I too consider many here to be my friends, but the difference is we have all been in communication for some time. In our minds eye we have been able to form an image of each other built up over time. Many of us use each others real names when chatting. A few of us have communicated away from this site as well.
My worries are that people are being bought together on the premise of lending each other dvd's and cd's. I doubt very many at all would be 'friends' if this sharing wasn't going on.