Eric, been there, done that, and they didn't help at all. Too worried about their own problems to give a damn about mine. Otherwise they just wanted to flirt and cause problems.
With what I've been through recently I can honestly say you have to be very careful about who you trust on the Internet. Shooting the bull is one thing, but real friendships are hard to come by anywhere let alone in Forums and Chat rooms.
There's also a forum for every interest you could possibly have. Motorcycles of every kind, boats, cars, welding, machining, Specialty metal lathes, hunting, and gunsmithing. All things I've been and still are involved with.
It always seems as though interests wane and people move on, but never really make that contact a good local club can generate.
Maybe I'm just too cynical at this point.
There are some good people here and I must admit I'd like to have a beer with a few and discuss other things we have in common. Maybe one day.