Since there are several threads about finding romantic love who has found

Love of close friendship?
Who here have met people on DU who have been so dear and sweet to them that even though you may never even see them in real life.
You love them as much as anyone in your physical life.

I have many friends here on DU (some really close)that I hit it off with right away and some i grew to love(as friends).
What helps me to be nice to people here is that you never know who your next love(friendship) may be.
I try to ignore first impressions they are often wrong and one whom i care deeply about I thought was a major B____h when i first read her response to one of my post over a year ago.Now i am nuts about her.
I can't believe that I am the only one who feels this way.
No names are required unless you wish to share them.
:popcorn:

Too many of them are just based on what people want to be rather than what they actually are. Couple that with the anonymity of the internet, the ability to disguise inherently creepy motives, and the sad yet capricious need some lonely people have for attention, and it can result in some dangerous and ugly scenarios. It can be nice, though!

:D

:cry:

:D

:rofl:

People put a different face on the internet to some extent.
And some are phoneys.
But some aren't
I have a few "aren't" that i call dear friends

i don't think i could truly call someone a friend until they become part of my actual life.

even if there was some long term correspondence, there would have to be some some significant "face time" involved.

i don't throw the word "friend" around lightly.

my friends are very meaningful to me and are the people i would go out on a limb for.

at least one notch lower than immediate family.

And it's just as easy to lie on paper as it is online. Or when you meet at a bar or singles dance. Of course in person you know whether there's a physical attraction at least.

too bad there are others who take it seriously and screw up their lives over it...

I'd go as far as to say I love them.

They are my friends and internet or not, we've shared many things, many feelings, ideas, hurts, sorrows, joys, etc.

There is at least one person here that I also know that I've hurt. I don't believe I intended to, but I did. I'm terribly sorry about that and I've told them that. My amends is to learn from my mistakes there, and to not make them again.

This is not just a make believe world even though it sometimes seems so to people. It is easy to let emotions override logic sometimes because you don't see the person sitting there, and you may not ever meet them. That's never an excuse to treat people badly.

I do feel that way GoPsUx.

:hi:

Someone here on DU. We've never met but we've known each other for years and years and I'm as close to him as I am to any of my "real life" friends.

:loveya:

i love them as dearly as i love my other friends

yes, it can be hard to gauge people over the internet because you don't have the nonverbal cues, but people can hide things irl, too

(save two or three) are all internet friends. I've met some face-to-face and some I haven't. There are a few who know me better than my family. There is one who knows me better than anyone else on the planet. I would be a mess without a computer connection. LoL.

:loveya:

I try to treat everyone I come across with respect and kindness. Sometimes that isn't returned, but I try not to take it personally.

:grouphug:

About half are ones that I first disagreed with or they with me.

Interesting question, and one I've thought about too..

I have made many friends here, and a couple of truly close ones too...

These are people I really love, I truly care about, folks I would do nearly anything for...

I was talking to one of them, and he said you can be close to folks on the 'net if you're honest with them, and don't hide inside a false persona.

I have always been myself here...always!

Most of these folks I'm close to I have met face to face....but not all of them...

But meeting is such an ambiguous word, isn't it?

I truly feel that you can meet someone online just as you can face to face...

You aren't the only one, to be sure, sweetie...

:hug:

We had not romantic sparks other than thinking, "Wow, (s)he's a lot like me." We weren't looking and then one day, we decided to talk and bam(!), it hit us hard. We met three weeks later and double bam!!!

He really seems like a nice guy as well.
And a handsome fellow to boot.
I don't know him well but I could always tell by his post and pictures that he had it bad for you :)
:thumbsup:

outside of DU. It was cool seeing two people click like that. Just amazing to see. :)

We used to make people a bit ill with our mushiness. :hide:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=3526593#3526930

All because of this little space on the web. :loveya:

Here on DU. I realise I havnt been here long, but many folks who I see right here in the lounge appear to be great people.

I dont have "love of close friendship" on DU yet, but I see potential all around me. I do have friends I've met in other places that I try to keep in touch with. Of course I go about it all wrong by logging on to their teamspeak server drunker than hell at 4 in the morning. :)

:hi:

Quite a few pre-DU (two who became members) and one in particular whom I met here. We IM almost daily and she's my cherished friend for life. :loveya:

I have a small group of very close friends that has developed over a number of years. While I certainly don't rule out close and enduring friendships with other DU'ers, I haven't really made any of those connections here. I have several people for whom I have gained an affection (and who I think feel the same) and I've met a couple in real life whose company I completely enjoyed and would enjoy experiencing more of. How deep that goes I'm not really sure.

But one of my closest and most trusted friends is someone I met on the Internet probably more than 10 years ago now. So I know it's there. :hi:

visited AirmensMom twice already. I just love her. She is a heck of a woman and a really good friend.

Of course there are others I met here that mean a lot to me (:hi: gr8dane_daddy) but AirmensMom is special.

And neweurope ... she is a great friend as well. She is a strong woman I am more than glad I met.

:loveya:

Some of them, I've had the pleasure of meeting them in person. Others, I haven't, and may not ever have the opportunity to, but I've talked on the phone with them a number of times, and did not get the impression that they were hiding behind an internet persona.

I think we do have to be, if not wary, at least a bit cautious when first meeting someone via the Internet, because many people DO hid who they really are.

But I also believe that, unless everyone I've met via the Internet is a clever psycho (which I don't believe at all), you can meet and become friends, or more, with.

After all, my dear friend, I met YOU on DU, right? :loveya: :hug: :loveya:

Or should be certified :):silly:
It is great to have met wonderful sane people like you :loveya: :hug: :loveya:

Just kiddin', my friend. You're not certifiable; you're FUN!!! And NICE!!! And a GREAT person! :loveya: :hug: :loveya:

I can only think if one person here I would do that for. I have people I like.. I set the bar high for friend.

there are a few. you know who they are ( :loveya: ) and they know who they are. :hi:

I sure do :):hi:
I have it on good authority that the feelings are mutual.

i love you, my friend. :hug:

:loveya:

:hug:

I have many RL friends, some of whom I'd say I love. It's easier to do when I share booze with them, go to movies with them, or attend each other's birthdays. Just last night I went to my friend's birthday dinner, the night before he went to my birthday dinner. That's the kind of relationship I think constitutes platonic, friendly love for the other.

Although I have several good friends, I'd say I only "love" a couple of them. It's just care brought by experience. One of my friend's sisters died from leukemia this last year - I really felt care for him as he went through this horrible ordeal with his family - something I've never had the opportunity to experience before. Perhaps if an internet friend went through something similar, I'd be able to develop that same level of love.

I always feel awkward about internet friendships. Although I have a few, I always wonder if they'd feel different (READ: more positively about me) if they knew me personally. With internet relationships I always feel like I'm on the shelf a bit. A person has to conduct his or her real life, right? Why would they have time for me, I think.

I've also noticed that I try to treat my friends equally, and I would say in my circle we treat each other equally, despite our foibles. We all respect each other's better qualities. However, I don't think I've ever been "THAT" friend to another person. "THAT" friend, in RL or online, that another person LOVES to be with. LOVES to spend time with. LOVES to talk to. And yet I've watched with some jealousy as people I wish I could befriend forge that sort of a relationship with someone else, and it makes me extremely sad. I focus on myself and think "What am I lacking that this person has?" and "How could I ever live up to that?" I also wonder, "How could I ever be that sort of a friend to someone else?" but I many times don't think it's possible, because I see my flaws for what they are - unavoidable. Over the years (before I moved to Colorado five years ago) I've always considered myself an "unfriendable" person to anyone but my husband.

But I think this is a very good topic, actually, and I appreciate your posting this question. There's someone in my RL, actually, who I wish I were better friends with, but I do not think he has the time or the room in his life for that sort of a relationship with me. Unfortunately there's always been a bit of "pollen" in the air between us, which complicates matters. It's hard to conduct a close friendship when a part of you yearns for more. Yet I don't believe in forcing friendships, I just provide room for those that form organically. Maybe I'll be lucky with this person sometime down the road.

99% of the time it's the best thing in my life.

The other 1% I resent that someone cares so much that I can't do something I feel like doing.

:crazy:

You are a sweetheart and were the first person i put on my buddy list..Honest
miss_pie was the second.
:hi:

I've met people online that mean more to me than I can say. One of them I met in a chatroom years ago and he's the reason that I'm here and another one I got to know here. I consider them two of my best friends and I wouldn't want to imagine my life without them.

Here's to Lizziegrace and OR.

:loveya: