CELEBRITY!!

I can understand your misgivings about how the internet (particularly social media) uses our affections and need for friendship. For example, if one considers a social media platform like Facebook, it is fairly obvious that someone with hundreds of 'friends' isn't friends with all those people. In the early days of my frequenting Facebook, I would occasionally receive Friend Requests from people I had been at school with... People that had never even spoken to me at school. There were some requests I accepted, mainly out of curiosity. Sometimes I would send these 'friends' a message, but receive no response. Same thing if I commented on their status updates. As these 'friends' and I weren't benefitting in any way from our non-communicative 'friendships', I decided they had to go and promptly unfriended them.

It may sound corny, but I have always considered my friends to be the family that I choose. Whilst I have had friendships that have drifted apart, I have also been blessed with friendships that have gone from strength to strength, with people who have known me for decades.

One thing that saddens me is when I see young members on these forums who are desperate for friends and appear to think that a couple of brief conversations with someone here will automatically result in being best friends for life. Whilst it can be possible to form meaningful lasting friendships with people we encounter online, I think it is rare. I feel it can be agreed upon that both online and offline friendships take time to establish, and therefore don't happen overnight based on one or two brief exchanges.

Your film night was a brilliant idea, and I'm sorry that it wasn't the success you hoped it would be. Were it not for the fact that I prefer to watch films on my widescreen TV from the comfort of my sofa (as opposed to my small desktop monitor in my kitchen), then I may well have 'participated' if the film screening appealed.

Will we be seeing you in The Jungle next year? You might be a little too famous for that program!

Sporadic Sparkly said:

Considering that many of us here can struggle to make friends, it had somewhat amused me that you were pleading with your existing friends to un-friend you for the sake of your experiment.

I have deep misgivings about how the internet uses our affections and need for friendship, particularly in the media that I personally won't go near with a barge pole. 

For me, a friendship is an intimate sort of relationship, where I "allow people in" and a non trivial thing indeed. In the real world I have more good friends than a lot of my peer group do, because in my youth like many autists I had none, so I learned how to make, and more importantly, sustain friendships. The guy I was just talking to on the phone I have been a friend of, for fifty years, although there was about thirty years when we didn't see much of each other for the usual reasons.

 So my lack of understanding of how I've got to this position on this forum is very real, and something of a mystery to me. 

But being a geek, I've got this technical curiosity going about the badges, but it simply wasn't right I felt, to ask people who'd signed up for my friends list in good faith, to unsubscribe.

After all they might not be so cynical about the "friends" thing as I am, and might find it hurtful, but as I saw the next badge seemingly inexorably approaching it seemed fair game to ask for some "false friends" to show up and then de-friend me at the appropriate time. 

There's nothing special about me, that isn't special about most people, except that I've had a lot of luck that has pushed my life in some oddly interesting directions, which gives me stories to tell. 

I don't like the feeling of being "abnormal", and if I have an "abnormal" amount of friends, then perhaps after doing this little experiment, with the badges, I'll turn my attention to trying to figure out how we can bring everyone's numbers up a bit, (those who want more friends, of course) 

"Film Night" seemed like a no-brainer when it came to helping people find friends, and indeed since I now know I can provide the service over 90% reliably, and have an increased stock of "films so god I'm happy to watch them again next year" I can market it a bit more confidently to you lot.

If that doesn't work, I'll just do what I did last year (because it was unexpectantly enjoyable) and see if I can figure out a better way to share whatever else it is I seem to have ..    

For the avoidance of doubt, I also own 1 Gold Sovereign coin which apparently if was all shared out equally, as well as my own share it incorporates 13 other peoples half gram shares as well.

I feel no guilt at all about that particular inequality, nor wish to address it in any way whatsoever. Indeed if I ever earn more than I need I'll be seeking to increase that inequality  and leave it to my kid.. 

Thanks for that guys, thanks to your help I am only ONE new "Friend" away from the (not so) covetted "Celebrity" status!

So oooo Cloose!

It's a useless experiment, granted, but surely someone else wants to know if they coded this feature well enough to take the badge back off me, when I lose the new "friends" again...

I seem to recall you mentioning a while back (earlier this year, or possibly last year) that you had achieved a new status 'badge'. If memory serves, I think you requested your NAS friends to un-friend you, as you were curious as to whether you would lose that badge.

Considering that many of us here can struggle to make friends, it had somewhat amused me that you were pleading with your existing friends to un-friend you for the sake of your experiment.

I do not think you are unpopular. Whilst I might not always interact with you, you would be missed if you were no longer an active member of these forums.

Like many members, I suppose, if I read something you (and others) have posted that piques my interest or resonates in some way, I am more inclined to want to interact. However, sometimes I can read things I find interesting, but won't interact because I don't always know what to say. If not that, then sometimes it is because other members have said what I would have said, but expressed in a much better way.

Sorry! I think I'm rambling now, so I'll shut up.

I Sperg said:

Especially as I feel that my presentation and interactions with people have gradually become less nice and positive overall, to the extent that I've been trialling winding down my participation, and building a vision of me quietly leaving this forum, when the time seems right

I'm sorry to read this and hope you don't leave.

I read whichever of your posts I find and value your 'different' (to me) take on life.

All the best for your experiment.

I don't think you're unpopular Sperg :) 

I see a lot of support in your posts and I think you're awesome.

Happy to take part in your experiment as well ^^

Ill help with your experiment