I grew up with a computer, and many of my friends were people I met online.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
Even among those who I would not count as 'friends,' I have met many people online who have simply commented on my work or are interested by what I do.
I have always had stuff on the Internet. Way back in the Myspace days, I had a lot of friends on Myspace. And it is just all about, like, networking - contacting people and showing people, like, your mind.
I have lived in public as a somewhat recognizable person since I was a teenager. Emails I answer end up posted on sites; pictures of me and someone I just met, taken by a cellphone, literally number in the thousands and are easily accessed.
I like to have met someone in real life before being their Facebook friend.
I had 60,000 friends on MySpace.
While I have never learned to use a computer, I am surrounded by family and friends who carry information to me from blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and various websites.
As children, many of us were taught never to talk to strangers. As parents and grandparents, our message must change with technology to include strangers on the Internet.
Actually, I only have a few friends in real life. And when I say friends, I'm referring to those people who I've known since the 1960s.
A lot of people my age, they grew up with me onscreen. I think that's helped keep a certain amount of longevity. When you grow up with a person, you feel like you know them.
When I grew up there was no web, blogging or tweeting. In fact, where I grew up there was not even television! I met a lot of my friends in school and in college, and they are still my friends today.