When Real Life Meets the Internet

[Nurvingiel]

OMG IRex that movie was so funny! And so very very true...
Meeting real people on the internet...
"Hey, you're not a girl."
"Yes I am."
"Send me naked pictures."
"Okay."
"I LOVE ANGELINA JOLIE! DOES ANYONE ELSE LIKE ANGELINA JOLIE!?"




I have to agree with Me9996, at least for younger people. There are some sick sick people that abuse the anonymity of the internet. You don't want to meet those people, ever. Why take the chance?
For adults, we're allowed to do stupid things. But as Cassopeia pointed out, it can still go very wrong.
I was going to meet Jonathan for a fika, but I didn't end up doing so for reasons not related to internet-RL shyness. (See vent thread. Again.)

[Nurvingiel]

(From the Temporary Venting thread)

Originally Posted by Jonathan

Sorry to hear that Nurv, you would have loved Stockholm I'm sure.
I guess we'll just have to postpone the fika a bit. When you come to Stockholm this summer, maybe we can meet then

Now this poses a problem since I'm travelling with my parents. I can imaine a scenario, but I don't particulary want to be in this.
Me: Meet my friend Jonathan.
*polite greetings all around*
Dad: So how do you guys know each other?
Mom: Are you an exchange student too Jonathan?
Me: Actually, we met on a Tolkien message board called Entmoot.
Jonathan: We've both been members there for over two years.
Parents: *blank look* *dubiousness is disguised. But I know it's there*
*stilted conversation ensues*
Later
Dad: Entmoot? *undisguised dubiousness*
Me: Heh...

That's pretty much how it would go down. I'd be happy to meet you if I was travelling alone, but my parents don't know you at all, not being Mooters, and it would just be too awkward.

One of my online buddies actually wanted to come visit me in Umeå. I declined as kindly as I could. She's very nice and I like chatting with her, but I was quite nervous at the thought of meeting her in person.

[me9996]

Originally Posted by Nurvingiel

(From the Temporary Venting thread)

Now this poses a problem since I'm travelling with my parents. I can imaine a scenario, but I don't particulary want to be in this.
Me: Meet my friend Jonathan.
*polite greetings all around*
Dad: So how do you guys know each other?
Mom: Are you an exchange student too Jonathan?
Me: Actually, we met on a Tolkien message board called Entmoot.
Jonathan: We've both been members there for over two years.
Parents: *blank look* *dubiousness is disguised. But I know it's there*
*stilted conversation ensues*
Later
Dad: Entmoot? *undisguised dubiousness*
Me: Heh...

That's pretty much how it would go down. I'd be happy to meet you if I was travelling alone, but my parents don't know you at all, not being Mooters, and it would just be too awkward.

One of my online buddies actually wanted to come visit me in Umeå. I declined as kindly as I could. She's very nice and I like chatting with her, but I was quite nervous at the thought of meeting her in person.

That would never happen, I'd never meet someone that I met one the internet... However I tend to invite friends to oneline places

[Jonathan]

I hear you Nurv, I'd think it would be awkward too if my parents were present. So I understand you well. We can have that fika online in the Teacup Café instead

[Nurvingiel]

Thanks for being so cool about it Jonathan.

Originally Posted by me9996

That would never happen, I'd never meet someone that I met one the internet... However I tend to invite friends to oneline places

Yeah I totally understand Me#.

Does anyone else have on-line stories?

Have you met anyone else besides Ruinel JD?

[Jonathan]

Originally Posted by Nurvingiel

Thanks for being so cool about it Jonathan.

Don't mention it

JD has met with some mooters at bmilder's house. Check this thread out - We're all here

[Nurvingiel]

Woah, Entmoot had an Entmoot! So cool. (BTW I like the Canada overlay on your avatar Jonathan. )

[Rían]

I met one Mooter once. She was on the Moot for about 6 months and I found out she liked archery and she lived near me, so I told her about where I shoot, and we met. She was about 13 and a half, just a little older than my son (who shoots, too). She was pretty shy, tho - very talkative and outspoken on the Internet, but when we met her, she was a smiler/giggler type. She was on my Tengwar thread and very talkative, but whenever I tried to talk to her in RL, I basically got an "uh-huh!" and a smile and a giggle. Same results for whenever my son tried to talk to her. So in this case, I was very surprised at how different she was in RL compared to how she was on the Internet.

I would LOVE to have another RL Entmoot and meet the Mooters! I don't see how it would be practical, tho.

[Last Child of Ungoliant]

Originally Posted by Telcontar_Dunedain

I live about half an hour/three quaters of an hours away from Bridgwater, and I'm pretty sure it's the one you're talking about!

deff the same one, TD stinky bridgwater with the cellophane factory

[Linaewen]

Originally Posted by RÃ*an

I met one Mooter once.[...] She was on my Tengwar thread and very talkative, but whenever I tried to talk to her in RL, I basically got an "uh-huh!" and a smile and a giggle. Same results for whenever my son tried to talk to her. So in this case, I was very surprised at how different she was in RL compared to how she was on the Internet.

Oh, I think I would be like that too. It's just much easier to be outgoing on the net - you get time to think about what you're going to say. (IRL I tend to just talk very excitedly, very quickly, with hand gestures and blurt out things) But I think it would still be lots of fun to meet my Mooter friends- hopefully I can do an exchange to Sweden or Austria and we'll see how I go from there.

[HOBBIT]

Hm, I'll join the thread. This stuff isn't secret and can be found mentioned on the board, so why not mention it here.

bmilder and I (HOBBIT) met with Darth Tater (summer 2001 I think - maybe earlier) in RL in NJ in LBI (he was visiting).

Also met with IronParrot when he was visiting Princeton.

we met with Inoldonil (or Noldo, whatever) in California (when we were visiting).

Then we had our first "EntCon" (and uh, only) December 2001, where a bunch of us met and saw FOTR together (and did other stuff) in NJ.

Present there: Me (HOBBIT), bmilder, anduin, Darth Tater, JD, and I think that thats it? More people were supposed to come, but couldn't in the end.

[Falagar]

I've met lots of people from the net, and haven't regretted one second. Actually, I've been with people I've met on the net every day since last monday this holiday (and am probably going to meet many of them again today).

First met some of them in the queue for RotK, then in a large gathering arranged by the admin of the Norwegian Tolkien-board, an after that in several other (smaller, more social) gatherings.

[Twista]

Me and Hanza were planning to meet up last summer.. never happened however. Shes coming up to Edinburgh with her family this August though so we might try it again then.

I belive her and Janny were about 20ft apart from each other at a concert but they couldn't find each other! - Weird.

[cassiopeia]

Originally Posted by jerseydevil

I'm sorry to hear that. It's not always a good experience, but I also worked with someone who got married to someone he met in a chat room.

I was kinda hoping for something like that. *wry grin* Unfortunately it wasn't a good experience for either of us, in the end. Though I suspect that if I had met Linaewen, I wouldn't have been disappointed.

[Haradrim]

Ive met people off the internet. But it was slightly differnet. It was for a line party for Trilogy Tuesday. And it was different becasue well we always had planned to meet each other on that day so it wasnt a big deal though I was still pretty shy about it.

I think it would be awesome to have an Entmoot Entmoot. It wouldnt be too difficult. You could find all people interested then have it in all different parts of the world. Like Northeast USA could all meet somewhere. Parts of Europe could meet. Australian and NZ could meet. IT would be really cool. If everyone for each site pitched in soem money you could even rent out a hotel or something and maybe even sign some LOTR celebs to come. I think it would be really cool.

[gollum9630]

I have only met one other mooter and let me tell you it was a bad experiance. The guys a jerk, doesnt shut up and we got into a ton of fights. Seriously, never meet with anotehr mooter

[jerseydevil]

Originally Posted by gollum9630

I have only met one other mooter and let me tell you it was a bad experiance. The guys a jerk, doesnt shut up and we got into a ton of fights. Seriously, never meet with anotehr mooter

Hey - your brother doesn't count.

[Hanza]

Originally Posted by Twista

Me and Hanza were planning to meet up last summer.. never happened however. Shes coming up to Edinburgh with her family this August though so we might try it again then.

change of plans we are going to america now but me and my friend mite be coming up for the edinburgh festival. so *fingers crossed* if my parents werent so annoying id just come up and stay with u.

I belive her and Janny were about 20ft apart from each other at a concert but they couldn't find each other! - Weird.

yup was my fault id switched sim cards so when he called me i cudnt pick up!! silly hanza!! he cudnt come to gig this time round so we are just intending to meet up some other time. i should probably be more wary but i dunno feels like i no u two seeming as i talk to u two all the time. would be cool to finally meet you!

[Earniel]

I haven't met anyone face to face yet that I've met on the internet. If it was practically feasible, I know at least a few I'd like to meet once face to face. But practicality is a bitch, because everyone I know well enough to endeavour a meeting with lives at least across water. I'm not very comfortable with traveling to places I have never been before and certainly not alone. I don't think my mother would let me either! Besides, I'm probably much too shy in real life.

My sister did, however, meet up in England with a group of people she met on a messageboard for people who 'donated' their computer to find a cure for cancer. She took her boyfriend with her just in case, but they all had a fabulous time. One of the group even came all the way from Crete for the occasion.

A good friend of mine got to know her fiancee through Elfwood, a on line gallery for fantasy art. They've met repeatedly and now her boyfriend has moved to Belgium. They're getting married in summer.

But if anyone ever happens to be in Antwerp, give me a notice and I'll buy you a drink.

[Count Comfect]

I've met several 'mooters IRL, but only one that I didn't know before meeting them on Entmoot. I can't complain about any of them: my experiences have been pretty good. Interesting to see how different my RL friends are when they get onto the 'Moot, though