Not on popular platforms today, but years ago on Live journal a friend of mine asked me why I had a second journal. She pointed out a journal run by someone who had the same first name, last initial, and birthday as me, and our husbands had the same first name too. O_O
With me being a car guy living in the middle of nowhere, I've actually been able to meet tons of people around me who I never knew about before. I've known some of them for several years now and I'd even consider them part family
Absolutely. I've traveled to see them, had them stay in my home. Cried with them in grief, been devastated when they died, rejoiced when they married, helped them find jobs, supported them financially in tragedy. Doesn't get any more real.
In the ol "lean on cane days" 1998 edition, yes. I'm married to one of them too. Real friends are invested friends! Not based off face time value/irl proximity. Gaps of time 🆗
As a new mom without local friends...it's sort of the only way I can maintain or find friends. Parent or not 🤷♀️🥴
So many! Most of my online friends I met via games but then through social media outside the game is where we actually became good friends. Several of them I've met in person, many I've been friends with for over a decade now.
I find it hard to categorize most people from social media as anything past 'mutuals' since there isn't a lot of the requisite chitchat for me like there used to be in the forum days. When that avenue died, nothing really took its place (not DMs, not Discord).
Closest thing honestly is Twitch mutuals whose chats I'm active in, I'd say they're friends. There's a nebulous space in between as well where I care about someone on the level of 'friend' but we don't know each other any more than mutuals and haven't spoken all that much.
Dorothy Heydt, I remember her as well, about 1993-199x ish, can't remember exactly when I faded away from rec.arts.sf.written and similar places. Gharlane was a bit of an inspiration, I confess. I liked the idea of being that determinedly weird, if you don't mind my putting it that way...
oh many, and quite seriously so. either friends i've known for a decade at this point if not more, or just people i've ended up talking to more & away from just social media, but i've found some of the friends who've been the most influential on me in the long-run on social media, really
I’m old. I don’t consider the folks I only know through social media as friends really. There’s a couple I can think of who I’ve had a lot of conversation with that feel like strong allies. But it’s hard to think of someone as a friend who I’ve never met face to face.
several very close friends from an obscure site with lots of words, and a few from google plus which was amazing for connecting around art and creativity.
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As a new mom without local friends...it's sort of the only way I can maintain or find friends. Parent or not 🤷♀️🥴
Gharlane of Eddore was a friend, even if I never met him. His death *hurt*.
My favorites are meeting people in their own country when I’m visiting. Enhances everything.
I also met my partner on livejournal not too long after. we've lived together for 10 years :)