# How many Dopers am I one degree of seperation away from? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 25, 2010, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-am-i-one-degree-of-seperation-away-from/547952 "2010-07-25T16:17:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2010, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-am-i-one-degree-of-seperation-away-from/547952/1 "2010-07-25T16:17:55Z")
Over in [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=566932), there was this exchange: > [@You know you're a Doper when ...](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-youre-a-doper-when/543001/57): > > > [@You know you're a Doper when ...](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-youre-a-doper-when/543001/49): > > > > I’ve never met you. I think. On the other hand, I think you’ve met **Spoons** , and I’ve met **Spoons** , so you’re _almost_ real… > > I’m one degree of separation away from being real? Which got me thinking. How many Dopers am I one degree of separation away from? I’ve met **Cat Whisperer** and **Spoons** in real life, so that’s my baseline. How many of you am I one degree away from? (And, if anyone else wants to play and ask about their own degrees of separation, feel free, just so long as you remember that I am in fact the central focus of this thread. 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2010, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-am-i-one-degree-of-seperation-away-from/547952/2 "2010-07-25T18:16:34Z")
I’ve only met one other doper of whom I know, and he’s my brother. I doubt that he’s met anyone but me. I think we’re an island. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-am-i-one-degree-of-seperation-away-from/547952/3 "2010-07-25T18:47:59Z")
> [@](#): > > I’ve only met one other doper of whom I know, and he’s my brother. I doubt that he’s met anyone but me. I think we’re an island. No man is an island, entire to himself. I don’t think I’ve ever met **Cat Whisperer** or **Spoons** , unless they’ve changed their names, so I’m not almost-real to you. I met a variety of Northeast Ohio Dopers at a 'fest once, including **samclem** and **tomndebb** ; I’ve met **C K Dexter Haven** once when he was passing through Bozeman; I used to go to school with **Achernar** , who was very active back in the day but hasn’t been on in years; and I saw a talk by **The Bad Astronomer** once and chatted with him a bit afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2010, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-am-i-one-degree-of-seperation-away-from/547952/4 "2010-07-25T23:00:59Z")
I’ve met Samclem at my place. And I’ve met an entire HOST of Dopers at my old place in Virginia and various other MD/DC/VA events. That includes some well-travelled ones like Opal and such so there’s likely quite a few who are one separation from the Chance clan. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2010, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-am-i-one-degree-of-seperation-away-from/547952/5 "2010-07-25T23:27:29Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Which got me thinking. How many Dopers am I one degree of separation away from? I’ve met **Cat Whisperer** and **Spoons** in real life, so that’s my baseline. How many of you am I one degree away from? Well, I’ve also met **Sunspace** , **trupa** , and **Frank** , so there are three. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2010, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-am-i-one-degree-of-seperation-away-from/547952/6 "2010-07-25T23:37:28Z")
Do postcards count? ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-am-i-one-degree-of-seperation-away-from/547952/7 "2010-07-26T00:55:39Z")
I’ve met a lot. Thanks to **Democritus** , I’m probably one degree of separation from pretty much any Doper in CA who I also haven’t already met. ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-am-i-one-degree-of-seperation-away-from/547952/8 "2010-07-26T03:54:53Z")
For all I know, I could have met you, or **Gorsnak** or **Speaker for the Dead** without knowing it. But I’ve never actually met a Doper. I think we need a Saskadope meetup. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-am-i-one-degree-of-seperation-away-from/547952/9 "2010-07-26T03:58:04Z")
I’ve never met a Doper. But I have like three who are willing to fake-marry me if I ever need to migrate away from the US. Woo! ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-am-i-one-degree-of-seperation-away-from/547952/10 "2010-07-26T04:33:46Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > I’ve met a lot. Thanks to **Democritus** , I’m probably one degree of separation from pretty much any Doper in CA who I also haven’t already met. :waves: I’ve met Demo, psy, Kyla, gundy, and Hamadryad. I figure that covers a lot of Dopers. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-am-i-one-degree-of-seperation-away-from/547952/11 "2010-07-26T04:37:53Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > How many Dopers am I one degree of separation away from? I’ve met **Cat Whisperer** and **Spoons** in real life, so that’s my baseline. How many of you am I one degree away from? I’d say two: **Cat Whisperer** and **Spoons**. Whoever else they know, you’re two degrees of separation from: one degree from you to the people you know, and one degree from them to the people they know. ---
**Author:** ![Panurge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@Panurge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Panurge)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-am-i-one-degree-of-seperation-away-from/547952/12 "2010-07-26T09:49:07Z")
I’ve only ever met **Commasense** , so unless he has met any of you guys, I’m quite far from being “real”. ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-am-i-one-degree-of-seperation-away-from/547952/13 "2010-07-26T09:56:23Z")
I’ve never met a Doper. Does this mean I don’t exist? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-am-i-one-degree-of-seperation-away-from/547952/14 "2010-07-26T12:09:34Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > How many Dopers am I one degree of separation away from? I’ve met **Cat Whisperer** and **Spoons** in real life, so that’s my baseline. How many of you am I one degree away from? I’ve met **Spoons**. For that matter, I could have met you if I hadn’t been so wiped out that evening. In hindsight, knowing that I wouldn’t have taken the job in Edmonton even if offered, I regret not making the drive more slowly. I missed the opportunity to meet a number of people I would have liked to meet. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-am-i-one-degree-of-seperation-away-from/547952/15 "2010-07-26T12:57:30Z")
> [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](#): > > I’ve never met a Doper. Does this mean I don’t exist? Ah well, it’s tougher in the UK - fewer of us about. I’ve only met one Doper IRL, which was **Kal**. I think he may have met **jjimm** (or however you spell it), and I have a feeling he travels a bit, so I might be 3 degrees from some of you - or I may not. More information needed! ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-am-i-one-degree-of-seperation-away-from/547952/16 "2010-07-26T15:50:58Z")
The only one I’ve met in real life is MsWhatsit, before I was on these boards (and likely before she was as well). We discovered based on a response that I made in another thread that we were in the same dorm at Northwestern. (She was a freshman my sophomore year, IIRC.) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-am-i-one-degree-of-seperation-away-from/547952/17 "2010-07-26T16:28:37Z")
> [@](#): > > I’ve never met a Doper. Does this mean I don’t exist? No, you exist, it’s the rest of us that don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-am-i-one-degree-of-seperation-away-from/547952/18 "2010-07-26T16:37:45Z")
To be clear, in the OP example, **Cat Whisperer** is one degree separated from **Spoons** (and reality), _two degrees_ from **Sunspace**. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-am-i-one-degree-of-seperation-away-from/547952/19 "2010-07-26T16:37:58Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > I’ve met a lot. Thanks to **Democritus** , I’m probably one degree of separation from pretty much any Doper in CA who I also haven’t already met. Unlikely. I haven’t met anyone from here and there are hundreds more like me. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-am-i-one-degree-of-seperation-away-from/547952/20 "2010-07-26T17:42:28Z")
I’m like Kevin Bacon. I’ve met over two hundred dopers at various meetings in at least six different states and provinces. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-am-i-one-degree-of-seperation-away-from/547952.md?page=2)