Dear Steemian,
The subject I want to write to you today is about making friends on Steemit and whether it is a good idea to meet them in 'real' life.
I am known to wear my heart on my sleeve (just a little bit) and if I care about a friend on Steemit, I have no qualms about telling them.
I am sure and can see that that lots of good friendships have been forged and formed. I have made a few myself that are very dear to me. The romantic in me can't wait to see a few love stories too.
But, I think that if the person that they portray on Steemit is the same person that they are in 'real' life, then it is possible to become good freinds with that person. If either person is not the person they portray themselves as online, then it is all just fake.
After all, that's the premise of online dating sites (I presume as I have never signed up to one), but my father met his current partner on a dating site and they have been together for 18 years now, and they only moved in together last year. Not just friendships, but true love is possible.
But that didn't stop them giving me a lecture on inviting a trusted Steemian friend into my home that I'd never met in real life, but I had talked to them a great deal on Steemit.
There was no doubt in mind that I trusted him, but they did have a point about looking out for my two kids - not that I'd admit that to them.
However, I 'know' there would have been no risk at all. It was just a gesture to help out a friend having a bad time.
But he never made it anyway, I did get to meet him but not quite in the circumstances we might have liked. But that's a story for another day and one for him to share first.
So there is always a small risk of meeting someone that you know from online somewhere, but how many people are actually 'bad' people that intend you harm?
The same applies to people in 'real' life too. How well can you really know anyone?
Perhaps I am too naive still, but I like to believe people are inherently good and there are only a small handful of people with dubious intentions.
In the future, for the most part I will ensure that if I get the opportunity to meet other Steemians, I will go to group events, or places away from home, unless both my heart and head tell me otherwise. And there is still a handful of people that would apply to, if circumstances should dictate the possibility of a meeting.
I'd protect my kids with my life, but sometimes calculated risks need to be taken, its called living. And having no “what ifs” or regrets. I trust my intuition about people.
What do you think on this subject, my fellow Steemians?
Yours sincerely
That's a frickin good question.
Steemit is not an online dating service where people try to only show there best side hide all the flaws and ugly spots.
So I reckon there is more honesty in this platform since most people are into the same kinda topics and ideas.
But you are right, we are talking Crypto, Money and Investment too, so we should be careful who we trust and under which circumstances we may meet in the real life. We might be easily used and exploited and there are definitely some black sheep in the Steemit family too. So meeting at a public place together with other people around might be some better idea. And if you want to be in the safer side, maybe leaving a lost whom and where you gonna meet before you heading out. Just to leave some hinds in the worst case that something really bad my happen.
I had little similar thoughts about sharing to many of out information openly and freely on this platform, so I put them into my last German post yesterday. To not be exploited we need to think twice and use more commons sense than we think we actually do.
Well, obviously there are some things that you wouldn't share on the blockchain, but for example, there is a lot of gift sending to Steemit friends etc going on at the moment, so there has to be a certain element of trust there to give someone your name and address.
Important is to use comment sense when interacting on- as well as offline. Many users have already put out their real names in their introduction posts, maybe not always the full name though. So a certain level of trust seems to exist what I appreciate
Meant to say that sharing is done off the blockchain, in the discord channels.
|To be frank, I wouldn't say this platform is more honest, cause most people care about their rep score and upvotes and try not to offend anyone while trying to kiss the nearest whale's ass.
Yes, there is a certain amount of that going on. But there are people here who write what they want to write, without being dictated by what they think people want to read, or for instant riches, but because they have strong beliefs in something. These are the interesting people, the non-sheep. The ones that are here for the long haul, not just a quick buck.
Yes this is also true, so then it might be just another mirror of our society.
I couldn't agree more with you. But so is the case in life as well.. We can't change it. But we can choose if we want to meet and be with such people. Some people don't care if the others are genuine or not, as long as they like them...
Dear friend, I am also inclined to think that most people have good intentions. However, when meeting a stranger, sometimes I feel anxiety. Especially dangerous are these Dating for women in my opinion. I rarely hear(but do not hear) stories about women serial killers or the like. But every day I hear stories about women victims of the attack. Unfortunately still in today's world women do not have full security. I hope to change this situation. I want to take all measures to ensure that we, women, could easily feel on the street and not fear for their mental and physical health. Therefore, meeting with a virtual friend, I would still have asked someone to accompany me.
I'd probably tell someone what I was doing and have the 'emergency phonecall' option.
Steemit is an amazing possibility to meet interesting talented people and even meet new friends!
I've met already a lot of people that i love to talk about different things and i have even intention to meet them one day in person!
I remember this day when my bf told me about Steemit. I thought: I don't need one more Facebook.
But in real i found out that Steemit is more interesting than Fb and what is a very big plus - no one bother me here. This is evidence of what kind of people have come here: smart, kind, sincere and openminded.
Yes, there is definitely a different caliber of people on Steemit to Facebook. There is a lot more ambition, a strength of character, personalities show through more and no backstabbing and the tit for tat, like on Facebook (well not to the same extent anyway).
Steemit represents the chance to meet like minded people and forge new working and personal relationships. In other words, steemit is an avenue for networking.
But, as it exists in real life so does it on steemit, so the issue of meeting good or bad people on this platform is a variable that depends on a number of factors the most notable being the "circumstance surrounding the meeting" among others.
Ever since I joined steemit I have happened to meet a lot of good people and have made one dear friend who helped me setup my steemit account properly only after a few hours of meeting me and still keeps helping me out in a number of ways. In my opinion, I think a person being good or bad to you depends on how you have been relating to that person in the past.
It takes time to get to know anyone.
My opinion is Why not.
having met the people at steemfest 2 i can say this and only this. i was surprised, wowed, blow away, impressed and mostly full of compassion and gratitude at the human beings i met at this little collection of 300 steemians. of the people i spoke too, every single one of them was lovely. and that's no bullshit. straight talking.
That is fantastic to hear and I believe it 100%. My fellow Steemians are truly wonderful people, never doubted it.
Whens the next steemfests? :)
november normally - 1st one in amsterdam in nov 2016 and just recently in portugal for steemfest 2 from the 1-5th of november 2017. prepare for next year. a must go event.
I would like to meet the people from Steemit in the 'real' life ;) But for now, the possibilities are limited to me. At least I'm trying to meet some other Steemians from my city and country and hopefully one day I will be able to reach someone from the other parts of the world :)
Yes, I'm pretty limited too. I have two small children and it's just me, so the grand world tour of meeting Steemians might have to wait a little while, or we could just have really fun summer holidays to far flung places and meet people for coffees and selfies lol.
Face-to-face meetings builds relationships and ultimately builds trust on which we can rely on long term.
Definitely helps to meet someone face to face. It puts a new perspective on the relationship.
Personally I would just like to be able to privately message other users... I think this is why steemit can feel quite cold. I can't think of another social media platform where you can not message other users... from gaming (even my online chess games!) sites to facebook... if steemit wants to gain mass appeal then then a messaging system is (in my opinion) imperative.
@xyx666 there is steemit chat and discord groups where you chat in a group or via private message other users and use voice chat too, to get to know other Steemit users. Click on the ADSactly crypto coin in the post and you find one such amazing discord group.
Thanks, but where is this ADSactly crypto coin? So like on my blog then like where do I find it? haha
scroll up and it is at the end of this steemit blog post:
Be guided by your heart and spirit, there lies the truth.
I have to include head in there too, else my home would be a homeless hostel.
In general, I prefer keeping my online relationships strictly online. Now, personally that's because I'm an introvert at heart and don't much relish the idea of meeting new people in person - sort of ever.
But I also like the way that online interactions create a sense of anonymous but unique personalization. What I mean by that is that, on a fundamental level, the people you meet and interact with over the internet, or over Steemit specifically, are mostly unknown to you - yet you interact with them enough to get to know some part of them. Since that process involves far less visual information, your brain eventually creates a unique picture of the person in your mind that is entirely your own creation. That happens even if you've seen one or two pictures of the online friend - your brain fills out the details and develops this internal conception of who they are.
It's kind of like listening to your favorite musical performer over and over again, for many years, and then seeing them perform in person - or even just on video - for the first time. Yes, you gain new insight into who the singer or performer actually is - but you also lose the companion you've spent so much timing creating, in a sense, in your own mind.
That all sounds kind of weird. I know what to do - let me inscribe it into the blockchain for all eternity!
Exactly whats on my mind too.I don't know about the harmful ones on steemit.In my case too am bit on the introvert side.But can put my thoughts freely while writing and go on and on.But maybe not in real life.Now how bad is that???😐
Yes almost like when you read a book and you create the picture in your mind, then you see the film and it sucks!
I met my 'favorite' actor/singer once and my whole built picture of him, shattered into a thousand little pieces, just because he was feeling ill or in bad mood and wasn't particularly nice to us that day.
Sometimes things/relationships better left online too, I agree.
Intuition is the way to go. Sometimes you gotta make that leap!
I'm leaping, I'm leaping!
Interesting I would not come on here to find love, love doesn't pay the bills! But creating online friendship with like minded people isn't a bad idea
Oh, but love finds you when you least expect it and from where you least expect it.
Yes the Steemit community is amazing and the sooner that you start networking and finding like-minded people, Steemit becomes a fun way of paying the bills.
that is true in the era of the internet now days you can find love 1000km away lol anyway yes im hoping Steemit will pay my bills no success yet though not even $0.1 ;(
It does take time and persistence and learning from other Steemit users.
hey guys! im completely new to this whole "steemit" thing. i rly like the concept behind it however. if anyone has any pointers on how to make the best out of it, plz lemme kno!
Go, network, make some friends :) write good interesting content, interact and continually learn and try new things until you find your rhythm. And post every day.
I really enjoying your post and agree with your points
Thank you
Your pictures say a lot of it. Just beautiful. The analogy to life holds. Some of those we give our hearts to betray us. Some we snap judge as not worthy of our time, turn out to be our best friends. The problem with Steemit is you have to make fast judgements. Take your time. Stand on the sidelines for a minute and watch and listen. Keep a lid on emotional decisions, and your bound to make friends all over the world, eventually. And that is quite a beautiful thing. Thank you for this post and opening this dialogue. Well worth having.
As is the case with anyone you meet really. But sound advice all the same.
This is good article..
I like your Articles.
Go Ahea.. Bro..
Thanks
nice post and you discussed one of the most common social issue. you have good writting skill keep sharing your good idea @adsactly Your post deserve to be resteemed and upvoted. so resteemed and upvoted from my side.
I'm glad you liked it.
I feel like we have more in common with strangers than we know this community was built with a lot of trust and we all have a common goal . I feel like it’s good to meet strangers from here who may think like you and it’s a good way to network
Yes, really when you look at it, we all have a common goal, to be successful on Steemit and help make Steemit successful. It binds us all.
Very good post. I find something in this post. Thanks @adsactly.
Great
thats a great writing content..i am absolutely appreciate your blog..
Thanks
you are most welcome my dear..when create your new blog..??
every friend was once a stranger; whether you met them at a gym, or church, etc. I don't think meeting online is much different. I think it's common sense to take some precautions the first time you meet someone, but for the most part, I don't think there is any real danger in meeting someone from online.
Yes, that is it exactly. That is what I think too.
Great Post
The most beautiful thing in the world friend loves you free of charge
@adsactly
yes, I can definitely say that I love my friends on Steemit. Every one of them, they are all amazing people, who I would not have had the chance to meet otherwise.
I think that's a pretty good way of looking at it. Agreed that group or public places and events are a good choice for first time meeting of folks we've only met online.
Yes, that way is safe and you don't miss out on what could be the start of a lifelong friendship.
Getting to meet someone in real life after meeting online is a great experience when it works well. I agree, there are some risks, but not different than the ones you run into when inviting home someone you don't know so well in real life. I just whish you the best and encourage you to follow your heard.
Yes, where I live I don't even know my neighbors that well, they could be people that you don't want to meet.
That is a great post . But for you to be sure that the person on the other side of the screen is real or not . If you have doubt ,and you suspect something more than once or twice its probably a not the person for you .
My intuition would tell me that. Any doubts, the answer would be no.
Personally, I'm all for personal interactions as much as possible. But steemit is a world wide platform and it would be almost impossible to meet people unless it was something like steemfest. Just my thoughts.
There are lots of local meetups being arranged in the UK. I'd love to attend a smaller one, but something like Steemfest would be very frightening to a introvert like me.
Good articles... There is a risk...we can't predict bad thing happen but I'm sure we can take our time to get to know each other before we meet them.
Calculated risks. We can protect ourselves as much as we can, but no such much that we turn into hermits.
haha... it not going to be forever..
a fellow steemian and I have agreed-ish to meet up, well we are still talking about it, it would be my first time. meeting strangers from the internet you can expect anything, all id say is let people know where you would be and with whom. awesome write up
Yes, that is wise advice.
Hell yes, go for. You only live once Helen. That being said, I would make sure you scroll through the other steemians profile and make sure you know a little bit about them before you take the proverbial 'leap of faith', Like you said, it's called living for a reason. Hope you're doing well @hopehuggs
Hi Jason. Hope you are well too. Yes, I would have been chatting for a least a few months online on Steemit before making that leap of faith.
I completely agree with this! Leave the door open. You'll find good people on here, and getting to find out they're actually who they appear to be on here makes it all the more exciting.
live.
I see nothing wrong with it. Especially as an adult, as a mature adult anyway. You always have to kind of use good judgement but in the end, I've became friends with a lot of good people on Steemit. I wouldn't put pas meeting a few of them.
Good judgment, that is the key.
i love steemit
me too
We cannot know nothing for sure unless we give a chance.
Exactly, life would be pretty boring if we didn't give anything a chance.
Steemit is a content and social platform, but it's not a dating site. People are here to share their content and discuss it, but dating fellow members it outside the scope of the platform. Anything posted on Steemit is forever preserved publicly in the blockchain, so it's not conducive to fostering romantic relationships. Leave that to the dating sites.
I'm not necessarily talking about romantic relationships, I just can't wait to see a Steemit love story, cos that would be awesome, but friendships aren't necessary formed on the blockchain, but through steemit chat and discord groups. I didn't do those for the first 6 months of using Steemit, but have now found an amazing group of friends who are really supportive. I did not have this before Steemit.
▀
nice @adsactly
Ta muchly.
Not been to Steemfest but met a lot great Steemians already one-on-one like @chris4210 @surfermarly @detlev as well as many on the Munich Steemit MeetUp such as our heros @twinner @alexvan @schamangerbert @freiheit50 @peter2017 @lizanomadsoul @bitone @bobbyboe @fricibacsi @kkaos @lajuli and some more - I can't even remember them all. Real life relations are key!
Nothing beats the human connection. I go to a 'help' groups of various descriptions (craft, confidence, mindfulness etc) each week and that and Steemit have been my lifelines and support over this last year. I wouldn't go without either now.
A definite yes for me to. Now I just need to work extra hard on steemit to earn enough to do the meet and greet part ;)
Yes, the Steemit Meet Up World Tour takes a little funding.
Well it is somewhat confidential to me.But over all i suppose to judge and read the mind through the attitudes they show.
Yes, good judgment and listen to both what heart and head is saying.
I love the content creation as well as socializing components that describes steemit.
I find it awesome meeting strangers with unique contents on steemit might never get an avenue or platform for a face-to-face meet up.
Credible relationships can be established on steemit mustn't necessarily be emotional backed relationship. Could be a network of steem promoters or perhaps a group of bloggers.
Well online friendship turned dating or emotional relationships exists on Facebook, twitter and some other social platforms.
But I feel the content on steemit is well organized and better educative than what I normally see on facebook
Steemit is just an awesome platform. I do think and find that people are more genuine here, then on other social media platforms.
I believe that Steemit is a very honest community. I wouldn’t recommend meeting up one on one just for safety reasons but if we would have more events like Steemfest where we can all interact and get involved as a community I think that will bring us closer and stronger as a ecosystem!
Or mini-meetups with a few Steemians in a group first. Steemit is an amazing community.
In my opinion, it is easier to meet genuine people on Steemit than any dating site or social media. This is because you are either extend yourself here or nobody knows you. And if nobody knows you, how can they invite you into their homes.
Awesome post. Well done.
Good point. You have to get to know people in order to do well on Steemit and the best way of doing that is being genuine.
Yes, exactly. I would rather welcome someone I met here into my home than someone I met on Facebook.
good pic
Pixabay is good.
I have met a few steemit members in real life and am driving three hours to meet another group of awesome steemit users. I think there are two criterias for me to meet them in person. Ihave communicated with them via comments and live chat. Also, I have heard their voice. Then the odds of them not being who you think they are is less. I also plan public daytime meetings.
I have similar rules for online dating, but that is a WHOLE DIFFERENT story.
Yes, definitely chatting and hearing voices of other Steemit users, helps garner trust.
I've heard too many nightmares about online dating, I'm staying away.
I have that opportunity on Saturday since I am going to my first Steemian gathering in Orlando. @jerrybanfield will be there so I an guaranteed of meeting one strange-er....lol just kidding jerry.
To answer your question @adsactly, I think it is perfectly acceptable and runs the same change, if not better, of striking up a friendship (and yes even a loving relationship in the right circumstances). While it is easier to hide oneself behind his/her keyboard, which is the risk on many dating sites, on here, it is lessened. My reasoning is simple: read someone writing's and commenting for 3 months, 6 months, or a year and you will get to know them pretty good. It is hard to hide oneself with posting that much.
Using myself as an example, I am writing a lot about steem and the excitement of this blockchain. I believe that comes through in my writings. I am passionate while also trying to teach others. I will stand up for what I believe and even get into a commenting pissing contest once in a while to make the point (I try not to do this too often). My upvotes are spread around because I want others to succeed. I do not besmirch the success of others like the whales on here. I am happy they were able to take advantage of the opportunity presented to them. I know there are some with ill intentions and play games but, for the most part, those are the outliers.
So am I someone you want to hang out with? Some will say yes, others no. But you will find me the same in person.
And, again, if one puts him or herself into this site, the true nature and essence comes out.
Yes, there is a bit of my soul in every post. Quite a few people I know and follow share their stories, the good, bad and ugly. You do, by osmosis of information get to know people better.
https://steemit.com/dtube/@jephline/hwe3v0ig
I belonged to a group called zaadz in 2005 and have met most of the people that were my contacts there over the last ten years. We keep in touch, we are friends on Facebook and will be told about this community. That community was a more spiritual community, but there were people there that were not always spiritual. This is an amazing adventure!
Life is an amazing adventure.
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Very nice. I was suddenly looking back on my way of life. just because here on steemit and your great content of articles remind me when I was on this story. yes it was because like me my real loving partner was the on this topic, I mean I am meeting her on social media. what a coincidience. I am s happy and I guess this way of article should be here. thank you @adsactly for this amazing subject.
You are one of the lucky ones. Blessed with meeting the right person.
Thank You for your nice comment @hopehuggs. Yes I am. I was really proud.