For me, this site is proof that real friendships can be formed over the internet. In the 5+ years that I have been a member of these ( and the old ) boards, I have made some really good friends. Unfortunately I have not been able to meet some that I have made friends with here face to face. And by the same token I have been fortunate enough to meet others, that I have made friends with through this site, face to face.

Obviously when one finally meets another that they have made 'virtual' friends with over a length of time, in physically meeting it provides a better perspective of what that person is really like.

To echo what SC has pointed out, there is nothing like having the ability to sit across form each other be it over dinner, drinks or whatever. And to me, one of the important aspects of being able to finally meet a 'virtual' friend face to face is that while having a discussion it makes it much easier to understand where that person is coming from and what they are trying to say because you are able to see body language and facial expressions, which most of the time puts a different perspective and provides a much better idea of what that person is REALLY all about and trying to convey.

Many times when we have discussions or debates here, a person may be trying to get a point across in a certain way, but because that person is just typing words, and the other is just reading them off a forum page, we get the wrong impression or idea which can cause us to mis- interpret or misconstrue what that person is really trying to say. And because of that we sometimes form a false opinon of that person. Lord knows that I have been guilty of doing that, and at times have also been a victm of that because my post may have not really conveyed to the reader what I was truely trying to say. That person reading my post and not having the ability to physically see my body actions or facial expressions can cause them to misunderstand what I am acutally trying to convey.

My late friend Plaw and I, on many occassions, were guilty of misunderstanding and misconstruing each others posts early in our 'virtual' friendship that we made through these boards, especailly in the political spectrum. But thankfully when we finally did meet face to face, we were able to understand each other much better and more importantly were able to become real and true friends. I will always have wonderful memories of the great friendship and solid bond that Plaw and I were able to form as a result of something that started out as a 'virtual' friendship. And that applies to many others from here that I eventually had the priveledge of finally meeting face to face.

Hey, I've never met the originator of this topic, but yet I feel as though she is a true Pisano!


I really believe that over time, through a 'virtual' relationship, people can really have true and sincere feelings of friendship towards one another, without ever meeting face to face. However as SC pointed out, there is nothing like being able to physically interact, face to face, with a friend. To me it solidifies that bond of friendship.


Don Cardi