Nkrs I did an experiment on my group of friends. I figured out that they were only interested in hanging out with me if they needed something from me, and the only times we were seeing each other besides that is when I was the one to make first contact. I stopped sending messages and calling them, and after 8 months of silence, one of them sent me a message - you guessed it - because she needed a favour. I don't know how we were friends to begin with.

Martijn I don't really have the whole favours thing, but contact does get slow if I am not the one to initiate. Guess that's why I am happy to have IRC: asynchronous friendships.

Nkrs IRC is great but it doesn't do well with doing things with people offline.