What are we?

[Annpan]

I mean us fellow self-sufficient-ish-ers?

I was just speaking to my sister about some of the things we are doing around the house, garden, veg, chickens, etc and found myself saying 'my friend did ...' then she'll ask me where they live and I think, huh, Devon/ Aberdeen/ Sydney...

Sometimes I'll say I saw a photo of a friend's piglets, or whatever

Is this fine to consider people you have never met, but feel very close to as friends - sometimes I 'talk' more to you guys about things I can't discuss with my real-life friends.

So, what are we, or what do you consider other members of the forum to be?





It's late, maybe I should just go to bed

[Wombat]

I personally don't have problems with the term "friends", when I talk about us going over to the UK in April/May, I say we are going over to visit friends.

Nev

[Annpan]

[Millymollymandy]

I have a lot more friends here than I do in real life! Well, I do have quite a few real friends but they all live in Germany, England, Scotland, New Zealand.....

[old tree man]

When i visited my sister in cumbria we were talking about garden stuff and brought up the subject about the "ish" and said the same thing "friends" that can help or swap advice, it felt quite normal and right to say that
my sis and brother inlaw are also going to visit us soon on the site

Russ

[mauzi]

It is funny isn't it. I love sites like this one with like minded people and although perhaps living in different countries (which makes it even more interesting) I believe a bond is made though similar interests and lifestyles that could only be called real friendship. We do have friends close to us that are like minded and what I would refer to as "real friends" but I also visit many different sites and find a real bond with other people that I may not ever meet. So what do I call us - "friends with similar interests".

[Green Rosie]

I have a lot more friends here than I do in real life! Well, I do have quite a few real friends but they all live in Germany, England, Scotland, New Zealand.....

Same here - having only moved in August we have left a lot of freinds in GB. We are making friends here but not as fast as the ones who jump out of the computer with all sorts of advice, fun chat and general cammerarderie (is that how you spell that?).

See you later friends - I'm off to walk the dogs - my other good friends but unfortunately they are hopeless on the conversation aspect of life

[the.fee.fairy]

I love you lot like friends. therefore, you are all friends.

I have to say, i'm probably more prepared to help people here than the friend i have IRL. I feel like i've been helped on various occasions, if not physically, then definitely mentally by people here.

I think we react to each others' problems and woes, and happy times as friend would - if not more!! Look at the Martin thread for examples.

So, i'm proud to call each and every one of you friends.

[multiveg]

OH doesn't understand friendships that can be formed in messageboards like this. The people I meet on the school run don't share my enthusiasm in growing vegetables, re-using this that and the other, and although we may have in common children that go to the same school, maybe in the same class, I don't really regard them as friends (apart from one who I met originally through learning Welsh).
Ten miles away, I have another friend from learning Welsh- she grows veg in her back yard.
No one from school (16+ years ago) shared my interest in gardening back then, and no one from there 20 odd years ago went to The Woodcraft Folk either.

Hello Friends

[eccentric_emma]

yes i refer to people on here as friends.sometimes i can go a whole week without seeing anybody other than OH and parents but i wont feel lonely. i still feel that interacting online fulfils some of my social needs, especially on this forum where everyone is so nice all the time!

[Jarmara]

I always use the phrase online friend .

[Stonehead]

Friends or Ishers. Ishers is good as it mystifies people. Someone even told me it sounds like a cult. I liked that!

[glenniedragon]

I think of folks on here as friends, we are certainly a clique! although I am lucky as I have friends IRL here too. So a foot in both camps! it's good to sit and catch up on what you're all up to and share your highs and be there with a virtual cuppa for your lows.......I'd like to think if we met IRL it'd be the same.

Truely kind thoughts
Deb

[ina]

Yes, to me you are all "friends I met online", too. And some of them I now meet "live", too, which makes it even better...

[MsWildFlower]

Umm, sorry thick question coming ... is OH 'Other Half'?