I think I am an old hand at meeting online people in real life for sexual/romantic reasons and otherwise. It all started two and a half years ago with a woman that I refer to as "S". But that's a whole other long story that you can still read in the archives here.
It's interesting to note how people think you look and act based on what you write (and I only read one of his entries). I wonder if there are fewer or more surprises in the presence or absence of romantic or sexual desire when you meet them in real life for the first time. Perhaps I have a very good way of figuring people out online so as not to be surprised when I meet them; maybe I am just so cool that nothing fazes me.
I think that meeting people online in real life is not just increasing in frequency, but is almost as common as meeting people in any other activity. And this is a social activity in which we engage, like sports or trivia night at the local pub. We talk in this social activity about our lives and other things. The difference here is that we talk much, MUCH, MUCH "louder" than in real life, so that anyone can hear you. Which is why people get into trouble in their personal and professional lives. I lost a girlfriend once. I know several people who have been fired.
That was rambly and metaphysical. I had better get back to work. Or at least find some work to do.
What makes it worse (or better?) is that the explosion of which he spoke wasn't ten blocks away. It was 2.
Am I that predictable? Really? That's a bit disappointing. Next time I meet internet people I'll be sure to have a Mohawk and an orange suit. And I still don't understand the rubber duckies, by the way.
I've come to believe that meeting people and creating meaningful friendships from the internet or blogging is much more likely than from random meetings on the street. Maybe it is because we are so much "louder" and get our idiosyncrasies and neurosis out of the way via blogging, whereas when we meet someone in person - it takes time to get to that point...