i thought i would make my first thread discussing the differences between online social groups vs. offline social groups. one difference is i think, is that online social groups tend to be polarized to very specific interests based on the nature of the sites they visit; such as a gaming site, or a science and technology forum. where as in a real world community, the people you interact such as your neighbors etc, may have many divergent interests that may in no way overlap with each other.
I don't socialize with my neighbors. We're cordial and if we run into each other we chat, but that's about it. But I also don't really socialize with people I "meet" on the internet. Again, I'm happy to chat, but I'd hardly call a place like SciForums a "social group." Most Americans meet the people they marry at work, and in my observation (and personal experience) that's also where we meet the people who become our friends. Except for a couple of them, we seldom actually spend time with them out of the office, but 40 hours a week is a lot of socializing. Most of us spend more time at work than in any other activity--which for the majority of us includes sleeping--if you can call sleeping an "activity." Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Many people have a hobby or other interest that they devote a lot of time to, and this also provides opportunity for socializing. I'm a not-quite-professional singer (although I am a barely professional bassist) so I go to karaoke on Thursdays. I've met a lot of people there whom I now consider friends. After all, how much time does anybody really spend with their neighbors? What are you going to talk about, your lawn?
You may also dislike the people you meet offline, but having to deal with them anyway. If this happens online somebody is realy doing something wrong.
