Well, yes, but I also see their point (even if I'm not sure I agree with it): by being forced to meet IRL, you're also forced to make real contact and seem more

Well, yes, but I also see their point (even if I'm not sure I agree with it): by being forced to meet IRL, you're also forced to make real contact and seem more likely to form strong relations, and it is off-the-record by default so you can share more things Of course, the (massive) counterpoint is that you get to talk to way fewer people, particularly if they're more than half an hour traveling away. Quantity versus quality, but by having a lot of quantity through more diverse online interactions, you can find the conversations that have a lot of quality for you (overlapping fields of work, hobbies, or just a personality match). Which is better? Probably something in the middle, where you hang out in chat rooms but are also conscious of the advantages of arranging to meet up. I do find it inspirational (too strong a word, but you get the idea) to hear of other times or cultures where things are done differently