Deep Spirits

Is the internet a reflection of offline human interaction, such as communiction, friendship, whatever else you can think of, or is the intenet somehow a whole other type of existance?

I feel that the internet is many things for many people as it has been many things for me. Prior to me finding my spiritual side over a year ago , I engaged in more shallow activities than mind expansive endeavors . With that said I have heard many stories from woman I chat with about men saying some seriously lewd, crude, and very perverted things to them that they surely wouldn't say in public. I think it allows a person to develop themselves in many ways, good or bad , and it most certainly is a reflection of them as a person . I also feel the more they indulge in online behavior (good or bad) it will reveal itself in their public persona. So while it may be another type of existence (forum of life), I think the genuineness of a friendship is based on the depths of each individual.

Mel wrote:Is the internet a reflection of offline human interaction, such as communiction, friendship, whatever else you can think of, or is the intenet somehow a whole other type of existance?

I agree with ubermensch that it can be both ways.

For me personally it is just another piece of the large puzzle that makes up life. We can meet incredibly interesting people online or offline, I know I have.
I must admit that I have met more "ugly" people online than I ever have in "real life" though... but again not so many, because you quickly learn to tell them apart. Hopefully everyone does.

Another bite for thought.
A lot of people have multiple personalities in their real (offline) lives.. one personality for when they are at work, one personality for when they are with their partner, one personality for when they are with friends, and so on.
The internet is no different in that sense.
You can have multiple personalities or you can simply be yourself.

It's cool that we can have multiple conversations with multiple people on multiple topics and on posts in the past...maybe this whole internet interaction thing is our first look at time travel. Mark my words!

Nebuchadnezzar wrote:...maybe this whole internet interaction thing is our first look at time travel. Mark my words!

Nebuchadnezzar,
I love that thought!

I am not sure if the idea itself is plausible, but that doesn't matter. It's great!

Ooh please expand on the time travel thought! Love that concept.

In respose to the original question of internet activities reflecting offline interactions - I am the same person online as I am in person.

I do find, however, that I can sometimes express myself more clearly in the written word.

A very interesting topic. During online chatting we are more courageous than during a real-life conversation. We can change typed sentences before we send them. It is definitely impossible when we are talking with someone. Words that were once said can be outdone with other words of bigger meaning. They can also be forgotten, however they can't be deleted. I like the idea of 'time-travelling' by responding to 'dead' threads.