warning: could be thread killer reply here
I'm not sure what the penpal communication means? Will I send and receive secret emails from a perfect stranger or something? Will I have to ask and answer twenty questions? It's all so mysterious!
Why not get to know everyone on the forumgarden instead, just the way it is? Please help me understand how going email or pm contributes to more authentic relationship building in this context. It's all virtual communication anyway.
Am I sounding negative right now? Please comment; I welcome the input. Just not sure how this penpal thing works? Personally at this time I don't feel too close to anyone because I haven't made the effort to be sincere, be consistent in my interactions or involved in the stuff that makes closeness possible-like small talk. Does email do that? Make one real on the internet?
I believe most people, when they spend enough time with each other, will sort out who they have stuff in common with and develop deeper friendships as a result. I'm not sure it's necessary to assign penpals to people and go underground. I infer people already communicate with others they have developed friendships with, offline or through other channels, on their own.
Not sure I should click the submit button, but here goes...
Erin :-6
Hello Erin,
I think it would be fairly impossible to get to know every person on FG since there are so many. I've been here three years and there are people I still don't know mainly because neither I nor they have made any effort to change that. That could be because we don't care for each other or it could be because of the tendency of people to fall into little groups or cliques of their own and then they never branch out to meet new people.
You ask if email makes one real on the net. No it won't. Only effort and sincerity will do that.
The idea only occurred to me when I was looking at the home page and saw all those names I see every day, yet know not who those people are. I thought maybe others might feel the same way.
My idea was in no way intended to suggest we "go underground" and form little private groups or anything like that, if it sounded that way. I don't like that stuff myself. But someone who liked the idea, picked me as someone they would like to know better and we've been sending PMs back and forth. I'm learning some nice things about her and it's fun. She's someone who is on daily yet I never took the time before to know anything about her. I might have missed out on knowing a very cool person!
It was just an idea, Erin. Nobody has to do it if they don't want to.:-6
No...how can I inflict that on anybody fgs......they can choose me if anybody is that brave:wah:;)
