The_root_of_all_evil said:
Well...there's been quite a few successful meetups around here;
Escapism UK [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.218071-Escapism-UK-2010]
Escapism Down Under [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.193307-Escapism-Melbourne-2010-details]
Escapism UK - Halloween [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.229010-Escapism-UK-Halloween-2010-Event]
I've met huge amounts of people I've met online but sometimes it's just personality clashes. People are odd.
Just meet up with some new ones. There's always loads of decent people around.
Root, you mention only one of the five "down under" Escapisms that have happened. The others are here ('08) [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.80224-Escapism-Oh-Ate-a-Labyrinths-Tale#1042067], here ('09 I) [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.108007-Escapism-Sydney-09-Labyrinths-Tale-The-Second#1809019], here] ('09 II) [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.162684-Escapism-09-II-A-Labyrinths-Tale-3#4181469] and here ('10) [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.183594-Escapism-Sydney-2010-A-Labyrinths-Brainssssss#5496855], threadwise, for those who want a look.
Dr. Mark, if you want the title too, I organised the first "Escapism" (or at least, the first I saw or heard of, and I've been here a while) when I was barely 16. Many of the people who turned up were under 18, and that's continued through the other three I've organised, and the one I attended in Melbourne which I just strolled along to.
One particular event which occurred will likely interest you. There's a user here, [user]Ultrajoe[/user], who was very well known at the time of the second Escapism. His forum persona has always been male, indeed the person behind The Ultrajoe is male. If you look at the thread linked above, the first of the 2009 Escapism, you'll see a picture of a female with the caption "The Ultrajoe". The woman pictured is a close friend of mine who I asked to play The Ultrajoe at that event, with his consent and collaboration. The revelation that sparked throughout the forum community was fascinating to watch.
What was even more intriguing was the reaction to the second revelation, when this thread [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.118686-A-Journey-A-Revelation-And-Some-Nudity#2280245] was posted.
The Ultrajoe and I are close friends now, as I am with a number of other Escaparinos. I don't think this would have happened if I didn't step out of my shell at such a young age. My parents still don't know any of these events occurred, they certainly Would Not Approve of my attendance let alone organisational power. While I respect their position as people who are supposed to take care of me (I'm 18 now, so presumably more independent than when the Escapisms began) and I understand their concern more than I'd like to, I feel that there can be an over-abundance of both when it comes to middle to late teens. The closest we had to a parent along for the ride was when one guy (15 I think) requested that someone be available to talk to his father if the father wanted that extra assurance. I volunteered for the job, but it wound up not being necessary.
The group in that occasion consisted of an age range between 15 and in high school, to a couple in their mid-20s. I suppose we're just not stereotypically paedophilic enough to be frightening.
I think that parents need to see more examples like these Escapisms because I honestly feel that they present a good image of what can occur. Okay, maybe less so with the zompocalypse, but my point remains. It's hideously easy to organise a meet-up such as those I did, and the Forces for Good need to use this to reveal hyperbolic paranoia where it occurs.
I haven't touched on one-on-one meetings because I think they're an entirely different barrel of worms, and often more risky. The Escapisms have all been very public events to avoid that, meeting in public places with lots of exits rather than inviting The Internet around to someone's flat. It was a suggestion at one point, and I turned it down out of more than a vague respect for furniture. Teenagers, and internet users of all ages actually, need to learn how to set up meetings in such a way that they are safe, and education on both the positives and potential negatives is key.
