i'm all for instant messenger and what not, though i don't utilize it myself. i think it's nice that people can have a forum to pretend to be whoever it is they'd rather be and not have to sacrifice any pride or give up any fears in order to perpetuate this invented identity.

not that everybody who's down with that sort of thing is a freak or a liar. i'm sure most of them are perfectly nice people. or as nice as anybody gets these days.

my point is that it is much harder to lie to someone when they're right in front of you, and i take some comfort in that. it keeps me from puffing out my digital chest and waving my feathers in the air. it keeps me honest. conversely, i like to think that the other person is on a similar, if not entirely identical wavelength.

that may not sound like much, but it means everything to me.