What defines friendship?  When it's in person it usually is defined after each person knows the name of the other, and they begin to spend more time together.  But what defines friendship over the internet?  Is it when they start using their real names instead of their screen names?  Is it when they leave the site they were originally talking on to talk on a different site?  Or is it simply after a few conversations they have had with one another?  In the modern age, friends can come from all over the world, but are people considered friends before they've met each other in person?  Can friendship truly be gained and sustained on the internet or do the people have to talk face to face for it to be true friendship?

Just something that popped into my head a few minutes ago.

-VDG