How "real" is the Internet?

[KillerGremlin]

Originally Posted by Xantar

Edit: Never mind. Let's just get to basics. What do we mean when we say "real" anyway? Does anyone have a working definition? That seems to be the entirety of the hangup here.

I guess I'm viewing "real" in term of consequences: mostly social consequences and limits of free speech. In my opinion this is a two-way street: what you expect to get from socializing online, and what you give. And I personally believe some people are not detached from what is clearly a fantasy world or an extension of reality.

I should also add, the reason I deleted my Facebook is twofold:
1) the growing commercialization and lack of privacy makes me uncomfortable
2) I had a growing number of "acquaintances," about 400 of them. My close circle of friends is about 5 people who I have super intimate relationships with. The rest are passer-byes, or people I socialize with on occasion and meet up on a whim at a bar or for gaming. The rest are connections of connections or people from high school who I do not see anymore. I feel that me knowing other people's business who I do not know intimately to be both a time-waster as well as being somewhat socially unhealthy.

I've considered remaking my Facebook and keeping it truer and more exclusive to my real circle of friends, but I'd have to do it under an alias or deny friend requests.

[KillerGremlin]

I guess after giving this topic more though I've decided that Facebook kind of bridges the gap between the fantasy Internet and someone's real social life. Although I still think Facebook is considerably different than reality.

I guess Facebook gets people in trouble because once you cross the bridge between Facebook into Internet land you enter a totally different world.