# So, How Many Dopers Have You Met IRL? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 28, 2012, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-dopers-have-you-met-irl/614252 "2012-02-28T14:05:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2018, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-dopers-have-you-met-irl/614252/121 "2018-03-12T17:19:57Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > Well we’re thinking of Edinburgh after Christmas time if you still reside there. Yes, still there - moved house (well, got the keys on Friday so we’ve not actually moved yet!) but still same business premises so I’m easy to find! I was working so I couldn’t go through from Edinburgh but, as I recall, the Scottish dopefest was mainly an afternoon in a busy Glasgow pub! As such, it went well, I gather! ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2018, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-dopers-have-you-met-irl/614252/122 "2018-03-12T17:30:52Z")
Fifteen-ish I suppose? A couple of whom I see pretty regular. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2018, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-dopers-have-you-met-irl/614252/123 "2018-03-12T20:15:20Z")
Btwn three full-on Dopefests and many onesy-twosy meetups, I’d say 30. (Two are Canadian, they’re more rare so should count double.) ---
**Author:** ![andygirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@andygirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andygirl)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2018, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-dopers-have-you-met-irl/614252/124 "2018-03-13T02:18:56Z")
Maybe around 100-ish? I went to several of the big NYC fests waaay back in the day and I have a lot of fond memories. Robot Arm and I hang out on the regular; I can’t say I spend a ton of time here anymore but it would be fun to have a Boston fest again sometime. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2018, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-dopers-have-you-met-irl/614252/125 "2018-03-13T04:15:42Z")
> [@andygirl](#): > > Maybe around 100-ish? I went to several of the big NYC fests waaay back in the day and I have a lot of fond memories. Robot Arm and I hang out on the regular; I can’t say I spend a ton of time here anymore but it would be fun to have a Boston fest again sometime. Long time, no post. If there’s ever another Boston 'fest, I’ll definitely let you know about it. ---
**Author:** ![andygirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@andygirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andygirl)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-dopers-have-you-met-irl/614252/126 "2018-03-14T03:24:50Z")
My extravagant lifestyle keeps me very busy, as you know. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-dopers-have-you-met-irl/614252/127 "2018-03-14T12:14:20Z")
Dozens, mostly at DopeFests, to include the infamous [DopeFest '11: SW Afghanistan](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=610159) (understandably sparsely attended). Tripler Good times, good times. ---
**Author:** ![AirFarce1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airfarce1/32/298_2.png) [@AirFarce1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AirFarce1)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-dopers-have-you-met-irl/614252/128 "2018-03-14T19:49:59Z")
Zero that I know of. I suspect I have met two based on conversations IRL. I’ve never attended a Dopefesst, even though I want to. NORDAK Dopefest, anyone? ---
**Author:** ![lel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8797f3/32.png) [@lel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lel)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-dopers-have-you-met-irl/614252/129 "2018-03-22T01:57:28Z")
50-ish, with only three or so in the past 14 years. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-dopers-have-you-met-irl/614252/130 "2018-03-22T02:47:06Z")
About 15? ---
**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:** [March 22, 2018, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-dopers-have-you-met-irl/614252/131 "2018-03-22T04:42:10Z")
Over two hundred if you include all dopers rather than those who are just currently active on the board. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-dopers-have-you-met-irl/614252/132 "2018-03-22T09:06:15Z")
A hundred, maybe? Used to go to a _lot_ of Dopefests, a dozen or more years ago. There used to be a very active Doper group in the greater DC area - went to a bunch of those Dopefests (including the ones out at **Jonathan Chance** ’s old residence in NW VA) and hosted a few at my house; went to a few of the multi-day NYC Dopefests over New Year’s; went to a number of **DaveW0071** ’s Ribfests; went to a couple of Raleigh NC Dopefests and one in Virginia Beach. It’s been occurring to me lately that there’s a number of Dopers in the DC area who’ve come along since the old days that I wouldn’t mind meeting IRL. One of these days I ought to do something about that. ---
**Author:** ![Curiosity\_Kills\_Her](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Curiosity\_Kills\_Her](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Curiosity_Kills_Her)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2018, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-dopers-have-you-met-irl/614252/133 "2018-03-22T21:08:34Z")
One. **Robot Arm**. He’s absolutely great, if you were wondering. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2018, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-dopers-have-you-met-irl/614252/134 "2018-03-23T09:02:05Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Hell, I just realized that at least three of them are dead, now. This somehow slipped by me earlier, but saw it just now, and it hit me. **Polycarp**. **OpalCat**. **danceswithcats**. **norinew**. **aenea**. **ChiefScott**. I knew all of them IRL, some of them pretty well. And all of them are gone. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2018, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-dopers-have-you-met-irl/614252/135 "2018-03-23T12:09:32Z")
> [@Curiosity\_Kills\_Her](#): > > One. **Robot Arm**. He’s absolutely great, if you were wondering. I suspected as much. I’ve met only one. We met in a natural way, as this is a small town. However, I had figured out his identity ahead of time and he did not know me. I think he was rather horrified to have a woman run up to him while he was at work, saying, “Hi, I’m Dung Beetle!” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2018, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-dopers-have-you-met-irl/614252/136 "2018-03-23T12:17:48Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > This somehow slipped by me earlier, but saw it just now, and it hit me. > > **Polycarp**. **OpalCat**. **danceswithcats**. **norinew**. **aenea**. **ChiefScott**. I knew all of them IRL, some of them pretty well. And all of them are gone. I remember Polycarp and norinew. Didn’t know aena or Chiefscott. But I was supposed to get some electrical work done by dances. I knew Opal really well, we hung out all the time for a couple of years. I went to a few of JC’s parties in VA, those were some fun times. ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2018, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-dopers-have-you-met-irl/614252/137 "2018-03-23T13:11:10Z")
Maybe 50? Most aren’t active any more. There used to be dopefests in London and Dublin a couple times per year. I stay in touch with the core London group on FB. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2018, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-dopers-have-you-met-irl/614252/138 "2018-03-23T13:29:49Z")
None. The last time there was a KC area Dope Fest (about ten-ish years ago?) I missed it because I was out of town on vacation that week. And the couple times I’ve tried to suggest another one just never seem to get much traction. There was one Doper who was a regular poster several years ago, who I figured out through her posts that she worked at the same college book store that my wife used to work at. So I may have met her in real life at some point but not as a Doper. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-many-dopers-have-you-met-irl/614252.md?page=6)