You and the Internet, a comprehensive guide

There are these things on the Internet called "Internet forums" where people post questions and other people post answers.

Most forums are dedicated to some common group, like cat lovers, or people with red hats, anyway on this one forum dedicated to stock photography this guy posted about how his long term relationship ended, and I felt compelled to respond. Here is my response:

No offense to the original poster, but I wonder about a few things here?

OK, so a long-time relationship ended - that is sad, I'm sorry, it sucks, etc. . .

What kind of a world do we live in where your first thought is to post about it on an Internet forum?

Maybe if it was a forum dedicated to relationships or couples or support groups or something, but an Internet forum for stock photographers?

Sure, there are a few people that know you here(as far as someone who has never met you and can make complete random judgments about you and your life based only on what you typed into some stock photo forum can "get to know you") So I am again scratching my head in wonder.

I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with what you have done (posting about your relationship ending), just that I don't fully understand the mindset of what you did.

At some point you will get people who will come in here and flame you and flame-bait other people, that is just what they (flame people) do. I'm guessing you would expect that, I mean after all this IS an Internet forum, which means you get all the differences of people from all over the world who will ALL have different opinions as to what you should do, or what you should have not done.

I would guess you would have some sort of "local" support system, friends, family or some people you could talk to about your situation? It would seem to me something like that would be your first choice.

For all I know maybe you did that first and you just posted here because you wanted some random strangers to feel sorry for you, or maybe you really do think of these people as "your family."

If you do consider these people here, whom you have never met in person, "your family" I wonder about a world or society where our "families" are random strangers we have never actually met.

How do we define friends, or family for that mater? Do you form a bond with someone you met for a few hours at a photo workshop, and because you share a common interest you are now "friends?"

So, if that is the case, now that weird guy next to me in line at the store who is missing his two front teeth and smells like he lives under the freeway share a common interest, we both like the same kind of beer or feed our cats the same food (except I don't think he has a cat), anyway does that mean he is my "friend" now?

Dang, this whole "Internet" "facebook" "social networking" thing just confuses me!