Online Friends: They do stay!
By Toni
@toniganzon (72277)
Philippines
September 16, 2012 5:44pm CST
A year ago, one bbm friend told me there's no such thing as online friend because people you meet online just come and go and you'll soon forget that person. I didn't argue with him but I didn't believe him too.
I have three online friends that still keep in touch with me and we have known each other for two years already. Two are from my bbm, and one is from twitter. They're all from different countries. One in Ohio, England and Puerto Rico. What's keeping us friends these long I think is the common things that we shared together. Guy from Ohio is an animal lover and so am i. The British is a family man and so am i. The young man from Puerto Rico is a geek, and well he calls me one too!
Some online friends do come and go because there's no attachment to the friendship. They say attachment begins only the moment you see them in person. But these three guy friends of mine, somehow, we have an attachment that living life without them as friends would be a little sad.
2 people like this
20 responses
@asliah (11137)
• Philippines
14 Nov 12
hi,
yes that is true,online friends or friend that we meet through online will come and go and sooner they will forget you or maybe you will forget them too,for me they are still my friends but its up to them if when they message me or keep them in touch with me.
@toniganzon (72277)
• Philippines
15 Nov 12
I am honoured that some online friends of mine have really stayed with me through my rough times. They were with me when i was still in the Philippines, keeping in touch on an almost daily basis and now that i'm in a foreign county, they still haven't abandoned me. In fact I'm probably going to meet one or two of my friends here.
@gangnam_stylist (68)
• Philippines
18 Sep 12
Yes, online friends can turn to long-lasting friends. I have several good friends whom I have started out as online friends. We share stories through forums and later on chat messengers, and eventually meet up! Until now I regularly meet these friends over a cup of coffee or for movie dates! It's so nice to have the opportunity to know more people online, you'll never know how many strong ties you can have even if it's via cyberspace.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72277)
• Philippines
19 Sep 12
OH how i wish i could meet them for coffee, but that would mean i have to travel halfway across the globe.
@Jshean20 (14348)
• Canada
17 Sep 12
I think online friends can come and go just as quickly as friends in real life. I honestly believe that good friends are hard to come by, just observing people in daily life people can be mean. I constantly observe people who act friendly to someones face but talk rudely of them when they walk away, this is partly why I don't trust many people at all. Good for you to hang onto good friends from different parts of the world, distance shouldn't matter as long as you're treating each other right.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72277)
• Philippines
17 Sep 12
OH they treat me like a princess! That's why we're friends that long! 
@KrauseHome (36448)
• United States
17 Sep 12
Personally there are many people I would consider an online friendly who I have never met yet and hope one day I will. There are people I still keep in contact with I have known probably close to 10 years now and actually these are some of the best friendships. I even have had the pleasure to meet some of them in person.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72277)
• Philippines
17 Sep 12
Those there people that I have been in contact with are all hoping to see me in person someday.
@BethelSophia (538)
• Philippines
17 Sep 12
I think, friendship knows no boundaries regardless of status,race, distance, nationality and culture. The thing that can keep friendship is communication whether it's constant or not as long as there is a communication and there is love and passion between friendship then friendship will indeed work. Friends color our life and without them our life painting won't be complete.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72277)
• Philippines
17 Sep 12
There are people online who are really not into platonic friendship. They always have personal interests or motives for being friendly with others. That's why most people are skeptical.
I was very lucky to have met those three friends of mine and have known them long enough to trust them.
@toniganzon (72277)
• Philippines
17 Sep 12
That bbm friend who told me that actually is someone who is a very negative person. In fact he disappeared on my bbm a long time ago. There are some people who only wanted to be friends with benefits and i think he was one of them.
I have no problems being friends with you. I talk to my friends on my phone almost everyday.
@kongno (431)
• Philippines
18 Sep 12
i don't understand why other people just like being negative, is there a benefit of being negative? it's nice to know that you treasure your friendship,
by the way, what do bmm means?
@toniganzon (72277)
• Philippines
19 Sep 12
It's blackberry messenger. I'm not using it anymore because i gave my blackberry to my sister. I do still have a phone which has a similar application and that's what we use to talk to each other everyday, send voice notes, pictures, etc.
@varunkrishna007 (1909)
• India
18 Sep 12
You just spoke a valid point. Even I have a lot of online friends whom I know for a long time now. I know one of them for past six years. Even though we have never met till now, we do keep i touch regularly. it was on fine day last month that we knew each other for more than six years.
@toniganzon (72277)
• Philippines
18 Sep 12
I'm glad to know that some online friendship could really last that long.
@dpk262006 (58677)
• Delhi, India
17 Sep 12
Hi toni!
Nice to hear that you have three good on line friends. Yes, you are very right that if there are common interest between friends, friendship flourishes and continues. If the 'common interests' get lost somewhere down the line, then people tend to drift away.
Hope your on-line friendship with your dear friends will continue to blossom.
@dpk262006 (58677)
• Delhi, India
18 Sep 12
It is nice to hear that even if you are no longer using BBM, your on line friends keep in touch with you through other applications. Good luck to you.
@toniganzon (72277)
• Philippines
19 Sep 12
Yes. I feel so special that they don't want to lose me at all. I'll be needing their company since i'll be leaving the country soon.
@toniganzon (72277)
• Philippines
17 Sep 12
They will Dee! They're willing to follow me wherever i would be. In fact I am no longer using my bbm and they are still on it but they tried to download another application so that they could still keep in touch with me. That's how I learned that they are friends for keeps.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
17 Sep 12
I have had many online friends since I started using the internet, and many of the those friendships have been short-lived. On the other hand I also know from experience that it is possible to find longlasting friendships online. I have one online friend that I have known for 7 years and another online friend that I have known for 5 years. I have never met any of them, but we have exchanged many, many emails since we got in touch with eachother. I have also had longlasting friendships with two other girls and they have both become my close friends in real life after our first meetings.
It is definately possible to find longlasting friendships online, but it is also true that a lot of online are short-lived. I have experienced that many time. We exchange emails for a while and then they simply disappear.
@toniganzon (72277)
• Philippines
17 Sep 12
Yeah i agree. But to say that it's impossible to have long lasting friendship online is a fallacy too. That's what I didn't believe. I have those who come and go including that person who told me it's impossible.
@marguicha (220225)
• Chile
19 Sep 12
I have friends that are good online friends. I count with them and talk about my problems and listen to theirs. They are mnot a lot, but real friends around me are not hundreds either. I don`t mean that every person I accept here as a friend is a real friend. But I have some, maybe five or so, that I consider real friends and would love to have them come to see me at home.
@toniganzon (72277)
• Philippines
19 Sep 12
There's one friend that i count on. In fact when i was in pain yesterday, he was there for me even though he was in a very important meeting. I felt better knowing that somewhere, from halfway across the globe, a dear friend is worried and cares for me.
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
17 Sep 12
That's so nice to know Toni , that you have online friends who are still with you after those years.
I think, it would be exciting if you get to meet them in person.
Lucky you Toni for having them as your online friends.
@toniganzon (72277)
• Philippines
17 Sep 12
I'm very lucky to have them D! And i would really love to see them in person. So I'm planning to go to England next year. I have plans to visit New Jersey too and it's just a couple of hours away from Ohio and Florida. My friend from Ohio has a house in a lake with 5 bedrooms. He has two jet skis and a boat. Since i'm such a water girl, I would really love to go there and spend a few days in his lake house. I just have to make sure it's summer!
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
18 Sep 12
Wow, go for it Toni. At least you don't have to pay for hotel accommodations anymore.
@squallming (1775)
• Malaysia
18 Sep 12
I have to agree with you that online friends or any people that we get to know on the internet might have the chance to be real friends or even partner. Of course, most of the case the people would just talked and interact in the internet and soon afterward get bored and never really keep in touch with one another. That is why it is necessary to meet them in real person face to face if you are serious in making a friendship or intimate relationship with these people you get to know online. You have to make the first step of asking them out though.
@toniganzon (72277)
• Philippines
18 Sep 12
I don't think I'll ever get bored with them. One of them i have already known for almost three years now. If i were to get bored, it would not have lasted that long, not even a year.
The one from England, I talk to him everyday for almost two years now. I even talk to him more often than my real friends here. So boredom is out of the question.
@echoforever (5180)
• United States
18 Sep 12
It can be either way with onlint friends. I've seen both sides either they last a long time or they last only a short time. For me I have one or two friends I have had quite a long time. One I talk to almost every day and I have known him 12 years from onlind and I have met up with him 3 times. The others I have not met but they are still good friends I have had for many years. This makes me quite happy.
Its good that you've got a connection with all three and they're not the same connection either. I think you can keep your online friends with interests you share because you can make their life more interesting each day when you talk. My friend of 12+ years sometimes we have nothing in common but we always will talk on a daily basis!
Don't let this other individual dictate your friendships, even your online ones, no one can change a friendship but the two that are involved in it.
Its good that you've got a connection with all three and they're not the same connection either. I think you can keep your online friends with interests you share because you can make their life more interesting each day when you talk. My friend of 12+ years sometimes we have nothing in common but we always will talk on a daily basis!
Don't let this other individual dictate your friendships, even your online ones, no one can change a friendship but the two that are involved in it.@toniganzon (72277)
• Philippines
18 Sep 12
That person actually is no longer on my bbm as he has disappeared a long time ago. I never believed him not even once.
I'm just happy with these friends of mine who constantly remember me and care in their own way.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72277)
• Philippines
19 Sep 12
Oh they are genuine. That's why i kept them this long. I have deleted those who have other motives and to whom i just can't converse well with.
@echoforever (5180)
• United States
19 Sep 12
That person obviously deserved to go. It is not their place to say anything like that and you should love your online friends (or like) just as you do any other. So long, of course, as they are genuine to you and have known awhile so you can trust them.
@41CombedaleRoad (5952)
• Greece
19 Sep 12
Online friends do stay and I think part of the reason is that we can share things on line in a way that perhaps we would not do face to face. There is a danger in having too many, so we do need to be a little selective so that we have time for those with whom we have much in common. I am so pleased that you have made these special friends.
@toniganzon (72277)
• Philippines
19 Sep 12
Indeed. It took several months before we finally trusted each other. I'm just glad that we care for each other's welfare like friends in person do.
@yanzalong (18988)
• Indonesia
17 Sep 12
You didn't mention friends from mylot. I guess you have so many here. Don't you think that any of mylotters here have a lot in common with you? I wish I were a longboard user in order that we would be friends.
@toniganzon (72277)
• Philippines
17 Sep 12
Those friends of mine that i have mentioned constantly talk to me. We talk almost everyday, like we are just actually chatting in person.
Friends on mylot are on a different level on the other hand.
There's more to me than just longboarding and people here on mylot don't know that because people here on mylot don't get in touch with me on a daily basis or personally.
@jenny1015 (13366)
• Philippines
16 Sep 12
That is true. It is seldom that we find true friends via the internet simply because, some would just be friendly for such a short time and then looks for another one to chat with. But I can attest to what you have said. I started working online since 2010. When I was made as project manager and HR manager for various projects, I came to know people to work for us through the internet only. We do our jobs online and have meetings through online collaboration. Now it has been more than a year that i am no longer working for that Outsourcing Company, but I have kept a friend. He is still in touch. Although we rarely have a chat, but still he sends sms every now and then.
@toniganzon (72277)
• Philippines
17 Sep 12
It really is wonderful to have friends online that you can get along with. I talk to these people almost everyday. No matter how busy our schedules are, we do find time to say hello and chat for awhile before starting our day or before our day ends.
@surekharathi (14146)
• India
17 Sep 12
I also not agree with your friend not all online friend is came and go we are in touch with some online friends even on phone also. I feel attaching some online friends like family members.
@toniganzon (72277)
• Philippines
17 Sep 12
Yes. There are those we share our problems with and comfort us even if they're not near.
@Raine38 (12250)
• United States
17 Sep 12
Well on the other hand, even real life friends also tend to come and go. Just because they are present physically as opposed to online friends doesn't automatically mean that they will stay. It's all about the people involved in the friendship and how the relationship developed. It's all about the willingness to keep and work the friendship out, as well as the bond that keeps them together, and not the actual physical presence.
@toniganzon (72277)
• Philippines
18 Sep 12
I agree. It's not really impossible to find true friendship online.
@Csyluckdays (169)
• Egypt
17 Sep 12
that kind of friends is not bad and maybe you will meet them one day,I have see that before
@toniganzon (72277)
• Philippines
17 Sep 12
They're good people and i came to know them well enough. I really do hope to meet them someday.
@purplemandy (54)
•
17 Sep 12
I have friends that I met online and have never met in person, but I still count them as friends. I have lost touch with a lot of people I used to know online, and I don't speak to others as much as I used to, but it does not mean that there was/is not a real relationship there.
@toniganzon (72277)
• Philippines
17 Sep 12
I have learned to trust these three people as they also trusted me. They were the only ones who became friends with me with no motive whatsoever.
