Ok posted this on the 5th of April....I did not bother to edit
anything and pasted as it is, but I thought it would contribute a
thought to this thread. 
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I recently received a email from a friend, it is not the usual
letter asking how you are and what you are doing now. It is more of
a realisation letter and expression of thoughts.
In his letter he spoke about the insecurities and values of cyber
friendships and the impact it has on his life. I would not show his
letter here, for I find that it would be too personal. But I would
quote interesting point of view or thoughts that he has.
These are the people i have never seen nor met before,
but yet could spend hrs of a day talking to relating to while
neglecting other important people in my life. These are the people
who would be likely to treat u as a fren of a "lesser" level then
their real frens. I know for sure that I can never be that
important.
When I was reading this I was thinking how true this to be.
Sometimes we are neglecting people who are just next to us while on
the contrary we pay so much attention to those who are virtual,
being the aunt agony and Uncle misery to them. But how many of our
advises really meant anything? How much do they really care? Most
of all, in what position did you understand his/her problems at
all. I have always treated my online friends just like my real life
friends for I believe that there is warmth and soul behind this
flickering screen, I am typing into, but there will be times that
people do not treat you the same. But who am I to complaint anyway?
For it is my choice to treat them with equality, telling them what
I will tell my "real" friends and treating them with equal respect.
I sure hope to get the same in return. Although I know that it
would not always be so. But one thing it did, is to make me
appreciate my friends around me more, much more than before.
I have felt at times that i am just a tool to fill in
the empty voids in their lives while they are
online and alone. Would they even care if I am dead one day? Well
one thing is for sure, that is they will never know whether i am or
not.
Am I just another piece that fits in the jigsaw puzzle in your
lonely life? Maybe, or maybe you are treating me for real. But
there are times when I felt as if I am an entertainer. You are
friendly for a moment and sometimes you just leave without a word
and never come back. I realised that my real friends would most
probably not do that, and that is where my attachments lie. You can
quit on me online, and I can do nothing about it, but in real life,
my friends could never find the quit buttons to fall back on even
if they find me too much to bear. I pity them sometimes, but this
is what glorifies them.
I too might be one of those who you think to be taking you as a
entertainer, how ironic though it seems for the author of this
post, but it happens, for I am too human. Am I not too looking for
companionship in this cybervoid? I admit to this weakness, and too
hope that it would never become an addiction if it has not already
become one. I will not detach myself from this cyberspace though,
for I have found true friends here, and I will not forfeit the
virtual world of it's credit. But nonetheless, I look at it like a
double edge sword, and pray that I will not cut myself with it
someday, if I do not already have.
I am not writing this piece because I am feeling down or depress,
though I might sound so, and I thank those who are concern for it.
These are just my thoughts and feelings when I read this
inspirational mail from my good friend. And just like he has
dedicated it to me, I am too dedicating it too all my virtual
friends, who treated me with equal frankness and attention as my
real friends would. Thank you, you have made a difference to a
person in this part of the world.
Another great hug to the friend, who wrote the letter to me, I will
not regret having you as my friend.
