Social networks like MySpace offer a great way to meet people, even if you never get together with them in real life. I joined MySpace eighteen months ago, and I have dozens of friends I haven't actually met in the flesh. As in real life, some of my online friends are closer to me than others. I genuinely care about some of them. MySpace is a great way to meet people from all different kinds of background. I have friends from all over the world. One of the most beautiful things about the Internet is that it allows us to meet people online that we would never otherwise have had the opportunity to know. When we meet people from other cultures and begin to communicate with them, it broadens our horizons and opens our minds.

Because I've joined a few of the MySpace groups, many of the people on my friends list are also friends with each other. We are a little online community. Quite a few of my MySpace friends live in the state of Pennsylvania. We plan to meet as a group in Pittsburgh some time in 2008. If you want to meet people on your MySpace friends list, be careful. If you can, meet as a group. Always tell somebody where you are going and how long you intend to stay there. Never arrange to meet anybody at their home, regardless of how benevolent they may seem. Instead, meet them in a public place. It's great to meet people in the flesh for the first time, but it's important to stay safe when you do.