Can Online Friendships Feel as Close as Real-Life Ones?

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The discussion centers around the friendships formed within the Physics Forums (PF) community, highlighting the deep connections members feel despite often never having met in person. Participants share their experiences of forming close bonds with fellow members, mentioning specific individuals who have become significant friends, even if only online. There’s a sense of camaraderie, with many expressing gratitude for the support and knowledge shared among members. Some have met in person, while others feel a strong connection without physical meetings, emphasizing that online interactions can foster meaningful relationships. The conversation also touches on the idea of organizing real-life gatherings, such as the PF Aruba Conference, and the desire for more personal interactions. Overall, the thread reflects a warm, family-like atmosphere among PF members, showcasing the value of community in the digital age.
  • #61


Borek said:
How could it be? But I see Evo already did the honors :biggrin:

Keep us posted about how you feel after you get back from ER.

She did? Must have been a metaphysical whale shark:confused:
 
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  • #62


I've met ZZ, Astronuc, Greg, Gokul, Russ Watters, and SpaceTiger. Zz and I actually went to Disney together (what a surprise we'd pick that destination for meeting!) and have gotten together a few other times.

It turns out that one of Redbelly's contra dance friends is my former choir director, which was one of those surprising "It's a Small World" discoveries, but I haven't met up with him yet. Maybe if a visit to NJ coincides with a contra dance appropriate for beginners...
 
  • #63


Darn! I thought the Contras died off when Reagan's secret Iranian money dried up.
 
  • #64


Ahhh - I found it - metaphysical whale sharks take longer to reach one than physical whale sharks, I guess. ?
 
  • #65


George Jones said:
My wife makes baingan aloo.

what is baingan aloo? Is it similar to baingan bharta (YUMMM)??
 
  • #66


Moonbear said:
Maybe if a visit to NJ coincides with a contra dance appropriate for beginners...

This group meets in Princeton for contra dancing every Wednesday and on the 4th Saturday of each month. The dance starts at 8:00 pm, but there are beginner lessons at 7:30. Let me know if you ever get a chance to go and I'll try to meet you there. Here's their site with detailed information.

Princeton Country Dancers
 
  • #67


There are Contras hiding out in NJ? This immigration problem is getting serious!
 
  • #68


Actually, it's a variant of contra dancing called contravariant dancing, dual to covariant dancing. Apparently there was a primitive man taken from the jungle and shown just such a dance. When they asked him if he knew what the dancers were doing he said that he did, but he wondered why they were standing up.
 
  • #69


Jimmy Snyder said:
Actually, it's a variant of contra dancing called contravariant dancing, dual to covariant dancing. Apparently there was a primitive man taken from the jungle and shown just such a dance. When they asked him if he knew what the dancers were doing he said that he did, but he wondered why they were standing up.

Reading this makes me tensor.
 
  • #70


Jimmy Snyder said:
This group meets in Princeton for contra dancing every Wednesday and on the 4th Saturday of each month. The dance starts at 8:00 pm, but there are beginner lessons at 7:30. Let me know if you ever get a chance to go and I'll try to meet you there. Here's their site with detailed information.

Princeton Country Dancers

Do you do contra dancing too? I've only done it once, and it was fun, so I'd give it another try if the timing was right and there were other PFers interested in attending, but it's not a requirement for me to attend a contra dance to get together with PFers in NJ. I visit NYC several times a year (the boyfriend is still there and still a boyfriend) and south NJ about once or twice a year (the sister and nephew are still there...and I usually welcome excuses to spend a few hours away from the brother-in-law if he does something silly like have days off from work when I'm visiting, which was when/why I met up with Russ in Philly the first time).

My biggest problem is that I tend to pick random days of the week to head there, and on short notice, so most of my long-time friends are working when I visit. I just take whatever days I can get as I see a clearing in my schedule. I can certainly let you know whenever I'm headed that way if I will have some unscheduled time (sometimes I do, sometimes I don't). For example, I was in NYC last weekend, and had all day Friday free while my boyfriend was at work. I could have made a trip into NJ, or had someone from NJ meet me in NYC, but most normal people were working.
 
  • #71


Moonbear said:
Do you do contra dancing too?
No, but I would try it. I'm pro contra dancing.
 
  • #72


Jimmy Snyder said:
No, but I would try it. I'm pro contra dancing.

LOL! I'd be willing to try the English Country Dancing if it corresponded with a visit too. Maybe some other NJans will admit they're from NJ and join us too if we met up for that.
 
  • #73


I used to feel "closer" to some PF members a long time ago when I was on here everyday. I still care about them but since I have not been around much I can't honestly say I still feel as "close". Some of those people are unfortunately not around anymore. And some people *cough*Danger*cough* seem to have similar trouble finding time for PF.

There are a lot of great people here, I doubt I could list them all, and I have never had the privilege of meeting any of them unfortunately.
 

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