Of all the gifts the Internet has given us, the most personal is certainly the ability to create virtual versions of ourselves, versions as similar or as different from our physical beings as we like. Though most of the time we choose to “be ourselves” online, who among us hasn’t at one point posed as someone we aren’t in order to take part in a stimulating chitchat?

Along with these new versions of real human beings, a set of social rules has emerged to govern the interaction between our virtual selves–rules known as internetiquette.

With every upgraded version of instant messaging programs and social networking websites, internetiquette changes. On the latest versions of MSN Messenger for example, the “Appear Offline” option allows us to lurk in the digital shadows, waiting to see if there’s anyone worth talking to without ourselves being seen. But the mother of all Internet communication features is one that exists on practically all networking programs: the “block” option.

I never used to think much about blocking. Sure, I used it here or there to keep unknown messengers like “Romio99” and “2sexie4u” off of my user list, but what harm did that do, since I’d never met those people in my real life? It’s just proper internetiquette. But when I found out via a social networking program that I was no longer able to access the page of someone who I thought up to that moment was a friend, it slowly dawned on me what had happened. By the click of a button, someone had virtually and literally terminated a three-year friendship. And the best part: neither I—nor the online version of myself—was given any sort of explanation.

While the Internet allows us to connect with friends and family who are a dangerously expensive long-distance phone call away, it has lessened our ability to face each other in person. We hide behind our Appear Offlines and our Away messages in order to escape from any form of confrontation. While we make what we think are bold moves, like blocking people from our friends lists, we would hesitate to make the same decision in the real world.

We’ve allowed our online selves to take the place of our real selves, our keyboards present in lieu of actual voices. We must be aware of how much of ourselves we are willing to give up to the Internet, and how much we set aside for real-life communication. Who among us hasn’t met someone who takes internetiquette beyond the computer and actually says things like “LOL” and “BRB” out loud?

As for the ex-friend, it’s been three months and no confrontation has taken place in either the second or third dimension. And although the inevitable drama of it all has subsided (“Should I counter- block? What do we do about all the shared friends? Do they block too?”), I hope that if ever faced with a similar situation, I will have the etiquette to “block” a friend in person rather than let my mouse do it for me.