Meeting forum members face to face

For the past 15 or so years I have been active on forums of whatever I happen to be into at the time. I have on many occasions had the opportunity to meet face to face with other posters and what I find is they are exactly as I thought they would be. Looks, personality, and mannerisms. Kind of eerie but I wondered if any of you have experienced the same thing. Anyway today I met Doug Surplus from this forum, and once again I think I would have picked him out of the crowd with never having seen a picture of him, didn't have to because my wife introduced us, but it is kind of weird. Have any of you ever experienced this? -RP

Have any of you ever experienced this?

All the time. I've been a member of two different email discussion lists for 15 years each, and have met many, many other members in Real Life. They have invariably turned out to be exactly who I thought they were.

Well, except Stuart.

I've met a number of people from online. Not this forum, but others. They are always pretty much what I expect. That's the best.

At various times over the past 5 years I've met many members of this forum. Sometimes it will be on a trip to an area where some live and we meet up. Sometimes it has been an organized offline, such as MOCOOL or NiagaraCOOL. I have yet to meet any member who's company I didn't enjoy and some I consider true friends.

[Jenise]

Randy, I remember meeting a guy we used to call 'Hucko' from the first internet wine board I ever participated on and where, coincidentally, I know Robin (and several others on this board) from. I somehow got it in my head that he was a single 60ish curmudgeon who hid all his wine in a closet and had no friends. The man I met? He was instead 39ish, sexy, and the father of two young children. Couldn't have got it more wrong. Experiences since have varied, but I sure can't claim with any certainty to be able to pick the likeliest person out of the crowd.

What IS the same about them all is that my life has been enriched by nearly every meeting.

So...what does Doug look like?

What IS the same about them all is that my life has been enriched by nearly every meeting.

That's because you and I haven't met yet.

[Jenise]

What IS the same about them all is that my life has been enriched by nearly every meeting.

That's because you and I haven't met yet.

Well, that and that I didn't attend the Yak World Tour.

Randy,

Great topic! Thanks to business travel and events like MOCOOL, I have probably met in person at least 40 people from both WLDG classic and the new WLDG. Often they were different in person than how they came off on the board. Without mentioning any names, one fellow I met who came across on the board as being a total nerd and hopelessly inept with women ended up being fairly cool and had a gorgeous wife when we met in person. Another fellow that seemed very outspoken and confrontational on the board was the most soft spoken, shy man in person. A couple of people I have met that sounded like experts when posting were rather clueless in person because when asked a question they could not look up the answer on the internet. One of the women from WLDG classic seemed very reserved on the board but in person she was a real firecracker. And then there is that one guy who does not hesitate to give anyone a tongue lashing on the board but is extremely civil and pleasant to be around in real life.

One name I will mention though is Stuart. I’ve had a glass or two with him over the years and he has NEVER brought up politics. He likes to debate the political issues online but in person, at least from my experience, he leaves that at the door. Other than that, his online persona is what you may expect if you meet him in person. Very much the life of the party.

I don't know what people have thought when they met me in person, but many people I have met were much as I thought they would be, yes.

I was a bit off on Bernie Roth, but only in a physical appearance way. Also, to truly understand Bernie, I think you have to meet his wife (you should be so lucky). I'll leave that to people to figure out.

Jenise, yes. Cynthia, yes. Traci M., yes. Robin, vey much yes.

Stuart? Hmmm. Suffice it to say that I have very few friends I hold close, no matter what the circumstances. Friends with which I feel comfortable, even while disagreeing with them vehemently at times. Friends which I may see only every once in a while, but cherish nonetheless. Stuart, for me, is that kind of friend. I have no idea if he feels the same towards me, as that is not a requirement of my friendship; it's something only I have to feel, as it is my choice.

And yes, it's true that Stuart almost never mentions political or social issues in public and in person. I think he more than makes up for that with his presence in the Basement however.

I've had some disconcerting meetings with others from this Forum. But not many, and not often. And I've formed quite a few relationships that were of great value and long lasting. Lou and BL Kessler. Thor. Many others (so don't feel slighted if your name isn't mentioned). It is indeed a lovely community.

Years ago, I met Peggy Bucholz and Linda Stradley. It was a wonderful experience and we have kept in touch and visited with them over the years. In our RV travels, I also met up with ladies who did rubber stamp art greeting cards as I did, for many years. One particular and memorable experience was traveling back east to see our daughter and stopping in a state along the way to meet two ladies. They brought us homemade baked goodies, indigenous to their state. Our visit was spent talking about our hobby, kids and the differences in our states. Another lady I met on a cooking forum came to Redding with her daughter and contacted me. Her daughter has since set up an office here in Redding. She is an attorney and doing very well.
I've also had long email contacts with various ladies, one in Canada who mailed me a few food products to try.
Oh, our rubber art stamp club had a huge reunion in a little town outside of Sacramento called Rescue. A bunch of gals from different states and CA met for an afternoon of fun, drinking wine and a fabulous bbq cooked by the hostess’s husband.

And I've formed quite a few relationships that were of great value and long lasting. Lou and BL Kessler. Thor .

Yeah, well you are one of those forgiving kind of fellows. If someone busted the leg of my sofa and vomitted all over I would be a little bit upset.

Hoke has seen me naked.

I don't know what people have thought when they met me in person

Here are my thoughts from when I have met you in person...

Generous
Highly intelligent
Hospitable
Gracious
Prosperous
Clever
Consumes responsibly

Oh, and fashionably dressed for a mature man.

Hoke has seen me naked.

And I'm still trying to deal with that.

The hysterical blindness was short lived, but the after effects linger on.

Hoke has seen me naked.

Oh for goodness sake. Half the forum has seen you naked. The rest of us have had to visualise it vicariously through Theresa's vivid descriptions..

Yeah, well you are one of those forgiving kind of fellows.

Depends upon who you're talking to...

If someone busted the leg of my sofa and vomitted all over I would be a little bit upset.

And that was only the beginning...

You know, everything about that visit was strange to the extreme. It was in many ways just another offline, yet it spawned many a legend that evening. Some intriguing people were there, and some solid friendships were formed (along with some being damaged, sadly).

In the aggrandized telling that happened later, Thor may have come across poorly, but that's a bit unfair to him. And the whole hot tub thing was way overblown. Truth was, few people availed themselves of the hot tub, and most there didn't even realize people had gone tubbing. But yes, it's true, Stuart was one of them; so, yes, it's true, I have seen him naked. But I promise I didn't stare. Not at him,anyway.

Thor's hot tub experience was, um, both unfortunate and singular. One should not hot tub, it turns out, when one is sorely befuddled with drink. I think the violent change in body temperature caused the subsequent problem to become a crisis.

But it was largely good times, and interesting people. Rahsaan made his first appearance at one of those offlines. I met Walt Nissen. And the lovely Tom Regner and Susan Mountain. And Lou and BL Kessler. The mysterious and intriguing Eric, then down from Travis AFB. One day this guy from Milwaukee showed up, too. The power of the Internet!

That was a memorable event. So was the next one.

That was a memorable event. So was the next one.

But of a different sort.

I remember that evening at Hoke's place, really quite sedate except for Stuart in the hot tub which is not on my list of favorite incidents to befall me in life.
Now when it comes to the 60's there are large blank spots in that period. A couple of years ago I ran across an old friend who mentioned a great weekend party we had both attended in San Francisco around 68 or 69. Hell I lived LA area at that time and can't even remember being SF at all in that period.
I have found the vast majority of the people I have met through the boards to score 90 points or better.

[David M. Bueker]

Most of my closest friends are people that I met through this forum and/or another wine forum I frequent.

I've had some disconcerting meetings with others from this Forum.

And you said that you'd never allude to the mongoose incident in public, Hoke.

Mark Lipton

I've had some disconcerting meetings with others from this Forum.

And you said that you'd never allude to the mongoose incident in public, Hoke.

Mark Lipton

Habu Alert! Habu Alert!


Okay, I'll admit: you were a bit of a letdown, but you did marry very high above your scale.

I'm a hunchback with one eye missing and a drool bucket.

I'm a hunchback with one eye missing and a drool bucket.

But I think the eye patch lends you a certain swashbuckling air.