[OFB Cafe] Well, Where Is Everyone?

[saki]

Timothy Butler wrote:

> 	Quite true, Fred. My prayers are with you, Terence. Thank you for  
> sharing a bit about your wife -- she sounds like a truly lovely person.
> 
> 	Blessings,

Thanks, Tim, and long may we all enjoy the many we have.

I have often wondered why not much is discussed or published about the 
supportive role(s) that the 'net provides for us.

There is a lot about the negative aspects- child grooming, pornography, 
gambling etc., but little about the positives.

I know that there are a number of support groups, help sites, and so on, 
but one rarely hears of them. I'm really talking about the informal 
support that occurs, world-wide, race/ethnic grouping free, between 
people who share a mailing list.

Certainly I have benefited on a number of occasions from "the kindness 
of strangers", and perhaps there is a need for a noun or noun phrase to 
describe someone who is a net acquaintance, a net friend or a net companion.

I'm not talking, obviously, of the kind of very artificial "social 
networking" of Facebook et al, but rather the kind of relationships that 
build (perhaps over years) of being on the same site.


Terence

And if the Wine you drink, the Lip you press,
End in the Nothing all Things end in--Yes-
Then fancy while Thou art, Thou art but what
Thou shalt be--Nothing--Thou shalt not be less.