On line “friends” are, at best, acquaintances. (If you meet them that is a different matter)
Recently a Youtube content character called Camo Dave passed away unexpectantly while it was sad and messed up my daily Youtube habits it wasn’t the end of the world for me (though it was for him)
Everyone on here is a real person but will be putting forward some kind of facade which they wish to project for some reason or another and not always for egregious purposes. I think this reflects the way most people are face to face anyway which is why I’m sure many of us are sometimes surprised to hear about new unknown things about our friends at their funerals, which seem to be happening a bit too often for my liking nowadays.
So I think our online friends are real friends since although we may never meet they fill something useful within us, make us think, tell us how it is warts and all, support us as they can and so on. What else does someone have to do to be a friend, apart from bake us a cake, meet up for lunch and go Dutch with the bill?
When I try to be useful by drawing people’s attention to their warts, I am very rarely rewarded for my efforts. It’s a thankless task. 
Yes, I have seen some of your efforts. Perhaps a bit too acerbic in style at times?
And perhaps not acerbic enough at other times, but one dare only go so far.
It is a difficult wire to balance on
And I have fallen from it more than once. 
Yeah, but when you posted this photo of me to point out my warts, I thought it was a bit harsh, WartyMcWartface 
Large pot of salicylic acid on its way in the post. lol
If I thought you looked even remotely like that, Maree, I certainly wouldn’t have the courage to mention it. 
Online friends?
As in real life, I have met some I would trust, and others I wouldn’t.
@Maree I’m sorry for your loss.
Yes, I do believe in online friends. I have a few friends from the forum that I email.
There’s one friend that I’ve spoken (voice and video) with and we keep in touch often.
……
. Can you pass some my way too please?
Yes they are…and I’m currently very worried about my friend from Ukraine who fled Kyiv on day two of the war and has been incommunicado ever since.
They obviously have other things to worry about than contacting me but I’d like to know if they are okay and where they are.
Sorry to hear that. I hope your friend contacts you soon.
I do sometimes imagine some of you are real.
Well I suppose there would be little point in your even telling us that if you didn’t. would there? 
Well maybe it could be like a videogame interaction. You could be like Mario in a Nintendo game. 
My friend is alive and in the Ukrainian army working in a non-combat role in a supposedly bomb proof bunker in Kyiv.
Her apartment isn’t bombproof though!
Yes I would mostly say they are. Before my accident last week I couldn’t have answered this, but since the accident you guys have been so good to me with your messages of care and support.
It made me quite weepy at times. Thankyou all sooooo much. 
