In this age of emails, social networking, and forums, are real friendships becoming obselete?
These online friendships are like Bic razors, they're okay, but ultimately disposable.
How deep can bonds be formed online?

I put it to you, that if this place were to close down, after a few weeks or months, none of us would really remember each other, none of us would care, life would go on, and that would be that. Bic friendships.

As the pub closes, as the mobile phone, and the tablet, take over more of our lives, real social interaction, real bond forming is becoming ever more difficult, it seems.

It's sad really.

Not true.
I'm meeting mikey and perhaps oi and wub in Feb

That's good, this is why meet ups and things are important

Gotta argue with you there Irr... I had friends in school (okay, school is what I was supposed to be doing, but they put me in front of computer )... that while I have lost contact with them, I can remember our conversations and laughs, remember what they looked like (from pictures they sent me), names and everything. And the internet, email, chatroom, etc... is how I met my sons father, 13 years later I am still talking to him (okay, maybe not talking to him because he is on my shitlist, but I still know him).

Dub and sketts can't make it unfortunately.
It all seems to be lads though, some lassies need to come

StarsChildren wrote:
But you formed a bond with those friends, physically, in a real social environment. You bonded through play and mutual incarceration in the state educational learning indoctrination facility.
I'm suggesting, friendships formed online, through social networking sites, are ultimately disposable and forgettable. I'm not saying that is definately the case, it's just the conclusion I'm coming to at present.

Nope... the other schoolkids and I, while I remember them, names faces etc... we ended up in a brawl in the middle of the school room, running out the front door and chasing each other up the road I am talking the ONLINE friends I made because the school instructors were dumb enough to sit my ass in front of computer. I met most of them in chatrooms during school hours, met a handful of them in person, still in contact with a few of them, can still track a few down if I wanted to...

On-line friendships are real to me, Irre.

I was proper hurt when I lost contact with some folk on DIF. The forum generally, and it's management & figurehead might be a bag of shite, but some of the members there were ace. I used to have regular conversations with loads of people - spent a fortune sending books & essential oil concoctions to cure skin complaints & stuff to people all over the world - nice, interesting people, who I still miss 4 years later. Perhaps I'm a bit touched in the head.

I'll reserve judgement I'm posing these questions, and nothing is written in stone.
Perhaps it's me...I'm viewing people like Bic razors?

One thing is for sure though, I'll try to save my "deeper" threads about issues like this, for when I get my laptop (during the week, fingers fucking crossed) I keep running out of words, it's pissing me off

I wish I could explain everything I'm trying to get across in one post, grrr

Well you'd best be doing some fleet typing to 'correct' the impression that your friends here are easily forgettable.

Gilly wrote:
I think he knows friends, be they online or in real life, are not easily forgotten. Even when some of them you wish you could forget. Memories can be brought on by smells, tastes, sounds and then your flooded with those memories of those friends... a chat you had when you were burning a specific incense, or the laughs you shared having a specific brand of beer, the smell of fire as you stood around bullshitting or sitting with your computer in hand chatting with them. And if he is in fact implying otherwise, I'm gonna wait 5 years to talk to him again and then show up on his doorstep and dare him to have forgotten me

Hey irr... go look up Here's To The Night by Eve 6. Saying goodbye to people, online or those you've known face to face is never an easy thing and sometimes can involve some heartache.

edit: sorry, should explain why I recommend that video. It involves walking away with just your memories (at least that is my impression) and does bring back a lot of good memories of times I'll never see again that happened years ago. Both with friends IRL and online

Are you my friends? Or are you only my friends "here"? *raises eyebrow*

What you may not know about me Gilly, is that for a while over on the DIF, I had a "no friends" policy. My friends list was empty for a fairly long time. Before I knew it I had quite a few But my friends list over there is now empty, I deleted it, and removed the option of friend requests.

Whatever impression any of you have of me is your own. I don't see that I have to 'correct' anything.
I'm just posing questions.

If I was to depart the confines of this fine forum tonight, would I be remembered? Or forgotten like the rest? *raises eyebrow*

REMEMBERED and don't you dare walk away or I will start crying you... you... damnit Irr!

Don't get me wrong, I was in fucking bits in my 40th "leaving" thread I don't know...maybe I'm pulling back from these "friendships" to save me some heartache and tears...and keep my pride. Better to reject than be rejected my blazing ego says

I've just told you I'm sad about some of the friends I lost through Sean's arsing about 4 years back, so make of it what you will. You seem to be asking for confirmation of how people feel about you, yet you're giving the impression that we're just disposable to you. I'm not sure I believe that, but I'm not going to get into it anyway, being as how I'm not on form, due to imbibing a lot more Tams than usual. Damn it's good!

It's just black on white, and fill's nothing

Fuck "impressions" and what "seems" to be For they are not the facts of the matter.
I don't want or need confirmation of anything
I have fire inside, it spells out words in a hot glowing blaze...I Don't Give A Fuck.

Nah I do give a fuck, I just give less of a fuck

Fine Irr... *sniffles* if you wanna "reject" us before we do it to you, go on and do it if you feel it's the right thing. Just be forewarned, a year, 5 years, maybe 10 years from now I'm gonnabe sipping on a cheap ass bottle of wine, listening to Eve 6, balling my eyes out when my photographic memory kicks in and I remember that smile you said you can't show, and some of the conversations we had over the last year or 2. And don't be surprised if you open your front door and I'm standing there getting soaked in the rain itching to smack you upside the head

Now if you will excuse me, I'm gonna go drown my sorrows out somewhere else *grabs bottle of cheap ass wine and goes outside to start a fire and piss someone off*