Yep. I live in Indiana, and there are debates as to whether I actually have an accent, but I'm from SC and am still very much a Southern boy at heart. I'll tend to use "sir" and "ma'am" with people in positions of respect. (My sweetheart's grandfather, after meeting me for the first time, closed our conversation by saying, "And my name is 'Art', not 'sir'.")
But on this board, and in most online situations, we approach things from a stance of equality. Or rather, the respect is judged by what is shown rather than what is seen. Anyone who's 80 years old is going to get a "sir" or "ma'am" from me regardless, in person. On here, I don't know anyone's age without looking -- those terms would come out with someone who is obviously an expert in their field and has impressed me with being light-years beyond my own understanding of something. They will not, regardless of age, in casual conversation.
That's actually one of the things that first got me hooked on electronic communication. Growing up, I was (to be immodest) significantly more mature than my age would indicate, in most respects. Online, I was given respect with regard to the maturity I showed, not the age that was seen.
