Well, we first met in Kashyyyk...

[Darth_Taco]

Don't worry, my title actually has a point :P. Anyway, I just wanted to discuss something that's been bugging me for a while (and by a while, I mean years). This might be a bit long and rambled because I've barely slept in days XP. So yeah, just try to stick with me here.

So as many of you hopefully remember, I closed the distance in November 2010 after almost 2 1/2 years of the creepiest loving text messages we could come up with and I ended up living across the street from him. Don't judge us, we weren't ready to move in together! D:< This is not something we keep secret, so we tend to get a good chunk of people who want to know how the hell we did it :P. Remember, our type of relationship (online) is still like bigfoot, not everyone believes.

Ok, to the point! There is one particular question that seriously irritates the hell out of me more than the others. That question would be "So when did you guys finally meet in real life?" Real life? As oppose to where, Narnia? I know what they mean, but it's just hate that wording. He was part of my real life even before we first met in person, using the phrase "in real life" is like if you're calling him fake. It just pisses me off, and as you people know, when something pisses me off I turn into an asshole :P. Anyway, just wanted to know what you guys thought of the phrase "in real life"? Am I just being butt-hurt? xD

Oh, and it's Enrique's birthday today! :'D! He's 22 and I'm making him Portal cake @_@! I'll be posting pictures on facebook later. If I don't have you on facebook, I'll post the picture on here later too.

[LilyChiba]

It honestly does annoy me, but a lot of comments tend to be negative toward my relationship by the people I know in person around me. That's what I would rather say 'in person' or 'face to face'. Much better way of putting it personally.

[snow_girl]

I know what you mean, although it would be pretty sweet to meet someone in narnia! They should probably use 'in person' or 'within reaching distance' something like that. I don't think a lot of people think anything of it when they say 'in real life' or they mean in real touchable life opposed to 'in pixelated real life' if that makes sense?
Anyway Happy Birthday to Enrique! That sounds like a sweet cake, I'm not near talented enough to make cakes other then mug.

[Kairi19]

Weirdly enough that doesn't really bother me, though I see your point! What does annoy me is a lot of people's lack of belief that LDRs can and do work out. Even in movies they say it never works! I hated the look on my friends' faces when I first told them that my boyfriend would be away for a year. I wish they'd have more faith :/

[SquishyLove]

Well, if I gave a rat's ass what other people think, it would bother me. But in all seriousness, I do think it's stupid and ignorant when people say it.

[floridaellen]

Honestly, I don't even think I've ever thought of it like that and I met my SO on Facebook! I will try to not say that phrase anymore. I didn't know it was offensive. Sorry!

[Rugger]

LDRs have a lot of negative connotations because a lot of people have been hurt in them. It really makes me mad that people don't think they work simply because it didn't work for them. And to say " in real life" , does make it seem like they think it's not real, just because you hadn't met yet. I don't think you're being hutt-hurt. It's a really annoying thing people do. I get annoyed when they tell me that my SO is cheating on me because we are long-distance. I'm afraid it comes with the territory

On another note, wish Enrique a happy birthday. And PLEASSEE post pictures. I love looking at and decorating cakes.

[Dziubka]

In all honesty and having met my boyfriend offline, if people get all worked up about a the phrase "in real life", the first thing I would assume is that they're actually self-conscious about how they met.
It may not be the case for you, but why lose time or thought over this?

People have never actually told me that my boyfriend's cheating on my because we're LDR. But if someone ever does, it wouldn't annoy me. I know he's not (or maybe he's just very good at hiding it, either way I don't care) and that's enough for me. People cheat in close distance relationships all the time, too.

[lucybelle]

Never thought about it. My SO and I met in person, so I don't hear it much. But I don't know that it would bother me. I call my friends here "my in real life" friends, and my friends online my "online friends".

I do want to see that cake!!!!!!!!!!!!! Happy Birthday to Enrique!!

[Haley53]

I've used it before, not because I've ever thought about it but because it's almost habit? On another forum I was on, and that I was a part of for 5-6 years or so, people often used "IRL"/"in real life" to refer to "in person" or to the world outside the computer and I suppose I fell into the habit of it there. I can't say it's ever really bothered me, though I haven't had it used towards me a whole lot in general, but that also depends on the context. For example, someone once told me I must be abnormal and have something wrong with me because I was in a LDR with someone I met online, and they said I should get a "real life" boyfriend; whether it was the "real life boyfriend" bit or the comment as a whole, eh, still not entirely sure, but the "real life boyfriend" bothered me because it felt like an attack on my boyfriend. However, if someone innocently asks me "Have you met in real life yet?", while yes, maybe "Have you met yet?" would be more PC, it doesn't bother me. So for me, it's more about context and intention than anything, but I also grew up on a forum where the term did not have a negative context but was more simply something everyone used, sort of how I prefer to use "partner" but often end up saying SO on LFAD because almost every single person here does.

[mllebamako]

Hmm, now that I think about it, I've used that phrase to talk about online friendships. I think I've said on LFAD before, "Ohh too bad we all can't be friends in real life" or something along those lines. I don't think of online as "fake life", to me it's just kind of a common phrase that doesn't take on it's literal meaning.
Then again, I met my SO in person so maybe it would offend me if we had met online and I had that question asked to me.


ps. What's "portal cake"?

[sardonis]

mllebamako:

https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/the-cake-is-a-lie

[Zephii]

I'm not fond of the saying "in real life" but I use it all the time so.. *shrug* Obi and I met online, and if people thought to ask me "when did you meet in real life?" I don't think I'd realise the potetial to be annoyed was even there lol. I dunno, it's just... bigger fish to fry I guess..

[DollOnAMusicBox]

I can't really say it bothers me when I often say "IRL" so often. I guess to me "real life" is more than closed distance. Its when we're living together and really feeling eachother out. It doesn't discredit our online relationship or anything we have now as less real. It also doesn't mean we have two relationships. The one thing that DOES bother me is when people see it as two relationships with the same person. Thats way more than wording, thats just ignorance. My parents do it all of the time. But its just one more stigma of a "we met on the internet" relationship.

I made this post a few months ago on 9gag. Seems relevant now.

[Engel]

Honestly, I don't even think I've ever thought of it like that ! I will try to not say that phrase anymore. I didn't know it was offensive. Sorry!

same here, i said it before but didnt mean harm, will watch myself not to say it anymore