I met my significant other online in a music chat room. We hit it off straight away and feelings became involved really quickly. After a few months the conversation of meeting came up, we debated long and hard about meeting for weeks before we actually did. The thing with online relationships is that handy delete button, you type, dont like what you say just delete it, find the perfect line then send. I must have been the most charming person in the universe to her.
We did eventually meet and i think we both had the initial shock at seeing each other, even though we had cammed, it was still a shock when her 5ft 2 translated to my 6ft 4. We spent the weekend together, which then quikcly turned to a week. We've been living together five years now and actually get married four weeks tomorrow (holy hell!!!).
So yes i believe online relationships work, but i think i was real lucky!