Autistic-spectrum people tend to prefer finding and interacting with people over the Internet - personally, much of my support network is a couple hundred miles away from me, and I get to see some of them only a couple of times a year. It works out - I also get as much irl socialisation as I desire (I even organise an unrelated monthly social event).
I agree, fortunately nearly everyone now socialises on the internet (Facebook etc) so hanging out in forums is no longer a strange and sad thing. But I'd argue that it's still not enough, even if we prefer it (I'm also mildly autistic). I found it the hard way when I couldn't express the most basic thoughts in a group project (for example) and it really affected my self-esteem and my work, and I've no doubt that there are many stories like that. I think it's important to acknowledge the fact that we also live in the real world, and that we need to try and learn how to 'blend' in the best we could without sacrificing our own 'quirkiness'. Otherwise our options range from hermit to (if you're lucky) lone genius! And learning how to blend in is no mean feat, so having peer support throughout that journey as I suggested earlier could be really helpful.
