Dan, its is people like you that give the net a bad name... with statements like "The point of all is this; Kids heres a tip for you: THIS AIN'T REALITY! It's diversion. Sometimes very cerebral diversion." and your title "CYBER PEOPLE ARE NOT REAL". This attitude gets up my graw... Saying this and things similar indicates to some that there is free licence to do and to say whatever they will and or please that can and does class as cyber-bullying, and in extreme cases as cyber-terrorism.
The Net is made up of real people with real emotions, talking with or communicating with real people with real emotions. Who are you to say they are not real people?
It would seem that perhaps you have been hurt online in the past, and that saying this then is some form of elixir to help the cyber-pain subside, and thereby give you licence to say and do whatever you please on line... well surprise - it does not!
The comment "Precious few are brave, or stupid enough to be 100% candid about whom they really are. Face it, you don't really know them at all beyond their opinion on a particular topic or comment they have made." is accurate, people may not know with whom they are talking - even more reason to treat people with respect rather than as something that is not real.
The phrase "its only cyber - its not real" is an over-generalisation to cover up something that is being done or said that would not happen if the person was opposite you. This type of attitude can be extended to encompass, for example: going to the local library... slapping someone there whom you dont know, never met, and sayhing oh, its not real, it only the library" or similar "going to a pub, and poking someone in the eye with a pool cue, and saying oh, its not real, its only the pub..." Of course you will say now that its not the same - but in fact it is exactly the same, the only difference is the medium within which it is contained! Another example, perhaps more inkeeping... "writing to a pen-pal and I say all kinds of things to them... then saying oh, its not real, its only pen and paper...!"
You need to wake up, and stop ranting, and begin to see that people use the internet not robots or some mechanical device!
Perhaps you are not real... and just some virtual entity, or mechanicla presence... if so, then sign over all your worldly wealth to me... as according to your title, you are not real...
Wake up - your coffee is cold! In closing you write "Don't bring your egocentric garbage in here." (EDITED: - Added comment) Well practice what you preach... and leave your ranting at home... and not on the net, afterall you are not real, only cyber!
Tova7, you address two issues:
1. They aren't real. It's only cyber space.
2. They are real, but a new version of reality with no set rules yet.
Both are fallacies - as there are rules governing it, and yes it is real. Your final statement "So yes, it is real. There are real people (though some may be liars) behind every screen and keyboard. And while I would never encourage net relationships to replace real life ones, they certainly make a very nice addition." says it all.
Jennifer1 states "Yes the people in cyberspace are real, yes cyber space can be a very dangerous place but not all people using cyber space show their true selves - some pretend to be stronger than they are in the real world, some shyier, etc etc etc the list is endless the end result is a persona is created or moulded."
Yes, cyber-space is dangerous... but so is going to the pub, crossing the road, or going swimming. Each and everyday you pass complete stragers in the street... they could be a suicide bomber, a paedophile, a rapist and murderer... just about anyone... but it would not be nromal to think of people in the street this way, but saying that cyber is not real allows a person to do and to say just what they want when they want how they want to whom they want under the guise of its not real... wake up people, it is real, very real, and currently there are laws being introduced to govern the net, and prosecute those who break the law!
