According to my dictionary, a friend is variously defined as:A person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard.A person whom one knows, likes, and trusts.Someone with whom you share mutual knowledge, esteem, affection, and respect, along with a degree of rendering service to in times of need or crisis.Desiring what is best for the other person.Being able to express sympathy and empathy and being honest with each other.It's funny, but I couldn't find a definition that espoused anything about "face-to-face" connections being a requirement for friendship. I don't see anything in the definitions that precludes having an electronic friendship. In fact, I don't see anything that stipulates that you have to have met the person live in the real world rather than knowing them in the virtual world.
Diego Morelli on 28 Oct 09Nice slide presentation from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, about the evolution of the Web, with reference to social networks & issues related to libraries. My personal highligths from this work: * The turn from groups to social networks lays the basis for a new social operating system * Being more civically engages on social networks helps building better communities (continue...)
