Personally, I am not entirely comfortable with "virtual" friends, the internet often incites dialogue that wouldn't be used in a face to face situation. If I wouldn't say something to someone in real life then I am unlikely to say it on a forum, which brings us back in a way to a recent thread about people turning out to be different in real life.
I have met quite a few on this forum, but then I go out of my way to do forum rides and also run them. I do find it interesting to meet the real person after reading their chatter on here. I can honestly say that everyone I have met has been very pleasant, I think the only difference with some is that they are not as "loud" in real life as they are on here. Looking forward to meeting a few more on my forum ride in June.
My pet hate on forums is when a topic descends into something more personal between 2 or 3 protagonists who then ignore everyone else [who often talk more sense] in an effort to win their argument. The language that is used and their method of delivery is such that I have some doubt they actually have any interaction in the real world.
