Valerie, thanks for the comment.

I like the way you describe how people can act different online and how you yourself can act a bit different online.

Yes, online, it can be hard to realize whether or not a person is actually intending to say something, or just saying it to carry on a conversation. Thanks for sharing.

Often, I can be less shy online. When you’re not face-to-face with someone it can be easier to say what you really think and feel. Whereas offline I am just plain very shy when meeting new people.

Also, when it comes to online people, one has to often be more careful in what they say and how they say it simply because the person you’re talking to does not see your face and hear your tone of voice and what may actually be a joke, may come across completely opposite.

I wonder if there could be a clash of ideas, where one person like you wants to treat with respect another respectful person who respects back, but someone else may come along and simply trash everyone because it’s the online world, and because they can.

Jess, thanks for the comment. I personally like to be extra respectful and a bit formal, combined with a bit informal if possible, during the first times of meeting someone. I will tend to show the person my real character, though I will add a bit more formality on purpose, and try to show that I am being extra careful or respectul. I am sure you have noticed similar things in people online. :p

Heh, I like your offline example: “real-life mushy stuff.” I am guessing the “nudge” in msn won’t do?

Your train of thought is relevant to the topic, I think, so no worries.

Good point about the “Variables” in the offline world. Even the weather, what a person wears, the way they position themselves, their tone of voice, “attitude” like you said, and many other things come into play. Also, it is very common for many people to become nicer to other people when they need something, which was my 1st of the 10 signs one is moody.

So, in your view, it is easy to forget grudges from either party online, and it is hard to do so in the offline world? Also, do you think people can ever have similar facilities available, as the offline world [like visual or verbal observation], in the online world too?

Casablanca Travel, thanks for visiting and commenting. I really appreciate it.

That is interesting, and I think some people, including myself, have different qualities online and offline.

if I may ask, do you think you are more interactive online, if that’s the right word to go along with “chatty“, because online it is easier to type, not worry too much about the offline-kind of formalities in some cases, etc?

Thanks again.

I think there’s different levels of how easy it is to treat someone nicely or not in online and offline life.

For example, online it’s easier to chat and get along and share, as you don’t have that ‘in your face’ kind of confrontation. Personal or deep-meaningful conversations may be easier for some people…

On the other side, offline, it’s more personal and it is face to face so there’s some sort of… advice and comfort in that. They can also hug and all that real-life mushy stuff.

I just realised my train of thought isn’t relevant to your topic about being nice, lol. Well, it’s related to online-offline.

In real life, sometimes its harder to be nice because there are so many… variables. The person, the situation, perhaps past situations, that person’s attitude towards you, maybe they are fake nice? I find it very hard to be genuinely nice to someone, when I can tell they are being fake nice to me… such as someone who never speaks to me, but is suddenly oh-so-sweet when they need something. Or someone who I know does not like me or has sad something about me putting me down… yet to my face acts like we’re best buddies. In that regard, in real life it’s hard to ignore, but online it’s easier to just forget it I think, cause you can’t tell as much by the ‘tone’ of their voice or their expression.

Of course, meeting someone in person may change the relationship - either make it closer or more distant. But in most cases if online people treat me with respect, they get the same in return.

So, If I am reading it correctly, you treat people regardless of them being online or offline, but the important thing is how they treat you. Does your behavior towards them depend only on how they are treating you, regardless of them and you being online or offline?

Ronald, thanks for the comment. When you say you treat online people better, is it because it is easier to do it online, or because you prefer online people more for some specific reason or reasons?

Does that mean that in order to make online relations grow, one needs to move the online relations towards the offline life?

Wow, these were extremely good comments, which have raised a lot of more interesting ideas and questions! Thank you!

Usually, I treat online people the same as offline people. It pretty much depends on how I get treated, though, but usually, how I act online is how I act offline also.