Is it possible to become a buddhist without a formal teacher?

I was reading a particular question about conversion. This particular answer discusses how one converts to become a buddhist: https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/questions/2031/how-does-conversion-work-in-buddhism > First of all, there isn't one agreed upon definition about when you > are truly a Buddhist. Some people say you are a Buddhist if you > consider yourself to be one, others say you need at least several > years training from an acknowledged Buddhist teacher. Is it possible to become a buddhist without a formal teacher or formal teaching? If so, does one just learn from online experiences and research?