Have you ever met?

[Rach_nc1984]

I got back from a trip about two weeks ago to meet my best friends in person (Crystal11 and her sister Danielle) and I have been wondering if anybody here has met over the internet and then decided to meet in person. We all met over at epilepsy.com 2 years ago...so has anyone done this? I am curious to find out!

[RobinN]

I have done this with my art communities.
That is a great photo. How long have you known each other?

I am going to move this to The Kitchen.
Our place to talk around the table.

[Rach_nc1984]

we have known each other for two years...we met over at epilepsy.com in the chat room there

[Dutch mom]

I've met many other parents and their kids with E. after 'meeting' them first at a Dutch internet group. And I have several real good friends thanks to these meetings. We organize a family meeting day each year so forum members can meet eachother, days with special things to do for special needs kids and their siblings. 200-300 people have visited our three family days in 2006, 2007 and 2008 and many of them are good friends now, as well parents as kids.

[Crystal11]

Hello Rach! Hello Robin-
Rachel, Danielle and I have known eachother two years from Epilepsy.com and we speak everyday on the phone/online. I had my phone number on my contact list and she decided to call not knowing if I would be able to hear her. But I was able to and we have the best of times. We enjoyed having her here in our apartment and we spent the Christmas holyday together- Dec. 13-30th! It was a lot of fun and we have truley made a wonderful friend for life. I've grown up in the blind/deaf-blind world so meeting someone from E.com allowed up to make a great friend with Epilepsy that truley understands what we go through. Rachel is like a Sister to us.. My Mother even says "Hello Girlies" now in emails since Rachel has become so much like a sister- Mom has "adopted her" LOL
Its really a unique experience!
Take care everyone- CM

[RobinN]

That is great that it worked out so well for you all.
My daughter has no desire to go to any functions for E. She has a therapist that she shares her "woes" to, and that is all she seems to need.

I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting up with other artists that I have met on the internet.
Such a wonderful way to make friends with similar interests.

One always has to keep in mind safety though.

[Kansas Educator]

That's wonderful! Good friends are so important!

[Crazy Monkey]

Yep, I have met a few people that I have chatted to online, but I am always very cautious because you never know who you are talking too. Only 2 weeks ago I met 'Brain' one of the CWE mods.

[seizures4ever]

If circumstances were different for me, I would love to meet a few of the people that I've met online. Most of the time, I wouldn't feel comfortable. But there are a few people who I wish lived closer because I really think we could be good friends.

I'm glad you guys found one another, that is awesome! -Julie

[brain]

I have met over 500+ people from online, and
have been close friends with almost 200+ and
that was just in eBay. Then in other auction sites;
altogether, I have met over 250+ people from online,
and we remain friends as well. Then I have met over
400+ from Yahoo / e-Groups from online, while many
over the years - have moved on their ways; became
married or remarried, passed away, no longer use
internet, poor health, or some other reasons ...

But I still keep in rapport with many of them, but this
does not account for the Health Forums (not Epilepsy),
approximately I would guess about 50 folks I have met
but those folks are in my area / State; quite a few of
them have moved back up North (Florida still ranks #1
in unemployment and is getting worse), some have
passed away, others have gone into Nursing Homes,
and others - I have no idea; but those who remains,
I still touch bases with them.

With Epilepsy Forums - I have a lot of Friends which
includes Medical Professionals as well - but I have only
met 1 in person. Although a couple of Medical Professionals
were going to be in my area, but due to emergencies,
that had to be postponed; but they will be down here
eventually as they've been here before - but we just
never met.

We have spoken on the phone quite a few times, and
I have spoken to some of the people with Epilepsy on
the phone via the Relay Service, since I can do the
VCO mode (Voice Carry Over) as well as the direct TDD
mode but most of the time it's VCO mode anyway. LOL!
Most of the folks thinks Relay Service is cool, when they
first learn of it. At first; they are so unsure as how this
"thing" works here... LOL, but after that - it's awesome!
Yadda, yadda, yadda, blah, blah, blah - yakkity, yakkity,
yak! (Is this a good time to post that Doctors love to talk?)



But am I afraid to meet people in person that I have
met from online? Not really - but I can assure you that
RESTAURANTS GROAN whenever folks from ONLINE gather
together to meet! They cannot get RID of us!

(TRUST ME ON THIS ONE)

We would meet somewhere - and literally talk our mouths
off! And I forget how many refills of coffee and iced tea
the poor waiters or waitresses have to come over until
the Manager would say - "THAT IS ENOUGH!" But of course
everyone leaves a nice tip! (then again - do you think
"we" overdid it when "we" stayed there for 3-4 hours?)



I have been online for a very, very long, long, long time.
I am a "dinosaur" of the internet world. For I can tell you
that the very first and beginning of the internet webpage
was only www dot com! There were nothing other than that
and I am serious but there was a lot of stuff there! And that
was brilliant - but of course, that was the "pre-historic" days!

(And not a word - You-Know-Who!)