Comments on: mathowie is going to ROFL(con)

mathowie is going to ROFL(con)

wendell — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 17:57:25 -0800

Look who's going to ROFLcon! It's a "a group dissection of internet culture" and "big blowout party" in Cambridge, MA, April 25th and 26th that promoters call "the most important gathering since the fall of the tower of Babel" (and possibly just as productive). Wish I could be there. Other Honored Guests include Jay Maynard the Tron Guy, The Brothers Chaps of Homestar Runner, Where the Hell is Matt Harding?, Drew Farking Curtis, moot of 4chan, several popular webcomickers, “Cheezburger” and other leading LOLCATs, Lemon Demon and MC Frontalot (for musical entertainment) and ~~Evil~~Anil Dash*. So how come A.D. and (The Late TechTV's) Martin Sargent get to be listed as "Awesome Folks/Internet Culture Pundits/Captains of Internet Industry" while MetaFilter's Mathowie is in the "Internet Celebs" list with all the freaks? And why wasn't this widely known here before Registration Closed? Or were you only hiding it from ME? Anyway, whether anybody else associated with MeFi attends or not, I demand many pictures and a full video of Matt's panel ("Incubating the Mindvirus: Meme Infrastructures"). * j/k AD, you're ok with me

By: Skorgu

Skorgu — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:02:56 -0800

Well nobody told me either. You cons really need to do a better job bloody telling people before the @#$% event itself.

By: Dave Faris

Dave Faris — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:09:07 -0800

So, you're planning a gathering that you won't be attending?

By: yhbc

yhbc — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:12:44 -0800

If anyone wants to get together and say hello to Matt while he's in the area, I'd be interested in coming - he's the only mod I haven't met yet!

By: mathowie

mathowie — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:12:48 -0800

I was going to be in NYC that week and my first thought was that it sounded kind of like a silly conference, but a friend was going and urged me to go since similar site people were going to be there (reddit, etc) and we sorta kinda help promote memes, if not these days as well as digg, we certainly used to.

By: mathowie

mathowie — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:13:38 -0800

And yeah, I will totally grab the Tron Guy's package for a photo if I can.

By: jessamyn

jessamyn — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:20:04 -0800

I may be down there that weekend too. A get together would be fun.

By: lukemeister

lukemeister — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:22:09 -0800

Will actual LOLcats be attending, or just pictures of them?

By: cortex

cortex — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:23:20 -0800

They will be there, but they may not be visible.

By: damnjezebel

damnjezebel — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:40:41 -0800

mathowie, you know just what to say to get me to space out for a minute.

Or ten.

By: danb

danb — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:54:03 -0800

I'll be there. I'd be down with a meetup also, but it'd have to be on Saturday -- I'm booked Friday night. If that doesn't pan out, the conference itself should be a good time anyway.

By: wendell

wendell — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 20:00:16 -0800

So, you're planning a gathering that you won't be attending?
While I have helped organize a couple Mefi Meetups that I could not attend, I have no affiliation with ROFLCon, as much as it may seem like a natural. I stumbled onto the site and went WWHHOOAA when I saw Our Matt on the guest list. I just felt somebody had to be alerted. I'm only the messenger. Do not shoot the messenger. Or the piano player. Or the Deputy.

By: Horace Rumpole

Horace Rumpole — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 20:02:20 -0800

Me? I'm so old skool I was already registered when this thing was going to be held at Harvard in a broom closet. Just me, #1 and Tron Guy, so close I could smell the spandex (not to mention what Tron Guy was wearing).

By: Greg Nog

Greg Nog — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 20:30:03 -0800

we sorta kinda help promote memes

i think metathowies is a pretty cool guy. eh facilitates the transmission of subcultural shibboleths and doesn't afraid of anything

By: Fuzzy Skinner

Fuzzy Skinner — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 20:39:42 -0800

Why is this here? How is this MetaFilter related? Since when do we use MeTa to advertise anything ending with "-con"? Who is Matt Haughey? I'm so telling mathowie about this, you guys.

By: b1tr0t

b1tr0t — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 21:26:41 -0800

someone forgot to invite the time cube guy and the real ultimate power guy (if, in fact, they are two different people)

By: gen

gen — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 21:53:53 -0800

Waxy is not on the list. Horrified.

By: UbuRoivas

UbuRoivas — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 22:30:16 -0800

Nor is Polly Esther.

(your favourite list of internet celebs sucks)

By: scrump

scrump — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:38:13 -0800

MetaFilter: totally grabbing the Tron Guy's package for a photo if we can.

By: trondant

trondant — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:44:57 -0800

hands off my package.

By: wendell

wendell — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 02:26:47 -0800

Yeah, hands off trondant's package. It just arrived from amazon.com.

By: Plutor

Plutor — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 05:09:30 -0800

yhbc: "If anyone wants to get together and say hello to Matt while he's in the area, I'd be interested in coming - he's the only mod I haven't met yet!"

Yes. Yes yes. I need to buy that man a beer for every time I've been a loudmouthed dick. No, I don't mean one beer for each time.

From the schedule, it looks like most of the ROFLcon-associated drinking events are occuring on Mass Ave between MIT and Central Square (Asgard, Miracle of Science, Middle East). Maybe we can avoid internet famous person overload by hitting up Flat Top Johnny's and CBC again?

By: backseatpilot

backseatpilot — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 05:24:09 -0800

I will definitely be there for this one.

By: robocop is bleeding

robocop is bleeding — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 05:55:36 -0800

Awesome.

Poor Matt. He can't go anywhere without strangers trying to buy him a drink! Such is the trying life of the Internet Celebrity.

By: ND¢

ND¢ — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 07:41:08 -0800

Matt Haughey? Isn't that the Star Wars MacBook kid?

By: cortex

cortex — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 07:46:35 -0800

Such is the trying life of the Internet Celebrity.

Going to lunch with Matt is like going to a Beatles concert with Wifi.

By: heresiarch

heresiarch — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 08:46:27 -0800

I'd be up for meetup-age, although I was stupid and didn't sign up for the actual conference. Parts of it take place in my building, though, so hopefully I can sneak in.

CBC is fine with me. Really, anything that's not the Asgard makes me happy. I quite like the Cellar, if people want to head up Mass Ave a bit further towards Harvard. It's not that big, though, and on a Fri/Sat it may be unreasonable to get a group of any size in there.

By: quin

quin — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 09:03:42 -0800

the classic community blog MetaFilter

We're classic?

Nice.

By: darsh

darsh — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 10:20:11 -0800

yay!! I'll be at a meetup!

By: deborah

deborah — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:25:10 -0800

And yeah, I will totally grab the Tron Guy's package for a photo if I can.

I'll be in my bunk.

By: jessamyn

jessamyn — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:29:50 -0800

I'll be in my bunk.

:D

By: not_on_display

not_on_display — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 15:02:27 -0800

31 If x=meetup then I=will be there

By: champthom

champthom — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 15:18:17 -0800

Dang. I was going to register but I kept putting it off, like "I don't want to be too hasty about this" and then I find out registration is closed.

Sometimes rationally thinking things through doesn't pay.

By: brett

brett — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 17:22:35 -0800

I am pro-meetup.

By: mathowie

mathowie — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 22:51:06 -0800

If we end up doing a meetup, it'll have to be Saturday night. I don't get in until late Friday night (like 10pm or so)

By: danb

danb — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 07:02:28 -0800

If we end up doing a meetup, it'll have to be Saturday night.

That's what I like to hear!

I'll leave the venue decision to the big boys, since I'd end up suggesting this really great pizza parlor I found or something.

By: Plutor

Plutor — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 10:10:01 -0800

I went to Do-Re-Mi in Brookline for awesome private room karaoke with a bunch of friends last night, and all I could think was "I have no idea what Mefites sound like singing." Not entirely convenient for the out-of-towners staying near MIT, but.. well.. food for thought.

By: kwaller

kwaller — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 06:17:52 -0800

Hey, Plutor, Do-Re-Mi is in Allston, not Brookline--right across the street from Deep Ellum and less than a ten-minute walk from Sunset. Yum!

Might a relative n00b be welcome at such a star-studded meetup?

By: Plutor

Plutor — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 06:28:51 -0800

Allston, Brighton, Brookline, they're all one blurry cloud labeled "somewhar down the green line" in my mind.

By: not_on_display

not_on_display — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 13:06:40 -0800

That place is a Karaoke bar? I always thought it was a money-laundering front! (I used to be in a band that practiced underneath the Brazilian and Thai restaurants there.)

The Miracle of Science Bar & Grill seems like it would be more locally accessible, but I dunno how well it fares against other Kendall/Central venues. (I had good burger and beers on a date there, once.)

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 05:41:49 -0800

I actually wanted to plan a Karaoke meetup, but I don't know any karaoke places 'round here. *monitors thread closely*

By: Plutor

Plutor — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 06:10:04 -0800

Should we make a new MeTa thread that's more explicitly "Mathowie/Jessamyn/Boston/Cambridge meetup, April 26. Be there or be highly embarrassed"?

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 07:44:36 -0800

Yes, of course.

By: DonnieSticks

DonnieSticks — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 11:55:11 -0800

If lurky, underposting MeFites can go, I'll be there.

By: martinX's bellbottoms

martinX's bellbottoms — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 21:39:57 -0800

If lurky, under-21 Mefites can go, I'll be there.

By: nonane

nonane — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 18:23:08 -0800

That's also the opening weekend of the Cambridge Science Festival (/and/ NEFFA); we held a meetup of relatively low attendance but great fun at last year's CSF Science Triva Challenge, which will be on Wednesday the 30th this year. I was hesitant to post a top-level meetup request for that since I wrote questions for this year's event, but if anyone else wants to go, let me know!

By: danb

danb — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 20:37:30 -0800

kwaller: I don't see why not!

By: jessamyn

jessamyn — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 21:27:17 -0800

O HAI. I'll be going to this. However, I'm no fun whatsoever, so I'd tend towards locations that 1. are not karaoke bars and 2. are near public transpo or ROFLcon itself.

By: robocop is bleeding

robocop is bleeding — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 06:58:31 -0800

If we know how many people are coming, we could always try to reserve the back room at John Harvard's or something.

By: Plutor

Plutor — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 07:18:10 -0800

That is a capital idea. Good beer, decent food, good place, T-accessible. I just sent the Harvard location an email asking what restrictions there are and if it's available for the 26th. If I don't hear back by this afternoon I'll give them a call.

By: jessamyn

jessamyn — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 08:55:57 -0800

If you get some actual comfirmation, it may be time to move this to an actual meetup thread.

By: Plutor

Plutor — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 10:45:34 -0800

April 26 is currently available. Here is the description of the room, along with a menu:

"We have a Function Room that holds 55 people for a sit down dinner. We do not have a separate room charge. To book the room exclusively there is a minimum expenditure of $500 Mon-Wed or $800 Thurs & Sun evenings. This charge is exclusive of a 5% Meal Tax and an 18% Gratuity. If the food and beverage sales are not at the minimum then the difference is applied as a room charge. The reservation is scheduled for two hours."

My first thoughts are that $23 a head (dinner 1 menu) is going to be too steep for some, and the recent west-Mass meetup might balance out the added draw of mefi-lebrities. It might be a challenge to get the 30+ people necessary to get close to an $800 check (even adding on drinks).

We might end up with more people if we got a bunch of stuff from the "Starters and Samplers" menu and said "anyone who comes, throw in as much food money as you feel is appropriate" and keep our fingers crossed that it works out. But the last person there would probably get stuck with an outstanding balance.

By: mathowie

mathowie — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 11:40:15 -0800

hmm, plutor if you think the food is worth it, I can pony up the dough and write it off as a mefi entertainment expense. So i guess put me down for covering up to a grand on that.

By: Plutor

Plutor — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 11:52:59 -0800

Holy shit.

I'm not sure if I'm the best person to vouch for the food. I've eaten there exactly once, and I remember it being pretty good. I can definitely vouch for their great (brewed in-house) beer and their classy ambiance. But I've never been in their function room, either.

Robocop? Anyone else? Will this meet local Mefites' high standards?

By: jessamyn

jessamyn — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 11:53:12 -0800

We ate and drank at the Dirty Truth for about seven hours and only spend $250 even with overpriced beer. If mathowie wants to chip in, that's totally cool but we might also look in to what other venues are decent. Also sit-down dinner sounds unfun and two hours is about a half to a third the time we'd want. I'd say hell no on this. Shoudl we start a meetup thread to get a head count?

By: cortex

cortex — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:00:43 -0800

Oh dammit why do I have plans that weekend.

By: robocop is bleeding

robocop is bleeding — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:04:30 -0800

The food is decent pub food and the beer is pretty good depending on what they have on tap that day (sadly, the Midwinter Imperials will be all gone). I've been in the function room before and its decor is about the same as the rest of the bar.

But the time limit of two hours and the 'sit down dinner' lockdown is hella lame.

I know that people can reserve tables in the bar area, as I have been chased out from beneath the Cam Nealy window more times than I can count. I'm unsure, though, how many tables we can reserve at one time. It may be worth it, though, depending on the number of people who are planning on showing up.

A meet-up thread with a better headcount may be in order.

By: Plutor

Plutor — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:15:24 -0800

Boston Billiard Club has function rooms. There are rooms with anywhere between 1 and 4 tables (roughly $30 per table per hour). The two-table rooms can "fit 30-35 people" which would probably be plenty big for us. Or three-table for 50 people. Cons: It's 21+ on Saturdays, plus $14+ per person for food.

Agree on the real thread.

By: robocop is bleeding

robocop is bleeding — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 15:01:36 -0800

Also worth considering is Cambridge Common or Christopher's. Both have good food (Christopher's is pretty veggie-friendly, too) and nice draft lists. I have been part of large parties at Cambridge Common before and things worked well. I expect Christopher's, which has an extra floor and is owned by the same folks, could do the same.

By: jessamyn

jessamyn — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 17:57:29 -0800

Looks like criteria are something like

- decent food
- decent beer selection
- local to ROFLCon location or someone has to drive mathowie and he is tall [pb too, though he is not quite as tall]
- veggie options a plus
- underagers welcome a plus
- casual dining/drinking a plus (i.e. okay for people to wander in/out of)
- seats roughly.... 25?

By: Plutor

Plutor — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 04:41:56 -0800

That sounds probably about right. Although that's probably a good list of criteria for any meetup.

By: robocop is bleeding

robocop is bleeding — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 05:22:50 -0800

I just sent off a query to Christopher's, which I think satisfies Jess's requirements. It is near the T (Porter Square), within walking distance from Harvard down Mass Ave, has a good beer list and rotating draft specials, veggie/organic options (Buffalo Tofu!), and pretty spacious.

By: Plutor

Plutor — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 05:34:59 -0800

Christopher's is definitely good. Toad is right next door, and although it's only 21+, as it gets late, perhaps we could shift over there for The Fathoms Trio, whoever they are.

By: robocop is bleeding

robocop is bleeding — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 09:41:52 -0800

I just heard back from Christophers - No go. :/

By: Plutor

Plutor — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:27:47 -0800

Apparently The Cellar has some rentable space? No information online.

Anyone ever been to Silvertone near the Common?

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:32:57 -0800

Wonder how my gf would feel about having 25 mefites over. I mean, we're convenient to the Framingham/Worcester line of the commuter rail.

O HAI I MADE U A PARTY BUT THEN I INVEITED ONLY MY FRENDS 2 IT

By: jessamyn

jessamyn — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:37:28 -0800

The commuter rail is not "convenient" as most people traditionally understand the term. My sister is in Davis though, maybe I should ask her.

By: Plutor

Plutor — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:46:23 -0800

I know I mentioned them before to exactly zero applause, but there's always the CBC-and-Flat-Top-Johnny's route. Good places, extremely convenient, no private back room action but that's the way we usually swing here in B-burg.

By: Plutor

Plutor — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:53:49 -0800

For our visitors' reference: CBC aka Cambridge Brewing Company and Flat Top Johnny's, both less than a ten-minute walk from ROFLcon.

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:35:41 -0800

"The commuter rail is not 'convenient' as most people traditionally understand the term."

You've got to be shitting me.

By: jessamyn

jessamyn — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:39:35 -0800

No, I'm not. Telling someone who is from a totally other city to get on a subway and then take a train out someplace for a meetup isn't really convenient when most of the options we're talking about are walking distance from their hotel. I'm sure we could carpool if your gf was up to it, but I think someplace nearby would be a better option.

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 19:58:49 -0800

You missed my sarcasm. Let's ride the commuter rail together sometime, so you can feel my seething hatred. My treat!

By: Plutor

Plutor — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 03:15:28 -0800

Ah, sarcasm. It brings us all together.

*wipes a tear*

By: robocop is bleeding

robocop is bleeding — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 04:27:55 -0800

The CBC/Flattop option may be the best option. I'll drop CBC an email about 25 or so people for an informal event.

By: robocop is bleeding

robocop is bleeding — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 07:00:28 -0800

CBC has responded promptly! It looks like they'd be happy to give us some space by the bar. I'm following up to make sure that includes tables, as 25 standing Mefites milling about may get old, fast. Plus I want to make sure folks can sit and eat as they desire.

One thing, though - what time should I set things up for? That is, if the location meets with people's approval?

By: Plutor

Plutor — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 07:06:05 -0800

I actually sent them an email last night, and they never replied, unless agonizing silence is an implicit "sure we can do that". Considering the Saturday schedule for ROFLcon has an event called "Comment Thread" from 6-6:30 that's likely pertinent for our visiting royalty, how's 7 or 7:30?

By: robocop is bleeding

robocop is bleeding — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 07:22:50 -0800

Sure, 7-7:30 makes sense. I'd likely be there earlier than that (assuming I'm defacto contact person) so folks not going to the con can swing by earlier.

Do we have an ending time? Or should we just pencil in mysterious '???s'?

By: robocop is bleeding

robocop is bleeding — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 08:29:35 -0800

Okay, we're good to go. Should I start an honest meetup thread?

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 10:06:07 -0800

Please.

By: robocop is bleeding

robocop is bleeding — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 10:37:46 -0800

Done!

By: Dave Faris

Dave Faris — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 22:33:01 -0800

Second Skin will apparently be shown during ROFLcon.