Meeting Online Friends in Person

[Debater Slayer]

This week, I met an online friend in person for the first time, and we had a great afternoon. We spent a few hours together, roughly one of which included a long walk.

I have met over a dozen people from the internet in the last decade, including most of my close friends. The first couple of times I did that, I was a bit shy, but that has since faded after I have met so many more people that way (in addition to becoming a lot more comfortable in social situations over the years).

How have your experiences been with meeting online friends in person? And if you haven't done that before, is it something that you would try?

 

[an anarchist]

How have your experiences been with meeting online friends in person? And if you haven't done that before, is it something that you would try?

I haven’t, but I would like to travel, and if I meet some of my online friends along the way, that’d be cool.

 

[JustGeorge]

I met an online friend over the summer. Strangely, she has relatives in the city I live in(in my neighborhood, too), so we met at a nearby park. It was pleasant. I'm glad we did that.

When I was in my 20s, I fell for someone online(the feelings were mutual). Meeting him was overwhelming. I had no idea what to say to him, so I grabbed him and kissed him.

I had a long term gaming friend I met; he was the one who introduced me to my husband. The friend and I had talked for so long for so often that meeting him wasn't all that eventful. "Oh, you're in the room now instead of on the phone." He moved in with us for awhile, but that didn't go well.

 

[an anarchist]

He moved in with us for awhile, but that didn't go well

Story as old as time (I say this sympathetically)

 

[JustGeorge]

Story as old as time (I say this sympathetically)

I should have listened to my gut on that one...

It wasn't because he was an online friend that it failed(he wasn't an online friend of my husband, they knew each other outside of that). He had been getting more and more critical in the months leading up to the move, and I ignored it, and thought I was just being overly negative towards him.

That being said, I've had some roommates who I've gotten on great with, too. I almost bought a house with one.

 

[Regiomontanus]

This week, I met an online friend in person for the first time, and we had a great afternoon. We spent a few hours together, roughly one of which included a long walk.

I have met over a dozen people from the internet in the last decade, including most of my close friends. The first couple of times I did that, I was a bit shy, but that has since faded after I have met so many more people that way.

How have your experiences been with meeting online friends in person? And if you haven't done that before, is it something that you would try?

Back in 1989 or so I occasionally used IRC.

IRC - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Anyway, I met a young man on a channel there who was confused, lonely, and suicidal. I agreed to meet him in person, so as to 'talk him down off the ledge.'

Fast forward almost 35 years, he is a dear friend, who has a nice family and is thriving.

 

[JustGeorge]

Back in 1989 or so I occasionally used IRC.

IRC - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Anyway, I met a young man on a channel there who was confused, lonely, and suicidal. I agreed to meet him in person, so as to 'talk him down off the ledge.'

Fast forward almost 35 years, he is a dear friend, who has a nice family and is thriving.

That's wonderful you were able to help him, and I'm glad his life has improved.

 

[ChristineM]

I'd heard so many horror stories about online meetups that by the time i started using forums I was wary of meeting anyone from online. I have however known a few people online for so long now that when one guy said he was visiting France we said we would meet.

A few of days before his arrival i was due a gallbladder op. Not a problem. Op in the morning, get clear of anesthetic and released from hospital, and I'd contact him when we could meet.

Only the op went seriously wrong. By the time i was able to leave hospital the guy had gone on with his journey.

A missed opportunity.

 

[ChristineM]

Back in 1989 or so I occasionally used IRC.

IRC - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Anyway, I met a young man on a channel there who was confused, lonely, and suicidal. I agreed to meet him in person, so as to 'talk him down off the ledge.'

Fast forward almost 35 years, he is a dear friend, who has a nice family and is thriving.

That is brilliant, I'm so happy you were able to pull him from the brink. I hope that's one of your proudest memories.

 

[Wherenextcolumbus]

This week, I met an online friend in person for the first time, and we had a great afternoon. We spent a few hours together, roughly one of which included a long walk.

I have met over a dozen people from the internet in the last decade, including most of my close friends. The first couple of times I did that, I was a bit shy, but that has since faded after I have met so many more people that way (in addition to becoming a lot more comfortable in social situations over the years).

How have your experiences been with meeting online friends in person? And if you haven't done that before, is it something that you would try?

I’ve used a friendship app to meet people but that’s about it. I didn’t end up staying in contact with most of the people I met, only 2. I want friends but I find it draining to keep up socially with multiple people at once so I’ve had to accept and forgive my limitations. I would still meet people but I don’t spend much time online forming friendships these days

 

[Regiomontanus]

That is brilliant, I'm so happy you were able to pull him from the brink. I hope that's one of your proudest memories.

Interestingly, he is a social worker now!

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

This week, I met an online friend in person for the first time, and we had a great afternoon. We spent a few hours together, roughly one of which included a long walk.

I have met over a dozen people from the internet in the last decade, including most of my close friends. The first couple of times I did that, I was a bit shy, but that has since faded after I have met so many more people that way (in addition to becoming a lot more comfortable in social situations over the years).

How have your experiences been with meeting online friends in person? And if you haven't done that before, is it something that you would try?

I've never met an online friend in person. However, for the last several years I've been texting with my grade 9 roommate from a boys private boarding school. He lives in Mercer Island, WA, me in Toronto, ON. And yesterday, for the first time in 64 years, we had a conversation over the phone about the upcoming election (he's supporting Harris).

I have to say, I was truly delighted just to have the conversation, after such a long time. I had a nice glow for the rest of the day. It's so good to reconnect with old friends.

Edited to correct - not 64 years, 62 years.

 

[Vinayaka]

I think my total is 5 people. Two were people who owned Yamaha motorcycles, and we met chatting about that. Another was a person curious about Hinduism, and I offered a tour at our temple. I haven't met any lately, and am a bit cautious.

 

[an anarchist]

am a bit cautious.

I don’t think my boyfriend would like the idea of me meeting an online friend lol (I don’t blame him). He has bid me to stop picking up hitchhikers for concern of my safety. I imagine he’d use the same caution.

It’s a crazy world with bad people in it, that’s for sure. But I like to think that there’s a few people on this site I’d be comfortable to grab a coffee with or something if I ever passed by their abode.

 

[JustGeorge]

Reading through this, I have to say I sometimes wonder why there is so much caution placed on 'online' people over folks run across day to day.

I've been in some truly dangerous situations, but those met me where I was without any electronic aid.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

I've met a couple people from here. Well, they don't post anymore. One was great. He was very kind. The last time I saw him was when he gave me a ride to the dog pound to get my dog, Thrace. A wonderful memory. The other person...well, they ended up being a rather scary person. Very disturbed. I had moved in with them in another state and they ended up stealing a lot of my belongings and I had to call the cops on them because they threatened to kill a cat. I had to get a police escort so I could get what was left of my stuff out of the house. They even tried to claim my tv was theirs and already had someone living in my room! I ended up fleeing back to Ohio, and the other person I met helped me get back to Ohio through a connection he had there. So it can definitely be a good or bad experience. It's not much different from meeting people in person, honestly.

 

[libre]

This week, I met an online friend in person for the first time, and we had a great afternoon. We spent a few hours together, roughly one of which included a long walk.

I have met over a dozen people from the internet in the last decade, including most of my close friends. The first couple of times I did that, I was a bit shy, but that has since faded after I have met so many more people that way (in addition to becoming a lot more comfortable in social situations over the years).

How have your experiences been with meeting online friends in person? And if you haven't done that before, is it something that you would try?

I've not yet had the pleasure of traveling.
I remember joking with Chakra about a visit, but he has been gone from the site some time now, I miss him.

 

[John53]

This week, I met an online friend in person for the first time, and we had a great afternoon. We spent a few hours together, roughly one of which included a long walk.

I have met over a dozen people from the internet in the last decade, including most of my close friends. The first couple of times I did that, I was a bit shy, but that has since faded after I have met so many more people that way (in addition to becoming a lot more comfortable in social situations over the years).

How have your experiences been with meeting online friends in person? And if you haven't done that before, is it something that you would try?

I've met a few online friends over the years going back to the BBS and FIDO network days and have found them to be pretty much as I found them online. Even met my wife online, we played backgammon for a few years and I got sick and wasn't expected to last much longer. She was planning a holiday with her mother and decided to come to Australia and visit before I kicked the bucket. That was 1998 and after 3 years of travelling between Australia and America we got married. She claims she saved my life and she could be right.

 

[SalixIncendium]

I've met three in person from online communities.

The first one lives a few hours from me in the same state, and we met at my daughter's funeral which she was kind enough to attend upon hearing about her passing, and subsequently, I went to her daughter's wedding. We haven't seen each other since, but we still keep in touch on FB.

The second lived two states away, and we met in the state between us and spent the day at Cedar Point. We both had a good time, and we kept in touch by phone for a bit, but life circumstances ultimately ended the connection.

The third lived three states away, she moved in with me, and we ended up playing house for about three years before we went our separate ways.

 

[Secret Chief]

I've met a few online friends over the years going back to the BBS and FIDO network days and have found them to be pretty much as I found them online. Even met my wife online, we played backgammon for a few years and I got sick and wasn't expected to last much longer. She was planning a holiday with her mother and decided to come to Australia and visit before I kicked the bucket. That was 1998 and after 3 years of travelling between Australia and America we got married. She claims she saved my life and she could be right.

That's amazing.