Firstly, one must differentiate between those friends who are known in person, also known as RL (real life), and those who are only known through the depths of the internet. I have been using the internet for over a decade, and as such have made a vast number of friends that I have never met. The key difference I have noticed between RL friends and those online is that you learn not to form too vested an interest in the online variety; ofttimes they will simply vanish without a trace; whether they forgot to pay the telephone bill, got bored, or simply blocked you because you're a prat. Real life friends are harder to escape for the simple fact that you know them in person - people notice if you just disappear (I'm not saying that I want to escape anyone, just an observation).
Initially I began using the internet simply for entertainment purposes, but now find it equally as useful for both research and staying in touch with friends. Staying in touch is also the sole reason for my acquiring a mobile phone. I first got a mobile at the age of about 10 so my mother could keep track of me, but since high school I have used it almost solely to contact and keep in touch with my mates. Text messaging has been key in this aspect as it is fast, cheap and quiet.
I generally don't have any worries about privacy online - spam is deletable and spyware is controllable with software. Anyone contacting you that you find to be irritating can always be blocked with a single click, and I really can't see anyone desperate enough to stalk me with so many better candidates available, so there really aren't any issues. With the mobile it's another story however, with far less control over it allowed to you by the networks. If one stray text-message finds its way to a conglomerate it's quite possibly time to find a new number, as the amount of text-spam is overwhelming. As such, only the trusted few have access to my mobile.
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I totally agree with your view on RL friends and those you associate with merely through cyberspace.
Those that you interact with through the net, you don't rely on, or depend on for anything, such as those qualities found in a true friendship like trust and consideration. You can choose which aspects of your personality you wish to reveal to your cyber buddy and which you want to hide. With your real life friends, you can't escape them as easily.
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