Comment Re:Physically, virtually, or both? (Score 1) 274
So, the poll should have asked "How many flesh-and-blood humans do you see with your eyes and without the aid of a camera or monitor?" or "How many people can you reach out and physically touch at this moment?". IRL, is too broad.
Well, to be fair, when you see "IRL" in an online post it is usually used to refer to someone you are physically communicating with, without the aid of a computer. Although the meaning of the actual words is quite broad, the meaning of the phrase is pretty clear.
But the line can certainly become blurry. I'm sitting next to my friend, who is also online. I just sent him an iChat message - does that mean I'm communicating with him IRL or not?
Also, I think I prefer the original poll to your suggestions. See, if I reached out to touch him I'd probably get a weird look, and if I attempted to conclusively verify that he was indeed flesh and blood I'd get something worse than just a look...