In article , "Kim"
writes:

I couldn't follow who posted what above, but I think whoever said "It allows
us to get to know each other better"

That was Mike, KB3EIA

may need just a little bit of a reality
check. This is an "online" venue, and I don't believe that this allows for
getting to "know" anyone. OK, maybe slightly...and then only in a few
cases.

For instance, the internet, chat rooms, and newsgroups are the greatest
playground for playing Devil's Advocate or even downright antagonism, or
inciting "a riot" so to speak! I know I can get certain people going in a
heart beat of a stroke of a few keys of my keyboard, and they'll look pretty
darned idiotic to most who may have been taking them seriously...

In a short, don't ever think that this (the internet) is the medium of
humanism, or personalization, or "knowing" others. It just ain't so...

Kim W5TIT

I agree in some ways, Kim, and disagree in others. And it's not a new
phenomenon - it goes back at least to the days of the landline telegraph
operators.

I've met more than a few folks "in person" after first encountering them
online, or on the air. In some cases, the personality you meet on line or
on air is very much the same as the one you meet in person. In others,
the personalities are very different. There's really no 100% sure way to
know ahead of time. The person who is a real %^&# online may be
very nice in person, and vice versa.

But I have found that it's usually the case that the online or onair
personality
isn't *that* much different. There are exceptions, of course, but if a person
acts like a complete @#$% online, there's a very good chance you won't
like their "in person" personality either.

Just IMHO

73 de Jim, N2EY

73 de Jim, N2EY