Lunch Blogging
I just got back from lunch with Bitter Bitch from The Bitch Girls who was driving through Knoxville with her lovely boyfriend on their way to a vacation of camping and shooting in Texas. SayUncle joined us and we all compared notes on what it was like to meet bloggers in person--some are nicer than they seem online, some are exactly like their online persona and others are downright mean. I must say, that at this lunch, all of the guests were warm, charming and friendly. Both Bitter and SayUncle blog anonymously so no pictures are forthcoming, sorry. Anyone else out there ever met any bloggers in the flesh and if so, what was your impression--same as their online persona or different?
Labels: bloggers
posted by Helen at 3:03 PM
23 Comments:
I know of one blogger and she is exaclty like her writing reveals her to be. It sounds like you had a lot of fun. Good for you!
Viola,
Yes, it was fun. It is really nice to meet other bloggers as they are generally very passionate and interested in their respective writing and makes for some interesting conversation. I tend to be quite introverted so it does me good to get out and talk with other people--I need to do it more often.
Having met you, I can say you're not that introverted ;)
-SayUncle
I have to concur with Uncle. If anyone is socially awkward, that would be me ... a total social retard, if there ever was one!
It's a good thing I'm not introverted enough to post anonymously on some blog.
Some of the nicest people I've ever met, their blogs made flesh.
It's funny. Living in NYC and blogging for 5 years, I've only met 1 other blogger, and she was passing through from (or to, I forget) the DC area. A delightful time and yeah, it made her blog a bit more fleshy and engaging.
After all, about 5 minutes at a table with someone teaches more than they'd endeavor to in an awful lot of words.
Lissakay,
I am not socially awkward,and neither are you, you are a wonderful conversationalist. Being introverted is different than being socially awkward, as the former is a preference for smaller social groups, being more energized when alone etc. and the latter is not knowing how to make eye contact or conversation with others.
"what was your impression--same as their online persona or different?"
That's the beauty of it-
"On the internet, nobody knows you're a dog."
(Shamelessly lifted from Peter Steiner,cw1993-and The New Yorker)
"On the internet, nobody knows you're a dog."
Or not, no one I have ever met has been a "dog." People like to make fun of bloggers as sitting in their pj's in their parent's basement and being socially awkward to the point of autism. To the contrary, most bloggers I have met are good looking, charming and have good social skils. Plus, I have never met a group of people with more credentials and high level jobs etc.
Almost all the bloggers that I've met in person had a good match between their blog persona and real persona. The exceptions were folks who seem to have decided that they needed a specific kind of persona for their blog. They chose "angry" or "outrageous" or "sarcastic" or some such and wrote that way. I imagine that's a hard thing to do, a bit like living a double life.
Bloggers for the most part are generally nice people. I've met more than a few because I wanted to put a face with the name and also it is relatively easy. The local bloggers have monthly events. Some people might be considered introverts in person, yet have a delightfully funny and informative blog. Some people come across very professional in person and yet their somewhat neurotic personality comes through on their blog. To misquote Forest Gump, "blogs are like a box of chocolate".
Some of the more-or-less conservative bloggers in Milwaukee hold a monthly get-together called "Drinking Right" which draws a dozen or more people. All friendly interesting folk who talk about blogging and politics, but also about work, sports, etc.
There is also a "Drinking Liberally" which I understand takes place in several cities around the country, I've met a couple of that crowd also, at an annual more formal event.
The rather well-known blogger M. Simon of Power and Control had been a long-lost friend of mine. His blogging persona resembles the person I remember. We used to have long rambling discussions about politics, energy and technology 25 years ago.
I've made at least three lifelong friends who are bloggers.
All three are brilliant writers, and their personalities are better than their writing.
I've made friends with a blogger or two whom I didn't know before. I'd say that one blogs very much the way he is; the other uses his blogging as an alter-ego that is a good deal more mishchievous than he is in person.
I knew some people before they were bloggers. One is one of my best friends. What his blogging let me see was what an amazing writer he was. It was a skill I didn't know that he had. (That's not a judgment, he just never really wrote voluntarily before starting his blog.)
To the contrary, most bloggers I have met are good looking, charming and have good social skils.
Ah...that means you've never met me. I'm just your classic gun-totin' redneck ex-sailor biker kind of guy...I don't believe I've ever even been accused of the three charges you level at "most bloggers", let alone indicted or convicted.
Sailorcurt,
And what makes you think that a "gun-totin redneck ex-sailor biker kind of guy " can't be good looking, charming and have good social skills?
This comment has been removed by the author.
Oh, I suppose it's POSSIBLE. Just like it's POSSIBLE that Global Warming is going to kill us all in the next ten years.
But, then again, I know me.
Speaking of online personas:
Just now, I was, like, reading through Instapundit. And after several posts, I was, like--hm, Glenn is sounding all--I dunno--just different. Like, lighter. Airy somehow. And I was, like, dude! Glenn likes Eddie Izzard?! That is SO cool!
And then I realized. Guest bloggers. *slaps head* I HATE it when that happens.
I've met the du Toits and through them several other Texas-area bloggers, and I made the 1st Annual Gunblogger Rendezvous where I met Ch.. er, SayUncle and a host of others. I pictured SayUncle as older, but other than that, everyone has been about what I expected. Interesting, at the very least.
Kevin
The Smallest Minority
For the record, my name is not Cher.
-SayUncle
Charlize?
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