FB and SF

Haha! Ken, nothing like a few beers and good conversation with an old buddy! :cheers1:
 

Thanks. I think that as time marches on more people will have similar events happen to them also. It is kind of a strange concept to become friends with others whom you have not met face to face. As someone else pointed out though, it's similar to those who do have pen pals.
 
MarkinPhx said:
Thanks. I think that as time marches on more people will have similar events happen to them also. It is kind of a strange concept to become friends with others whom you have not met face to face. As someone else pointed out though, it's similar to those who do have pen pals.
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1 ditto.gif..Been involved with another forum for 12 years now and 4 "friends" have passed on..
 
I have mostly old (longtime) friends and my family on my Facebook page, and I do not add friends unless it is someone that I know elsewhere, and some of those friends are people that I have met online and in forums. I consider those people to be just as much of a friend as I do friends that I have known in real life.
One of my dearest friends, Ina, is a friend that I first met right on this forum. Right after she joined, her son passed away very suddenly, and she needed support for her shock and grief.
It was after that , that her husband, Michael, bought her an iPad, and she was crying after she got it home because there were no directions that came with it, and she had no clues how to even turn it on, let alone use it.
I messaged her with my phone number and asked her to call me, and said I had an ipad and would help her. This was the start of several months of helping Ina get her iPad set up and teaching her how to use it, finding her a keyboard case, and other things she needed help with.
By the time we were doing well with that, her husband became sick, and then passed away; so we talked almost every day after that , and then she came to Alabama to visit with me the next spring.
Even though we only actually met for that short week that she was here, we communicated either by phone or by iMessages every day, as well as we were on another senior forum together, and visited on there all of the time.
When Ina suddenly passed away last month, I was as shocked and devastated as I would have been if any other close friend or family member had died, and the memory of our friendship will always live on in my heart.

Since many of us are not as mobile as we were in our younger years, it seems to me that finding friends online is a great thing for seniors, and I look forward to checking in with my 2 senior forums every day. The other one is a much smaller forum, so more like a family atmosphere there; but it is nice to have the conversation here where more people participate, as well.
Speaking of that, I wanted to mention to Warrigal that her special friend (Diwundrin) was apparently unbanned when all of the rest of us who were banned were allowed back into the forum. Maybe you can talk Di into coming back and joining the conversations here again ?
 
Cindy, there are not many as nice as this one. I particularly like the idea that we are writing from all over the world, and we feel as if we're next door to each other.

The other forum that I really liked was called *Prodigy. It may have been the first one of this kind, starting around the early 90's. It had discussions of everything in the world. I was active on one thread for fans of the TV show Northern Exposure, of all things. Also joined many other threads. *Prodigy had thousands of participants, and we were all heartbroken when the forum closed down.
 
Happyflowerlady said:
Speaking of that, I wanted to mention to Warrigal that her special friend (Diwundrin) was apparently unbanned when all of the rest of us who were banned were allowed back into the forum. Maybe you can talk Di into coming back and joining the conversations here again ?
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:lol: I very much doubt that Diwundrin would survive on SF any longer than the first time. She has joined a forum called Recogitare where the members are proud of having no rules and where the contributions are ever so "intelligent". I was enticed to join but I found it to be absolutely disgusting and corrosive. Intelligent my fat aunt! They were sickos IMO.

I asked to have my name removed from the list of members but nothing happened. I persisted and they were amazed that I would not want to remain a member. It took me some time to feel clean again.

Di finally started her own forum and invited former forum friends in Australia. It is a tiny group and I am the token leftie. I am also on another Australian forum where right wingers are mostly absent. On both of these we are able to discuss Australian and US politics without coming to blows and no-one feels left out.
 
Thanks Sunny, that's what I thought. I don't understand why good forums are so few and far between, but glad to have found this one, anyway!:)
 
I have met some wonderful gals on internet forums and we have been friends for years. Have even met many in person as they traveled through GA. We have shared our many "ups and downs" through life.
 
retiredtraveler said:
No. If you think you have 'real' friends on social media, you're delusional...........Social media is out of control, and people cannot distinguish reality from their keyboard.
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I disagree Retired. I used to be on a site called Eons which I joined maybe 12 years ago and shut down abruptly. I made friends there who found each other again on FB. One of them, a composer/musician who has written for T.V. shows, sent me several tracks free of charge to use in one of my songs after she heard it. She calls me a few times a month and we have the best conversations. I call her Lil Sis. Another one, we call each other Sis, along with others, posted prayers for me when I had my cardiac procedure. Sis was on the phone with my DIL to find out how I fared after the procedure and was so thankful that I came though okay.. She and others from Eons/FB sent me virtual flowers and get well messages. We've talked by phone as well. She has invited several online friends to visit her. I haven't had the opportunity yet. Another
Eons/ friend lives in another state. We hit if off right away online and now keep a Words With Friends game going. Year before last, she said her daughter was willing to drive her anywhere so we could finally meet up. She thought it would be N.Y City....quite a drive for them but I told her no..my timeshare which is much closer to where they live. I booked them a separate room when I was going to be down there solo, we had dinner, then breakfast the next morning , hung out, took pictures and had the best time. We are looking forward to doing it again.

I also met another online friend at the timeshare. When we first saw each other, we were all smiles and gave big hugs. We also had an enjoyable lunch and hung out a bit. Coincidentally, she used to work at that resort. I also so met someone on FB, turns out she grew up in my city and graduated the same year I did, but now lives a few towns over. We went to lunch a few time, she'd pick me up because I don't drive anymore. Then we had an epic lunch (almost 3 hours) with two other FB friends talking and laughing. We had the best time. I'm now part of a close knit community on another forum. With all of these friends, we provide support for each other when things are not so good and express joy when they are. We help each other anyway we can with information and suggestions, encouragement and validation We send get well greetings , birthday wishes (some of mine have been so special) and holiday greetings each year. Could tell you more stories but I'll cut it here. I will say this...I don't find this forum to be as intimate, therefore having the kind of connections as we formed on Eons, FB and the other site I'm on.
 
Warrigal ....... I couldn't help it -- I just HAD to go to that forum you mentioned ......... OMG ..... I wish I could "Un-read" all the crap I've read !!!! LOL
 
If you're still on FB, you need to read up on exactly what it is and where it's going! Zuckie and his minions are able to snoop on each and every person who is foolish enough to be on his site. There is no magical way your privacy is protected from those who run the site, and know how to easily see each and every post you put up. If you believe otherwise, you're delusional. In time, as Big Brother becomes even more of a reality than it is now, Zuckie will be in bed with all ruling governments of the world, raking in TRILLIONS of dollars selling out FB users to the highest bidder. Get off that site!
 
You have to be careful with internet "buddies". You really don't know with whom you are chatting. "Catfishing" is a real thing. I had a seven year relationship with an Aussie 'mate'. We sent each other's fridge magnets. She lived with her daughter's, and her husban's home. I don't know what the Aussie retirement laws are. She ccould not live alone. She would be destitute. Plus she had a major medical illness. She was great in describbing her daughter and her husband.. I felt like I knew them.
 

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