Daley Ponderings

I've noticed the "kids" at church (in quotes, since folks are quite sure where to place me, the "adults" say I'm a kid, and the "kids" say I'm adult (I think primarily since I'm married and have kids of my own)) hug more than I am used to, and I had internally wondered a couple times if it was a culture thing (e.g. confined to our church) or if it was a larger generational thing.

We did have conversations in college about what the increased "virtual relationships" would do to individuals, and how would it affect the desire for intimacy, and how is "virtual intimacy", where folks are willing to share all sorts of details with the larger world, particularly in a more anonymous nature, related to "true intimacy", relationships with folks in a real/touchable manner -- close geographically, so as to have a real community, at least in my definition of "community".

I agree with Phil that it is possible to have online communities, but I think there is a stark difference between those you relate with on a local level, versus internationally.  What does it mean to say that I (used to) email the developers of LifeType's blogging software every day, but never met them face to face (until I met Reto in Switzerland earlier this year), and only heard their voices once?  And does that have any comparison, within an order of magnitude, to the people I see more than once a week?  And I suppose that has to be contrasted with our neighbors, who I see almost every day, but rarely, if ever, have a significant conversation with them?