Assuming you don't have a fake internet identity and you're being real and so are your internet friends (except that you just met online) --- do they count as real life friends now?

When does the transition happen? Do people have to meet face to face first? What about phone calls?

If you've done any of these but still talk to each other via internet (email, chat, forum)...are they still internet friends?

I'm just getting the impression from some of the posts in the two other threads that "internet friends" are unreal friends. When in fact I have some real life friends I haven't seen for a long time or haven't communicated through internet and they seem less of a friend for me now than some of my so-called internet friends who know more what is happening to me (updated), helps me deal with daily stuff, and cares more about keeping a connection with me.

Internet friends become more than just internet friends after you meet or talk over the phone on a regular basis. I think most people probably just consider anyone you meet on the internet to be internet friends no matter what.

I haven't met anyone from the internet yet, and I've been on it for years. I do have a few close internet friends that I would like to see one day, it's just life hasn't let it happen yet.

I tried talking to someone from the net once on the phone, then found out she was a psycho *really, she's a nutjob* and spoke lies about our conversation. I asked her to tell the truth, with she did and then said she wasn't on her meds and don't remember saying it, but it still put me off to ever calling anyone again.

I have met quite a few internet friends who have become personal real friends and I have internet friends who are still good friends as some of them I have known and chat with on a regular basis for going on over 10 years. It sometimes is a hard line to draw but you know who your friends are and who are not no matter if you have met them in real life or not.

I think in order to qualify as an internet friend, you have to, know some bit of personal information about them, see their (real) picture, and communicate with them for an extended period of time via chat, IM, forum, etc.

i think once the friendship leaves the internet
then your not internet friends anymore
you may not be real life friends
but youre more then internet friends

I agree with KZA. When you start corresponding with them outside the internet I think they've made the switch.

I have a great group of internet friends that I chat with regular. I consider them my real life friends even though I have not met them in person yet.
But I guess I agree with the post above that until you meet face to face they are just a voice and some pixels.

I don't necessarily mean you have to meet in person. I quite enjoy talking to some of the people from this forum, but I wouldn't start considering them real life friends until we started corresponding outside the forum and internet, that can be as simple as a phone call, or maybe sending Christmas or Bday cards, things like that.

I love you guys...