I am the same on here as I am in real life. I haven't met up with anyone from this board, I have nothing to lose or gain, why would I not be 'real'? People fascinate me, I love to hear the different opinions, often coming from a viewpoint I hadn't been able to imagine for myself. I have also been given some very good advice at times, in a kindly way. Nothing on here has made me feel that it is unreal. The OP reminds me of how it used to be many years ago now, when online forums first started up. I would refer to an 'online friend' and people would look at me as if I was barking. When I did meet up with those friends they were every bit as nice as I found them to be online, and ten years on we are now all very close.
Where else can you find so many people who think as you do? If you head for a thread that interests you, the likelihood is that you will continue to find the same people on there, time and again, and eventually you will become friends.