Why Play Online?

@pawnmulch ... still my point is that, how would you know if you're actually playing against a person, versus a computer? Its all seemingly an illusion. I mean, I know that logically its a person on the other side ... connected via the internet, but there are really no other signs that warrant that conclusion.

I'm saying that, to what minimum does human connection exist? How real am I to you when this is all simply text ... I'm no more than the body of my words. I've just been contemplating how odd the online connection is. The majority of interaction is in your mind ... its a projection of what you 'think' ... like a book.

I guess I want more - but I think people in general don't want to be that exposed. Its vanity, selfishness, greed ... a much deeper conversation I know, but these are the underlying problems that plague humanity.

LOL

Chesswise you couldn't be any more nude, self-less and hard-earned than here. Unless of course you cheat out of vanity, selfishness and greed.
It would be interesting to know, if they send out bots to play - and chat - how lichess manages to find them and protects this reservation of human interplay.
To get more than the exchange of moves and thoughts, going out (people exposing themselves to one another) will bring more real encounters- until there is programs everywhere in the streets.

sometimes youll get ass holes that tell you how much you suck and they will never grant you a rematch , and then you remember why you in fact hate people , but most of the times chat is empty ...

1 we are in the middle of a pandemic
2 you can have alot of different opponents

I do like going out to a coffee shop drinking coffee and playing in person though before all this it is what I was doing

Play more games against a wider variety of opponents = more experience and opportunity to grow as a player.