Meaningful Friendships

[burgjo]

hey all,

stock_standard raised an interesting question in the Sydney forum asking is the gay community too sex orientated. Following on from this - i think sites like this one are a refreshing change to the "pick up" sites.

So i raise the question... Has anyone made meaningful "new" friendships from a website?

[pinkyboisyd]

Hey Brunhilde and i have become friends through this site - we msged each other a bit - then started chatting at the gym - now we are having dinner on the weekend.

Its only the beginning of a friendship but hey its there.

[starrrboy]

Most people usually use websites for relationships rather than friendships; because most of us all have friends (well, at least one or two) but we all want something more and often talking to people online is less intimidating than in real life.
I've met a few people I've known online over the years, but we only ever met the once and then didn't much talk after that.

[timmeyboy]

well i'd like to think that people make good friends on these websites.
I know before i came to OZ I was on The 'Dar talking to people in the Sydney rooms and gettin to know people so that wehn I came over I had people to meet up with, when you come travelling on your own, these websites are a godsend really.

I admit that some of the people I spoke to only wanted to speak to me to sleep with me but some are genuinely nice people both off and on line. yeah i think ya can make friends on here but nothing beats gettin face to face with people.....

[burgjo]

i fully understand that occasionally people will meet from a website - gee after all isn't that what gaydar, gay.com are based on...

But - my question remains..... Has anyone made a meaningful friendship - or is cyber friendship the new thing?

[stock_standard]

certainly not me as yet. have chatted with many people online, even hooked up with a few, but as far as long term freinds go, nope.

[Cheetah77]

I've chatted to and become friends with a couple of people from here, yeah.

Keeping what Starrboy said in mind about meeting people though, there's always a little bit of a risk that once you meet you wont get along as well - after all, ppl are a lot more open and chatty online - but if you persevere, most of the time I've found that if you get along online, then you're likely to get along in person too.

[fcukmy318i]

Burgjo - you mean something to me..... :-( PLease tell me i mean something to you - We will meet one day - I am sure of it...... Ya Bitch. Ha Ha Ha

[timmeyboy]

awww bless look at them!! Clealry that is very meaningful!!!

[Tim D]

I've met some pretty cool peeps through the interweb, but off non-dating sites, like here and Myspace.

I think the quality of any friendship is hugely dependent on where and why you meet them, ie. you're gonna make better friendships if you meet on a music fansite than you are on a hook-up site.

[timmeyboy]

very true, but there are those people that still think that any site that has a predominatly gay population is classed as ahook up site, they annoy me, you have The Dar and stuff for that, sometimes ya just wanna make friends and not worry that they'll try and bum you first chance they get lol

[atomic-teddy]

lol... sorry timmey ^^' i guess im one of those people. I can't ever go anywhere without seeing the sex. I know alot of people from the internet but they are a small percentage compared to the people who have asked for a qf...

just my experience... :(

[atomic-teddy]

egads! i do value a good, unsexed friendship - its what i look for most of all ^^

[Christian Taylor]

well isn't this an interesting thread. i have to say that i've definitely made some great friendships from same same - i know i am a bit of special case given that i work here and therefore meet and greet with a lot more of you because of that - but it's been a really great way to connect with people. i hang out with a number of contributors socially and there are some that i'm sure i'll know for years and years to come... i guess it's not how you meet someone, it's how open you are to really letting someone into your life - and also how readily you click. sometimes it's pretty instantaneous. i like that. and i think when you're online, you're much more likely to find someone here than on hook up sites - unless you want to know things like 'cock size' before you know someone's first name...

[timmeyboy]

I agree with Christian. Everyone is free to make use of any site as they feel fit too but they won't always get the response they want. If someone comes on here and is looking for a hook up, then they might find but it won't be as easy as loggin onto The Dar and calling out in the chat room and it's their loss as they wont get to experience the full reason this site exists, to bring people together, not just in the sexual sort of way.

[GenesisInVain]

yeah ive made some good friends through this site.

[peeter]

come on, are you all serious? the only ones that say they're not ultimately after a good shag are the ugly ones. *jokes!* At the end of the day, we're all gay men, and we all have c*ck on the brain MOST of the time. This site is just a classier way of picking up. But I guess you can make friends on here too, if the root isn't the best. ;-P

[GenesisInVain]

sex... the attraction that Newton left out?

[burgjo]

well it was interesting to get the feedback - i met my best mate online about 10 years ago - we've been inseparable ever since (despite now living at opposite ends of the country). I've also met a few interesting people a couple who are friends and certainly some good acquaintances. I guess the point is - use it to it's advantage. I for one am glad to see a site that encourages friendship and not (as Christian put it) cock size...

[Christian Taylor]

i should say that i met one of my best friends - cam - through the internet. we have done everything (well, almost!) we've travelled overseas together, we share our deepest, darkest secrets, we dream, we laugh, we write, we make each other cds, we sleep over at each other's houses... kind of like having a boyfriend without all the awful parts. we met through mogenic i think... and we're proof that you can find true connections anywhere.

it's not about how you meet, but what you find in each other when you do.

[wysi]

still true today, sydney guys are so sexual.

TOO MUCH SEX TOO LITTLE LOVE!

[flounder]

still true today, sydney guys are so sexual.

TOO MUCH SEX TOO LITTLE LOVE!

Fuck you were bored yesterday or what?