I know this thread is wicked old but I've been offline for 3 weeks and I'm having a night of interference catch-up (yeah I know its saturday but most of my friends are headed back to school at the moment). Anyway in high school I had an online relationship that was Intense. I actually started it by meeting the guy in person, he went to an international school in Europe that had a sister relationship with my school and they were visiting the US, and it was pretty instant attraction. I actually made a total fool of myself, we were at a movie withother friends after knowing eachother a day and he leaned over and said something during the commercials. I thought he said "I like you" and I thought well, bold, but I'll take it, so I said "I like you too." Turns out he'd said "like you" in reference to something in the commercial. I think my glowing red face lit up the theater. But the next day when he left he gave me a note returning the sentiment and I finagled his email address out of someone and thus began a 5 month thing of coordinating time zones to talk 5 hours a day online. Oooooheeey sleep deprivation. I saw him when my class visited Europe and his school but it was very brief, during the summer I was gearing up for college while he still had another year left of high school and I started to feel like we were in very different places so I broke it off. This was a very serious relationship, I truly believe that in some cases you can open up more online than in person and really get to know someone. But of course I had met him so I knew he wasnt some 50 year old ax murderer. He was so pissed he didn't talk to me for months even though there was some major civil unrest in his home country and I was freaking out about his family's safety. Ok the rest is irrelevant - we talk once in a while now but even though I spent the semester a short trip from him in Europe he never answered my requests to plutonically get together (we both have a boyfriend/girlfriend now).
Point is, it can be very, very real, and more intense than in person. But it can also fall apart because online its harder to see changes in someone, or get non-verbal cues or hear the tone of voice. So be careful, for more than just the abduction in the car reasons, but it can be quite real.
LOVE On line! 
One guy seemed very sweet, and when we met, he tried to abduct me. I had to jump out of his car while it was moving. Another guy I talked with on the phone and online for hours. We were making plans to meet in person. Then I called him one day...and his fiancee answered...and then he denied ever knowing me, and he said I was crazy and should go kill myself. 
Oh, I could go on and on. But the first guy I met actually was a sweetheart, and we were engaged for awhile...but it just wasn't meant to be. He truly was wonderful though.
If it's something you are willing to try, just be aware that it can be very hard and heartbreaking. Then again...so can any relationship. The man I'm with now I met at an old job. He didn't even own a computer until I moved in with him and brought one...and my friends were all pleased by that fact. 
I'm not french
eh is a awesome word!!
