Gary muses on the nature of these online friendships we’re forming. I like his contrast between “knowing someone” and “knowing of someone.” As Gary says, the Net certainly adds many shades of gray between those already off-white hues.

And, I too struggle with what to call people I’ve never met physically to whom I feel attached emotionally. Over the years, I’ve gotten comfortable referring to some of my equaintances (yes, it’s a yech-y term, so come up with something better) simply as “friends” because I’ve known them longer and more deeply than some RW people I call friends. And yet there are still differences: my interaction with my e-friends tend to be topic-based, more intentional than the rather random RW meetings, intermittent, and, I suspect longer-term because they are not subject to the vagaries of the RW.

BTW, I’m flattered that Gary uses me as his example. This came about because he and I have been talking a bit about Friendster, an artificial friendship network that seems to be catching on. I’ll blog about it later today. I love you, too, Gary.

Categories: Uncategorized dw