h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The internet is a wonderful medium. It has made the world so much smaller and allowed people from different countries and cultures to share their experiences.

It's not just love that grows on the internet, but a great deal of friendships. Of course you have to be careful that who you're talking to is who they really say they are, but many organised forums can help alleviate that. Especially if there is a common interest that gives people the opportunity to meet face-to-face.

I have always had a few select friends in my life. From school. From University. From work. But it's more and more difficult to meet people now. Where do you go? The supermarket?!

But in the last few years the number of friends I have has grown through using the internet. The girl I consider my closest friend lives the other side of the world in Australia - I'm in England. But over the internet there seems to be less judgement. You can talk more openly than you often can face to face. And for this reason, I feel that she knows me better than almost everyone else on this planet.

Through a motorsports forum I have also made a great number of friends. We got to know each other online, and have cemented that friendship by meeting up for races. Even if you do meet up fairly regularly the internet is still a brilliant media for keeping in touch daily, weekly or as often as you like.

Finally, I am one of those lucky ones... I found love through the internet. Luckily for me, there's only 100miles between us. That may sound a lot, and often feels a lot, but we chat online every night and also spend all our weekends together. The internet is a fantastic place!!