This is a photo of a group of people that I met on the Internet.
Now there’s a sentence I wouldn’t have typed five years ago.
There was a time that meeting someone from the Internet insinuated, at best, a desperate personal ad and at worst, a possible interaction with a serial killer. I still firmly contend that it is ABSOLUTELY NOT SAFE FOR MINORS and if you are a teenager then listen to me and take me very very seriously: YOU BETTER NOT EVEN BE TALKING TO PEOPLE ON THE INTERNET THAT YOU DON’T KNOW. But for the rest of us, for consenting adults, especially those of us that spend a helluva lot of time communicating over the Internet, it’s really not so weird.
I began blogging five years ago. I’ve made at least one great friend on the Internet via our blogs. We’ve never even met in person, but we’ve gone through all sorts of things “together” including her 80-pound weight loss and the diagnosis of her youngest child with a form of autism. We email and call each other whenever we find ourselves in need of a friend. And of course, we keep up via blogs.
Recently I also started “Twittering.” The photo above is a group of Memphis Twitter users (Twitter-ers?) having a fun dinner out. It makes sense that people who are interested in the same technologies and who have the same hobbies would just naturally come together.
Have you ever met in person someone from the Internet, or does that totally eep you out? Do you think that’s weird, or has the Internet become so prevalent in our lives that coming together with other users is rather conventional?
photo credit: Wasabi waitress server #7818
Responses to “It’s called a “Tweet-up.” Seriously.”
April 16th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
My husband and I were there and we had a wonderful time. And I wouldn’t have done it years ago either.
But I have few “offline” friends who share my appreciation for all things geeky, and my extended family often makes the “Charlie Brown’s teacher” sound when I open my mouth.
One of the people (or is it “tweople?”) I follow used Twitter to warn a friend of an approaching tornado after his power had gone out. Cool.
For now I’m just enjoying it now — before the teenagers decide it is cool after all.
April 16th, 2008 at 9:33 pm
Yes, I’ve met twice with “friend from the internet” which sounds really creepy. The first time was with a group of people from a sewing message board. We met at Olive Garden and had lunch and then went fabric shopping. They were a lovely bunch of girls. The second time was a blogger who has a life parallel to mine (both nurses, only children, illness and death of parent, etc). We met at the mall in Nashville while I was there and we chatted for about 45 minutes. None of them turned out to be axe murderers!! But if you’re going to do it, just be safe, meet in public, tell someone when you’re going and when to expect you back. You never know.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:02 am
I’ve never met my boss in person, and I’ve worked for him for seven years.
I’ve met several people I work with in person - last year a coworker/friend from Germany was vacationing in the US, so he took a weekend and came here. We had a great time, visited Graceland, spent a day at the park, went out to eat, talked for hours.
I’m planning to attend a convention this summer where I’ll get to meet up with several friends who share a collecting hobby.
I’ve heard some disaster stories from friends, but never had one myself. I do have one amazing story. A friend of mine fell in love with a woman he met on a chat board. They lived across the country from each other, but finally, after exchanging pictures, phone calls, etc., decided that he would take a trip to her city. It turned out that her pictures were fake - she had a severe facial deformity. He was understandably shocked and upset.
They’re married now.
April 18th, 2008 at 11:07 am
I’ve never met with anyone I’ve talked with online although I tried once a year or so ago. On this very site (see the archive, Sex and the Diva) for our exchange under the topic, “Well, Did You Have Sex This Weekend?” This has been my only attempt to meet with someone I had engaged in cyber conversation. We had it set up in a public place and I felt confident the meeting over lunch would take place. The resturant’s hostesses were very much on board to lend assistance putting us together. For whatever reason it didn’t happen. I am fine with it as I have met other individuals that interest me the old fashioned way, face to face. I’m not sure why I haven’t tried online since, after all I enjoy a free flowing exchange of ideas, perspectives and experiences while egaged in conversation and “meeting” new people everyday.
April 19th, 2008 at 6:37 am
I met the love of my life 3 years ago via a popular dating website. The 2 year relationship I had before this one was also the product on an online dating website. I’d rather exchange a few emails, have a few phone conversations and THEN meet for lunch than to meet someone in a loud, dark bar and hope I make it to my home without being followed. I dated men I met in bars back in the day but I just don’t have the patience for it these days. SAFE online dating (or other socializing) requires the use of common sense. I wouldn’t give personal, identifying information to an online pal any more than I’d give it a guy I met in a bar, at least not until had a comfort level with the person. I met some “interesting” people online but only one who creeped me out.
April 16th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Many forms of Internet communication that were once suspect have become the norm — 10 years ago, going to school online sounded like some sweaty guy with a smelly cigar in a five-floor walkup photocopying certificates. I’ve just finished my master’s and it was completely online; approved by the national governing association and completely aboveboard.
And yes, I made many friends in my online classes with whom I keep in touch. We’ve attended conferences and met in a central state location for picnics with families in tow and are planning a beach weekend for early fall.