Nights out with people off the internet

Deus Ex Machina wrote: »

Last time I met up with people from the internet I was shot and raped.

In the opposite order.

starbelgrade wrote: »

Or if they banned you at the Boards beer night for saying something insulting to another boardsie.

Actually, they probably carry yellow & red cards with them for that very purpose.

They could have a Feedback night where all the Mods are. You could go and complain about forums to them.

And when someone says something funny or something you agree with, you could say 'thanks' to them.

starbelgrade wrote: »

If you are intending to go to a Boards beer night, make sure to take with you the full range of smilies to hold up, or people may not be able to read which emotion you wish to convey :



:):rolleyes::o:mad::(:eek:P:cool::pac:

It would be easier to use your own face to try and imitate each smilie. Can you imagine using :cool: on a constant basis though? You'd be shot.

I haven't been on any AH sessions, but I bet I'd do something like this...;)

KevinVonSpiel wrote: »

I want to go to a boards fancy dress party as a thread & get locked.

Lol, hilarious!

Never been to one, but I'd imagine it'd be pretty cool putting faces to names.

I was at one of those nights out. It was terrible everytime someone cracked a joke someone else would hold up a card that said 'lol' or had a smillie face on it

Bah! The beers nights are always over in Dublin, I don't go cuz I'd say they're crap for that very reason...
















*sniff*

I've never had a bad experience. People are generally a bit nicer in real life, but a lot of that comes down to the fact that it's far easier to read somebody's tone face to face. Aside from that, 9 times out of 10, if you know somebody online, you could probably pick them out of a line up the minute they open their mouth.

It's not like meeting strangers. Even if it's not all a tight knit common interest group like film or whatever, everybody has some common touchstones and there's a sense of community right from the get-go. There's a good mix of people, and the ice is more or less already broken before you start. I don't think there's a particular "type" as such, but you can expect a good pace of banter generally.

I know one girl who moved from Australia to Portugal to live with a guy - happily for all concerned - and another couple who ended up very blissfully married after meeting through a board meetup, but even though that's on the extreme end of the spectrum, I think it's a lot less unusual now than it was even five years ago, and it's likely to be a lot more common in future.

I think that probably seems a bit weird if you think of the internet as a very distinct media tool, but with stuff like Facebook and Twitter it isn't really anymore, or it's not for me at least. If I'm going out for drinks, for instance, I'll text some of my friends and PM some of the others, it's not really a distinct thing for me anymore. I'm very close friends with people I initially met through forums, and they're friends with my other "real life" mates, same as you'd know some people from work and some people from school, for instance.

Doesn't cost me a thought, really. Never had a bad time.

Op, you seem like a social dynamite, I'd love to go out with you, say you'd be some buzz to be around.

I've met quite a few online in real life. Some proper and utter gob****es, one complete false ponsey git and some decent likeable people too, just like those I initially met in real life

Bare in mind sometimes it's in yor best interests to go with it and meet in fairness! Opportunities and all that jazz.

OP, I'm sure they're safe. Well, boards is, cant say anything about Facebook or anything, but i'd say the worst that'd happen to ya on a boards night out is you'd get a creepy boards stalker who thanks all your posts and sends ya the odd PM. though, ya may get let in on all the "in-jokes"! *Shudder*

Contrary to popular belief it's pretty much always sound people at beers, simply because when people meet other people face to face they tend to be less keyboard warriors and more accommodating. I've met some "odd" people but 99% would be great craic.

The Galway Ladies Beers have been huge successes afaik. I think the more specialised the meet is, the more the people have in common already and will get along better. Motors meets, Airsoft meets, etc, ...

Dravokivich wrote: »

Just laugh when everyone else does...

... worked for me

We were laughing at you that time. :cool:

I met my girlfriend at a boards beers.

Pretty much everyone I've met through boards has been sound, especially the fighting game players.