oh stop it..I chat with you all the time off the site...but you know...the phone...you can get what there saying...the emotion of it

There really is no substitute for face to face. However, John and I have only spent a total of 4 or 5 days together since we started talking at the beginning of June. But we've been online and on the phone each and every day since then. I feel like I've gotten to know him pretty well. We are both confident enough in that to have conversations about him moving here. But...there will be at least one more visit before the actual making of those plans. Then...even after he moves here....we still have to do some actual in-person dating!!

I'm believing at this point that this is the last man in my life. But I have 3 children....and there will be no substitution for crossing the T's and dotting the I's. We will do everything "by the book" or we won't do it.

When my 3 year old son is with me...I webcam with John some. He and Connor have fun together online and there is a pretty good measure of safety in all of this. When I finally do introduce the two of them...Connor will already know him. He talks about John to me and John is in his bedtime prayers. I can't be online with John alot when Connor is with me, simply because I feel that Connor deserves ALL of my attention when we're together and John understands this.

I also turned to meeting people online because I'm a single mom...and just don't feel like going to bars. This is definitely a new trend with single men and women these days...at least with older and/or single parents. And it seems perfectly normal and natural to me.

try is the word

yeah, I know what you mean

in my and my girlfriends case, the internet isn't a substitute for reality.

It's just one of the many tools that we use to stay close.

I agree with the OP's post entirely. hey lets face it...we get busy..we have lives. Im not online because I dont meet people in real life. Im online cause I spend a lot of time home with my children.

and what makes an online acquaintance a friend. daily contact, sharing jokes, sharing tears, phonecalls, emails........the same EXACT thing that changes the definition of an acquaintance to a friend in real life.

and hey Ive made some VERY good friends online. 4 true ones off the top of my head. These people I dont want to ever lose contact with.

and ya..I even got the hots for a sexy man on the net....I would call him a box ( I got the hots for a box ) but he gets offened when I do that.

Sure, you can get to know people online. But friends or anything else isn't going to be as satisfying as in real life.

I think both as well.

That does help. Though, it still isn't a substitute for interacting in person.

. i read in an article somewhere that said something to the effect of the chances are much higher that a women's next bf will be someone they met online as opposed to someone they met in person...so it appears as far as getting to know someone..from the perspective or perception of the women, you do indeed get to know someone online and intimacy can be developed...didn't mention the stats on guys

roco