So Scrnwrt's and Nicole's posts under "What are your holiday plans" got me to thinking about "email boyfriends" and other cyber friends. Especially if you met them online and then in person-were they what you expected? If you've met several, has there been a common theme? Any maniacs? And, oh yes, have you ever gotten down (read as "had sex" with a computer friend in real life?

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2000

Answers

I have had real life meetings with several people who were originally email friends....um, several equals 6. Everyone was pretty much just the same in real life as I expected, no maniacs, and one turned into a very close friend. The meetings were spread out over about 5 years in 4 states. One turned into a psuedo-relationship in which there was sex, but that episode ended quickly and badly (and weirdly) and I went back to meeting future Mr. Robyns in the traditional way, i.e. bars.

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2000

I wonder if I can count them all....

I've met some of my now-closest friends (my "Psycho Duranie Pals") online about 7 years ago via a Duran Duran mailing group. I met The Husband-Type Man through the same fan club, although we met in person first, not on-line (we went to a Gathering of SoCal-ers). I've met a number of people from Mediarama and Hissyfit... I was especially grateful to met Sars (Tomato Nation) and Gustave (An American Boy) while living in New York, as I had no other way of "making friends" in the big city. I was going to go to a big Toronto gathering last summer, but it was the weekend of my birthday, and I already had plans when the invite came. I've had parties for on-liners, namely, the end-of-the-series 90210 party last May.

I'm not as squidgy about meeting Onliners as I used to be... although I don't give out my address or phone number easily.

I haven't met any maniacs in person yet (well, except for the Duranie Chix. But we wear "maniac" as a point of pride)... nor do I know anyone who has. A few slightly "off" people in Duranieland, but again, never in our homes, never in a dangerous situation. But that said, me and the folks I know wouldn't take chances like having a stranger come stay with us or anything like that. I guess the worst experience I've had is discovering something had been stolen (or taken accidentally) after the aforementioned 90210 party... my deck of 90210 trading cards. Not major, but still, enough that it's discouraged me from having other Gatherings in my home.

No one is ever *quite* the same in person as on-line... I know I'm not. I'm very shy and hesitant and nervous (no, REALLY) in real-live situations, whereas online I can babble on and on like mad. I don't *think* scrnwrt and me'll have any trouble finding stuff to yap about, though. :) But if I'm awkward, hon, don't take it personally....

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2000

Time for me to fess up, I guess. :) the fiance and I met online. It's certainly not something either of us expected or looked for, but once we did meet we both knew right away that we had met someone special. It's all worked out wonderfully for us, and I have met some other good friends this way as well, but I don't know if I would tell people it's a great way to meet. Besides the obvious cautions you have to keep in mind, some people can be very narrow-minded about the whole concept - I don't believe that meeting online will be much of a stigma in five to ten years, but I think it is right now. Justifying my relationship to people got old very quickly, believe me.

Of course, not everyone you meet online is going to be wonderful and special and entirely normal... but then again, not everyone you meet online is going to be someone you meet in real life.

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2000

Word, Susan. I don't think I would have ever been friends with Gwen in real life, because on the surface we seem like such different people we would probably never have socialized. I also don't think I would have been friends with most of the people I have met from the internet, which I believe is around 30 people (about half of them being MBTV writers).

That is one thing that I really appreciate about the internet - it gives you the chance to meet people you never would have been able to meet in real life.

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2000

I hope that Shelly chick never wants to meet, I bet she's a real freak.

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2000

I met Gwen from knowing her online too.

Man, I don't know if I want to meet that Luchina chick. I hear she kills all her plants.

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2000

Oh, and Nicole and I are the same person that live in 2 different states.

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2000

No freaks yet...

-- Anonymous, December 14, 2000

I have met quite a lot of people on a mailing list for a band we all follow at concerts. It's been a great help getting rides, lodging, etc., and just making friends.

-- Anonymous, December 14, 2000

I've met tons of people in real life after "meeting" them on-line. Way back when, pre-WWW days, I was on a chat system and that's where I met my husband. I met a lot of those people too, but it got a bit intense. I was among the oldest of the group at 22, and so there was a lot of insecurity that goes with being young.

Most of the people I've met these days have been from dog lists, and that's been great. I got to meet the woman who literally wrote the book on my breed, and although she was as nice as can be, I was awe- struck and tongue-tied. So I'm sure she got a FABULOUS impression of me....

-- Anonymous, December 14, 2000

I've lost track of the number of people I've met online first then in person, second. A lot of people I've met online are now some of my dearest friends. Hell, I've gotten jobs out of it.

Only one person has turned out to be an out and out dud. That's not a bad average. I've met a few people at gatherings who were nice enough, but I haven't pursued personal friendships with them, though.

-- Anonymous, December 14, 2000

I met my boyfriend 3 1/2 years ago through his web page. A friend of his had posted it on an area webpage/email directory without his knowledge. His web site showed some flair (and cute pics of himself), so I wrote to him. Luckily, he was flattered by my stalking and wanted to meet me in person soon after. And the rest, as they say, is history.

-- Anonymous, December 14, 2000

If a certain someone (You know who you are. Yes, yes, you do) writes me one more time about how it's going to be 70 degrees down there, she's ABOUT to meet me, as I drag my frost-bitten Canadian ass to Texas. I'll bring my wimpy dog, too. And all the way down in the car, I'll be teaching Casey to say, "Yo, Dawg! Yo, Dawg!" I don't care if she kills her plants.

I met one person, it was fine. There was beer. Satan could come to my house, if he had beer.

-- Anonymous, December 14, 2000

Ya just gotta love them Canadians. They have their priorities straight. Things do go better with beer. And for those of you who don't know it, some of them are real bedroom athletes because they spend so much time inside in the winter and have to be inventive to pass the time time. They "got practice." When I was in Montana years ago I had a Canadian girlfriend and I swear to God that on the third date after a half bottle of brandy, she looked at me and said, "Okay...let's do it, eh?" And like a true dumbshit, I said "where?" In Texas, "let's do it" is often used as an invitation to GO SOMEWHERE. She laughed and said "Right here." And I said, drunkenly, "we're already here."

-- Anonymous, December 14, 2000

godness no!!!! i would be to ascared!!! what if thy were preverts???? tho i woold like to meat millie cuz he sounds like she be rilly nice!! millie do you live in montana??

-- Anonymous, December 14, 2000

I've met some people from Mediarama and we hit it off wonderfully. I went to a Hissycon, and it was okay- but not quite the same. And I'm meeting Dawn over New Year's, and like her, I think it'll be fun.

-- Anonymous, December 15, 2000

I've talked at length with about a dozen of my Internet acquaintances on the phone. I've met two of them in person and they both turned out to be much cooler than I thought they would be, I'm pleased to say. And, being happily married for nine years now, I've never even tried to 'get down' with any Internet friend. :-)

-- Anonymous, December 15, 2000

Bubba, you're killing me. We dated? Some say the mark of a 'real' Canadian is if you can make love in a canoe. It is, in reality, if you can do it after a case of Molson's while keeping on as many clothes as possible because of the blizzard outside. Even inside it's freezing because of programming done since birth by our mothers. "Don't you dare touch the thermostat! Put a sweater on!" Sigh.

There's a blizzard outside today. It's making me sad.

-- Anonymous, December 15, 2000

Well, other than the pedophile serial killer who...oh wait, there wasn't one of those. Never mind.

No, everyone's been pretty much normal, tic-free, as 'advertised', and able to converse coherently without a computer.

-- Anonymous, December 15, 2000

Four words: Calgary Stampede, Molson Beer.

-- Anonymous, December 15, 2000

Those four words equal foreplay in my book, big guy.......

-- Anonymous, December 15, 2000

Get a room, you two!

-- Anonymous, December 16, 2000

Yeah. I've met some of the folks that have been on the net. Most of them are photographers and other perverts. Some have sent me their snail addresses and I've sent them prints and other things of mutual interest. One of the folks that I used to fight er argue with about photography on the net was scared to send me a snail address after hearing from floosie what a pervert I was. But he sent it to me because his dog was a trained bomb sniffing dog. We are fast friends now. I met some of them at photography galleries and shows. All really nice people. But one of them I met, whom I thought was an old lady, turned out to be a young extremely vivacious curvateous goodlooking totally awesome babe. I fell down on the ground and just started quivering. You know the type Bubba. Well some initial stunned incoherent babbling I suggested she take some printing lessons and we became good friends. My wife and she get along very well. Lumberjack

-- Anonymous, December 16, 2000

Sorry, Nicole! ;-)

-- Anonymous, December 16, 2000

I've met Gwen (who rocked, and gave me a cool mix CD and tried to make me watch Korean porn movies with her), Maggie (who rocked, let me sleep at her house, took me for a delicious lunch, drove me around Toronto, took me shopping, tolerated my drunken ramblings after a party and Wing Chun and Glark's house and made a big, bomb-ass dinner for all of us the next day), GForce (who rocked, even though we didn't really have an in-depth conversation, and was part of the bad influence brigade -- also comprised of Sars, bstewart and Quinn -- that made me decide that just one DeMaurier wouldn't hurt), Saskatchewan (to whom I was never properly introduced, but who rocked anyway and made me laugh) and a whole bunch of people who don't post here (Gustave, Cate, Ragdoll, djb, Deborah, Professer Frink, Niki and more, I'm sure). They were all lovely, even though they weren't all what I expected -- and I'm sure I wasn't what they expected, either. (In particular, everyone seemed surprised that I was so tall. It never occurs to me that I'm tall until I meet new people and they tell me, 'God, you're tall!' But I'm forgetful like that, so it's amusing.)

I've met lots of people online, though, and made some very good friends from it. I also got my new job through an online connection with a journalist I originally met online and who has helped me immeasurably, both career-wise and personally.

As for having sex with someone I met online...Well, let's just say I hope Gwen's too busy to post here.

(Just kidding.)

-- Anonymous, December 18, 2000

Butt out, Nicole. We're both married and just joking around. What are you? The official churchlady in Gwentown? Sheesh. Try to re-live your youth and who shows up? The morals squad. ;>}

-- Anonymous, December 18, 2000

I wanted to meet Gwen and she moved away.

*sob*

...all the Austin journallers are leaving or quitting. Maybe they feel the city is not the same without George W. living in it? (Or maybe it's just too damn expensive to live decently here anymore. Bleah.)

-- Anonymous, December 18, 2000

Yes, Bubba, I am the official church lady in gwentown. Now settle down, before I get the switch.

-- Anonymous, December 18, 2000

A switch? Isn't that more forepl...never mind.....

(so, so sorry, Nicole.....)

-- Anonymous, December 18, 2000

giggle.

-- Anonymous, December 18, 2000

Nicole was the first internet friend that I met in person. We met in the mall, a very public place. I knew she wouldn't be able to murder me there. Like every good horror (and porn!) movie, I proceded to take her home with me and then out for drinks (where we met other internet folk) and then she slept over. We both joked about being nervous that the other one would cut us to little pieces. But I hid the knives and locked my bedroom door, so it's all good. Hee.

Someday, if I'm lucky, she'll teach me how to deep fry a turkey and make venison jerky.

-- Anonymous, December 19, 2000

And like a good porn movie, Erika's drunk fiance stumbled into the apartment when we were asleep and started to fondle me until I woke up and...

Oh, uh, yeah. I can't wait to teach Erika how to deep fry a turkey and make venison jerky.

-- Anonymous, December 19, 2000

Get a room already you two!

-- Anonymous, December 19, 2000

He told me you accosted him in the bathroom!!!

-- Anonymous, December 19, 2000

Hey, he was the one who made up the bubble bath and asked me to "christen" the T-Rex soap I made for y'all with him. He has it on video tape - why don't you watch it and find out the truth for yourself!

-- Anonymous, December 19, 2000

When I tried to watch Blondage the other night, I noticed that Janine wasn't the star! You taped over my favorite porno, you beeyatch!!!

When I get to your house, watch out, your man is MINE.

-- Anonymous, December 19, 2000

wow you guyz are weerd!!!! thats so wrong what yur doing!!! you sure wont get into heven that way!!!

-- Anonymous, December 19, 2000

Floosie, I've already realized that not only do I have a one-way ticket to Hell reserved for me, I also have a reservation at the Captain's Table.

-- Anonymous, December 19, 2000

heh, chicks talking about pornos, how cool....

-- Anonymous, December 19, 2000

floosie? you retarded?

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2001