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I would put a question up as to if you've experienced one or the other or both

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ORIGINAL: antipode

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I would put a question up as to if you've experienced one or the other or both

Thanks. And the purpose of your question?

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ORIGINAL: MissLaura1973

*grinning* You're quite right - I don't think any of that "counted" as being an on-line relationship - I do know that it was frustrating having to wait (the joys of logistics) before we could move into real time.

I'm actually currently involved in a "getting to know you" relationship via CM - we've been conversing since last December and have yet to meet (again, bloody darn logistics), but everything is in the context that we will meet and will move into real time. There's a definite infatuation on both sides, but we don't know each other well enough to be anything more than acquaintances - whatever dynamic happens between us will happen in real time, what's being bantered back and forth is just bantering - there's flirtation and serious discussions, yes, but there's not a relationship. (I have no idea if this makes any sense.)

At one point this person said that they wanted to give themselves to me; I told them that I was not interested in owning a figment of the ether and that I wouldn't even consider discussing something as serious as ownership until we were face-to-face and I knew that he was making a real offer to a real person, not to a fantasy that he'd undoubtedly built up in his mind.

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I want to understand the culture here..

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ORIGINAL: DomThoughts
I think so many people lose the scope of how much different people can be in real life than at the end of a keyboard / webcam / phone.

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ORIGINAL: SailingBum

I have a online relationship with my 5 year old kid that I never met.  I instruct ppl how to love and care for my kid.  I give them various tasks etc....  Does that sound crazy to you??? Fucking A right it is.  SHEESH 

If anyone can explain to me how you can "relationship" with someone you've never met in the context of caring for a child or a disable parent I am all fucking ears.

BadOne

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ORIGINAL: antipode
I see... I don't honestly know that there is one, in this respect. Bear in mind that you used the word "relationship", and that I see a lot of responses that really don't have a bearing on that. I think when you assess the "culture" your main distinction will be age groups, where generations that grow up with internet will sooner establish relationships that are entirely virtual than will the older generations. I may be one of the few exceptions, as I have had an internet account since 1979, but as I have spent my entire professional career doing internetwork development and -research I am hardly a measure for this. All I can tell you is that so much human interface information is missing from online relationships that most who start out online (kids at home, dorm dwellers, etc., folks who can't really do much R/T) eventually revert to R/T when they can. There is actually by now quite a bit of solid research on the phenomenon, mostly done by computer-human interaction (CHI) teams - it is actually an organization with conferences and stuff, something I was part of for some time with a group of researchers in New York (state). Frightfully fascinating stuff ;)

I don't know if that helps, at all... I don't think the distinction is anything to do with the culture here, as there is such a vastly divergent group of participants, from both camps, or perhaps I should say, all three camps - those who do R/T, those who do O/L because they cannot do R/T, and those who prefer O/L.

FWIW.....

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ORIGINAL: JulieElizabeth

Hi Everyone,

I was wondering if most people here have had, or are looking for an online relationship or a real time relationship either part time or 24/7.

Personally I have had only online relationships with two wonderfun men, and would love to seek a real (part time) relationship. And so I thought I would put a question up as to if you've experienced one or the other or both :)

Thanks,
Julie