I met my Master online. After we met in person, and he moved back to Ohio with my butt still in NC, our real relationship started. There was ALWAYS the knowledge that eventually we would either break up or live together.
So, speaking from some experience,
They suck. But it's better than letting someone you love leave forever. If I had to do it over, I would still have started the relationship when I did, and not tried to wait the 8 months it took me to move up here to be with him.
I am horrible at long distance. Foster care taught me that when a person is not there physically, they probably aren't going to be a part of my life. If they come back, great, but otherwise, I'll probably never see or hear from them again. I have one friendship that has lasted, and we go through spurts of talking and spurts of being too busy to talk. I have yet to talk to her since I decided to quit, but I will most definitely be letting her know soon.
I do NOT feel that it's wise to start a relationship long distance if you've never met in person. Take that no further than an interest! You have no idea what they are really like. So many people are different online, over the phone, or on camera than they are in person. DO keep up a friendship, DO express interest, DO arrange an in person meeting so you can find out if that's who they are in person.
NOTE: just because a person is different in one setting than another doesn't mean they are "Faking" or being untrue to themselves. We all have different parts of ourselves that only come out in certain settings. Am I a different person on cam than when I'm walking down the street? You sure as hell bet I am. In real life, I'm totally shy, and will run away if you tried to approach me in ways so many approach me online. Does that mean the camera me is not the "real me" ? No, it just means it's a different aspect of me. That's the me that comes out when I don't have to worry about what the other person might do, and can do what I want without fear. Doesn't that make the me on camera the real me? But it doesn't make the off-camera me any less real either.