# 'International Straight Dope Meetup Day?' Whatzit? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 19, 2004, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-straight-dope-meetup-day-whatzit/225206 "2004-01-19T16:22:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2004, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-straight-dope-meetup-day-whatzit/225206/1 "2004-01-19T16:22:06Z")
While testing Google for another thread I ran across this: [International Straight Dope Meetup Day.](http://sdmb.meetup.com/) It seems to have been started by someone here with all the right links. Some of the people’s names look familiar, except this one person named **esprix** , whom I have never heard of yet he or she claims to have organized Dopefests. 😕 If this _IS_ one of our funtions, though of course not sponsored by the Chicago Reader etc, it doesn’t turn up in a search of the fora. What is this poorly advertised but intriguing monthly event that has the potential to prevent me from having to watch _Enterprise_ one Wednesday per month? How does anybody expect people to go if they don’t tell people about it? Why are the Wheaton, Illinois, venues all in Warrenville or Naperville? ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2004, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-straight-dope-meetup-day-whatzit/225206/2 "2004-01-19T17:15:27Z")
**dropzone** , what you’re seeing is a gathering on [Meetup.com](http://Meetup.com) - a lot of the political candidates are using the site to organize monthly get-togethers. Awhile back, someone, maybe **Esprix** (by the way, he’s _The Gay Guy_! Where you been? 😉 ), set up a Straight Dope group. You can join the group, and each month Meetup picks a date and a place for your group to get together. I’m signed up with the San Diego location of Straight Dope Meetup, along with **Esprix** and I think 1 or 2 others. But in order for them to pick a place for you to meet, you have to have 5 people signed up. Once you have that, they’ll give you options of places to meet, the group votes, and voila! Instant Dope Fest. I’ve cruised around Meetup to see what else they’ve got, and they have all sorts of groups - LiveJournal seems to be a popular one, of course the political ones are hot, but there are groups for singles, stay-at-home moms, fans of different music/literature, etc. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2004, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-straight-dope-meetup-day-whatzit/225206/3 "2004-01-20T14:10:17Z")
**Esprix** is GAY??? Who’da thunk it–he seems so…butch. How did you find out? Did he tell you or did he hit on the waiter? I am pouting that nobody from my immediate area has signed up so I shan’t, either. No, really, it sounds like a cool idea that needs publicity. So if anybody from Chicago’s Western Burbs wants to do it maybe I’ll sign up, too. ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-straight-dope-meetup-day-whatzit/225206/4 "2004-01-21T04:08:40Z")
Um, you _are_ joking, yes? 😕 Esprix ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-straight-dope-meetup-day-whatzit/225206/5 "2004-01-21T04:31:08Z")
> [@Esprix](#): > > Um, you _are_ joking, yes? 😕 EEEEK! It’s that homer-sexual gent, isn’t it? And just LOOK at this place! Gotta class it up some before I respond or I’ll be featured on _Queer Eye._ _After knowing you for nearly four years, sir, I should **hope** so._😃 ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-straight-dope-meetup-day-whatzit/225206/6 "2004-01-21T18:20:21Z")
Ah, ok. Just checking. 😛 And yes I did sign myself as an organizer for SDMB meetups at [meetup.com](http://meetup.com). I’m also signed up for LJ, queer and sci-fi meetups, but I haven’t gone to one yet. Funny story - I was at one of the popular meetup spots in San Diego and I was wearing a LiveJournal t-shirt, and don’t you know someone saw me and tracked down my LJ! You never know who’s watching… 😉 Esprix ---
**Author:** ![TheInterruptingCow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9c0ed/32.png) [@TheInterruptingCow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheInterruptingCow)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/international-straight-dope-meetup-day-whatzit/225206/7 "2004-01-21T20:48:01Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > I am pouting that nobody from my immediate area has signed up so I shan’t, either. > > No, really, it sounds like a cool idea that needs publicity. So if anybody from Chicago’s Western Burbs wants to do it maybe I’ll sign up, too. **’zone** , another (far) western 'burbs dweller, here…I never heard of this either. I’d definitely be interested, though, as I rarely get into the city these days and apparently BurbDopes are few and far between. There’s gotta be more of us out here. Speak up! Surely the local SDMB membership isn’t limited to those tasteful, erudite denizens of the city proper and the northern suburbs. 😉