An Excellent Short Explanation of Online Meeting
This came from an IM chat with one of my company's analysts regarding the new process of getting to know someone online before meeting them in person. And I think she hits it squarely on the head.
Esther - I've known several people who first met online. Most of those relationships last... and are (for lack of a better term) well bonded. You know all the important things about the person -- what they think, how they feel about topics that are sometimes uncomfortable to bring up in live social situations, and there's often more emotional sharing (saying "I feel depressed today" rather than just being grumpy) than in person.