>_O

Long time no see ol' DA! I've started using you again just recently. Sadly, I apologize that instead of art I bring to you a rant. I admit, I'm going for proficiency in this area!

Sipping my morning coffee and surfing through this site, I remembered a lot of things. But of course, this post is least of all nostalgic so I'll get to the point. When it comes to socialising, the internet is, in most cases, a disappointment. Even if it's real people you're talking with, didn't it feel like a superficial way to kill time, and just as unreal as the pixels you were looking at? Looking back now, I can firmly claim I got this feeling several times.

I'll try and relate mostly to this site. Firstly, you make a new net acquaintance. They might be friends of yours from other sites and share your passion for drawing. Or, if you've never seen them before, you see they're from the same city/country as you, their drawings are fairly nice, your hobbies are similar. Cool! Added to friends' list! Next come months of chit-chat, fun talk and lots of art-related discussions. It's really amazing when you find someone who shares your passion. Sometimes you exchange art gifts. Fun times, indeed.

Then comes the time when you can finally meet the person. 'Hey, dude, there's this anime related gathering taking place next month, will you be there?' and of course, you will. And before you know it, there's all these people you've met on websites, a lot of individuals who share your passion, right there in the flesh. But, make no mistake, you are internet 'friends'. In my case, as I gleefully from person to person, I kept saying things along the lines of: 'Hey, I know you! I drew that character for you and you drew mine! Awesome!' And the conversation ended in under a minute.

Sure, you could talk more, but you've got your group, they've got theirs, and it's best to keep the other internet friends as back-up if you're dumped because your group leaves early. Sometimes, you never even go further than saying 'Hello!' to someone you've been supporting on DA for a long time. Then, when you go back home, should the certain convention you've been at become a topic, you cant help but say 'Yeah, that was cool, it was great to finally meet you!' and, of course, 'Hope to see you again.' You shake off that bitter taste in your mouth, smile and start thinking about what character you'll offer as an art gift next.

This is my own personal experience with several people in my friends' list on DA. The only thing I'll generalize is the fact that getting close to people on the internet can lead to big disappointments. I know I am one of those disappointments as well.

O_<