Question: Would you meet friends you’ve met on the Internet?
With the world getting smaller and smaller, and the chance to meet people you know from blogs or social media sites gets higher and higher, would you?
Think about it for a minute. I almost live on the Internet. I’ve been meeting people from the Internet for a long while now.
I’ve met up with people from website deviantART not just once, but twice. I’ve done flickrmeets too, and met @rickcurran from twitter and @softthistle, @ShimmerGeek and @devidose from Plurk. Hell, even the love of my life, Corinne, was found through a forum my friend Sean set up over five years ago.
But things go differently from people you hardly know, to people you’ve been reading or watching for a long time. Sure, you know who they are and what they do day to day. But would you meet them?
I guess this question spawned thanks to the idea of anonymity. Many of the people who read this blog are anonymous, or at least their names are. A few times I’ve had people on other sites say “If you’re ever in ***, give me a message and we can meet up!”.
So, would you cross that gap?
I have a few times and I will again. Next wow epxac… another midnight meet-up will be in order, whaddaya think?
I like to be anonymous on my blog. Someone very clever found out my name:)
In the beginning, I was very reluctant to reveal any information. But then I became more comfortable. I’ve exchanged Christmas cards and gifts. I have a phone relationship with some. If I am in the same town as they are? Sure thing! In fact, if I come to Scotland, I am expecting to meet you!
I guess once you build a relationship you start to trust them. And you genuinely like them.
Love my bloggy friends!
I’ve met one or two. It just depends on the situation and what we have in common.
First thing…bad Picture of me! (will add more later)
Cute…I’m the love of your LIFE! That in itself makes up for the bad Picture…Love you…to answer your question: I don’t know anyone else on the internet but you. Maybe Sean, but we have no clue where he is. I rememeber thinking of having a LPE meet up time but I’m not sure that will ever happen. I think the only way I’d ever “meet” someone off the internet would be to have someone “recognize” me. But there is no one else I’d want to meet but you because I know everyone else (who I talk to on the internet)…maybe Germaine????
I’ve never been as adventurous as when I went almost halfway around the world to meet you…the love of my life. If someone wanted to meet me though…a fan of mine or something(if I had any) sure I would.
Marylin, totally! That, or there’s always that aforementioned concept that one day, long into the future, there may be a Dundee plurk meet. But that may be far in the distance.
Scriber, wow… You’ve taken it a lot further than I have. And yeah, if you’re ever in Scotland…
Sorry! I was in a rush finishing it off at my sister’s, what was I to do? I panicked and picked the first one I saw!
I’ve met up with folk who I’ve initially met online, both random folk and people who I’ve spent a lot of time with in MMOs. Its pretty cool to be able to pitch up in a random country, post on my guild’s forum and get a meetup organised.
I think though that this is something that can be pretty polarising. There are people who like to remain anonymous online and don’t want that spilling over into the real world – and more than that they can’t conceive of ever wanting that kind of interaction. But at the same time, there are people like us who are quite happy putting our entire lives onto the internet for anyone to see (and/or mock), and I think that when you are willing to do that, then really it becomes natural to meet internet people in the real world, because you are no longer really making any distinction between the two in your own head.
Of course, the fact that I’m an anti-social misanthropic git frequently gets in the way, but I’m like that with real people as well, so its irrelevant for this question
i think Craig has a huge distinction between his ‘REAL LIFE’ and his internet life.
It took me 5 years to get anywhere close to him. He’s really really vague on this blog too. He shares but only what he wants to. He really has control over the 2.
OK maybe my phrasing was bad, and its not like I can claim to know either of you except from twitter and this site, but there’s a definite sense of openness and willingness to share that shows…. something. If not that there’s no distinction between them then at least you don’t have to be anonymous and reclusive online. Maybe. I dunno…
Yeah, I get what you mean…we’re on a first name basis with the internet…we’re tired of our alias and only live under them half the time.