How well do you think we know each other?

Hell yes...these are exactly my opinions and the things I talk about in the real world....same language, everything....when I have to write professionally I put on a persona....I imagine I am someone else .

I am more me here than I am out there sometimes... but I am more of a lurker than a poster these days...

Yes, I think people in "the real world" would recognize me here.
But the ones who know me very well in the real world would know me much better than most A2Kers.
I'm a pretty private person & don't post everything I think & do here.
However, there are a number of A2Kers who probably know me better than than many real life contacts.
I know what you mean, though, boomerang, about being deeply affected by Bob's death today. I feel the same. Some A2Kers are better known as friends than many of my acquaintances in real life.

I have found the A2k people I have met pretty much as I expected....

Whether I was the same would be interesting to know.

Physically, unless I have seen photos,I have no idea.

I think I am like you Boomer....in some ways people here know me well, in others not at all.

I don't know how different that is from real life though....I certainly express different bits of me with different groups of friends.

Most people think of me as some sort of oddball, away from the computer. I actually dumb down for most persons I see on a regular basis. I only open up very much on here.

Ditto. Conversely, the only discrepancy some people have told me about myself is that I come across to them as intimidating online, but not in real life.

On the general question, I think we know each other in part, but not entirely---about as well as sports buddies or work colleagues, but not as well as family or spouses.

And I'm really glad that you do, edgar.
Because I really like & relate to the "you" who you really are.

Thanks, olga. You are one of the special persons I know.

Edgar (without sounding like a total suck, I hope! ), likewise.
I'm so very glad you are here & say the things you say!

I thank you, most humbly.

No reason at all to be humble, dear fellow traveler.
Perhaps we should say these sorts of things to each other more often?

Nodding in agreement with you, Olga. I feel exactly the same way!


Yes, we should probably, but sometimes I feel a bit awkward about doing such. I wonder how others would view me if I were to say stuff like that.

For example, I wish now that I had more conversations like that with Bob. But, that's water under the bridge now, unfortunately.

Reyn, life is short.
Go for the really important things!
There are only regrets, later, if we didn't say what you really wanted to say.

I've been open and honest here about myself and my life.

What you see here is pretty much what you get when you meet me. I think. It's hard to be sure.

As my signature line suggests, we rarely see ourselves the way others see us.

I've met a few a2kers. No significant surprises.

I think the anonimity invests in us, a license to let our real feelings be spoke. Except for my wife, I rarely expose myself in the real world as much as I do here. My political feelings can be freely shared without concerns that I will hurt someones feelings. Several others here seem to follow the same rules, " anonymity breeds fearless opinions".

Having said that, Im most concerned that I would feel most uncomfortable in then mixing personal contact with many of the acquaintances Ive made here on A2K. I cant consider the acquaintances as friendships because a friendship must be earned and friendship carries a solemn duty that the friend stand beside us even when were wrong. A2K carries no such warrants or certs. I recieved a PM from som newbie the other day and he or she wanted to be my"friend". I was a little saddened at what appeared to be a nearly vulgar request (to me anyway). I have only 3 good friends and one is my wife, the other is my son, and the third is a "buddy" who Helps me pull my tractor our of the muck when I do something really stupid, and he will shoot his whole saturday to help me regain some credibility by removing my tractor from the swamp where it is seen by upwards of fifty farmers or AMish who drive by the area each day and carry the tale that " Well he did it again, the dum ****". My buddy , who is a biological researcher and whom Ive known since grad school,will help me and then make up lies that I wasnt stupid at all but was trying to help free a cow that was stuck in the swamp. We stick together like that.

BUT, back to A2K, Its a nice place to meet-up and exchange deep virtual thoughts that we used to share with only one or two tight friends. Just like any kid on facebook, we give up some degree of that closeness for frequent communication and sensory input.
"Friend" is a word thats been corrupted by the medium. It means a whole lot more to me than it does to the purveyors of these "social media".

HOWEVER, having said all that, I wish Id had the chance to meet up with Dys in real life. But, if wishes were camels, wed all be Tuaregs

I've met a few a2kers in person. I know those who I met better I'd say, but I choose to meet them because of two things:

1) The relationship I had built here was already close.
2) The opportunity had provided itself.

I feel legitimately rocked by the loss of dys. It's unsettling to me. There is a lingering feeling that I'm not entitled to feeling this way, or shouldn't feel this way for someone I never met in person. I told my girlfriend about it, and I could tell she didn't really understand.

I told her I lost an internet friend. I really regret that wording.

A
Regret
T

he liked you a lot...

I'm me here.

I'm rarely me in front of people in real life.

I agree with this. I feel like A2K is an area where I can explore the limits of my own opinions. I often realize that I feel something as I'm typing it.

Over the years A2K has become a tool for introspection, through what I choose to be extroverted about.

I used to talk in 5-6 different forums, but it's been years since I went anywhere else, because the quality of the posters here is so exceedingly high, and as I've said before, I care about many of you very much, and think about you and your lives all the time.

Cycloptichorn

I'm funnier in person. Really! ;-)
I'm pretty much me here, although some days I use the political threads as a sounding board. Get out all my frustrations... I'm not quite as angry in person, then again..
I love a good debate.