My good friend Skippy remarked recently in the #wordpress channel:

"I was reflecting the other day on the history of our online friendship. It's been an enjoyable year knowing you."

Ever since I wrote Personality and Utopia I have been considering how technology, specifically the internet and the myriad of protocols and API's that have arisen from it, have allowed us to connect in fundamental ways.

This year as Skippy has already said has been an enjoyable year, I would venture to say that it has been incredible in many ways.  In the above article I spoke about the different components of weblogging that have enabled us to creep ever closer to the Utopian Ideal of the internet's early days.  This immediacy of information has allowed us to create significant, meaningful relationships that stretch across hundreds, if not thousands of miles.

All Around the World, the Same Song.

Just taking a cursory look at some of the people that I would consider real friends in whose lives I now have a vested interest, I am blown away by the sheer improbability of having been blessed with knowing them had I not had the internet to connect us:

1. Skippy: Ohio
2. Shawn Grimes: Missouri
3. Indranil: India
4. Khaled Abou Alfa: England
5. Rich Bowen: Kentucky (slight exception to the rule, we live close enough to actually see each other.)
6. Jennifer Ledbetter: Arkansas
7. Morydd: Illinios

This list is by no means exhaustive, these are just the first to come to mind.  I also have freinds in the Netherlands and Copenhagen whom I hope to see soon.

This convergence of technology has allowed me to feel a part of each ones life, and even in a small way to participate in them.  Even three years ago this would not have been possible with the ease that it is today.  From acting as a mentor of sorts for Shawn (who is an incredible up and coming designer... keep your eyes on that boy.), to being able to mourn with Morydd during his recent loss.  Is this a replacement for face-to-face interaction?  Never, but it is an extension of it.

Sometimes the greatest truths are the smallest.

What is so incredible about that simple statement that skippy made, is that it is true, he and I are friends, really and truly.  Today's technology has allowed us to become more of a global community, or as Cory Doctorow has written we are seeing the emergence of the Eastern Standard Tribe.

In our example I am citing the emergence of peer groups and relationships that extend across timezones and language barriers as opposed to tribal groups. But I think you can see the parrellels.

So what is next exactly?

There are incredible things happening in and around weblogs right now, there exists within the blogging phenomenon the power to change everything about how we communicate and live.

Some have lauded blogging as the New Journalism, and I am on the side of those that say "Dear God no!"  No I think blogging and what it evolves into, because people trust me this technology and movement is no where near maturity, will be the tool that finally allows for a vibrant, real-time global community.

Wrapping this all up.

What is interesting is how this bit of nonsense is closely tied to my previous article Personality and Utopia.  It is essential that we get past this "hiding" behavior that saturates the net today as quickly as possible, only then can we make real strides towards this globally connected future dreamed of by people like Cory, and in my own not-very-important way, by me.

So people, have you any stories to share of forging relationships via the pervasive technology of the internet?  Or have you not found this to be the case?  I would like to hear your thoughts and experiences.  Leave me a comment, or write your own article in response to this and track or ping me back.

The floor is now open.