Why do you talk on AB?

[MsEVP]

Something I`ve been pondering on, our individual reasons for conversing on AB.

Catching up on some late night threads (Wing Flying, for instance) made me try to envisage under which circumstances a similar kind of conversation could have gone on with (I imagine) a really disparate (no, not desparate Mrs C!) bunch of characters.

I found it impossible.

I thought of some of the personalities I`ve got to know in a short time on AB, who are really close, good friends with each other here in cyberspace, and wondered how they would get on in `real` life.

I couldn`t.

Is it the anonymity that lets us relax our guard and drop our inhibitions? Lets us become our true selves? Or lets us become OTHER selves?

It`s worth thinking about. I`m sure peole who never go into websites to `talk` cannot understand how the camaraderie can build up, but it does.

I was wondering why, or how, any of you AB`ers get into this in the first place.

I found AB accidentally when I was searching for some specific answer and ended up doing a lot of lurking, giggling, laughing, sympathising, empathising, learning knowledge, offering knowledge and a whole bunch of other stuff.

How about you?

[bensmum]

Morning MsEVP - like you I came on here to ask for advice about something and stayed! I think one of the nice things about being on here is that you can join discussions with people of all ages - people who you would not normally socialise with because of the difference. Whether we would all get along in real life I don't know - I know that some people have met up but I have never met anyone from this site. I like to think with me that what you see is what you get and I don't adopt a different persona for here.

[unrulyjulie]

MsEVP....... I am having a party at the end of this month and i have 4 abers coming (waiting on a yes from a 5th)
2 of which are my best friends. I cannot imagine NOT having any of them in my life now. We don't live close but we do get together now and again and we talk on the phone, maybe twice a week, text more or less every day..... I will always be grateful to ab for bringing ALL of these lovely friends into my life. Some very special people, they know who they are.
I no longer class them as "cyber" friends, they are just friends, simple as that!

I found ab whilst googling something to do with a TV show, can't remember now what it was but i don't think i got my answer.;-)

[beejay1124]

hi folks-i stumbled upon this site after spending yonks googling for a crossword answer,then in desperation i typed in the full question and viola this site appeared
like bensma i would like to think i am a 'what you see is what you get' person-have met two ab'ers in real life, so it would be up to them to verify that

[unrulyjulie]

One was me and although we met very briefly, Beejay is lovely i can officially confirm xxx

[hippyhoppy]

i was the other and I can conurr with Jules - Beejay is a very lovely, very funny, soon to be gramps gentleman... aren't you Bear..?!

[beejay1124]

hi jules---do you realise what time it is-thank you jules-who is real wee humdinger-so she is folks

[beejay1124]

and thank you too hippy--who is also a humdinger and ideal company( i.e. as fool as i am )

[unrulyjulie]

I do realise Beejay, read my status on FB, ive been awake a while :-( and thank you , i like being referred to as a humdinger lol
Up to now, i have met 6 abers, going to meet my 7th today as it happens! :-)

[beejay1124]

having just read julie's status on fb-can i also add that jules also has a great way with words !

[naomi24]

Hi Tina, I can't really remember, but I think stumbled across AB, as you did, and I come here mainly to discuss religion and theology - a subject that (although I have no religion) fascinates me, and is one I've studied for many years. I adore serious, civilised, sensible debate, and on R&S I find people for whom the subject holds a similar fascination, so rather than bore the pants off my friends and family with my addiction, AB is my indulgence, and it is where I find my outlet for discussion on this particular topic.

I don't have 'another self', and I don't think my friends here, who I feel I know quite well, have either. Nevertheless, like some of them, I guard my privacy diligently, if ever I talk about my personal life it is only in the most mundane terms - and I am very happy for my cyber friends to remain just that.

[bigmamma]

Hello MsEVP , I too stumbbled on AB when I typed a question into google asking about an adverts music.
I first posted on Body and Soul asking about BMI .
I got well and truly hooked when I found lovely people to chat to . I haven't met anyone from AB but I do consider I've found friends here. x

[bigmamma]

Stumbled *

[onlyme26]

i like to get other peoples opinions on things, also when you have a problem its nice to see if anyone can help, maybe they have been in the same situation,

xx

[MsEVP]

Hi everybody, and thanks for your responses.

I think that probably the one things we all have in common is that we Googled our ways on to AB.

I think it`s quite astounding the way someone`s personality can come throuth in print, don`t you? And I suppose we steer ourselves towards those with similar traits or similarities.

It`s great that AB`ers like UnrulyJulie can make real life friends ( hope she had a good meeting today) and I can also appreciate the honesty of Naomi in keeping her privacy. I suspect that most AB`ers are themselves as we see them.

It`s also comforting to find that others have been in similar situations and what`s more are very ready to help. In fact, from what I`ve seen, there`s an abundance of Generosity on this site!

Naomi: getting back to you on the Genesis spot (R & S just about my chosen thing)

Ta, all

Tina

[roosi]

Well said by everyone, and me too googled and ended up here, thinking about things to ask during my day and don't have to ask my colleagues or bother my family with my inane rambling sometimes, have so much to say but there's only so much listening folk will do with a rabbity verbal dihorrea (sp) type person as myself LOL my family have always said that I could talk till the cows come home!!

R
x