Ten Ten Ten Ten For Everything Everything Everything Everything.

July 14, 2008 6:19 AM

In case you haven't noticed, the cat scan thread is back. It'll be back again, I'm sure, in a year. And you know what that requires?

The mother of all meetups.

What do we do for the big One-Oh? Regional meetups? MeFiCon? Require all members to mail cameras and mushrooms to each other?

Ideas? Thoughts? Pitchforks and torches are over there, to the right.

posted by eriko to MetaFilter gatherings at 6:19 AM (117 comments total)

Thunderdome.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:32 AM on July 14 [5 favorites]

Yay! Everyone at eriko's house! Thanks man.
posted by netbros at 6:34 AM on July 14

Holy shit, you're right, I'm willing to host the Cleveland/NEO contingent at my place.
posted by sciurus at 6:37 AM on July 14

I think we should all wear jumpsuits, and be trapped in a giant maze, forced to co-operate to survive.

I imagine it'd have to be East Coast, too.
posted by armoured-ant at 6:39 AM on July 14

I've been in favor of a 24 hour round the world distributed party where we chip in some cash for the bar tab at any meetup that has, say more than 5-10 people at it and we have a place on the site where we can pull in flickr photos and whatnot that have some mefi2009 tag and watch the party happen. We've been thinking a bit about a ten-year party. Last year's party was nice but not enough places to talk/socialize and not enough food BUT having video games and free beer was awesome. So, ideas along those lines would be great.
posted by jessamyn at 6:47 AM on July 14 [4 favorites]

Is a one day event enough? Festival style weekend
posted by chillmost at 6:51 AM on July 14

Consider me the self-elected head of the North West UK MeFi Happy Anniversary Consortium.

My throne's at the menders.
posted by Jofus at 6:52 AM on July 14

I suggest a 2-day global MeFi meetup in Las Vegas. I and a few other folks did this several years ago for a "BlogCon" and it worked rather well.
posted by Ragma at 6:54 AM on July 14

Invade Canada?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:56 AM on July 14 [1 favorite]

Video wall at each meetup showing what's going on at all the other meetups in realtime?

(Rough for some depending on time zone...but why not make it a dinner on the West Coast/bar on the East Coast/afterparty in UK/brunch in the Far East MegaSimulMeetup)
posted by a young man in spats at 6:59 AM on July 14 [1 favorite]

Isn't this birthday #9?

please don't invade Canada...
posted by sunshinesky at 7:00 AM on July 14

Video feeds would be nice for as many meetups as possible.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 7:13 AM on July 14

I really like the decentralized meetup idea, since by next year we're going to be dropping twenties for a gallon of gas, so travel *to* an out-of-town meetup might be dicey. That said, we can host a meetup at our place - BBQ - for the St. Louis area.

Continuing in this vein, perhaps meetups at people's houses my be in order for this event, from an infrastructure point of view? So that we can do feeds and video and whatnot.
posted by notsnot at 7:16 AM on July 14

No, PLEASE invade Canada. At least midwestern Canada. I tried and failed to get an Edmonton meetup going a couple of years ago, the 1-0 would be a great time to attempt that again.
posted by ChrisR at 7:35 AM on July 14

Yeah, great idea! We can all participate in a 10th anniversary meetup together in real time, with near-instant feedback between each one of us without any of us having to actually be in the same location at the same time!

Now if only we could come up with some way to build the architecture necessary to pull something like this off ...
posted by yhbc at 7:36 AM on July 14 [1 favorite]

When the day approaches what about sending out a mass MeMail alerting people who've filled out their location field to the nearest meetups? Not everyone reads MetaTalk.
posted by Kattullus at 7:40 AM on July 14

This might be the one time when a mass MeMail would be something we might consider....
posted by jessamyn at 7:42 AM on July 14

Not everyone notices the mail icon. What if there was a red news bar at the top of Meta and AskMe, this one time, announcing the party, with a link to a MetaTalk post.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 7:51 AM on July 14

When the day approaches what about sending out a mass MeMail alerting people who've filled out their location field to the nearest meetups? Not everyone reads MetaTalk.

Maybe a banner on the blue and green would be a better idea?
posted by Deathalicious at 7:53 AM on July 14

Here's my solution... we rent a giant airship. The airship slowly makes its way from meetup to meetup with Mefites being free to ride from meetup to meetup on the airship.

Let's make this happen.
posted by drezdn at 7:55 AM on July 14 [2 favorites]

Banner for logged in folks. I've mefimailed people and gotten a response three or four weeks later saying "Oops, I hardly ever check mefi's mail." How about 4 meetups in each state - a northish, a southish, an eastish, a westish.
posted by cashman at 8:01 AM on July 14

Oh ... shit... yes, I'm dense. You're talking about next year.

I guess ChrisR has a point too.

Damn early morning posting!
posted by sunshinesky at 8:01 AM on July 14

I also vote to invade Canada. IME they will apologize profusely and then offer us snacks.
posted by kate blank at 8:09 AM on July 14

cashman: How about 4 meetups in each state - a northish, a southish, an eastish, a westish

In Rhode Island that would mean having the four meetups in different corners of our one bar. And no going to the toilet because the restrooms stray over the state line into Massachusetts.
posted by Kattullus at 8:11 AM on July 14 [2 favorites]

and then offer us snacks...

Aren't we supposed to be the stereotypically polite canadians and already have tea and biscuits ready when they arrive? What a sham.
posted by sunshinesky at 8:15 AM on July 14

they=you ... time to stop posting. ouch.
posted by sunshinesky at 8:16 AM on July 14

If someone organises a Brisbane meetup for this event, I'll be there for sure. This should be a global thing! With food and signs and shoutouts and beer and food and stuff! And people at the meetup with laptops and wifi and webcams and stuff. And beer! And food! Ooh, depending on time, how about at the Botanical Gardens? Either City or Toowong, depending on concensus? It would be fun, don't you think?
posted by h00py at 8:26 AM on July 14

I suggest a 2-day global MeFi meetup in Las Vegas.

I vote for this, except in New Orleans.
posted by CunningLinguist at 8:27 AM on July 14 [2 favorites]

Instead of a real meet-up, I suggest that one random user post something provocative and inflammatory on MetaTalk. Then we can all log on simultaneously and spend the next six hours alternately baiting and patronizing him or her until they quit the site. Then we can exchange witty and self-congratulatory expressions until we get tired and fall asleep. The next day, we can log into the thread again and marvel at the number of posts it has gathered.

Later on, someone can update the wiki.
posted by felix betachat at 8:45 AM on July 14 [5 favorites]

"I vote for this, except in New Orleans."

Actually, I like that even better.
posted by Ragma at 8:45 AM on July 14

Hmm, it looks like next year, July 14th falls on a Tuesday. A drunken meetup might be hard on people who work.

Unfortunately, that really only leaves one logical solution: Everyone must quit their jobs next year, we'll start drinking on Friday the 10th, and stop sometime around Sunday the 19th.

It will be epic; like a scene from a Hunter S. Thompson novel. The hotel room will be flooded and the walls covered in condiments. Someone will be wearing a lizard tail. Then? We'll skip out on the check and spend the rest of the summer driving around the South-West.
posted by quin at 8:48 AM on July 14 [1 favorite]

New Orleans! I'll take any excuse I can find to go back there.
posted by solipsophistocracy at 8:55 AM on July 14

What would be best is if MaJeCo fired up the MetaFilter Jet and stayed ahead of the dateline, making brief appearances at shitty bars on every continent, singing Sussudio for the gathered crowds, like the three-headed Phil Collins of moderation that they are.
posted by dirtdirt at 8:56 AM on July 14 [2 favorites]

Last year, when Matt rented a venue and had a party for MeFi's 8th birthday, I couldn't go. But I vowed to attend whatever main 10th birthday celebration there is, whatever it costs me in terms of vacation days and airfare or being someone's love slave for a month in exchange for a place to stay. And I find I'm standing by that vow. Ain't no mountain high enough!
posted by orange swan at 8:59 AM on July 14

I can feel it
Squealing in the scanner tonight
Oh, Lord...
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 9:00 AM on July 14 [2 favorites]

Me and my big mouth fingers.

Okay. If the Cabal (TINC)(TWNC) wishes, I'll stand as coordinator of the rolling party.
posted by eriko at 9:05 AM on July 14

Note: 14-Jul-2009 is a Tuesday.
posted by eriko at 9:06 AM on July 14

We could make a community donation to Givewell just to let them know we forgive.
posted by netbros at 9:06 AM on July 14 [2 favorites]

Or everyone could scan their pets or themselves.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 9:10 AM on July 14

While the accommodations are on the rustic side in some respects, the venerable Eastlake Zoo has pinball machines--albeit not for free--and beer ( See pinball machines). Among the pinball machines, it has Simpsons and South Park machines. And it has a balcony we could reserve. I nominate it for the Seattle locale.
posted by y2karl at 9:14 AM on July 14

Just wanted to be the first to let orange swan know I have a spare room available.
posted by yhbc at 9:18 AM on July 14

did notsnot just vounteer our house? At least I won't have to worry about driving...
posted by Green Eyed Monster at 9:40 AM on July 14

Invade Canada?

No. We storm the Bastille, don't we?
posted by Nick Verstayne at 9:49 AM on July 14

New Orleans! Please please please please please.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 9:56 AM on July 14

With the 14th falling on a weekday, can we officially make the "observed on" date the second weekend in July?
posted by Ragma at 10:03 AM on July 14

I'm serious about New Orleans. This time of year, hostelries of all kinds are cheap and there are lots of flights. $2 well drinks are easy to find and the music is just as awesome. Also, us merkins can no longer afford to leave our shores.
posted by CunningLinguist at 10:07 AM on July 14

I will take any excuse to visit New Orleans. Even in the summer.
posted by Eideteker at 10:20 AM on July 14

New Orleans in hurricane season? What are you, a 4chan double agent?
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 10:22 AM on July 14

Wuss.
posted by CunningLinguist at 10:27 AM on July 14

We are the world, we are the children
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 10:31 AM on July 14

"I'm serious about New Orleans."

I am too. Unless someone has a good reason not to (other than wussy hurricane reasons), I plan on pushing for a global birthday meetup in New Orleans on the second weekend in July, 2009, which would coordinate with other local birthday meetups.
posted by Ragma at 10:34 AM on July 14

It will be epic; like a scene from a Hunter S. Thompson novel. The hotel room will be flooded and the walls covered in condiments. Someone will be wearing a lizard tail. Then? We'll skip out on the check and spend the rest of the summer driving around the South-West.

We were somewhere around Portland, on the edge of the cultural wasteland, when the booze began to take hold. I remember saying something like, "I'm fucking smashed, maybe you should mod."
posted by adamdschneider at 10:50 AM on July 14 [2 favorites]

other than wussy hurricane reasons

There's about 1,800 people who would disagree with that statement, if they were alive. Hurricane season shouldn't stop a party from happening there, but please be mindful of what could happen.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 10:53 AM on July 14

I suggest animal sacrifices, drinking blood, and smelting our plowshares back into swords for a violent, drunken attack on Fark.

Also, a bouncy castle for the kids.
posted by Navelgazer at 10:54 AM on July 14 [3 favorites]

There's about 1,800 people who would disagree with that statement, if they were alive.

But they weren't tourists, eh?
posted by smackfu at 11:03 AM on July 14

I suggest animal sacrifices, drinking blood, and smelting our plowshares back into swords for a violent, drunken attack on Fark.
I believe the goal is to do something different for the 10th.
posted by Wolfdog at 11:08 AM on July 14

Can we also add in a benefit concert with a bunch of Mefi Music bands playing? I am dying to see what some of those nutcases look like
posted by poppo at 11:12 AM on July 14 [1 favorite]

Y'all still need to sign my t-shirt.
posted by Afroblanco at 11:18 AM on July 14

Life tourists maybe?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 11:22 AM on July 14

Wherever two or more of us are gathered together in the name of Metafilter, matt is truly present among us. (Jess, 7.14)
posted by Dave Faris at 11:29 AM on July 14 [4 favorites]

I'd love to go to New Orleans because I've never been there, but... it will be very hot there in mid-July.
posted by orange swan at 11:31 AM on July 14

That's why the hotels are cheap!
(Actually, I just got back and NYC is much worse. Maybe I hit a nice week but it wasn't even close to the humid nightmare I expected.)
posted by CunningLinguist at 11:34 AM on July 14

a violent, drunken attack on Fark.

So, like, Fark business as usual then.
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 11:43 AM on July 14

It's not a birthday without a rare Migs sighting!
posted by CunningLinguist at 11:44 AM on July 14

And that, I think, was the rub - that sense of inevitable victory over the forces of spammers and self-linkers. Not in a programmatical or moderated sense; we didn't need that. Our snark would simply prevail. There was no point in trolling--on our side or theirs. We had all the best lines; we were spinning the strands of a new and righteous web....

So now, less than ten years later, you can open the front page on an average day and scroll down, and with the right sort of eyes you can almost see the dried husks of dead FPPs--that place where the sheer volume of desiccated crap finally broke the spirit of discovery and the Internet turned into television.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 11:47 AM on July 14 [4 favorites]

New Orleans - all the way, baby.
posted by fijiwriter at 11:52 AM on July 14

MANITOBAS!
posted by jonmc at 12:07 PM on July 14

This year's NTEN conference was in New Orleans. As part of the conference, there was a "day of service" where people spent all day rebuilding and wiring a school.

It strikes me that a lot of MeFites would consider themselves pretty socially conscious, and certainly a lot of MeFites have knowhow about technical things. What if we hooked up with a nonprofit and spent one day building stuff and the next day getting boozy?
posted by roll truck roll at 12:12 PM on July 14 [2 favorites]

Another vote for New Orleans.

The distributed meetup idea... I don't think so. I picture a dozen bored people in some downtown bar staring at laptop and arguing about how to debug the video hook-up.
posted by timeistight at 12:28 PM on July 14

Let's make sure it's community service first, then booze. I'm not wielding a framing nailer feschnickered.
posted by fijiwriter at 12:49 PM on July 14

Too early in the season to worry about gulf coast hurricanes.

Hotter than the devil's balls, though.
posted by gordie at 12:54 PM on July 14 [1 favorite]

[is a northern plant who wilts at the thought of the heat]
posted by orange swan at 1:04 PM on July 14

The distributed meetup idea... I don't think so. I picture a dozen bored people in some downtown bar staring at laptop and arguing about how to debug the video hook-up.

This is different from undistributed meetups how?

Also, I heartily concur with the NOLA suggestion.
posted by desuetude at 1:11 PM on July 14

Wuss.

I'm sorry, you must've been looking for someone else. Someone who wasn't there last time with the Red Cross. Oh daaaaaamn.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 1:13 PM on July 14

How about a costume party where everyone dresses up as their favorite fellow MeFite? I already have pants now I just need to get the right size fish.
posted by Sailormom at 1:14 PM on July 14

You're gonna need a bigger boat.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 1:18 PM on July 14

Also, to my knowledge, there is no new orleans nerdatorium full of video games and beer. Unless you count my living room, I suppose.

You are not welcome in my living room.
posted by gordie at 1:18 PM on July 14

#mefi is what the whole hep world would be doing on Saturday night if the nazis had won the war.
posted by adamdschneider at 1:20 PM on July 14

I am not anybody's favorite fellow MeFite but I would nonetheless be strongly in favor of everyone (else) dressing up as a wolfdog for the occasion. Any occasion, really.
posted by Wolfdog at 1:22 PM on July 14

Any occasion, really.

Call me, TONIGHT.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 1:25 PM on July 14

Hmm, it looks like next year, July 14th falls on a Tuesday. A drunken meetup might be hard on people who work.

Unfortunately, that really only leaves one logical solution: Everyone must quit their jobs next year, we'll start drinking on Friday the 10th, and stop sometime around Sunday the 19th.

Possible alternative:
Saturday, July 11: Major meetups. Take photos, sing songs, get video, take names.
Sunday, Monday: Prep & gather materials from meetups.
Tuesday, July 14: Launch online, maybe with some live components.
posted by zennie at 1:28 PM on July 14

I am not anybody's favorite fellow MeFite

No, but you're one of my favorite mellow flea bites.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 1:30 PM on July 14 [1 favorite]

we chip in some cash for the bar tab at any meetup that has, say more than 5-10 people

What if I promise to drink as much as 5-10 ordinary people would?
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 1:38 PM on July 14

How about a costume party where everyone dresses up as their favorite fellow MeFite?

The cigar and martini will be easy, but I don't know if I can learn Portuguese by next year.
posted by timeistight at 1:47 PM on July 14

No, but you're one of my favorite mellow flea bites.
That made no sense until I remembered how you weirdos mispronounce 'meffy'.
posted by nowonmai at 1:54 PM on July 14

Satellite Linkup!!!
posted by chillmost at 1:56 PM on July 14

That made no sense until I remembered how you weirdos mispronounce 'meffy'.

I've been putting the "Me" in "MeFi" since 2005.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 2:01 PM on July 14

I suggest a 2-day global MeFi meetup in Las Vegas.

I think Amsterdam is better - cheaply accessible from London, NYC, Paris, Berlin... It's a global air hub, it's got real culture and all kinds of other excellent things.
posted by Meatbomb at 2:01 PM on July 14 [2 favorites]

How about a costume party where everyone dresses up as their favorite fellow MeFite?

My favorite MeFite is myself. I can't wait to break out my awesome fedora.
posted by inigo2 at 2:36 PM on July 14 [1 favorite]

nowonmai: That made no sense until I remembered how you weirdos mispronounce 'meffy'.

Look, how hard can it be to pronounce the capital F?

Idea for the Tin Anniversary meetups, a retrospective look at the argument on how to pronounce MeFi... followed by gladiator-style fights to the death, of course.
posted by Kattullus at 2:37 PM on July 14

You had me at "drinks."
posted by subbes at 2:43 PM on July 14

I think Amsterdam is better - cheaply accessible from London, NYC, Paris, Berlin... It's a global air hub, it's got real culture and all kinds of other excellent things.

I like Amsterdam and all, but it's not cheap in July from anywhere in the US. $1000+ probably. But it's not like anyplace in the world is cheap to both all of Europe and all of the US, so that's a fool's quest. (OTOH, if the Europeans come to the US, it's cheap on the ground.)
posted by smackfu at 3:23 PM on July 14

Damnit, jokeefe beat me! I've had a reminder set in Outlook and on my phone for months now for 15 July, thinking I could get a jump, being a day ahead of most people.

*begins plotting strategy for "the big one"*
posted by dg at 3:37 PM on July 14

Why didn't we hire some speakers, put together some sessions, and have a conference?
posted by blue_beetle at 3:47 PM on July 14

I've been giving this a lot of thought, and I don't think we should have a big multi-site blowout on Mefi's actual anniversary. It wouldn't be very Meta. Instead, I think for the next year, whenever any other site or organization has a party, we should link to it and show up in huge numbers and pretty much just take it over.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 4:18 PM on July 14

But, but, but ... it's MY birthday!

*sips on second birthday scotch*

Happy birthday, MeFi!
posted by waitangi at 4:22 PM on July 14

ChrisR: I tried and failed to get an Edmonton meetup going a couple of years ago

Jeez, I woulda joined up two months earlier if I'd noticed your meetup thread during my lurkdom. Sorry, man.
posted by hangashore at 4:36 PM on July 14

"What if I promise to drink as much as 5-10 ordinary people would?"

I'd have gone for drinking a little more than usual, but that's just me.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 6:08 PM on July 14 [1 favorite]

Nice Femmes lyric in the title.
posted by drezdn at 6:31 PM on July 14

Oh man. I would actually fly down to NOLA from Canada for this. (Yes, I'm just that pathetic). Plus I've never been to NOLA and it's been a while since I've travelled, so why the hell not. Though I'd welcome an invasion with open arms; at least then we'd have a meetup with more than four people. *grumble*

This is exciting.
posted by Phire at 8:25 PM on July 14

FWIW, I'm sitting outside typing this in NOLA right now and it's quite pleasant.

I'd have to make hell of arrangements to get down here this time next year, but it'd be worth it.
posted by Navelgazer at 8:47 PM on July 14

New Orleans sounds pretty right on. Unfortunately, on July 14, 2009, there's likely going to be at least a couple members of the MeFi librarian cabal stuck in Chicago for the tail end of the American Library Association meetup from July 9-15. Here is what I propose:
MeFi steamboat ride down the Mississippi!
Once we get down to New Orleans we can join up with the rest of the party, and everyone can come hang out on the steamboat. Then IRFH will take one look at it and say, "You're gonna need a bigger boat," at which point we'll all slink home with the ashen taste in our mouths of having seen this thread come full circle.
posted by Hadroed at 9:20 PM on July 14

> midwestern Canada

Yes, please invade "midwestern Canada." There is no such animal mwahaha!
posted by Listener at 1:05 AM on July 15

perhaps meetups at people's houses my be in order for this event, from an infrastructure point of view? So that we can do feeds and video and whatnot.

In that case I humbly offer my abode in Malmö for the Malmö/Copenhagen posse. We have a big nice yard for BBQ and guest room to sleep in (unless we wind up playing records all night which we will if sveskemus comes over. ;))
posted by dabitch at 5:20 AM on July 15

On the other hand, Portland, Oregon has a few things going for it--recumbent bike friendliness included.
posted by y2karl at 6:04 AM on July 15

there is no new orleans nerdatorium full of video games

That's not a bug; it's a feature.
posted by timeistight at 7:26 AM on July 15

hangashore, no worries, I forgive you. I've been in lurk-mode forever anyway. Still, a meetup even of readers might be nice. Perhaps I'll get energetic and call for one again.
posted by ChrisR at 10:40 AM on July 15

Maybe the European contingent could meet up in Orléans while the North Americans meet up in New Orleans.

Sure, Orléans isn't actually convenient for many (any?) of us, but I get dorky pleasure out of the idea anyway.
posted by sueinnyc at 2:06 PM on July 15

No! I'm going to be in NOLA in February, not July! Damn you. Damn you all.
posted by arcticwoman at 2:53 PM on July 15

Holy shit, you're right, I'm willing to host the Cleveland/NEO contingent at my place.
posted by sciurus at 6:37 AM on July 14 [+] [!]

If it works out as usual, Stu and I will see ya then.
;-)

I am disappointed that the title to this thread had four Tens, one For, four Everythings, and a total of only nine words. Where's da Ten?
posted by Shane at 2:55 PM on July 15

Another vote for NOLA. I am unspeakably happy that it's being considered.
posted by brundlefly at 3:29 PM on July 15

I will just say this: if there will be mushrooms, that will get me to a meetup.
posted by Banky_Edwards at 3:43 PM on July 15

Damnit, jokeefe beat me! I've had a reminder set in Outlook and on my phone for months now for 15 July, thinking I could get a jump, being a day ahead of most people.

Sorry, dg! I honestly did just get home from my friend's belly dance rave-up, and following food and drink, and it was about 12:30 p.m., and I figured, what the hell. I mean, the European contingent had had hours already....
posted by jokeefe at 4:42 PM on July 15

All of these ideas sound awesome.

Well, maybe not the las vegas thing. I am not a fan of that place.
posted by Arturus at 8:47 PM on July 15

Yes. A paneuropean meetup.
Just make sure it's announced well in time and it's to a location that budget airlines fly to.
posted by jouke at 10:54 PM on July 15

jouke, me and mutant were thinking of this autumn, but maybe it is worth holding off for the big anniversary thingy.
posted by Meatbomb at 10:57 PM on July 15

July 14th is the worst time for plane tickets. A paneuropean meetup will only work at another time than july-august. So I don't think it's worth waiting for july 14 2009.
posted by jouke at 4:18 AM on July 16