[Stradalets]

Internet is a great source of information, audio, transactions. It is also great for reading my own conversations over a decade ago.

Yet Internet can not replace real life friendship:

1) Typing is slower then saying.
2) Waiting for answers may take hours or days.
3) Our private problems become the property of Humanity and Eternity and our opponent in 2036 election.
4) Unfriendly forces may join any conversation.

[Altered Moment]

Yeah it is just a tool and a powerful one if used properly. but of course it can be used for all sorts of things.

[hamster-bamster]

I type as fast as I talk.

[SmileHere]

He he I sometimes type faster
Or I can type things I may have difficulty talking about in RL

I agree with 3) and 4) though troubles can be minimized if you post in semi-private places with good moderating and good rules, and under a hidden identity.
If its true that one can be listened to and recorded via cell phones, RL conversations aren't much different than posting stuff online. But well if you've got nothing to hide...
I don't really plan for elections anyway!

But yeah, RL friendships are very important too. Very.

Internet (or computer/connection) can 'break down', people can stop frequenting forums or other hangouts... And there's just something about physical presence and doing fun things together! (Explains the success of Professional Cuddler too!!)
Too much computer time can cause depression and other problems too... So yeah, RL is important!

[hamster-bamster]

I think there is Internet and Internet. Say, staying in touch with RL friends via electronic means because they live on another continent VS making friends on the Internet (who may live on yet another continent!!).

It seems to me that OP is leaning towards discussing the latter part.

[Stradalets]

Originally Posted by hamster-bamster

I type as fast as I talk.

How? I type sort of slow.

[Stradalets]

Originally Posted by SmileHere

I agree with 3) and 4) though troubles can be minimized if you post in semi-private places with good moderating and good rules, and under a hidden identity.

I am not sure. I do have private accounts for stuff like banking. But I would not keep more then a few hundred dollars there.

[Stradalets]

Originally Posted by hamster-bamster

I think there is Internet and Internet. Say, staying in touch with RL friends via electronic means because they live on another continent VS making friends on the Internet (who may live on yet another continent!!).

It seems to me that OP is leaning towards discussing the latter part.

I have lost my last offline friend last fall. He tried to find me a job and I messed up everything.

[s4ndm4n2006]

Originally Posted by Stradalets

Yet Internet can not replace real life friendship:

This is all that needs to be said really. No the internet cannot replace RL in any way. It is a tool and one that has power in it that can be either beneficial to relationships and social interaction or detrimental. Used wisely it can be a good thing but abuse of it can be very dangerous.

[lilypup]

I like interacting on both, but I really think RL is better and more important for me.

[Angelique67]

I couldn't live without my one RL friend. I hope I'll never have to. But I need to be online too because I only see him once a month.

[BobbyDavis]

I see what you mean.

As much as I like the internet I believe the world would be better off without it sometimes because it is full of every weirdo imaginable from bed humpers, paedophiles, psychopaths, rapists, serial killers, stalkers, terrorists, obsessed fans, incestuous lovers, cannibals, porn addicts, people that enjoy being peed on, people that enjoy eating ****, men that pose as women, 50 year olds that pose as little boys to talk to children to megalomaniacs hell bent on taking over the world. You can name any weirdo in the book and they are bound to be somewhere on the internet and the disturbing thing is unless you are some kind of expert you wouldn’t know who they are. People these days especially Gen Y appear to be way to trusting and naïve when it comes to using the internet and a good example of this is the recent hacking scandal where naked photos of many celebrities found their way on to the internet.

Personally, I have trouble trusting people on the internet and I don’t use Facebook, Twitter, Myspace or any other social networking sites simply because I don’t trust them. My Wife and I were both paid moderators on an Australian Music Channel’s forum for over three years and we meet some ****ing crazy obsessed fans on that who cyber stalked and hacked people when they wrote bad things about their favourite artists and after that experience my Wife won’t even use the internet anymore when she is alone because she doesn’t feel safe on it. She thought I was crazy joining this forum but I have chosen not to use my real last name and I have better security than I did back in 2009 so if I piss off a hacker on here I don’t particularly care because I have all my files backed up.

I grew up in the pre-internet/pre-texting era and when I spoke to my friends I would go over to their houses and speak to them face to face and while I don't mind meeting people online and being friends with them I just prefer the old way more and think teens could benefit from it.