Blogging My Blog, MeeA Asked…
When you start hanging out with someone you’ve met online IRL (in real life), at what point do you start to *really* let them up close? Is it an immediate thing or do you take a while to suss them out before you would call them a “friend”, as opposed to a “blogging friend” or “acquaintance”?
MeeA, I think it depends entirely on the people you meet in real life. Some you “gel” with instantly, and others you just don’t.
For me, usually when I meet a blogger in real life, I have been reading and commenting on their blog and vice versa. This very often means you know the bloggers you meet fairly intimately. You’ve read about their parenting woes, work hassles, relationship grief, their ups and downs, just about everything. What I share on my blog often doesn’t get to my family or even my close non-blogging friends because firstly they don’t read me, and secondly because it isn’t necessarily something I want to share with them… I don’t mind if they do read it, but its not necessarily something I’m going to go out of my way tell them. Does that make sense?
It takes me a while to call someone a friend in the full sense of the word, for the simple reason that to me, friends hang out together and celebrate together and chat and email for fun- not only at 27 Dinners or blogger meets.
And for me personally, I’m not a mingler. I don’t do well when it comes to introducing myself to strangers. Its actually easier to meet and open up to people when I have been reading their blogs because they don’t feel like total strangers to me.
Does that answer your question?
6 comments
Well said! I do not think people who do not blog completely understand this. Blogging is very different from other types of social networking such as facebook or twitter.
.-= hardspear´s last blog ..Poken – electronic mini cyber sex to replace business cards =-.
I feel exactly the same as you about this. You know the person in some way because of the things you read on their blog and it is easier to meet with them and talk to them because it feels as if you know that person. Hope this make sense, typing very fast today because brain is thinking to fast
.-= blackhuff´s last blog ..The Sorcerer’s Apprentice =-.
Hahaha, well put Angel. You know I think friends I met through blogging probably know me better than most. It almost becomes tedious catching non-internet-people up on what’s happening in your life…I can never remember what the last thing I told them.
My blog is somewhere that I go to vent and put down the stuff that’s roaring around inside my head.
I’m really bad at committing to meet other bloggers/twits in real life though. I need to get over it!
.-= MsBehavn´s last blog ..Busy-ness =-.
Now that makes perfect sense.
.-= cat@juggling act´s last blog ..Recycling more than just junk =-.
Ever the diplomat, our lady of the cupcakes! ;-P
Yes, I reckon this pretty much does answer my question, thank you.
I reckon I agree with most of what you’ve said. Mostly, though, I agree that it depends on the person…
.-= MeeA´s last blog ..Oh! By The Way =-.