are these people really your friends???

I'm still fairly new to mylot, so I don't have a huge variety of friends on here yet. However, I can say with all honesty, that I often feel closer to the friends I have made online versus "real life" friends. For some reason, friends that I can see every day have always seemed to use me for their own purposes. I have cut many supposed friends out of my life for that reason. As it stands right now, I can count my "true" friends who I know outside of the internet on one hand. Less than five people who I know in everyday "real life" who I feel that I can really trust. I am by nature a giving person. So, when I make friends with someone down the street, I show them my friendship and loyalty and am there for them when they need me. But, that sentiment is often met with back-stabbing and that person using me. More times than I can count, I have been used as a baby-sitter or any other variety of their self-serving purposes. These supposed "friends" would only call me if and when they wanted something from me. The things they have wanted has never been friendship for friendship's sake. On the internet, I have met some of the finest individuals. I have met people who like me for me, not what I can give them. Their friendship is NEVER conditional. They don't take away their friendship the first time they hear me utter the word no. I may have forged these friends online, yet I can call them REAL friends, much more so than I can call the ones I met offline. These friends and I maintain our friendships not only online, but over the phone, and I have had the pleasure of meeting several in person. And you know what? They were just as sweet, just as awesome in person as they are online. I consider these true friends amongst my best. Miles may separate us. We may not see one another even regularly, if at all. We may not converse over the phone daily, yet they truly understand me and know where I'm coming from. And I wouldn't trade them for the world! I think forging online friendships is almost the best way to make friends. Sure, you get the occasional weirdo out there who may lie about themselves. But, the majority of the people I've met are real, caring people. We began our relationships often by sharing interests. We often were able to tell things about ourselves that we don't even tell people we know in person. I think that when this happens, a stronger bond is formed. There's a level of trust that I have with some of my online friends that I have never experienced with people that I have met offline.

I think they're similar, Tina, but not quite the same. I dearly wish that some people lived near me and that I could see them regularly. I too look forward to seeing what my friends have to say and what they think - it's very interesting! It's also a bit sad that I have more "friends" on line than I do in "real life". lol ;) Fantastic discussion Tina.

Well I think its too early to tell for me as even though I do have a lot of friends on my profile, I really don't know them personally to consider them as "real friends' if you know what I mean? However I must say I have met a few people online on other sites who I have a real personal connection and I say only a few. I hope to make a connection with a few friends on here too so I think it may happen in due time and when we get to know each other. I do look forward to their discussions as some of them come up with some really good ones :)

Oh yes. To me I feel the same about online friendships as I would if they were right next to me.I had a very dear online friend of mine who passed in July and that hurt just as much as if she were living close by. There are several people on mylot I feel real close to-you being one of them my friend-and look forward to their discussions and responses.When I don't hear from them for awhile,I miss them just like I would a regular friend.

I think the people I met online somtimes make way better friends than in "real life". The friends I have around me in my life outside of mylot are ones that I have had since childhood and I have changed alot since then so we aren't as close. I have a hard time making new friends because of my apperance and my depression and other mental issues,I don't smile very much so people assume I'm a b*t*h excuse the term but that's how I see it. The friends I have met online usually have the same issues I do(example raising a child with disablities) and they get to know the me that is on the inside. I really wish some of my friends (like you) lived closer:) And I hope I have lasting friendships with the people I have me here and some other places online. And I'm sure if I met you in my neck of the woods we would be friends. I loved this dicussion and I give you a huge a+!!!!!!

This is a very nice discussion. Hmmm... im thinking. I have a lot of personal friends, but i don't have someone i call my bestfriend.. (yeah i know it is sad) I like it here more. I can share my views with no hesitations (well, most of the time, lol). It doesn't matter if your young or old, whatever religion you believe, whatever your skin color is or hair color is, people here don't care and we make friend around the globe. I think it is amazing. Yeah, sometimes i wished they lived near by. I wish i can come over your home for cookies.lol

Hi Tina. I have all kinds of friends on here. I have ones on my list just to respond to their great topics, I have some that I check every day, to see if they responded back on the threads. I have some that I pm regularly and I have some that I e-mail daily or at least weekly. My friends on here that I know in real life, including my sister, are not very active but they are here if I want to send a pm to them they will get it in the e-mail. I also have different levels of friends in real life. We all do I think. No one likes everyone the same.

It is a good topic you have. Well, base on my experience, having friends is really a good thing to me wither it's an online friend, neighbors, classmates, and the likes. Comparing online friends with physical friends really makes a big different. Physical friend can easily be Chatted with no limits, anytime you wanted, without network or connection problem, without thinking of blackouts and electric and ISP bills. You can ask for companion when you want to go to places. You can see their reaction and emotion when you open to theme your problem. I think this are some of the good advantage of a physical friend.

I like many Mylotian MORE than I like the people I know in real life! I look forward to some of the Mylot discussions more than I look forward to charting with my annoying neighbors, LOL.

I can only think of 3 people in real life that I would consider to be my friends besides my s/o and there are many things about my real life that I'm not comfortable sharing with them for many reasons. Mainly because we aren't really in the same "place" in life in a lot of ways and they wouldn't understand. So in that respect I have online friends, one in particular ;), that I'm closer to than my real life friends. If you lived nearby or were around for a visit I would absolutely want to meet you and become "real life" friends!

Why not? If I meet a myLot acquaintance offline, it would be like a real life acquaintance. Similarly if it is a good online friend, it would be quite the same offline. We just need to rework the boundary of the relationship.

There are several people that I talk to via the internet that I think I could be good friends with if they lived in my neighborhood. I have made several friends over the internet that I have met and hung out with in person. I am actually closer to some of them then the friends I grew up with. I met my boyfriend through the internet as well. We chatted in a chatroom for a few months before we met in person. I think that it gives you a closer bond. You are able to be more open wih others over the internet.

Hi,tinamwhite! Well,I divide my friends into two parts:in reality and online. I think both of them are my friends but the online friends are more mysterious to me.Though some of them I don't know their real profile,I do not care about their profiles at all.What I cherish is their opinions,topices and attitudes.That's the most important point for online friends. But I still need friends in reality.I need someone who can share experiences with me,who can have a face-to-facetalk with me and so many other things.They are my friedns in my real life.:)

I guess in the cyber world... Everyone talks about everything... Basically, i guess as we work or have family, we tend to drift apart with real friends, but instead, we are closer to the cyber world as we are online almost everyday... When we are bored, we might not find our friends, instead, we turn to the cyber world... Tts like how we are behaving now? Sad to say... Friends dun always remain as friends... However, net friends might turn into friends... Real friends i meant... Jus to say... Nice meeting everyone here...

I feel friends are those that really help you when you are in trouble and they are there when you need some help and friends are those with whom you share your personal life and he is ready to spend some time with you when you need it the most. I think net friends are just crap they use you for they personal use and then they forget abt it

I trust there is some difference between the two types. The on-line friends have limited interactions and the scope of interactions is generally concerning common interests. The friends in real world have much more scope of interaction. For example, if a friend of mine is sick and hospitalised, I can visit him and help in many a ways him and his family. similarly, if there is a function at a friend's place, we attend and it is fun.

Hi, some friends I've met online have become permanent friends in real life (although not through mylot) Although some of my friends on here are really nice and it's not to say I wouldn't have them as real life friends!

if I were to meet someone online and become friends with them and then meet them, then yea I would still be friends with that person b/c at that point in the friendship I would probally know them from inside out and we would be some what close ... I wouldnt just turn my back on them ... why would I ?