I've lost friends online and it can really hurt. I think worst is when someone (on line or off) just seems to lose interest in you... and you don't know why.

But I've also made really great friends online. In fact, I find that my losses and successes online parallel my relationships offline... as I've become more adept at making healthy friends, both online and offline relationships are more likely to last.

I do think loss is loss and I like Jessica's point about being more honest and vulnerable online... that is true for me... and then I feel the "real" me has been rejected if an online connection doesn't work out. Offline I often have the excuse that "well, they didn't know the 'real' me"

Wow, I think I'm babbling.

Thanks for reading!