Sihaya, that cracked me up about your son - too cute!

Sparky, it takes a long time to give a real explanation of who you're talking about, doesn't it? "Friend" is much easier.

Kristen, lots of funny and interesting points that I'm taking to heart right now. While I have lots of wonderful friends, most of my local friends have young families and it can get a bit lonely not having single friends really close by. (My closest is an hour away.) I've gotten over the fact that one of the best ways to meet people is through groups started online.

I guess my friends and family would prod me much more if I were mysterious about it!

I'm firmly in the "friends" camp. Many of my interactions on YLF bear all the hallmarks of in-person friendships (emotional support, intellectual stimulation, honest advice, comic relief). I am from a generation where online interactions are expected and accepted in equal measure, so I have few qualms discussing the forum with my friends (I too have attended weddings of couples who met online). The picture changes with my family, however. My parents would find it utterly bizarre to turn to an online group for fashion advice, let alone anything deeper, while my younger brother who works in Information-Technology would be horrified at the amount of information I'm willing to share. I simply don't mention YLF or its members to them, but with others I will use the term friend without hesitation. In Corey's case he's even come to recognize some individual names.

I completely agree with Stringy's points about the applications of the internet and suspect Maya may be right when she says perceptions of someone's online activity will be affected by other real-life circumstances. I am an outgoing person with a busy social life, so I don't worry about being faced with the same stigmas that are of concern to Maya. This is ironic in a way, since blind people are often tarred with that brush (sometimes with good reason).'

Hey, that's a nice topic.

I don't really know, though. I tend to use phrases like "the YLF people", or some other neutral statement. I don't say "friends", not because I don't like you or something, but for me it's reserved for very special people that I know in real life. I'm not that touchy-feely.

And my mum once said to me "those Americans of yours"! I told her that many of you are not American, of course.

I call 'forum friends' You Look Fabbers or sometime Fabbers, my friends know my involvement with the website and forum and I'm sure with closer proximity some Fabber Friends would become irl friends. With regards to this website I'm 100% out and proud.

Very interesting thread! I don't talk about YLF with anyone except SO, DS, and my sister, and I don't show my face in photos. I just feel somewhat private about anything I do online.

SO and DS, however, know many of you by name. SO, who is a big proponent of the internet as a place to share like interests with others, will ask, "So, what's going on on the forum?" Or if he knows I got something new, he'll ask, "Did you post a photo?"

DS is actually better than I am about knowing when it's time to take a photo, and will remind me to do that. He also *loves* the new system of appreciations and earning icons, and knows that system better than I do. "Oh look, Mom -- you're a Therapist now but you're not a Solver anymore..." LOL

If I'm talking about it with my husband I say "the people on the forum are wearing..." and "that fashion lady says...".

I hear you, Maya. I can totally understand not wanting to make "subtle distinctions about friends and the internet" a topic of conversation, especially with people you don't particulary feel obliged to get chatty with because they already don't 'get' you.

I'm an introvert and I've got a small-ish circle of trusted in-person friends. But I'm also a web professional, so talking about the internet is kind of my thing and I'm probably more determined than usual to help people get the most out of it

Plus I'm kind of getting to the stage where I've got no patience for people who give me funny looks. It used to make me wither up inside. But it's rude and I've decided that they're the ones with the problem - I might be turning into a cranky old lady before my time