Much is said about the culture of the internet, how people communicate with nick names they know nothing about, leaving the possibility of anonymity and impersonation wide open, only to encourage abuse. Or something like that. To put a spin on that, I’ve met ten of these phony, introvert, psychotic aliases in the flesh, and I have to say it’s been a positive experience for the most part. What strikes me the most is how the virtual personality can present itself from a much different side than it will in real life, and so the people you meet sometimes appear to be warped reflections of the people you know online. Of course, the better you know the person, the bigger the potential surprise when they appear as the reincarnation of some altogether different persona.

People from the internet I’ve met in real life:

• stephanho
• ErikP
• nina1981
• Torkel
• Majed
• Diavolo
• yohy
• Psycho
• Haroon
• Boyo

If you’re not careful, your name could be next on the list.