In a message dated: Fri, 27 Oct 2000 14:00:21 EDT
Derek Martin said:
>There weren't a lot of people who approached me and asked me who I was.
>Actually, there were none. I got to know more people a) by hanging around
>with Paul (who of course knows everyone)
Gee, thanks :) I wouldn't say I know everyone, but I do know a fair number.
But I got to know so many people by, unfortunately, this annoying affliction I
have of not being able to keep my mouth shut for very long :) I'll sit down
and talk to anyone. I don't however, remember to introduce people to each
other, which is something I should probably work on.
>and b) at my second and successive meetings by being a bit more outgoing
>myself (which is definitely not in my nature, despite what you might think
>by the amount I post).
>
[..snip..]
>
>our demographic has a reputation for being somewhat
>socially challenged. While there are obvious exceptions to that, like
>Jerry and maddog for example, we didn't earn that reputation without
>some merit...
Well, here is where I think you hit the nail on the head. Geeks by their
nature are a pretty anti-social and introverted bunch. In general, unless we
already know someone, we're not likely to speak to them. Occasionally, if you
happen to be forced into a situation where you don't know someone, but they
are having an open conversation about something you are also keenly interested
in, you might be able to interject some comments and become part of the
conversation, through which, you will get to know the people who you now
conversing with.
It is this precise reason why we try to schedule in dinner and beer before and
sometimes after each meeting. It not only gives good friends a chance to
actually sit down and talk face to face, but it gives new-comers a chance to
meet some of us and vice versa. It's meant as a laid back way to break the
ice if there is any.
>Personally I don't think there's anything wrong with the time, length, or
>content of the meetings... that's not the point. The author's point is I
>think more along the lines of what better way to meet new people, when
>you're all gathered due to some known common interest? And yet (perhaps),
>so little social interaction is initiated at each meeting between people
>who don't already know eachother.
Right, and this is what we maybe need to work on. Maybe instead of meeting
before for dinner, we could get meet after (or we could do both:) That way if
there's someone new at the meeting, it would give them a chance to meet some
of us (especially if we introduced ourselves before the meeting started) and
then sit down and talk with us once they had a name.
>In theory, it's a simple matter to walk up to someone you don't recognize,
>and say "Hi, I'm [your name here], nice to meet you." I try to make it a
>point to do that at least once at every meeting. I think I have about 200
>people to go...
That's true, however, for some it's also a frightful concept, and just getting
to the meeting by them self was hard enough. Perhaps some of us more outgoing
people should take it upon ourselves to do just that.
--
Seeya,
Paul
----
I'm in shape, my shape just happens to be pear!
If you're not having fun, you're not doing it right!
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