I would say that just because it's online, doesn't make it any different than someone you only talk to at the "water cooler" or friends of friends you only see

I would say that just because it's online, doesn't make it any different than someone you only talk to at the "water cooler" or friends of friends you only see at parties. "We don't use the expression IRL. We say AFK. [...] We don't like that expression. We say AFK - Away From Keyboard. We think that the internet is for real." - Peter Sunde