Meetup ever take place in someone's home?

November 23, 2007 10:35 AM

Just curious if anyone's ever had a MeFi meetup in their house. Either drinks or potluck or whatever. Yes, no? How'd it go? Stupid idea or dumb idea?
posted by dobbs to MetaFilter Gatherings at 10:35 AM (43 comments total)

The thanksgiving one yesterday was at someone's house. It might push people's comfort levels (both for the host and attendees) to just throw open meetups in a house though.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 10:38 AM on November 23, 2007

Wow. That's a bizarre coincidence. Thanks Matt.
posted by dobbs at 10:42 AM on November 23, 2007

I'd probably be a little wary about going to a meetup in someone's house if I didn't already know them because they might turn out to be one of those weird fuckers who puts plastic on their couches and insist that everyone use a coaster.
posted by cmonkey at 10:47 AM on November 23, 2007 [3 favorites]

I have had a few meetups at my house, mainly because I live in the country and it's not super simple to find a place where everyone can get together in the immediate area. Plus I have a group of friends here who are friends *and* MeFites and so it's pretty easy to just invite other local MeFites out when we're all getting together anyhow. One of the other things that is good about it is that you don't have to worry about people's ages if some people want to drink (huge problem some places in the US, taking underage people into bars) and smokers (cigarettes and whatever) can have a place to be outside without other folks worrying about being smokey. It's a money saver for some people too, to go to someone's house.

That said the best meetups at my house have been outdoor informal daytime cookout types of things with people coming from a bunch of New England states. With bigger meetups (n=12?) we've had nametags so people knew who everyone was. I think there are definitely some people who would feel much more comfortable NOT being at someone's house because if you go to the bar/restaurant and it's a weird scene it's easier to duck out and/or not say hi to begin with if you're at someone's house you may get stuck there.

So, my feeling is if there are a core group of MeFites that you actually know personally, having a big get-together at someone's house is not a bad deal. I don't know if I'd do it someplace where I knew no one at all because it would be pretty random. You also need, at a house party, to make sure someone is in charge if making sure the people that dont know everyone or who haven't been there before get the tour and don't feel like they're crashing a party of existing friends.

I've also been to a super small meetup in NC that was at someone's house that I think I would have been much less likely to go to if it had been at some random place. I'm more likely to be willing to go to someone's house that I don't know than wander into a bar looking for peopel I don't know but YMMV on that.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 10:57 AM on November 23, 2007

Me, I put my couch on casters and everyone in plastic. Feel free to drop by anytime!
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 11:07 AM on November 23, 2007

It's been done a few times with metachat meet-ups if I remember correctly. They always seem to have a great time of it.
posted by puke & cry at 11:09 AM on November 23, 2007

Well, I like to cast everyone in plaster and have a roast.

*eats some cheese*
posted by disclaimer at 11:11 AM on November 23, 2007

I had an 'all back to mine' party after a meetup once. It was pretty debauched.
posted by jack_mo at 11:20 AM on November 23, 2007

Our dinner went fine, but it was mostly people we already knew -- and one of the reasons I posted an early guest list was so that people would know there really were people coming and be comfortable attending, but also if they showed up and were vomit-on-the-couch level rude there was a posse, so to speak.

So I'd say the best way to do this would be to suss out some locals you already have a rapport with here or have met at another meetup, then post that they will be in attendance. Handle RSVP or other details solely through Memail so you know that people responding are actually Mefites.

It's not stupid or dumb, is my feeling, but I totally get why it would seem that way. I was inspired by jessamyn, truth be told. She is so open and friendly and it's not like you're always going to love or even like everyone you meet, but I like the optimism of assuming that if you welcome people and treat them well, they will respond by being good people back. I imagine I'd feel even more confident about that if I were Canadian. Man, I love Canadians. That is no joke.
posted by melissa may at 11:21 AM on November 23, 2007 [1 favorite]

I'd be careful, dobbs. You're in Toronto, so tehloki might show up and start "favouriting" everything... if you know what I mean.
posted by Krrrlson at 11:22 AM on November 23, 2007 [1 favorite]

You're in Toronto, so tehloki might show up and start "favouriting" everything... if you know what I mean.

You say that like it's a bad thing.....
posted by jmd82 at 11:32 AM on November 23, 2007 [1 favorite]

You're in Toronto, so tehloki might show up and start "favouriting" everything... if you know what I mean.

So...meetup in tehloki's pants?
posted by juv3nal at 11:51 AM on November 23, 2007 [1 favorite]

I would love someone to organize an all-freak meetup, in their mom's basement, with lots of weed. I'd take an intercontinental jet flight for that.
posted by Meatbomb at 12:20 PM on November 23, 2007 [2 favorites]

Wouldn't mom be surprised. I haven't been by to visit in months.
posted by dreamsign at 12:26 PM on November 23, 2007

You're in Toronto, so tehloki might show up and start "favouriting" everything... if you know what I mean.

So...meetup in tehloki's pants?

I'm in.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 12:33 PM on November 23, 2007 [2 favorites]

"Is that a meetup in your pants, or..."
posted by cortex (staff) at 12:38 PM on November 23, 2007

Of course, if you do have a meetup at your house, four panels may show up and call you creepy.
posted by donnagirl at 12:40 PM on November 23, 2007 [1 favorite]

dobbs, we had a Dallas meetup this year at Ufez Jones' place that was fun. We cooked out and we played Wii and had a good time. We also had one that ended up as a meetup sleepover, too, so, meeting at someones house can be a good place to gather.
posted by thatothrgirl at 3:21 PM on November 23, 2007

I'd just like to drop in and say that's it's a wonderful statement of community and hospitality. There.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 4:02 PM on November 23, 2007

If dobbs' hosted a meetup at his house, wouldn't that mean he'd have to actually be there?

I kid, I kid

More seriously, I've never hosted a MeFi meetup at my house, but I have hosted a number of other internet meetups, and it's not, generally, been a problem.
posted by jacquilynne at 4:23 PM on November 23, 2007

I've had people over to my place for an unofficial meet-up-y thing. I had lots of food* and drinks.

I'll note that DaShiv left a $20 bill in my microwave. (It's true. (Don't judge me.))

*I baked a couple groovy cornmeal crust pizzas, I think I had cheese and crackers and walnuts and maybe fig spread, there were cookies, some other food like that, all eat-able without utensils.
posted by ClaudiaCenter at 4:49 PM on November 23, 2007

Well, there are several NYC mefites (breezeway, Divine_Wino, thepinksuperhero, stynxno) who are close friends of mine who have hung out at my apartment in groups. I don't know if that qualifies as a 'meetup' per se, but I did first meet all these people through the site.
posted by jonmc at 5:01 PM on November 23, 2007

Howsabout a meetup at the Strand sometime, jonmc? Everyone goes home with a book!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:02 PM on November 23, 2007

come by anytime. I've had several MeFites drop by to say howdy. Unfortunately, I'm arm deep in boxes and dust usually.
posted by jonmc at 6:13 PM on November 23, 2007

jonmc, not sure yet, but I might be in NY in March. If I am, I'm gonna come see ya!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:48 PM on November 23, 2007

I've also been to a super small meetup in NC that was at someone's house

*sobs*

How quickly they forget.

That one was a semi-potluck at my place; I cooked a bunch of shrimp and peanut sauce over pasta, Marxchivist brought desert, 3.2.3 came over from Durham...and maybe one or two others. I totally recommend a house gig as an alternative to smoky, noisy, expensive bars or restaurants..
posted by mediareport at 6:50 PM on November 23, 2007

I'll note that DaShiv left a $20 bill in my microwave. (It's true. (Don't judge me.))

I don't judge you. I JUDGE HIM. DaShiv, you bastard!! I don't have a microwave, but I do have an oven, ya know!!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 6:53 PM on November 23, 2007 [2 favorites]

How quickly they forget.

Oh come now, I have my own pictures I just couldn't remember for certain who lived there! Remember, I walked there. It was a fun time. I rememebr pie in triangular boxes.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:02 PM on November 23, 2007

(kidding, i swear)
posted by mediareport at 7:04 PM on November 23, 2007

I have been to a meetup at someone's house, where I belched loudly, broke her microwave oven, drank too much, and ended up wearing a tinfoil hat.

I had a great time, but pity the poor hostess! I did replace her microwave. Eventually.
posted by ikkyu2 at 9:24 PM on November 23, 2007

Optamystic hosted a meetup at his house, and it was probably the best I had been to.
posted by grouse at 12:20 AM on November 24, 2007

There was the Hastings one. Seems to have gone ok.
posted by paduasoy at 3:27 AM on November 24, 2007

There was the Hastings one. Seems to have gone ok.

Otherwise known as Glastonbunny.
posted by essexjan at 8:14 AM on November 24, 2007

There have been two weekend long metachat meetups at peoples houses - mine in 2006 and then Virginia Beach in 2007. The one here was great; we had drinks and food and arts and crafts and hiking and more drinks and more food and then, yeah, yet more drinks. Everybody had a wonderful time even though we mostly hadn't actually "met" anyone else before they all showed up at my house on Friday afternoon. And everyone was even cool about my needy impossible dog who likes to sit right at your feet and bark every time you stop petting him.
posted by mygothlaundry at 9:30 AM on November 24, 2007

I crashed at a very generous New Yorker's apartment after one of the NYC meetups.
posted by smackfu at 10:10 AM on November 24, 2007

We used to have a subset of regular SF meetup attendees who met in each other's homes to do crafty projects like button making and (my personal favorite) sock puppet creating. I really wish I could find those sock puppet photos right now. Anyway, like most people who've commented here it was people we'd already met at other meetups first.
posted by cali at 11:26 AM on November 24, 2007

I just had mandyman, speicus, fuzzbean and coined over for Thanksgiving. My girlfriend is Holyrood.

Everyone was pretty cool about it. I don't think they stole anything.
posted by klangklangston at 11:58 AM on November 24, 2007

I would totally go to a meetup at dobbs's place. Of course, as long as dirtynumbangelboy isn't lurking in a closet waiting to pounce on me.
posted by tehloki at 4:50 PM on November 24, 2007 [1 favorite]

I've had MeFites stay over at my place, even if I haven't met them "f2f" yet.
posted by Eideteker at 6:36 PM on November 24, 2007

I would totally go to a meetup at dobbs's place. Of course, as long as dirtynumbangelboy isn't lurking in a closet waiting to pounce on me.

tehloki, I think DNAB is pretty clearly out of the closet.

Sorry, I couldn't pass that up!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:09 PM on November 24, 2007 [2 favorites]

And for the record, next time Jessamyn invites me, I'm *really* going to make it to the meet-up.
posted by deCadmus at 9:54 PM on November 24, 2007

I had hoped somebody would take that setup.
posted by tehloki at 1:06 AM on November 25, 2007

Had one (two?) at our house in the backyard. A fun time was had by all. I dunno if I would've done it had I not previously met some of the attendees at a previous meetup, though.
posted by eamondaly at 11:37 AM on November 26, 2007