t talk about here but a couple of people in real life know. However I tend to be more open about my bi-sexuality here then in real life.
I like to think I’m the same, if a bit less pendantic IRL a la JohnBarleycorn.
Is there a joke hidden somewhere in there?
I can be a little more open online, because I can get embarrassed very easily sometimes IRL, but not online for some reason. Otherwise, I think I am the same person online and IRL.
I’m pretty much the same, though having been more “open” online, has led to me being more open IRL.
Online people can’t see how much I giggle, smile and laugh though.
I don’t know whether I’m even tangentially addressing the OP or not, but I’ll offer that in general my perceptions of the Dopers I’ve met in person are much different than are those of I’ve known only online.
Perhaps it’s a matter of there appearing to be more depth to my appreciations of those I’ve met IRL. Of course, I’m not the sort to engage in very personal relationships with those I’ve encountered only online.
It’s impossible for me to separate my online persona from the me I know well enough to say if I present significantly differently on the boards versus IRL. Someone else will have to address that.
I’m at least a little different; offline I’m much more reticent.
IRL, I am funnier, louder, more outgoing, and IMO, a more interesting and exciting person. Here, I tend to be unable to translate my humor into words.
So, if you met me, you’d be surprised to see that I was as colorful and open as I really am.
In real life I tend to talk faster, be more exaggerated! Be super-upbeat! all the time! Laugh a lot! Woo!
I’m a lot louder and outgoing IRL. Most people tend to notice me and remember me. Online I’m not as loud or noticable. Often times what I’m saying comes out wrong since the tone of my voice isn’t heard.
My boyfriend is also different online. He expresses himself better. Or it might be I take it in the tone I want to hear it.
I’ve also noticed that some of my friends are really annoying online. Something about their personalities just doesn’t translate well.
hmm…
good question:
I used to be far more shy in real life. Never would I flirt. Online, I could be more open, and forget my shyness. I’ve noticed lately, that has crossed into my real life personality. I’m far more out going now. So, I guess I’m pretty much the same now
Not too much difference between my online and my real-life persona. If anything, I’m less likely to talk about some subjects, knowing that my words will be read by a far wider audience (and be electronically archived for years to come…)
I must admit, I’ve met face to face a few people that I originally got to know on-line, and each of those people have said that I’m exactly the same IRL as how I come across in forums. Which is a compliment (I hope!) I have made some very firm friends and in meeting them face to face, there were no real surprises about their personalities.
I think if people really do act mostly as themselves online, it does come across through their posts over time.
I guess I used to be a lot more shy in forums a couple of years ago. I’m not really shy in real life, and I certainly love to laugh and joke around. I think sometimes online I come across as plain geeky, because it’s hard to me to express my humour via the written word.
We met online.
We were not in any way shocked by each other. I.e. our respective personalities were exactly as we, flipped-respectively, pictured them.
I am in fact very demented IRL, but I am careful to reserve my opinions for online, because my opinions are frequently grotesque and were I to state them in my town, I do believe a Inquisition would be established to root out the source of this abominable inhuman plague of evil. The sad things is that I never keep an opinion for more than a few minutes. See? See? See?
Have you tried art therapy or some other psychological therapy for this? I’m taking a psychology class, and it seems that counseling can do wonders for people with fears like yours.
To answer the question (although I don’t have a partner at the moment, much less one who posts on the board), I find myself to be wittier in person. Online (and in other writing forms) I type run on sentences with lots of parenthetical comments, commas and the like. I apparently use the extra response time to confuscate my response when I’m on the computer. People tell me I’m a funny guy IRL, but online I usually just come off as talky or annoying.
Which is interesting, because I was a pasty, pathetic computer geek before I was a real-life joker.