Topic: Meeting people IRL (Read 12348 times)

Carl-E · « **on:** 15 Sep 2010, 23:47 »

So I noticed in class today, one of my students is wearing an LGBTeriffic! shirt.

I didn't have a chance to speak with him at all after class, but I'm half afraid of mentioning QC - after all, he may not be a reader, perhaps a friend got him the shirt because it was appropriate (why else wear one of them?).

Which made me wonder, if you saw someone wearing a QC shirt, would you say hi, or squee with delight, or just shun the topic entirely but still try to get to know them because you obviously have so much in common? [/creepy]

Have you already met people IRL thanks to QC? or have the forums so crippled your social life that you haven't met anyone real in years?

Tergon · « **Reply #1 on:** 16 Sep 2010, 00:50 »

I remain unconvinced until I see K-Mart releasing their new line of Useless Brooms Made Entirely Out Of Dicks.

...actually I've never seen someone around here wearing QC merch. Working in tourism I see folks from all over, and I've seen Girl Genius shirts, Order Of The Stick gear, I even saw a kid in a pram with a Leo plushie from VG Cats. But no QC stuff, which disappointed me.

HiFranc · « **Reply #2 on:** 16 Sep 2010, 02:32 »

Unless I had a reason to interact with them for something else (e.g. they were a shop assistant and I was buying something or vice versa), I wouldn't mention it.

To tell the truth, I'm not sure if I would recognise QC merch.

Eris · « **Reply #3 on:** 16 Sep 2010, 04:15 »

Quote from: Carl-E on 15 Sep 2010, 23:47

Have you already met people IRL thanks to QC? or have the forums so crippled your social life that you haven't met anyone real in years?

I know I don't normally post in this section, but I actually can comment on this.

I have met people from here. I am going out with someone from here and we have been together for nearly 3 years. I met him through someone else I met from here. People from the forum have flown from around the country to hang out for a weekend. I have played tour guide for one of the american forumites when she visited. When I can save up enough money I am going over to america to meet up with people who I talk to on a daily basis and who I think of as some of my closest friends (and my boyfriend wants to hang out with jeph again, seeing as it's been a while since they last caught up). But then again, I think most of the people I have met up with don't really read QC any more, so hey.

If I saw someone with a QC shirt (I have seen a few, actually), I would probably just smile as they walked past; it would be pretty weird for the other person if I went up and gushed over their clothes.

Malsies · « **Reply #4 on:** 16 Sep 2010, 13:51 »

I really love how having a web comics shirt is kind of like being part of a secret club.

In July, I was on a road trip with some friends, and my car broke down in this little hick town in Georgia. We were directed to a nearby Lowe's where we could buy epoxy to fix my leaking radiator overflow tank. I walked up there with one of my male friends, and everyone else stayed by the car. He was wearing his xkcd shirt (the "Just Shy" one). Looking like your run-of-the-mill hipsters, we received some choice slurs and swear words from the local motorists.

We got to the Lowe's and got what we needed. As we were leaving, a guy walked toward us who was wearing a Dinosaur Comics shirt. He and my friend stopped and remarked at each other's t-shirts. No further conversation happened, but it was a pleasant exchange and certainly brightened an otherwise unpleasant day for us. It made us feel a little less alone when we were stranded far away from home.

Akima · « **Reply #5 on:** 16 Sep 2010, 16:21 »

Quote from: Carl-E on 15 Sep 2010, 23:47

So I noticed in class today, one of my students is wearing an LGBTeriffic! shirt.

I've never seen anyone wearing QC merch, but I do live on the other side of the planet. If I did, I'd probably at least smile at them. As long as they weren't in one of the "avoid eye-contact at all costs" groups...

tomart · « **Reply #6 on:** 16 Sep 2010, 16:33 »

Quote from: Akima on 16 Sep 2010, 16:21

As long as they weren't in one of the "avoid eye-contact at all costs" groups...

(Curious) What groups are they?

Carl-E · « **Reply #7 on:** 16 Sep 2010, 22:20 »

Students in a statistics class, for one.

Akima · « **Reply #8 on:** 17 Sep 2010, 18:36 »

Quote from: Carl-E on 16 Sep 2010, 22:20

Students in a statistics class, for one.

Hmmm... Does chi-square test suggest this apparent correlation is significant?

jwhouk · « **Reply #9 on:** 17 Sep 2010, 19:29 »

I doubt the level of significance is higher than .025. And I don't think the sample size is large enough to estimate the entire population.

The Duke · « **Reply #10 on:** 23 Sep 2010, 09:35 »

I once saw a cute girl at university wearing a She Blinded Me With Library Science shirt, but didn't have the balls to go talk to her. I regret it very much.

Carl-E · « **Reply #11 on:** 23 Sep 2010, 11:21 »

D'awwww...

pen · « **Reply #12 on:** 23 Sep 2010, 13:08 »

Three years ago, I met my present fiance on this board. I've met a bunch of folks since then, and it's always awesome.

Wasteroo · « **Reply #13 on:** 23 Sep 2010, 13:10 »

I saw a cute girl at my college reading QC on her laptop in some quiet study room once. never saw her again!

jwhouk · « **Reply #14 on:** 23 Sep 2010, 14:02 »

It seems that my problem is that I'm from middle America, which means I'm not close to 99.5% of the people on these boards.

akronnick · « **Reply #15 on:** 23 Sep 2010, 15:23 »

Middle America is such a big place, though.

I'm in middle America, yet in all probability am no closer than 1000 miles from you.

Nontoxic · « **Reply #16 on:** 23 Sep 2010, 15:32 »

I have never seen a QC shirt, but one of my friends from another forum recognized my 'teh' shirt, sparking a conversation about the comic for quite awhile.

I've also introduced most of my friends to QC, so we talk about it frequently.

lunchmeat · « **Reply #17 on:** 23 Sep 2010, 16:41 »

Quote from: Carl-E on 15 Sep 2010, 23:47

So I noticed in class today, one of my students is wearing an LGBTeriffic! shirt.

I didn't have a chance to speak with him at all after class, but I'm half afraid of mentioning QC - after all, he may not be a reader, perhaps a friend got him the shirt because it was appropriate (why else wear one of them?).

Which made me wonder, if you saw someone wearing a QC shirt, would you say hi, or squee with delight, or just shun the topic entirely but still try to get to know them because you obviously have so much in common? [/creepy]

A simple "nice shirt" will suffice. Opens the door.

Carl-E · « **Reply #18 on:** 23 Sep 2010, 17:31 »

Like I said, I didn't have the chance... but I'm sure I will again. It's college, after all. He's bound to wear it again at some point!

Christophe · « **Reply #19 on:** 24 Sep 2010, 07:55 »

Hey, I hung out with the internet too!

On-Topic: At school once I ran into a dude wearing a The Dude and Catastrophe t-shirt from Achewood. I remarked on it being awesome and we wished each other well on our respective finals. Awkward, yes but awesome.

jwhouk · « **Reply #20 on:** 24 Sep 2010, 18:54 »

Quote from: akronnick on 23 Sep 2010, 15:23

Middle America is such a big place, though.

I'm in middle America, yet in all probability am no closer than 1000 miles from you.

Well, Wisconsin is kinda off the beaten path. And many people confusingly believe I live in Canada. Kinda silly, dere, hey, aina?

Carl-E · « **Reply #21 on:** 09 Oct 2010, 15:17 »

So, he finally wore the shirt again. And when class was over, I asked where he had gotten it.

"Online," he says, "from this place called Topatco."

So I asked, does he know the comic it's from?

And of course, he does. Hanners is his favorite (big surprise).

So now, I have something in common with one of my students. I'm not sure I should be excited about this... in fact, I'm pretty sure I'm not.

Now, if it turns out he's been lurking on the forums... well, that's going to be a little more awkward!

So, you out there?

charybdis · « **Reply #22 on:** 13 Oct 2010, 11:35 »

I've seen several on my college campus, the only ones I can remember were the Unicorn shirt, Ruined Elephant and Music + Science = Sexy
Unicorn guy I just grinned at, and I think the Music + Science girl was weirded out by me because I was wearing knee-high combat boots, a scissor-modified shirt I'd painted the Horde symbol on, and my cestus. Or maybe I just had something in my teeth. Who knows. At any rate she was in a hurry elsewhere so I couldn't say anything.

Wiregeek · « **Reply #23 on:** 13 Oct 2010, 11:47 »

I have never encountered anyone from or via the QC forum (considering I'm at best a drive-by reader, this is not surprising), but a forum I _dol_ frequent yielded a pair of members that drove 300 miles to help me prep a house in Tacoma to be put on the market, which was nice.

The surprising thing is that they both were precisely how I pictured them O_o.

I have encountered another QC reader 'in the wild'. I was cruising through the kitchen muttering imprecations about Dora, and one of my roomates just causally said 'yeah, I know, but I think Faye's going to kick her ass solid'.

Turns out he's a QC reader too.. *snort*

peterh · « **Reply #24 on:** 13 Oct 2010, 13:21 »

Quote from: Carl-E on 09 Oct 2010, 15:17

So, he finally wore the shirt again. And when class was over, I asked where he had gotten it.

"Online," he says, "from this place called Topatco."

So I asked, does he know the comic it's from?

And of course, he does. Hanners is his favorite (big surprise).

So now, I have something in common with one of my students. I'm not sure I should be excited about this... in fact, I'm pretty sure I'm not.

Now, if it turns out he's been lurking on the forums... well, that's going to be a little more awkward!

So, you out there?

Yes sir. It's 'Topatoco', by the way

Carl-E · « **Reply #25 on:** 13 Oct 2010, 13:42 »

Typoing skills.

I has em.

peterh · « **Reply #26 on:** 13 Oct 2010, 14:30 »

As well as I haz pulling-your-leg-skillz.

I am not he. I am about three times his age, most likely!

Carl-E · « **Reply #27 on:** 13 Oct 2010, 18:41 »

Not to mention being in a different country...

I read the "Hi, I'm new" thread on occasion!

reeners · « **Reply #28 on:** 13 Oct 2010, 22:47 »

Hey people at the Clark/Division red line stop! I live off the red line! Be my new internet friends??

peterh · « **Reply #29 on:** 14 Oct 2010, 02:14 »

Quote from: Carl-E on 13 Oct 2010, 18:41

Not to mention being in a different country...

I read the "Hi, I'm new" thread on occasion!

Aw crap, there's no foolin'you.

jwhouk · « **Reply #30 on:** 14 Oct 2010, 02:15 »

Quote from: reeners on 13 Oct 2010, 22:47

Hey people at the Clark/Division red line stop! I live off the red line! Be my new internet friends??

...Huh. You weren't the one that Jeph mentioned cosplayed Faye @ C2E2?

reeners · « **Reply #31 on:** 14 Oct 2010, 09:16 »

No, I didn't cosplay, I just had him draw me.

Johnny C · « **Reply #32 on:** 15 Oct 2010, 19:57 »

Quote from: reeners on 13 Oct 2010, 22:47

Hey people at the Clark/Division red line stop! I live off the red line! Be my new internet friends??

post in the other boards and hang out with us next time we come to chicago. we ate from honey 1 and had to lie down afterwards

Johnny C · « **Reply #33 on:** 15 Oct 2010, 19:57 »

it's cool to meet people from here irl but it's kind of weird to go up to someone in a class or similar setting and go "hey where'd you get that shirt from"

peterh · « **Reply #34 on:** 22 Oct 2010, 03:37 »

Stop it. You're making this too easy -- you're taking the fun part out of it.

THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)

Author Topic: Meeting people IRL (Read 12348 times)