Networking online – “no time for that stuff”

Someone told me yesterday that they didn’t have any time for online networking and I found that a bit strange and it set me wondering why or how she got to that view.
Is it because she likes to judge people on what she sees? The old “first impression” stuff. Or is it that voices and accents count and you don’t get them online in quite the same way?
Or did she just like getting up at a time when someone else wanted her to come to their “Event” and was responding?
You see: where I’m come from is that I see online networking as a perfect complement to offline networking. They are not mutually exclusive, and each has strengths and weaknesses.
I hate getting up early, well that’s not quite true:I hate getting up early to go out to a meeting. Sitting in my dressing gown and working is fine for me. I won’t too graphical here.
But what I get from being able to operate online is flexibility. The flexibility to choose when I want to work, and it certainly works for me.
But there are occasions when I do get out (gosh, that sounds a bit like Nigel No Mates) and meet others, but the chances are that I’ve researched online before going and will work the event to maximise my opportunities to develop relationships. The next week has 5 such opportunities and you know what: I reckon at some stage when I’m sitting in the car on the way to or way back from one of these events I’m going to think that I’ve got no time for this stuff!
And I’d be wrong too.