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Log in for friendship

Websites and blogs ensure you are hooked on to the virtual network for friendship with more people going online for buddies. SYEDA FARIDA reports

VIRTUAL FRIENDS Offline get togethers complement online friendships

Twenty-four years old Amit plans to catch up with friends at a coffee bar in Somajiguda this Friendship Day. The difference is, this is the first offline meeting with his `online buddies'. And Amit is not the only one in town who is planning to have an offline rendezvous come August 6. Shruti, a software engineer, plans to meet up her `e-group' of B-School alumni. "Long hours at office and chaotic traffic do not really help in meeting friends on regular basis. Even if you hit the pub post work, you want to rush home early since you have office the next day. Chatting online after a cup of hot coffee in your study is much more convenient," she says.

Virtual network

Half a decade ago if the cheerful smiley and the messenger on your screen was your route to friendship, websites and blogs now ensure you are hooked on to the virtual network. Did you say you don't have online friends? Dude, you belong to a minority today realm where going online for friendship is `the' mantra. And the tribe is on the increase. It's not those online chats that lead to offline meets that one is talking about. Plans for treks, hikes and that screening at Prasad's IMAX are also made online.

"I have found friends on both Ryze and Orkut. One of the key things that makes this possible is that people on such networks are self-motivated to make friends and expand their social/business network. Further, the idea of communities helps bring together people of common interest," says Rohit Kumar, a student of Carnegie Mellon.

Online communities

Enter communities. Groups within these websites connect you to your locality buddies, help to find classmates and more. "We have a community of friends from Hyderabad Public School on Hi5, which is a platform to keep in touch with them. You still meet up with friends in twin cities over a coffee but if you have to catch up with outstation ones, online communities come handy. There is also the possibility to network with members of other groups," says Amaan Ashrafi, final year mechanical engineering student, Mufakkam Jah College of Engineering. Agrees Shoumya Chowdhury, B Tech final year student, ICFAI Tech, "I catch up with my friends in Mumbai and Kolkata online. It is virtually free and cheaper than making long distance calls."

Beyond workplace

The trend has also caught up with professionals who do not want to forge ties in workplace. "Looking for friends in office spaces is not feasible. The idea of hanging around with office mates in their non-office time is not very appealing.

The competitive relationship with peers adds to this need for looking at these online communities for friends," says Rohit.

Apart from the probability of meeting people with fake profiles that one comes to see through after a few visits to the virtual world, there is yet another factor that might just go against your online dosti. Read erratic hours. Its 11 p.m and your bum chum of school days sends an SMS from Brooklyn, "R u coming online?" You eventually log in with groggy eyes. Thankfully you are not asked to put on some club line and drive down to the pub when it is pouring outside. Viva Internet!

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