I can’t help but wonder if there are more Dopers out there who do not at all wish to meet other Dopers or meet other people they meet on-line.
Now, I have had one or two meetings with folks I have met on the net that had less-than-spectacular conclusions, but I’ve since found that there are so many Dopers who are worth meeting. Such nice people as those I spent just last Saturday with at NY Ren Faire.
Are there those out there who are still flighty about meeting people they speak with on-line? If so, why?
I’m not against meeting people I like and have known for a substantial amount of time (a year or more, I think). I’m not against meeting people I don’t really know if it’s local and I’m taking somebody I trust with me. I am against meeting a single person who (whom?) I don’t know that well if I’m alone because s/he could be that serial murderer my mother always warned me about. For the most part, I go with my gut. It rarely lets me down. I try to carry at least one legal self-defense weapon with me anytime I meet anyone from online. I’m flighty anytime I meet someone I know from online because I don’t have the “protection” of my computer screen anymore. (If that makes sense. I think I’m flighty in general, so if this whole thing doesn’t make sense, know that I lost my train of thought a few sentences back.)
shrug I just don’t like people that much. I was very painfully shy when I was younger, and I’ve managed to get over that for the most part. I’m pleasant to people that I’ve just met, but it takes me about a week of daily exposure to them to remember who they are or really look at them. As for never wanting to go to a dopefest… well, like most adult gatherings, they usually involve cigarettes and alcohol. Smoking gives me a throbbing headache that lasts even after a shower and change of clothes, and I just really don’t like to be around drinking.
Most of the people that I talk to online I know in real life, but I have no drive at all to meet those that I don’t know. It’s somehow more suitably futuristic to have a friend that you know only by their words. More equal, too.
Fascinating. Well, at least the Internet seems to have evolved beyond just getting geeks to talk to other people without actually having to deal in social situations.
After being forced to live in a small town with my mother, I really enjoy getting out to meet people whenever possible, and finding them on-line is veeeery easy.
snort
I have no problem with flying/driving to meet folks I’ve talked to online. I also apparantly have no problem getting naked with certain of them - according to my history at least.
[sub]no, I’m not looking to get naked with anyone new, thank you[/sub]
I have never met anyone from online that wasn’t a Doper. So I guess you could say my experience in this area is limited. But…
I have never met a Doper I wouldn’t want to meet again. IMHO, we have a very impressive bunch of people here. And I also think that the questionable people don’t stay…the level of intelligence here, and the level of intolerance for dishonest people, I think, makes them seek another place to “play.” I think it is fairly certain that if you meet a Doper, they are almost always exactly who you think they are. I did have a friend say that this isn’t true, based on her experience, but it certainly hasn’t been mine.
At least as far as I know, anyway.
And I think I am a fairly good judge of character.
Gravity - don’t automatically assume that all parties having smoking and lots of alcohol. It depends on the group and the activity.
The DFW dopefests have always been nearly smoke-free, if not completely so, and the NYC RenFest was smoke-free as well. We do drink, but it’s not the purpose of the evening, and I’ve never seen anyone get shit-faced drunk at our gatherings.
Not to say that your other reasons aren’t valid, but you really can’t make assumptions about dopefests - and a lot of gatherings will make special accomodations for people who need them. And if you like dopers on-line, you’ll love us IRL!
I’m about to go to my first Dopefest (Bamadope IV), and I couldn’t be more excited. Mostly because one of my bestest on-line friends, bobkitty, is putting me up in her house for the weekend. It’ll be swell!
I also met Arden Ranger, another of my bestest on-line friends, last Christmas, and I’d love to do it again; I felt somewhat constrained by my (now-ex) wife being there; I think she (my now-ex-wife) was somewhat uncomfortable about the whole thing. Arden, if you’re reading this, that’s the only reason I wasn’t more outgoing. Sorry.
Since both of these fine ladies live more than 1000 miles from me, it’s obvious that I don’t mind traveling a fair distance to meet on-line friends (Dopers only, but that’s the only on-line community I’m involved with). However, the people I’d travel a significant distance to meet are people who I’ve talked with at length for a period of several months–people with whom I’ve shared intensely personal stuff. In short, friends.
I’d travel to meet Dopers. . .the only other internet community I’m involved with is www.newgrounds.com. . .and I’d be a little hesitant to just pack up and go to one of their parties. But all the Dopers I talk to seem to be great, intellectual people. So, yeah, I’m all for it.
Well I don’t know where you live, but if you are ever able to attend a PNW or DFW DopeFest, I can guarantee you the your nose is safe. We are all pretty peaceful people, and I don’t know why you are worried anyway.
Okay, assuming there IS a reason, if you hit the PNW DopeFests, I will protect you. If you hit the DFW DopeFests let me know and I will insure your protection. I have [sub]looks furtively around[/sub] contacts.
Yeah, but guard your fanny in Houston. Zyada, Scotti, Lord Jim, Grace, Purrplebear, Pseiker…, they’ve all barely made it out of here with their lives - some of 'em several times(!!!). The locals - I don’t know, you gotta watch 'em - they’re HouDopers.
crimminy people, if you don’t want to meet other dopers, DON’T
I don’t think its required.
BTW, I’ve met Gorgon Heap and I found him to be funny and highly entertaining, and as an extra added bonus, he’s a really nice guy.
