Inspired by my last thread, had some people kinda dismissing the idea of internet friends as something stupid, some the opposite, so what's you're opinion of them?

It's natural to become friends with people you're around a lot and share common interests with.

Nothing at all wrong with it.

Until it becomes creepy.

They're fine. It's not like there's a robot on the end of the other computer, it's an actual living breathing human being. You're just talking to each other in a different way.

I've made a few great friends on the internet that I've been talking to for years, most since 2009... obviously they don't compare to real life friends but they're still important to me

It's fine, me and my internet friends have alot in common and we videochat with each other, I don't get what's wrong

On a place like this? no.

I've made friends on other sites related to my major tho (StackOverFlow, Dreaming In Code, etc.)

Well I guess some people automatically assume that everyone over the internet are anti-social 35-year old creepers, and think having friends over it is creepy. Others might assume that you have to know what somebody looks like to be their friend, which is kinda...

I say that internet friends are just as good as "real life" friends, if not better. My internet friends actually were huge in my coming out process.

I think it's great having friends on the internet because sometimes you meet people online that you like more than some people you know irl. I don't want to have serious friendships though with someone on the internet. I have one and that's enough

This is just me, but I think it's kinda weird.
I need face to face communication to be friends with someone.

I only have friends because of twitter.

If you talk to someone almost daily, share interests, and get along you're gonna end up being friends

Nothing wrong with making friends online.

This entire post.

Just because you don't see each other's faces on a daily basis does not mean that you are incapable of forging a relationship between another person. Every time I get home from my school I get excited because I know that I have another support base waiting for me at home, and all I have to do is push the power button on my computer. The internet is a glorious place to build bonds because of the anonymity, you can open up about your problems easier, and without these friends of mine I don't know where I'd be right now.

Not really fond of the idea of creating a bond with someone you can't actually hang out with. I only kept one friend I made years ago. At the time we were really young, she didn't even know she was gay and then it happened and I couldn't believe it. I intend to stay in contact with her, she's special.

Fixing~

EDIT: Oh, you fixed yours first I see. I caught dat edit

dfffff you did

Well when it comes to the internet, you have to draw the line somewhere

This. People kill me with "since it's online it's not real" nonsense. It's a real living person you're talking to. If you get along with them and share the same interests you are going to end up being friends. I made friends online and have been better friends then some of my "irl" friends.

You have to take caution with it, really. That goes for real life too, really. As long as you have definitive proof of the person you joined yourself with, I don't see too much of a problem.