Look at all those ZEROS February 28, 2012 1:28 PM   Subscribe

Just noticed that I made the 1000th meet up post over in IRL. Can't believe it has only been around for a little under two years, and has had that many events coordinated.

IRL and Meetups were a big part of what had me stick around MeFi and kind of helped me stay sane while I was working for a horrible company in LA between 2009 and 2010, so thanks guys for being awesome and worth meeting in person.

And thanks to Matt and pb for making meetups even cooler with the IRL subsite.
posted by mrzarquon to MetaFilter-Related at 1:28 PM (55 comments total) 1 user marked this as a favorite

Maybe there can be a scoring system where mefites can be ranked by the number of IRL events they've attended divided by the number of IRL posts.

The impossible perfect score is 1, and I'd bet that accounts with nonzero scores are mostly going to cluster in the 0.002 range.
posted by ardgedee at 1:34 PM on February 28, 2012


Gotta make it more complicated than that! IRL events should be weighted for each user based on how far away the meetup is from their home (i.e. going to a bar around the corner counts less than flying across the country).
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 1:41 PM on February 28, 2012 [1 favorite]


Yay!
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 1:42 PM on February 28, 2012


Yay!

Some really quick numbers: IRL had it's first real post June 16th, 2010, announcing the upcoming 11th anniversary meetup in Portland. So that's about 1000 posts in something like 625 days. So about 1.6 meetups announced each day since then.

By comparison, the old Metafilter Gatherings category (last used in late 2010) has a total of 2239 posts under it, and launched in April 2002, so it was a bit more than 3000 days that it was in use and hence abuot 0.75 meetup type posts a day over that total period.
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:44 PM on February 28, 2012


Meetups are great! Which reminds me that I should go to the upcoming SF IRL thread and correct the impression that I'm going, because I forgot about a scheduling conflict. I could go if we had teleportation technology, but apparently it isn't the future yet.
posted by rtha at 1:53 PM on February 28, 2012


I'm pretty sure that's on pb's to-do list.
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:55 PM on February 28, 2012 [2 favorites]


Yeah, right after he implements a native bookmarking system with categories.
posted by gman at 1:59 PM on February 28, 2012 [1 favorite]


By comparison, the old Metafilter Gatherings category...

I swear to god I misread that as "Magic: The Gathering category" and was about to get really pissed off that there's an official MetaFilter MTG meetup and I'd never heard of it.
posted by griphus at 2:06 PM on February 28, 2012


Portland > *.

Just putting that out there. For clarificiation purposes.


I swear to god I misread that as "Magic: The Gathering category" and was about to get really pissed off that there's an official MetaFilter MTG meetup and I'd never heard of it.


--
IRL / MEETUP 2

Summon 1 Mefite
Kicker: (X): Summon X Mefites
--

There should be additional kickers or cards for summoning the various mods as well, but I don't know how they'd align with the color wheel.

[/nerd]
posted by curious nu at 2:11 PM on February 28, 2012


I have been to almost all of these. I was that pale chubby guy with the humerous t-shirt and the lap top that was too shy to introduce myself.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 2:13 PM on February 28, 2012 [1 favorite]


> and was about to get really pissed off that there's an official MetaFilter MTG meetup and I'd never heard of it.

Just browse the boardgames tag, man.
posted by mrzarquon at 2:16 PM on February 28, 2012 [1 favorite]


Just browse the boardgames tag, man.

Hey, uh, can I save a MeTa and request that the tag view of IRL events includes the event location somewhere?
posted by griphus at 2:18 PM on February 28, 2012


Just use the + sign and merge the tags
posted by mrzarquon at 2:24 PM on February 28, 2012


Ah, but reading that again, I see. Yes, it would be nice if the Posted line included the location, so it was:

posted by mrzarquon on Jan 22, 2011 in Portland, OR - 73 comments +
posted by mrzarquon at 2:26 PM on February 28, 2012


CORTEX                                                 4UBG


[img src = "donut-canonical.jpg"]


Legendary Creature - Moderator           (MF)

Hexproof
Vigilance
Haste


2U : Target user sacrifices a comment
4B : Target user sacrifices an FPP

And I was like, goddammit, what
happened now.



                                                       6/6
posted by griphus at 2:28 PM on February 28, 2012


I'm not sure if I can buy cortex as green.
posted by curious nu at 2:30 PM on February 28, 2012


He was, until he cut his long hippy hair.
posted by mrzarquon at 2:39 PM on February 28, 2012


Sadly, I have not attended any Los Angeles meetups in quite some time. Because I forgot we had to check IRL now to find them. You and your newfangled multiple subsites.
posted by Justinian at 2:41 PM on February 28, 2012


I dunno, mr z, even with the hair.. red, maybe. Green has more to do with wildness than hippy-ness. Actually the moderators should probably all be white mana, in some strength, for general "order"-ness.
posted by curious nu at 2:46 PM on February 28, 2012


I've made 4 of them! That counts for something, right?
posted by Phire at 2:50 PM on February 28, 2012 [1 favorite]


Because I forgot we had to check IRL now to find them.

You don't have to monitor IRL if you check the "Receive IRL alerts" box in your profile preferences. You'll get a MeMail whenever there's a new one.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 3:16 PM on February 28, 2012


MEET EVERY MEFITE
posted by The Whelk at 3:32 PM on February 28, 2012 [1 favorite]


Horace Rumpole: You'll get a MeMail whenever there's a new one.

mathowie's amazing at remembering to send those things out. Always around the same time of day too.
posted by gman at 3:34 PM on February 28, 2012


I wonder how much of his memail is "Got it, thanks!"
posted by mrzarquon at 3:35 PM on February 28, 2012


No wonder he doesn't post as much as he used to.
posted by crunchland at 3:50 PM on February 28, 2012


MEET EVERY MEFITE

You can sing that to the tune of "I'm Every Woman" and it dosent sound wrong. I'm just saying.
posted by jonmc at 4:38 PM on February 28, 2012


One other little requirement to get those announcements automatically is that you have your location set in your profile.
posted by carsonb at 4:42 PM on February 28, 2012


Who knew that we were so social?
posted by arcticseal at 4:58 PM on February 28, 2012


MEET EVERY MEFITE

You can sing that to the tune of "I'm Every Woman" and it dosent sound wrong. I'm just saying.


Huh. I was hearing that in my head to the tune of "Climb Ev'ry Mountain".
posted by Specklet at 4:58 PM on February 28, 2012 [1 favorite]


I smell mashup. or mashed potatoes.
posted by jonmc at 5:03 PM on February 28, 2012


MEEEY EVERY MEFITE

THAT IS MY DREAM

ANYONE YOU WANT MET NOW, LINE EM UP IN FRONT OF ME

OH OH OH
posted by The Whelk at 5:04 PM on February 28, 2012


Which one are you singing to, dude?
posted by jonmc at 5:09 PM on February 28, 2012


All of them, jonmc. Weren't you paying attention?
posted by kaibutsu at 5:12 PM on February 28, 2012


Kinda
posted by jonmc at 5:14 PM on February 28, 2012


ThePinkSuperhero: IRL events should be weighted for each user based on how far away the meetup is from their home

I've hosted 4 or 5 of the things at my house, so my score's probably in the red.
posted by Greg_Ace at 5:26 PM on February 28, 2012


I have attended 22 of those 1000 meetups, with a 23rd coming next week. Two of the meetups were in another country, on two separate trips, during one of which reddit got pwned. Also I met my mefite boyfriend at a meetup.

Clearly, I win all of the IRL.

You can send gold stars and cookies to phunniemee, c/o The Billy Goat Tavern, Chicago.
posted by phunniemee at 6:15 PM on February 28, 2012



You can send gold stars and cookies to phunniemee, c/o The Billy Goat Tavern, Chicago.


CHICAGOOOOOOO

*shakes fist*

[/khan]
posted by curious nu at 6:24 PM on February 28, 2012


Yay, thanks for the thanks! Back before IRL was IRL we frequently talked about an events site and used the name GigFilter. We kicked around the idea off and on for years, and had a test run with the MeFi 10th Anniversary site in 2009. GigFilter solidified in Austin at SXSW 2010 over dinner one night. I think cortex came up with the name IRL and that seemed perfect. I was complaining about maps.

A couple months later Matt was asking for feedback and then in another month IRL was born. It has its rough spots but I'm glad it has worked for 1,000 events or so. And I'm glad it's not called GigFilter.
posted by pb (staff) at 7:57 PM on February 28, 2012 [1 favorite]


Every meetup I've attended has become a thing of legend.
posted by ColdChef at 9:34 PM on February 28, 2012 [1 favorite]


Sometimes mayors show up and everyithing.
posted by The Whelk at 9:34 PM on February 28, 2012


Sigh. Maybe I'll make it to the MeFi 20th Anniversary.

Provided my various pipes and valves and grommets keep working that long.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 9:43 PM on February 28, 2012 [1 favorite]


Every meetup I've attended has become a thing of legend.

Mr Coldchef's joojoo bends the laws of reality: in this case correlation equals causation.
posted by Meatbomb at 12:28 AM on February 29, 2012


I think cortex came up with the name IRL

That was, I believe, me. But it's entirely possible that it was one of those Newton/Leibniz things.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 6:19 AM on February 29, 2012


ah, sorry jessamyn. I blame the margaritas. I remember another suggestion was AFK which is funnier, but I think IRL is great.
posted by pb (staff) at 6:51 AM on February 29, 2012


No, no, we were sitting around riffing and I was like "hurr hurr IRL" and you were all "yes that's it" and I was like "I don't know if people will actually like it, it's sort of on-the-nose and sounds like we're playing an MMO" and you were all "NOPE THAT'S IT, IT'S IRL" and I stated for the record that I was worried about being killed by an angry mob, figuratively speaking.
posted by cortex (staff) at 7:09 AM on February 29, 2012


I remember another suggestion was AFK which is funnier, but I think IRL is great.

This suggests a lack of keyboards at meetups, which is patently false.
posted by ColdChef at 7:11 AM on February 29, 2012


Ah right! Angry mob: it was cortex.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:11 AM on February 29, 2012


One of these days... I've been to exactly one unofficial (non-IRL) meetup. Hmph.
posted by zarq at 8:08 AM on February 29, 2012


zarq, consider yourself in possession of a standing invitation to any and all Chicago meetups. If you ever make it, the Chicago Cabal* will even consider letting shakespeherian out of his cage doorway. Totally worth it for the cost of a trip from NYC.

*TINCC
posted by SpiffyRob at 8:49 AM on February 29, 2012


Awww, thanks!! :)

I was actually supposed to be filling in for someone and going to Chicago for a business trip this coming weekend, (a conference/show at McCormick) but was told yesterday that the original person would make it instead. A shame.

Last time I was in town I went to a restaurant called Coco Pazzo's that had a fantastic pasta, mushroom and pancetta dish. I could spend years just eating my way through Chicago.... ;)
posted by zarq at 9:11 AM on February 29, 2012


> Last time I was in town I went to a restaurant called Coco Pazzo's that had a fantastic pasta, mushroom and pancetta dish. I could spend years just eating my way through Chicago.... ;)

Purple Pig, which is almost ontop of the Billy Goat is amazing as well. Deep fried deviled eggs are delicious.

posted by mrzarquon at 10:59 AM on February 29, 2012


"Portland > *."

Agreed. Best city in Maine.

Willing to bet that I'm in the top 10 of miles driven (not flown) for meetups (and specifically for meetups, not in town on any other business). Hooray, constrictions!
posted by Eideteker at 11:57 AM on February 29, 2012


mrzarquon: "Deep fried deviled eggs are delicious."

Whoa. That sounds delicious.
posted by zarq at 12:42 PM on February 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


Wait, there are deep fried deviled eggs at the Purple Pig? I now have lunch plans once I make it back from this trip down-state. Thanks, mrzarquon!
posted by BevosAngryGhost at 6:20 PM on February 29, 2012


That's just the beginning of their fried madness:

Fried Items
Chorizo Stuffed Olives
Prosciutto Escarole Bread Balls
Deviled Egg with Arugula & Caper Berries
Fried Brussel Sprouts with Thyme, Lemon & Chili Flakes
Eggplant Parmesan Balls
Butternut Squash Arancini with Sage & Walnut Pesto
Pig’s Ear with Crispy Kale, Pickled
Cherry Peppers & Fried Egg
Petit Basque Cheese with Membrillo
Sardines with Shaved Fennel Salad & Lemon Vinaigrette

Actually, I guess it's the third position of their fried madness.
My uncle came down with a bad case of fried madness after a tour of duty in McDonaldland. :(
posted by SpiffyRob at 5:49 AM on March 1, 2012


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