# Would you ever go to a Dope Fest **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 8, 2007, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-go-to-a-dope-fest/421989 "2007-10-08T20:38:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-go-to-a-dope-fest/421989/81 "2007-10-09T17:39:31Z")
I’ve been to several. Doubt I’ll ever make it to any others. I know, it’s tragic. 🙂 ---
**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:** [October 9, 2007, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-go-to-a-dope-fest/421989/82 "2007-10-09T17:40:17Z")
I’ve been to a couple (we try to meet Dopers wherever we go in our travels - Seattle Dopers, I was very disappointed in you last spring {insert stern schoolmarm smiley}), and we’ve always had a very good time and liked all the people we met. We’re coming to Ohio next spring - keep it open on your calendars, you Ohio Dopers. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-go-to-a-dope-fest/421989/83 "2007-10-09T17:41:35Z")
[QUOTE=Sunspace] More DopeFests, please. [/QUOTE] The first rule of the Toronto DopeFests is that you _do not_ talk about the Toronto DopeFests! :mad: (The second rule has something to do with either cheese or beavers. I can’t remember.) ---
**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:** [October 9, 2007, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-go-to-a-dope-fest/421989/84 "2007-10-09T17:45:27Z")
[QUOTE=tdn] It’s the spouses that tend to suffer at 'fests. Everyone is usually very nice to them, and tries to include them in things. **Winston Smith** was great at entertaining a couple of SOs at the last Boston 'fest. But let’s face it, when someone says “I burning your dog!”, all but a couple people will laugh. It’s a little awkward. [/QUOTE] Too true - I think most people try to keep the discussions from focusing completely on talking about other Dopers or things happening on the boards, but it does happen. ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-go-to-a-dope-fest/421989/85 "2007-10-09T17:50:02Z")
[QUOTE=featherlou] Too true - I think most people try to keep the discussions from focusing completely on talking about other Dopers or things happening on the boards, but it does happen. [/QUOTE] Actually, **Sarahfeena** , **Gardentraveler** and **WhyNot** came within millimeters of getting **BusWife** to sign up because of this. We’d all be discussing something doper-ish, and she got all inquisitive. I think we talked of damn little else but board stuff and she hung right in there. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-go-to-a-dope-fest/421989/86 "2007-10-09T23:16:46Z")
If one is ever even remotely close to Dallas, I’ll be there with bells on bells. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2007, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-go-to-a-dope-fest/421989/87 "2007-10-09T23:29:44Z")
[QUOTE=Kythereia] The first rule of the Toronto DopeFests is that you _do not_ talk about the Toronto DopeFests! :mad: [/QUOTE] No wonder we don’t have enough Toronto DopeFests… no-one knows about them! ---
**Author:** ![Birdmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdmonster)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-go-to-a-dope-fest/421989/88 "2007-10-09T23:38:58Z")
[QUOTE=lobstermobster] I thought this was a joke meaning that 6th and Mission is the center of hell which it might be. (actually thats the Tenderloin) [/QUOTE] [hijack] Oh, respectfully disagree. The SOMA at night is like a Romero film. Plus, I’ve been mugged there. I was just happy he didn’t eat my brain. The Tenderloin, while perhaps grosser is, seems to have regular humans walking around the street, while the SOMA at night is populated solely by the undead. [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-go-to-a-dope-fest/421989/89 "2007-10-10T01:45:48Z")
I would love to go to a Dopefest not thrown by me. I suck. I am going to make a concerted effort to make Gettysdope next year… this year, I didn’t have a lot of success talking the wife into driving for 3 hours to hang out with a bunch of folks she didn’t know. Hehehehe ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-go-to-a-dope-fest/421989/90 "2007-10-10T02:58:34Z")
[QUOTE=Mr Bus Guy] Actually, **Sarahfeena** , **Gardentraveler** and **WhyNot** came within millimeters of getting **BusWife** to sign up because of this. We’d all be discussing something doper-ish, and she got all inquisitive. I think we talked of damn little else but board stuff and she hung right in there. [/QUOTE] She did indeed, but then, she’s very cool. Easy for her to fit in. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![lobstermobster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobstermobster/32/10033_2.png) [@lobstermobster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobstermobster)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-go-to-a-dope-fest/421989/91 "2007-10-10T03:12:53Z")
[QUOTE=Birdmonster] [hijack] Oh, respectfully disagree. The SOMA at night is like a Romero film. Plus, I’ve been mugged there. I was just happy he didn’t eat my brain. The Tenderloin, while perhaps grosser is, seems to have regular humans walking around the street, while the SOMA at night is populated solely by the undead. [/hijack] [/QUOTE] ugh I live on Harrison in SOMA its fucking miserable. Biggest mistake ever, moving this month. Anyways, I’d be willing to organize another bay area Dope Fest for those of us that missed the last one if there is interest ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-go-to-a-dope-fest/421989/92 "2007-10-10T03:14:17Z")
There is! ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-go-to-a-dope-fest/421989/93 "2007-10-10T04:11:56Z")
When I went to my first Dopefest, I was worried that I wouldn’t live up to my board persona. I was worried that I wouldn’t be interesting enough. I was worried that some stranger would slip me rufies. None of my fears were realized. I’ve been to more fests than I can remember now. Just this past weekend at Gettysdope, I managed to amuse the children and to amaze **GingerOfTheNorth** with my magic butt. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-go-to-a-dope-fest/421989/94 "2007-10-10T04:59:44Z")
I would love to go to one but there just aren’t any around. There was an Atlanta-Fest last year that I’d intended to attend but I had a death in the family on the same day (the coin came up tails so I went to that instead), and Gettysdope and others are a bit out of the way, plus the last time a member of my family went to Gettysburg he was bayonetted in the stomach and later died of dysentery, and even though that’s been three years it’s still a painful memory. I’m hoping there’ll be another Atlanta Fest or Chattanooga (great location for three states), but, til then, I’ll just dress up the dogs in what I think Dopers would dress like and assign them dialogue. ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-go-to-a-dope-fest/421989/95 "2007-10-10T06:59:17Z")
[QUOTE=Sampiro] …the last time a member of my family went to Gettysburg he was bayonetted in the stomach and later died of dysentery, and even though that’s been three years it’s still a painful memory. [/QUOTE] Wait, three years? Not a hundred and forty-four years? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-go-to-a-dope-fest/421989/96 "2007-10-10T10:32:56Z")
[QUOTE=sturmhauke] Wait, three years? Not a hundred and forty-four years? [/QUOTE] I believe that was the joke. I’ve got family in the Chattanooga area (Dalton and thereabouts) … wonder what they’d think if I invited myself down for a few days, then disappeared to go meet a group of cyberstrangers… ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-go-to-a-dope-fest/421989/97 "2007-10-10T10:59:59Z")
I’ve been to a couple of formal Melbourne DopeFests and quite a few informal ones as well. In the process, I’ve been able to put faces to the names of some of the more esteemed Victorian Dopers like **Hawthorne** , **Junior Spaceman** and \*\*Cazzle \*\* and a few who have since dropped out from the boards like **Leechbabe** , **RedBoss** , and **Thylacine**. I’ve downed a couple of beers with **TheLoadedDog** but he’s from Sydney so it doesn’t count. 😛 So, would I go to a _DopeFest?_ Absolutely. They’re interesting events, and tend to temper your magnificent illusions that Dopers are all brilliant and witty and wonderfully amazing people…well, they ARE, but they’re also incredibly normal people too who wear too much makeup and really daggy clothes. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-go-to-a-dope-fest/421989/98 "2007-10-10T11:16:58Z")
[QUOTE=kambuckta] I’ve been to a couple of formal Melbourne DopeFests and quite a few informal ones as well. In the process, I’ve been able to put faces to the names of some of the more esteemed Victorian Dopers like **Hawthorne** , **Junior Spaceman** and \*\*Cazzle \*\* and a few who have since dropped out from the boards like **Leechbabe** , **RedBoss** , and **Thylacine**. I’ve downed a couple of beers with **TheLoadedDog** but he’s from Sydney so it doesn’t count. 😛 So, would I go to a _DopeFest?_ Absolutely. They’re interesting events, and tend to temper your magnificent illusions that Dopers are all brilliant and witty and wonderfully amazing people…well, they ARE, but they’re also incredibly normal people too who wear too much makeup and really daggy clothes. 😃 [/QUOTE] I’ve always been under the impression there’s only half a dozen Aussie members here on the boards (me, yourself, **The Loaded Dog** , **Blinkingblinking** , **Princhester** , and **Cazzle** ), which shows how much attention I pay to these sorts of things. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-go-to-a-dope-fest/421989/99 "2007-10-10T11:59:31Z")
[QUOTE=DudleyGarrett] I’d go if someone organized one in NoVA. Maybe. [/QUOTE] There are at least two or three in the Baltimore-Washington area each year. [QUOTE=whistlepig] Tripler was talking about doing a camping Dopefest but if it ever happened I missed it. [/QUOTE] It did, we camped July 2006 in East Glacier/St. Mary’s. I was home visiting my parents, who live about an hour away across the Canadian border. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-go-to-a-dope-fest/421989/100 "2007-10-10T12:49:35Z")
I guess I would attend one if I didn’t have to tell people what my Doper name is. Is it hypocritical for me not to want to discuss politics even tangentially IRL? Maybe me and **Tamerlane** can go off in a corner and I will pick his brain about Middle Eastern history. 'Cause there is a Doper I _would_ like to meet. Regards, Shodan [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-go-to-a-dope-fest/421989.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ever-go-to-a-dope-fest/421989.md?page=6)