>I think it's pretty realistic that someone would like to get in contact with you but doesn't necessarily have your phone number or a way to ask you for it.
Who, exactly, would that "someone" be? If they don't know me, what would possess them to decide "oh gosh, I just adore Nobody9999. I wish I had some way to get in touch with him/her/they/xe. That sucks!"
>I think the idea of trying to make people "prove" they're your real friends and cutting the people who don't reach the threshold out of your life is a way of making your life a lonelier one.
You completely misunderstand my point. I will assume good faith (but given what I said and your reply, that stretches credulity, but I will try) here and explain:
I don't make anyone do anything.
I also don't beg people to spend time/energy on me. Relationships (of all kinds, familial, professional, platonic or romantic) are a two-way street.
If someone is only willing to interact with me through a particular medium, and if I don't they want nothing to do with me, how important am I to that person?
And that, like all relationships, goes both ways.
Someone I only interact with online ain't my friend. At best they're an acquaintance. If there's something more there we both will make the effort to maintain our relationship.
Anyone who's had any sort of personal relationship knows that they take work to maintain. That's a two-way street.
Some rando on the 'net ain't my friend. Or at least not until we both make the effort to change that.
Honestly, I'm not really sure why this needs explaining.
Edit: Corrected spelling (of my own name, no less) error.
Who, exactly, would that "someone" be? If they don't know me, what would possess them to decide "oh gosh, I just adore Nobody9999. I wish I had some way to get in touch with him/her/they/xe. That sucks!"
>I think the idea of trying to make people "prove" they're your real friends and cutting the people who don't reach the threshold out of your life is a way of making your life a lonelier one.
You completely misunderstand my point. I will assume good faith (but given what I said and your reply, that stretches credulity, but I will try) here and explain:
I don't make anyone do anything.
I also don't beg people to spend time/energy on me. Relationships (of all kinds, familial, professional, platonic or romantic) are a two-way street.
If someone is only willing to interact with me through a particular medium, and if I don't they want nothing to do with me, how important am I to that person?
And that, like all relationships, goes both ways.
Someone I only interact with online ain't my friend. At best they're an acquaintance. If there's something more there we both will make the effort to maintain our relationship.
Anyone who's had any sort of personal relationship knows that they take work to maintain. That's a two-way street.
Some rando on the 'net ain't my friend. Or at least not until we both make the effort to change that.
Honestly, I'm not really sure why this needs explaining.
Edit: Corrected spelling (of my own name, no less) error.