I've been lurking here for a while because my regular boards are annoying me right now, and this thread actually insprired me to sign up and write.
I belong on another board for Off Roaders (jeeps and Zuks) and we are all mostly local within several hours drive. We get together all the time. It's funny because alot of the time, you don't know who anyone is until you just ask them point blank. For those of us who know each other only thorugh the board we mostly go by our user names. Those we know fairly well we actually use real names, but it all depends on how much you communicate with the others.
I have noticed that many people on the board I frequent are totally different in real life than they are on the board. Most of the guys who are really rude on the board are pretty nice in person and vice versa. It's odd because I think that the anonymity of an internet board gives people free license to just blurt out whatever they think, and in real life most people don't have the balls to be that way.
Me? I am exactly in real life like I am on any board. What I write is who I am. Just my thoughts. Also, wanted to note that some of my best friends I met on that board and through Jeep trail runs. Pretty cool. We post a trail run and camping date and just show up. It's fun and a good way to meet new people. Gotta be brave enough to go though!