Being open on the internet.

[Gikoku]

Something I find myself doing quite a bit, more so than in person. But a part of me feels somewhat weird about it while the other doesn't. On one hand I feel terribly awkward talking about various things with people I'm close with in real life, for reasons I can't seem to fathom, but yet I don't on here. Maybe because of the level of anonymity, I don't know. But on the other hand, it makes me feel kinda weird/bad because there's people on here who know more about me than my own mother .. which sounds pretty bad, right?

Sometimes I feel like a good number of people on the internet are more understanding than those I socialize with in real life. I often don't have to worry about being judged or distanced from or feeling embarrassed about anything.. although I do still have hesitations once in awhile.

Anyone else able to relate or do you feel being open on the internet is a big no-no for you (if so, why?)?

 

[Tyloric]

I'm one of those weird people and my personality online pretty much mirrors my personality in real life. What you see (or I guess in this case, don't see), is what you get.

I'm just an open person. :B

 

[Quistrix]

I would say I'm definitely more open on the internet than I am IRL. Even still, there's some things I'd rather keep to myself, but that's just because it's my own business, quite simply. The internet gives you a certain amount of anonymity that you can't really get elsewhere. For me, I feel even folks over the internet can still judge you, and like most people - I hate being judged. I'm a lot better at confiding in people I know I can trust over the net, and luckily I have people I can trust. It's just a shame I don't have that IRL. IRL people suck. They really do.

 

[Lenop]

Like Tyloric, I'm about as open on the net as I am in person. Of course the extent to which I'm open depends on who I'm talking to. I won't tell a stranger online or in person all my secrets. But I'm an anomaly, as the majority of people I have known have very little concern about talking about the most sensitive parts of their lives with whoever is up at 2am in some random chatroom filled with complete strangers who they will very likely never talk to again, and perhaps that's why. Anonymity isn't a security blanket for me like it is for others, I suppose.

Having said all that, there are a number of people who know me better than anyone in my family ever did, people I've known both online and in person. I attribute that to the less than perfect relationships I have with my family, others might say that they want their families to see them differently which I guess I can support. Don't want mom knowing that you're into same-sex donkey giraffe cross porn, gotcha. I can keep that a secret.

 

[cheezMcNASTY]

Anonymity makes me a lot more open, sure. There are definitely people on the internet who know more about me than people IRL. I hate drama queens as much as the next guy but burried deep down, it does feel kind of nice being able to speak your mind about people in your life without ever having to worry about consequences. It won't come back to bite you so long as there's no identifiable information. People mostly just forget how all their email addresses and usernames are connected and get caught by their own negligence. In extreme cases, you get kids who bitch on Facebook while they're friends with family and co-workers and just never stopped to think. When used correctly, you only really get the internet's level of security in real life with family (if you're lucky) or your closest friends.

I guess in a strange way, the internet is kind of a therapist. Its always there when I need it. I can take my time to form my thoughts before I type and lay them out neatly. Not so other people have to sit and listen to my problems, but moreso that I need to form some basic understanding of what's going on in my own head. Then I usually spend the next several hours laughing at cat pictures.

 

[Dark Drakan]

Im pretty much the same here as I am everywhere else, only difference is I can avoid interaction in real life whereas on the forums im forced into it. :sly:

I do tend to chat more to people online however but mainly because im online most days and people are there to talk to, dont see people as often in real life.

 

[ScareCrowReturn]

I wrote a long, heartfelt post to all of you about how much I love you, but it got destroyed by my laptop.. So yeah..

 

[SelfAppointedGunslinger]

Erm...generally I act as normally as I can on the internet, I try to be civil and friendly when on forums like this as I would besl to people in real life. That being said I've said some insanely venomous things to people I've got into arguments with on other sites, though to be fair the people I've said these things to were always trolls or rotten people with rotten views. Building on what I've just said though, a lot of things I've said to these people would get me punched in the face in the real world...though to be fair what they said would have more than likely have generated the same result in real life too.

I most try to be nice though, got to remember the users on the other side of the screen are human too.

 

[Angel]

It depends on the person, as it does in real life. I'm pretty quiet and shy in real life so I have to know someone before I start telling them anything that matters - I tend to just rely on hiding behind sarcasm and banter in order to ascertain whether someone IRL is worth sharing anything important with. If they don't "get" me, then they probably never will and therefore they are automatically sectioned off into the "casual friend/acquaintance" category of my brain - such as it is.

Online, I guess, what others have said is, to a degree, true - anonymity helps. I'm far more open online than I am in real life and whilst I could easily spend hours chatting to someone online, the same would not happen if they were physically in front of me. I don't really know why that is...

There is not one person on this planet who knows absolutely ALL my stuff, bar Steve, and I think that's largely down to some things are just not suitable for discussing. I don't have some deep emotional need to word-vomit but at the same time, I am readily able and willing to discuss matters which affect/have affected me when the opportunity arises. One thing I say to people is nothing shocks me - and that's actually true. I've had people tell me all kinds of shizzle and it's not that I'm desensitized (far from it) but I'm just acutely aware of how difficult some things are for some people to discuss and one of the worst things you can do is display shock.

Should someone PM me about something that's not for public eyes (which, weirdly enough, happens almost weekly) then as far as I'm concerned, what happens in PM's stays in PM's - but I also kind of expect it in return and therefore get easily upset when my confidence is betrayed by someone who thinks it's somehow become their property to spread around as they wish. With this in mind, I am initially careful of what I say to people just in case they do have verbal diarrhoea - last thing I want to see is certain details of my life splashed all over someone's blog or facebook wall. Accompanied by "LAWL!"

I'll go out on a limb here and say that Gikoku, Lenop, Cheez, Queen and Azer prolly know more about my life between them than most people I mix with in real life. That's not a judgement on anyone else here who I speak to, it's just how conversations pan out sometimes.

Also, as weird as it is to say this, Amon knows stuff too.

I'm not entirely sure that's a good thing...:blink:

 

[Tsuyu]

I'm more open, sure. I've asked for advice on certain issues here on Pego which I could never ask someone in real life. You may or may not pass judgememt on me but unlike real life it doesn't really affect me if you do. However, strange as it might seem I don't get the point of putting your real life on the Intertubes, like people who post about everything they do on Facebook. I do have a Facebook page, but it is only for practical reasons like following bands and logging in with my Facebook on various sites/applications.

Hope that makes some sense...

 

[Hermit]

Amon knows stuff too.

 

[ScareCrowReturn]

I'll go out on a limb here and say that Gikoku, Lenop, Cheez, Queen and Azer prolly know more about my life between them than most people I mix with in real life. That's not a judgement on anyone else here who I speak to, it's just how conversations pan out sometimes.

What!? What about that lovely and romantic night we had together that time.. You were asleep, and I was outside your window, but thats beside the point!

 

[Tsuyu]

No... That was me.

Sometimes I put on Angel's nightgown and cuddle up against Steve.

 

[Quistrix]

Also, as weird as it is to say this, Amon knows stuff too.

The fact Amon knows my bloodtype is extremely disconcerting to me. The idea that if I was ever in a serious accident he'd probably tell the medics the wrong type and laugh maniacally as they transfuse it over.

 

[ScareCrowReturn]

No... That was me.

Sometimes I put on Angel's nightgown and cuddle up against Steve.

Oh, no wonder, she did look like she had a bit of facial hair.. eh, go figure.

 

[Lenop]

last thing I want to see is certain details of my life splashed all over someone's blog or facebook wall. Accompanied by "LAWL!"

Come on, it was just a rash. I know I didn't have to yell it out and all but I really thought someone else in the pharmacy would know a good remedy for it. I mean really, it's a pharmacy.

Oh. And LAWL

 

[Dark Drakan]

I'll go out on a limb here and say that Gikoku, Lenop, Cheez, Queen and Azer prolly know more about my life between them than most people I mix with in real life. That's not a judgement on anyone else here who I speak to, it's just how conversations pan out sometimes.

Yeah I can mirror that, though I dont have as much time these days Scott and I had spoken daily for years before life got busier. Ive probably had more conversations with him over the years than most the friends I know in real life. Work schedules tend to get in the way of it now but I shall have to try and get on MSN some more and catch up. Work and such always seems to get in the way of socialising with my friends, damn adult life.

 

[Noctus]

I'm a gay furry. Yes, I'm more open online than offline. Obviously.

Oh, hi everyone.

 

[Walker]

See the last two posts I've made here.

Not to put to fine a point on it, I never expect to meet any of you in person, and even Facebook is just facebook. I can say **** to you all and not worry about it getting back.

Plus, I hate talking about myself, but forums are naturally narcissistic, and sometimes you can't just keep talking to yourself.

This is why I'm posting here eight days after the thread died. So I can be narcissistic more.