I believe it is important to call a spade a spade. Online forums and the such do not constitute a community. It is not a problem of the people, the issue or the technology. It is simply that we do not know each other, nor we truly care about each other.
The link that unites us is only a shared interest. I have often fallen in the trap of believing that because somebody shares some viewpoint, he or she is a friend. He or she is not, and it will become sharply apparent the first time I ever disagree with me on something.
So, no, I don't want to call anybody here a friend. It would be worse in the long run. We aren't a community.
The link that unites us is only a shared interest. I have often fallen in the trap of believing that because somebody shares some viewpoint, he or she is a friend. He or she is not, and it will become sharply apparent the first time I ever disagree with me on something.
So, no, I don't want to call anybody here a friend. It would be worse in the long run. We aren't a community.