I hate to break the mood but is it not better for people to use technology such as this to encourage and stimulate real interactions rather than perpertually surfing chat websites? The establishment of the Forest Hill Society from se23.com is a case in point. It resulted in real people having realtime discussions rather than virtual ones.

I use this site and one other- I have been invited onto facebook and bebo and have declined as don't think its for me. I think I spend too much time already on the computer. I much prefer meeting and interacting with real people and am concerned that with the increase in these sites we will as a population lose the ability to handle face to face interactions which are often more challenging that sitting in front of a computer having an effective one way and one dimensional conversation. On a pc you can take your time and say what you like, perhaps more eloquently than you can in real life. However you don't have to pick up the verbal and body language cues from others nor experience and participate in turn taking, so I am concerned that we will eventually lose the ability to do so and that this in turn will effect how we engage with others. Already(in my personal opinion) in the workplace email can affect working relationships negatively as outrageous edicts and demands are often sent round by email in a manner that people would not dare to do if speaking face to face.

Something also struck me the other day when we had our Sainsburys shopping delivered. The man delivering actually stopped for a chat as he wished us a happy new year and shook our hands.He was from Poland. We thought this was very charming and then we thought it was ridiculous that we thought so as this surely should be normal considerate behaviour, behaviour that reaffirms us as social beings.
Is it so abnormal now that we consider a few minutes taken for greetings as belonging to another era?

You can get a lot from websites but so much more from real settings. Perhaps that is why our pubs are losing business! Me, I'm more inclined to start encouraging real time discussions in pubs, perhaps a debating society where we can sit and just chat about real life issues, and heaven forbid, politics.

Discuss. Punch up almost obligatory.