Do you admit to being a Forum Member ?

lookingglass

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There's something about TCS that's made me feel at home. On other forums I've felt like an outcast, but when I came here and posted about Scratch people really made me feel like I was a good person for taking him in. In all honesty, when I tell his story IRL I've had people ask me why I didn't put him down.

I don't really care if people look at me weird for finding friends on the internet. With access to a whole bunch of people's thoughts and ideas I think it's made me a better person.
 

lsulover

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This is one of the best sites that I have ever belonged to. From the very first post I made here, I have felt welcome.

I don't have a cat now, but that doesn't seem to matter here, you have all made me feel welcome.
 

fwan

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Originally Posted by xocats

I have lived long enough to know....
it is important in life to be real.
Otherwise----what's the point?

My family and friends know that I have made friends with TCS members from all over the world and they honor that.


When I am shopping, if I see someone who is buying kitty supplies, I ask if they have a computer and if they do, I tell them about TCS, what a safe place it is to be, & how helpful it is to those of us who have kitties under our care.
If they seem really interested, I write down the name & address of the site...adding my user name so they can stop by and say hi.


Sometimes they have joined.
I have always wanted to do that, but unfortunately i dont htink the germans will get it..
 

jennyr

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As I have been living overseas for years now, I am used to keeping in touch with people by email. So friends actually made online don't seem strange to me at all. I talk about 'a friend in USA/ Canada/UK/Germany/etc' as a matter of course and no one knows if they are people I have actually 'met' face to face or online. Everyone knows I am the cat person anyway so to mention someone else's cats is what they expect of me! But I do feel that I kmow some of you at least as well as I know people I have been meeting IRL for much longer. And I probably tell you more.
 

starryeyedtiger

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Colin has learned to accept my TCS addicition
and i have learned to accept his computer game one.....so we just laugh at each other now
 

salemwitchchild

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Ask them if they ever had Pen pals and if they were really friends. Of course forum members your close with are your friends. You do not have to meet them physically to know you'd get along together and care for one another.
 

hopehacker

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I talk about all of the wonderful people I've met here at TCS, and some people do think I'm a bit off.

This past week, I was crying about Nakita's passing, and saying what a special and wonderful kitty she was, and how brave her human's were. I said I couldn't help it, I loved Nakita so much. Well...one of the guys at work, told me, "You don't know that cat or her owners". I said, "Oh but I do know her because her mother shared all about her life, and that I had loved Nakita for 4 years." Just because I was never lucky enough to meet her in person, doesn't mean I don't love her." I tried to explain how we here at TCS are a very special group, and that we all share a special bond with each other, and that unless you come here and get to know everyone, you just can't really explain it. TCS is a very special place, unlike any group of internet friends anywhere else on the net. I feel like I know all of you here, and I feel that you are my friends.
 

lunasmom

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You know its funny. I was reading up on the Virtual World friendships and Real Life friendships and a lot of psychologists believe that Virtual friendships are just supplimental and that in order for humans to have a true friendship they need to also interact in life.
Studies were done that virtual friendships were at the shallow level because of the opportunity to be whoever you want to be.

I guess I still make a distinction between online and real life friends.

As for TCS, I only mention the site to other cat people incase they may be interested.
 

clairebear

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I belong to quite a few differen't online forums, thier great ways to learn the most up to date information for your animals. I havea couple of online friends, that I consider real friends. I also have a few real life friends that I origionally met online. I don't think that there's anything wrong with it as long as your careful who you befriend. People that have never done it obviously can't understand.
 

crittermom

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Yes, alot of my family say the same thing."How do you know what the person is REALLY like in real life?All you know is what they post." I just tell them I know you all like I know my real life friends!!!
 

neetanddave

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Originally Posted by Pami

Yes! My Mother even comes on here and looks at all of your cats when shes visiting. Jim thinks me and all of you are a bunch of nuts
Well, he might be right about Susie being a nut.
The rest of us... we're pretty normal actually.

Originally Posted by Trouts mom

Well I don't know why psychos would stick around as long as some of us do
Hey wait, maybe I am a psycho and don't even know it
No, you are a FREAK. Not a psycho!
 

pushylady

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Originally Posted by lisasha3

I talk about it a bit....but not much because I get a slightly different reaction. "This is the internet. There are wierdos out there and you're probably telling your life story to a bunch of psychos".

I had to admit I don't talk about it that much either because I open up about a lot of things here and don't want folks in my "real" life coming and lookin at all the stuff I'm saying. I guess this is my "secret" life.
My husband is often warning me like that, even though he met the TCSers at our meet-up! I guess he just wants me to be aware of lurkers and to be discrete about posting pics and personal info.

Originally Posted by lookingglass

I don't really care if people look at me weird for finding friends on the internet. With access to a whole bunch of people's thoughts and ideas I think it's made me a better person.
I agree. I find myself be much more open minded and inclined to think about the other side of the argument.
Also, it's interesting to "know" people from all over the world as it gives you insight into other cultures and a more rounded picture. When I hear about an event in that country, I'll often think of the TCSers I know from there, and it makes me care more.

Originally Posted by lunasmom

a lot of psychologists believe that Virtual friendships are just supplimental and that in order for humans to have a true friendship they need to also interact in life.
Studies were done that virtual friendships were at the shallow level because of the opportunity to be whoever you want to be.
I think it's very important to have real contact in your life. It wouldn't be healthy to ONLY have online friends. I can see how easy that would be for someone with social problems though. The internet is a wonderful tool to enable people to contact other people, but it could also be quite a crutch, and enalbe them to avoid face-to-face interaction even more.
One thing I've always felt with TCS is that users are less pretentious. I certainly feel a necessity to be honest here, because of the fact that we do actually meet up, we post photos and people really share about their lives. With TCS being so well moderated, I find it forces people to behave, just like we have to IRL, or we'll face consequences.

I tell people "on the forum I'm on" or "on the internet" blah blah blah... rather than say TCS. I like to keep TCS to myself 'cos it's nice to have an outlet away from everyone I know. I think it's healthy.
I've gotten a lot of weird looks when I've mentioned being on a forum, but I don't care. It's part of modern life to belong to an internet community as far as I'm concerned.
 

gailc

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I few of my friends and family know of my cyber cat friends!! With not having an office to do to go everyday its a good form of interaction for me-otherwise I would be going stir crazy at times!! I hope there is a time that some of can meet up IRL though!! I've learned more about what is going on in other parts of NA and the rest of the world. And I am happy that many TCS'ers are weather or garden people like I am.
 

emily_325

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My husband laughs and rolls his eyes at my obsession with "that cat site", but he can't be too cynical because he and I met online, so he realizes that virtual realtionships are real and can lead to lifelong real relationships.

Pretty much all my friends know I'm on here all the time because I'm often talking about you guys and something sad or funny that happened. I'll admit that Brian (DH) and some friends will often ask what 8-Bit has done lately.


I even will forward links to family sometimes when I post new pics of Anya. They enjoy seeing them in that context and seeing what others have to say about her.

Some roll their eyes, but whatever, I don't care. I don't rely on what other people think about me for anything.
 

lionessrampant

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I don't really talk about it to "real life" friends, but not because I'm embarrassed. I guess it's just never really come up! My FH knows about TCS and doesn't say anything one way or the other...except for when I told him about the day where Gaye called me to make sure I was ok because I hadn't been on TCS in a long time. He said it was awesome!
 
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