My Friends...

What do you think of changing the term "Friend"  on Chess.com to "Contact/s", or some similar term?... "Opponent", "Challenger", "Player" ?

Something more relevant. and less relative.

Or something a little more... personal

Frienemy?

 What is wrong with friend?

Not a bad idea...but trying to get chess.com to change it would be the hardest part. You'd probably have a lot of people who would jump on a band wagon if you started one. I'm sure plently others would agree with you.

Friend ... as in 'friendly fire'.

lol!   

Or simply rename it future ex-friends

Yea, that's another posibility, It just needs something that relates more specifically to the relationship than "Friend".

I wouldn't describe a friend as... a person that serves and speakes to you for 2-3 minutes at a hardware store, or a Telemarketer that calls your home phone every 3 months. Having a game of chess or a conversation with someone, doesn't mean their likely to be invited to the next BBQ (outdoor cook-up) at my place.

I wouldn't describe Tonydale as a friend by any stretch of the imagination, and yet I have no problem conversing with him and appreciating or disputing his point of view.

It's a bit like going to a site called Chess.com and finding that it's a Drafts playing site, (Hey... their both board games!) the terms used for communicating ideas or directing conversation, should idealy relate to the context of the communication.

But... it's not a life or death issue.

And the politican said, " My friends...."

The topic Intro could be viewed as an oxymoron, But...
it's a quote from http://www.chess.com/home/friends.html

On threads anything is possible when it comes to intended meanings, but I was just thinking of how many times I heard< "My friends" during the last campaign. 

Since at the present time I only play OTB. I can choose the friends I want to play with.  I only remember playing with one rude stranger once at a chess club.  I did not have to decide whether to play him again, because he chose not to play me again. 

I was a new member and  I did not yet have a rating.  He wanted to play all new members to establish how his rating compared to theirs.  Lucky for me there were many players far over my level that would play with me, and even though they beat me soundly, they were willing to discuss the game with me and give me pontiers.  I have never forgotten their kindness and do my best to do the same for beginners.   

My Friends...PleaseSignHere____

I want to be your friend. Where do I sign?

I personally like chess acquaintance

That sounds safe enough.  

*should read Cyberspace note Ivandh#22
I appreciate the difference of "Hyperspace"*, to the more tangible world where the sun falls on the western horizon, but they are both part of the same "real life", otherwise police wouldn't use "Hyperspace"* content as evidence in court.

Appreciation for others is something that can be expressed from a remote position, that is...remote from a geographically or relationship position.

It can be an interesting educational and appreciable part of life, to engage with people who have many other experiences, who come from other cultures, as well as socio-economic and educational backgrounds.

I don’t presume to call these people friends just because I've communicated or interacted with them in some form. But I often appreciate the brief (or lengthy) Chess game and communication, that I've had with them.

It may be that some people actually view these interactive occasions as times of friendship, and they may well be right as to the characteristic of the occasion, but most of us would have seen people act honourably and selflessly with compassion as fathers and mothers to younger people, but... that doesn't make them their father or mother,

*Cyberspace.  Hyperspace is what the Millenium Falcon flies through.

Thanks for the adjustment, I'll take it on board,

this thread needed a bit of humour at last!

...By the way, check out this clip   http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=194633005204962690#

This is great.  I have dabbled in magic in the past and I will forward this to my magical friends.