# Things I've/you've learned from meeting other doper in the real world. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 11, 2008, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-ive-youve-learned-from-meeting-other-doper-in-the-real-world/433063 "2008-01-11T00:56:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-ive-youve-learned-from-meeting-other-doper-in-the-real-world/433063/1 "2008-01-11T00:56:29Z")
1. No two people pronounce MPSIMS the same way. 2. I’m not the nerdiest person in the world, not even close. 😛 3. The use of “Hi, Opal!” is somewhat misunderstood. ---
**Author:** ![Sticks\_and\_Scones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sticks_and_scones/32/16951_2.png) [@Sticks\_and\_Scones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sticks_and_Scones)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-ive-youve-learned-from-meeting-other-doper-in-the-real-world/433063/2 "2008-01-11T01:52:17Z")
Nobody has anything to add??? I mean I’ve never been to a Dopefest (yet) but there’s got to be something that those who have can add to this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-ive-youve-learned-from-meeting-other-doper-in-the-real-world/433063/3 "2008-01-11T02:01:11Z")
One thing that has surprised me meeting other Dopers is how well I relate to them. I’m not your average person, and I don’t always relate well to Joe and Jane Sixpack, but Dopers, I get. I can understand _why_ that is (we don’t hang out around here unless there’s something about the place we like); it just strikes me whenever I meet new Dopers. Another thing I’ve learned is how cool it is to meet people from different, diverse places. We try to make a point of meeting internet people on our travels now. ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-ive-youve-learned-from-meeting-other-doper-in-the-real-world/433063/4 "2008-01-11T03:30:24Z")
I’ve been to Dopefests in Toronto, Montreal, New York City, San Francisco and Tokyo. I’ve also been to events in London and East Lansing, Michigan organized via “spin-off” boards. I’ve learned: [ul][_]It’s not as awkward as I’d thought to meet up with people (although it did lead to **matt\_mcl** ’s famous “DOPERS” sign).[_]There are very few Dopers that I didn’t like, even after spending an evening with them. I’m sure lots of them didn’t like _me_, but that’s just 'cause I’m a jerk. :D[_]Some of them can drink a lot. **Sublight** , I’m studiously not looking at you.[_]There’s nearly always someone who shares one of my [del]obsessions[/del]hobbies present. I’ve spent evenings discussing solar physics with **scr4** , cars with **Rick** and languages with **Sunspace**. How can that not be a great way to spend time?[/ul] ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-ive-youve-learned-from-meeting-other-doper-in-the-real-world/433063/5 "2008-01-11T19:27:32Z")
Bump doesn’t work in real life. No one says imho but some do say lawl. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-ive-youve-learned-from-meeting-other-doper-in-the-real-world/433063/6 "2008-01-11T19:31:12Z")
I am able to split a gigantic restaurant bill into correct shares for a lot of Dopers in my head. (Man, I hope it was correct.) ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-ive-youve-learned-from-meeting-other-doper-in-the-real-world/433063/7 "2008-01-14T02:20:47Z")
I really thought there’d be more replies to this. Oh well… ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-ive-youve-learned-from-meeting-other-doper-in-the-real-world/433063/8 "2008-01-14T02:27:34Z")
I learned some Dopers are really good kissers. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-ive-youve-learned-from-meeting-other-doper-in-the-real-world/433063/9 "2008-01-14T02:28:08Z")
I’ve clearly been going to the wrong Dopefests. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-ive-youve-learned-from-meeting-other-doper-in-the-real-world/433063/10 "2008-01-14T02:29:27Z")
[QUOTE=An Gadaí] I really thought there’d be more replies to this. Oh well… [/QUOTE] It’s your accent. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-ive-youve-learned-from-meeting-other-doper-in-the-real-world/433063/11 "2008-01-14T03:02:24Z")
Never met any “in person”, but a couple have done some long-distant favors for me and have been exceptionally cool. I would not hesitate to have a beer with them. You know who you are. 😉 ---
**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:** [January 14, 2008, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-ive-youve-learned-from-meeting-other-doper-in-the-real-world/433063/12 "2008-01-14T03:12:13Z")
[QUOTE=araminty] I learned some Dopers are really good kissers. 🙂 [/QUOTE] I must concur! They make good [hubbies](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php?userid=6687), too. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-ive-youve-learned-from-meeting-other-doper-in-the-real-world/433063/13 "2008-01-14T03:38:02Z")
It’s good to be able to put on good clothes, head downtown, meet someone on a streetcorner, and go somewhere to… discuss the intricacies of translating software. It’s even better to go to Montreal and have someone cool say you look good. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Annie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/858c86/32.png) [@Annie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-ive-youve-learned-from-meeting-other-doper-in-the-real-world/433063/14 "2008-01-14T04:04:48Z")
I still believe that everyone else here is a figment of my imagination. Including whoever charges the annual tithe to my credit card. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-ive-youve-learned-from-meeting-other-doper-in-the-real-world/433063/15 "2008-01-14T04:18:01Z")
[QUOTE=featherlou] One thing that has surprised me meeting other Dopers is how well I relate to them. I’m not your average person, and I don’t always relate well to Joe and Jane Sixpack, but Dopers, I get. [/QUOTE] I _know_! I loathe meeting new people, I’m terrible at small talk, and yet at the one and only Dopefest I was at, it was the easiest thing in the world to talk to these people! ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-ive-youve-learned-from-meeting-other-doper-in-the-real-world/433063/16 "2008-01-14T04:22:57Z")
[QUOTE=Hostile Dialect] I’ve clearly been going to the wrong Dopefests. [/QUOTE] I haven’t gone to any yet, but if there’s going to be kissing, I think I may have to go sometime. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-ive-youve-learned-from-meeting-other-doper-in-the-real-world/433063/17 "2008-01-14T07:03:49Z")
[QUOTE=featherlou] One thing that has surprised me meeting other Dopers is how well I relate to them. I’m not your average person, and I don’t always relate well to Joe and Jane Sixpack, but Dopers, I get. [/QUOTE] Thirded. Which reminds me, us _Detroiters_ have to get another Dopefest off the ground. The first time I went into one, it was with trepidation (cuz I’m especially quiet around strangers), and then when the night was ending, I didn’t want to leave. Felt like we’d all been friends for ages. Another cool thing is, everyone gets the SDMB lingo. When it comes to MPSIMS, I just say (or think) M.P.S.I.M.S. But if I were to pronounce it like a word, it’d be _Mipsems_. ---
**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-ive-youve-learned-from-meeting-other-doper-in-the-real-world/433063/18 "2008-01-14T13:30:41Z")
Stateth **Sunspace** , “It’s even better to go to Montreal and have someone cool say you look good.” Aren’t “Montreal” and “cool” mutually exclusive?! ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-ive-youve-learned-from-meeting-other-doper-in-the-real-world/433063/19 "2008-01-14T15:45:38Z")
Huh. I say em-pee-sims. And yes, meeting Dopers IRL is great! I’ve met a lot of the Floridopers, and they’re all wunnerful. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-ive-youve-learned-from-meeting-other-doper-in-the-real-world/433063/20 "2008-01-21T17:15:37Z")
[QUOTE=Telperien] I haven’t gone to any yet, but if there’s going to be kissing, I think I may have to go sometime. [/QUOTE] [Houston](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=450183), February 9th. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-ive-youve-learned-from-meeting-other-doper-in-the-real-world/433063.md?page=2)