In message , at 19:17:06 on Mon, 9 Mar
2020, MissRiaElaine remarked:

Ah online "friends". Not the same thing at all.

Not the same, but to me as equally a friend as someone who lives
locally. I can pick up the phone and call them,

The expression "online friend" has become a bit devalued over the years,
but I try to stick to only people I have earlier met in person.

As a bit of a social butterfly at conferences, that's several hundred.

(More than 600 on Linked-in, 250 on Facebook, and 500 Twitter followers
although they are the least-curated)

Both Facebook and Linked-In try to nag one into befriending strangers
(based on second-order connections as well as pure spammers).

I'm prepared to accept a few well-qualified persons who have also gone
to the trouble of phoning me, otherwise only people I have actually met.

if I feel so inclined and have made myself look reasonably presentable,
I can have a video call with them.

That's a whole new can of worms. A bit like the apocryphal TV news
presenter with no trousers on under the desk.
--
Roland Perry