A Fluther Convention?
Asked by
Hobbes (
7371
)
January 8th, 2009
I’m a little surprised no-one’s done this already. Who would be interested in a Fluther meetup/convention? What sort of preparation would we have to do? I have never run a convention of any sort before, all I know is that it must happen and that we should hand out little jellyfish at the door. Perhaps they could be made of candy?
Observing members:
0
Composing members:
0
115 Answers
people are interstend, but we cant decide on where. i say west coats. an d t he closer to norcal the better.
can ie come? i want to ebe invited.
I’m in. As long as I can drive to the location, so no west coast!
August. I’ll fly you out. Portland. Portland. Portland.
Judo, if you’re buyin’ I’m flyin’!
How about we split the difference and make it somewhere in middle America so that east and west coasters have the same distance to travel and it favors everyone equally?
Those who live in the heartland of the U.S. have to travel the shortest distance but you have to start somewhere right?
Las vegas would
Be the cheapest optionfor everyone.
I’m in so long as I can afford to get there.
I’d love to be invited.
I’m down! As long as I’m invited. I kinda agree with Bluefreedom on the location, even though I’m on the East Coast right now.
Every networking website I’ve ever used (where the people get to know each other due to repeated use) seems to come up with the idea of “all meeting up someday.”
It’s much easier when the users are geographically close, though. That’s why there were LAN meetups back in the day, but not large-scale Fluther meetups. Too much time and expense to consider.
@laureth: Why must you always be the voice of reason? :^)
It was a nice fantasy.
It’s winter, let’s go to Hawaii or St. Croix
I’m pro Chicago. It’s nicely in the middle of America and, most importantly, I won’t have to travel anywhere. (Hey! I don’t have a car.)
No Hawaii, unless we wait until August. I have to go there once this year for a wedding, twice would really, really break the bank.
Denver? That seems to be a good halfway point. I could also see my Broncos! That’s if I’m invited. I’m still new here.
West Coast one year, East Coast the next, or start somewhere in the middle like Minneapolis, Chicago, Milwaukee. Las Vegas is the cheapest for folks to fly to.
I like the idea of Portland.
What would happen at a Fluther convention?
With everyone being so far scattered, how about more than one, you could have one in Vegas/SF/LA for the west coast Jellies and another in St.Louis/Chicago for the Midwest Jellies.
The most convenient locations can be calculated using proxcemity theorem, if we knew where the Jellies were from (only count those who want to attend)
I’d love to attend if one was ever organized. Workshops could be organized around some of the most popular questions posed or we could ask for new submissions when people register to attend. We could invite some speakers or just have frequent/high-lurve earning users to facilitate some of the sessions. The possibilities are endless!
This question has shown up before but I can’t seem to find any of the old ones. For someone to actually pull this off they need to take charge. Make some form of a schedule of events (one day, two days, 8 days?) FIgure out what you plan on offering before you try to get people to come. Then get a definitive list of everyone who wants to come. You should go ahead and say something like “if you don’t have at least 300$ available for a plane ticket, you shouldn’t say you’re coming.” Once you have a list, then you put all those people on a map and find a good place to meet. From there you’d probably either need to find someone’s house or a hotel to meet at / lodging.
Then you start making concrete plans. Good luck.
If this does happen, I’m not interested in coming. There’s only a handful of users who I’d want to meet and hang out with. I like a lot of people, but that doesn’t mean I’d enjoy hanging out with them.
It could be a FlutherCamp. See BarCamp.
it would be a party, because conventions are put on by sponsors, usually around a theme, and different corporations or organizations pay fees to have booths and give out information. actual conventions are huge affairs that are very costly (hotel, space, rooms, organizers), so the sponsors put up the money to help out. unless the fluther big shots want to pay, what we’re talking about is a party.
A party is A-OK by me. Will there be beer, and pancakes?
What would happen if everyone at the Fluther convention yelled “pancake” really loud (or really soft)?
You guys pick a place, and I’ll find a way to get there.
I’m thinking a big dinner party (yes, we can have beer and pancakes).
—I’m speaking as if I’m already invited. Sorry to assume. if I’m invited…”
I’m assuming we’d all be invited…I sure hope so!
I like the regional, driving distance idea, so we could meet for an afternoon, or maybe even an evening and then go home. It wouldn’t be as hard to organize, because all we’d have to do is pick a spot (agreeing on it would be the hardest thing) and a date, and then show up.
I’m sure Andrew would provide the silly hats. What? What do you mean we don’t have silly hats!!!
We could have multiple gatherings and connect via webcam.
For all the jellies that live in the USA. It is never much more than $99.00 to fly round trip to Las Vegas. Cheaper hotels run around $35 a night. This trip would cost most $300 for two nights, three days.
…and the buffets can be inexpensive. just sayin’
Vegas! Hotel rates are cheap and airline fares are usually pretty cheap.
And no matter what happens and no matter where the convention is, what happens in Fluther stays in Fluther! Right?
Anyone with some Google mapping skills want to set up a Fluther visitor map so we can begin to see where we all are?
I think it might make sense to have multiple gatherings around the world (perhaps on the same day) that we could then interconnect live using Fluther. We could use a site like couchsurfing.com to keep costs down for out of towners and keep overall carbon emissions down, cook for each other and keep it simple and potlachy. People who like to travel can do that & locals can still meet up. If we came up with a good model it could be easy to replicate and be an annual thing.
Step one: where are we? (That will determine how much room we’d need and where to host.)
@Ort – It is time to introduce you to the Fluther Map. Jellies that are not on there yet should feel free to add themselves to the map.
Edit – Also see this thread that started the map.
It creeps me out that you can look at my porch and see the recycle garbage can on my curb. I just can’t figure out how to “post myself” or even if I want to.
Yeah lets have a big party.
@PnL That is very stlker-like.
People…this is the internet…watch it…
It should be in scenic Elk Grove, California, the vacation capital of North America.
Chuckie.. We’re taking a road trip to Portland. We can carpool.
@judochop – That’s true, but there’s the small problem of Las Vegas being the worst place in the entire world.
What if we had a semi-regular party that changed locations? One year it could be near the easy coast, and all the east coast jellies could come, along with the people who have the means to fly out there. Then next time it could be on the west coast, and then in the center and so on? The simultaneous thing might work too, though.
Or maybe we could have it in the exact center of America? Has anyone figured out where that is?
@Hobbes I do agree that Las Vegas is a total armpit however it is cheap, like most armpits I guess.
A meeting sounds like loads of fun. I play in an online league for Xbox360 and we all met up about 6 months ago. It was a great time and most of us have continued to stay close, visiting each other on a regular basis now. You never know what may become of a meeting, good friends or some heads in hands, one can never tell.
@Judi On the Fluther map, you just post your approximate location, not your actual address (if I remember correctly).
Speaking of which, how do you post your position? I tried, and I logged in, and there was no posting tool. Anyone got an idea about what happened?
TelePresence. One on the East Coast, one on the West, and one in the Heartland.
We probably have a member in each location who could find a way to access one for an extended session.
@daloon and anyone else interested in putting themselves on the map…
First, sign in. Then click on edit right next to collaborate, zoom in on your location, place the pin, and fill in the description (user name and place).
I did that, Allie, but there were no pins to place. Where do you get them?
@daloon There’s a button for them at the top left corner of the actual map photo. It’s a blue pin. It’s right next to a button of a hand. Just click that. A pin will pop up and then you place it where you want.
@Allie: thanks. I’m now on the map.
For Northeasterners, there are, not surprisingly, a lot of people around NYC. Since there are a couple of us in upstate NY, and a few of us to the south, I suggest that there’s a park in Tarrytown we could meet at.
There are at least three of us in the Philly area, who could meet for a mini-gathering. Hello Uberbatman?
I just added my house and my college. Good idea!
would we have to have a question ready to attend?
and can it be a smartass one?
Why does it have to be in the United States? Why not Canada? To be fair, why can’t it be in the Fluther office in San Francisco? That is the headquarters.
I’ve always wanted to visit San Fran
I’ll be there! with CAKE!
SF works for me. It’s only 90 minutes away.
Kind of on the wrong side of the country for me =[
me four, but I’d totally put together a “we can’t make it” party in Chicago
always wanted to go to Chicago
@EmpressPixie: You can make it yourself and it could be just as “official” as one in SF, NY, etc.
A Fluther is a group of jellies, so it makes sense to have a group of gatherings, too for any kind of convention. Party in Chicago, one in NYC, one in SF, another in Portland, Miami, UK, Australia, Hong Kong, etc. Why not? They’ll be easier to put on, less expensive and we can still interconnect them all through Fluther or other online sites. If we make a list, people could travel to any one of them. There is no “wrong” side of the world, people. We are the world… we are the jellies…
If it makes sense for a fluther to gather, it would make more sense for it to happen under the surface of any given ocean, no?
@laureth. Are you calling me a jellyfish?? j/k
The 2009 Inaugural Underwater Fluther Gather! I love it. …grabs his wetsuit…
Well, if it’s going to be underwater this has got to be the place!
I added myself to the Fluther Map. If you switch to satellite view, you can see the farm I work at really well.
Side note: At the Fluther convention, richardhenry is in charge of the hot chocolate station.
I feel special. I’m on a map.
@cprevite, wow, a farm right on Mass. Ave.? Unexpected. Is that you looking up and waving from beside a white parked car?
i live about an hour from NYC so anytime anybody wants to have a mini-party of local flutherers, anywhere in this area is fine with me. let’s make a date and do it. we could meet in a restaurant in westchester or any other local county.
When was Fluther founded? Does this site have an official birthdate?
Ten days after Uber and in the sixth year after the Millennium.
Actually, 2006 is the fifth year after the millenium.
Jan. 1, 2001 = Start of third millenium.
Hmpf.. fine, AC. Sorry Uber.. looks like it’s 105.
Well, why don’t we plan a Fluther Fluther for October 16th, 2009. It’s a Friday. We can have an opening event that night and then maybe some full day thing on Saturday the 17th if there’s interest. Maybe follow the BarCamp model as Megan64 suggested. Gives everyone plenty of time to plan, especially if there are Fluther Fluthers all over the world…
I second @Ort‘s suggestion! Make it a weekend thing. I would definitely love to use this convention/gathering as an excuse to go on a trip.
Dammit, Allie. I thought you were johnpowell!
@AstroChuck
The first millennium must’ve had only 999 years or something because 2000 is definitely the start. Sorry, but I don’t believe that for a second.
I won’t debate now…even if it is off-topic…
I still disagree, but I just think that milleniums aren’t 1000 year periods. Now I know that the whole calendar is based on Christ being born (etc.), but 1–999 is the first milennium. 1001–1999 is the second. 2000–2999 is the third.
whatever…
[edit to save space]: To what astrochuck said down below:
Well, what can I say….I am only a 14 year old freshmen….I guess that I will tak eyour word. Just don’t tell me that the 90’s was really 1991–2000…
90s kid- There was never a year zero. The first millenium started in year 1, the second in year 1001, and the third in 2001.
@90s_kid: Quit yer yammering and just post yourself on the Fluther Map already – so I won’t be the only one from Boston.
And listen to the mailman! ;^)
@cprevite
No way. I ain’t showing the world where I live. For God’s sake this is the internet and I don’t want people to stalk me and take a damned machete and stick it up my diaphragm.
@90s_kid: Don’t believe everything you hear on the news about the Internet. Why I’ll bet not a single Flutherite even owns a machete.
@Jeruba: Nope that’s not me. More than likely I was either updating the web site or photographing the llama.
@cprevite I own a machete, but it’s an antique. I also know how to use it.
note to self: keep 90s kid away from Mtl zack
No machetes here, but we have swords!
Who needs a machete or a sword?
I can slap anyone silly with my pancakes.
ADDENDUM: That is not a euphemism.
I did karate when I was young :)
And I lift weights.
I think 14 year olds should avoid posting personal information on the internet.
Good move, kid.
“when I was young”, he says. as opposed to now.
Sorry, I did it when I was like 7….when I was young…
I don’t think the map is more specific than city, is it? We already know 90s kid lives in Boston.
Isn’t that good enough people?
Oh, yeah. I wouldn’t want you to put anything more specific than that online! I just meant that the map isn’t any more specific than that (I think).
It can be as specific as you want it to be. All depends on where you drop the pin and how much information you provide.
That’s why I used my work address instead of home. Personal enough, but no too personal.
@cprevite Thanks for the info. I posted mine on there a long time ago, and didn’t remember that. Kids should definitely NOT post their address (or any personal info) online!
I don’t have a machete but I think it would be pretty cool to have one? Also, I gave my home address, though I may change it.
I put the pin down on the city while zoomed out. It fell on a random location within my city. I’m not worried about people finding me there.
That’s what I did too, shadling.
Well, it pays to be careful. After all, as we all know, there are ever so many psychopaths trawling the Fluther boards.
i don’t have a machete but i do have a blackjack.
You can actually pin it right on your house. I could pin it on my car, visibly parked behind my husband’s. Instead I picked out a public spot where my feet have stood at least once.
Guys, we absolutely have to do this. The great discussions on here must also develop in the real, non-Internet world.
Pick a bar in SF on Oct 16th and people can meet up. Wear Fluther blue green for ID and it’s a meeting. Easy to organize, just show up. Maybe the Founders can mention it on their blog. Pick a spot and we’re there. 5pm on… :)
@shadling21 you mean there is a real non-internet world? I cannie believe it!
Answer this question 
Composing members:
0
