Comments on: Social networks and the virtual world

By: Tom Guarriello

Tom Guarriello — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 07:10:05 +0000

This is where the differences between YouTube and blog relationships differ pretty significantly. In the former, we’ve all seen and heard one another talk, opine, sing, blather, call our dogs, on and on and on, while in the latter we get snippets of (relatively, in my case!) pre-formed thoughts and need to fill in lots of filled-in details. That isn’t to imply that one kind of meeting is superior to the other, only that they are distinct. Enjoy the blogging hiatus.

By: John Dodds

John Dodds — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 06:43:57 +0000

It depends who pays for lunch!

By: seaweed

seaweed — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 21:50:13 +0000

I like this insight. I have been seriously involved in two different on-line communities since first getting the computer 11 years ago. One was a political board, and one was built around a TV show. I was struck by the depth and intensity of the relationships built in those two experiences. I had never thought of it as being similar to the relationships one has with favorite fictional characters, and the communities one “participates” in as one reads. It is really true!

I was lucky enough to meet several friends from those on-line communities (and even married one of them!) Your blog helped me better to understand these odd relationships, in which the essence of the personality is more meaningful than the actuality of the “pressure of their flesh on a chair in my room” (C.S. Lewis)

By: Todd

Todd — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 15:23:06 +0000

The thing that always intrigues and amazes me about these virtual connections becoming face-to-face is how it seems that our mental model or expectations of the person based upon our virtual interactions often don’t cleanly match the reality. The voice, the mannerisms, even sometimes the overall appearance of the person themselves are dramatically different than the personality we envision when limited to textual interactions. Especially in the case of blogs where no photo of the blogger is available (a case of which I’m guilty).

As Will noted, though, more often than not these connections becoming “real life” tend to hold up fairly well, since the groundwork of connection and history have already been laid.

By: jens

jens — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 14:01:01 +0000

guess its improv. but then again, i always believe in bonds. (the one guy is actually the last living german who speaks absolutely no english) – so you have to go even more by empathic modes of communication. i thought that would be fine with you.

By: Will

Will — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 12:20:58 +0000

I’ve found that whenever this sort of thing (remote connections between people) happens, it tends to go really well; people tend to all realise how tenuous the connection is, and try doubly hard to find points of difference/similarity/interest.