Tanzen, my dear, if it is the beer you are looking for, check into flights for the Blackburn area for Nov 5. I am sure there will be beer to spare that day.

Ahh yes, but tanzen and beer with a fancy dress on...only bad things can happen

As for me I live in far off Dubai, so not much chance of meeting anybody out here.

Doesn't have to be a fancy dress. By the time the beer part comes around I plan to be in a United shirt and jeans.

You know I really do need to go to Britain to explore the finer points of this Mancheter United I hear so much about,

Maybe I could go disguised as a football hooligan?

I haven't been in a riot in ages.

Or better yet, as an uncouth redneck?

I've yet to actually make it to a game, and have yet to get to England, but once I get there I'll be there for life

I will make it over one day...hopefully soon(ish)...it's not that I don't love you...but I would have to save money...which would mean no beer...I don't know if I could do it...

It's okay, and I love you too. There will be lots of parties and things to celebrate in the future, and I know we will meet sometime.

Has anyone ever considered a Fun Trivia Convention (reunion) somewhere in the world where we could all go and meet for a weekend? Maybe have name tags and a big trivia celebration? I think it would be fun to meet everyone and see what people look like, I think it would be so interesting. Admin should run a poll to see who would be interested....give people 6 months or so to plan and organise the event. Hey, you can all come to my house if you like!

Moo, I will still aim to make it if I can...I have a mate living in England so at least I can get somewhere to sleep for free...

...keep your fingers crossed

Peasy...it sounds like a great idea, keep us posted

Peasy, perhaps we could get a major sponsor like one of the companies who appear on the continuous pop-ups and then we wouldn't have to pay so much.
If we went to your place we would double the population of Tasmania!

I think it would be really fun, don't you? Perhaps a place halfway between the UK and Aussie and a bit away from the Mainland US, say, Hawaii? Soak up the sun too while we're at it!!

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...keep your fingers crossed

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Will do, my dear!

Cheers Moo

Maybe it might be an idea to start smaller, like with a bunch of Aussies or something ??

I didn't actually mean half way in the geographical sense so much more than halfway to make it fair for all to travel......And I suppose it depends which on direction people perceived I was talking about!!

Maybe we could go on the trans-Siberian express?

Count me in for that, mibby. I'm very fond of trains!

A party? Count me in! lol

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Perhaps a place halfway between the UK and Aussie

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Seriously, I am sure Hong Kong meets the requirements... Shoppers Paradise anyone??

You are all talk when it comes to meeting, but note that few actually do it. I think that not meeting adds to the charm of having your own mental picture of the person in question, and meeting them would just burst your bubble. Not to be a pessimist, but that's how it might go down. On the forums, we all are equal, but in the real world we aren't, and that might diminish from the meeting. Although we all have a common base - love of trivia/high intelligence/fondness for useless facts, this also means that we have imaginations that are very developed, and we'd have high expectations of the person we'd meet.

If you are closer to the person in question, then meeting them would be intertesting, as you tend to be curious as to who they really are, and some here are rather interesting characters. As long as you know the person beforehand (i.e. talked to them or written them) then you would want to meet them to further the friendship.

If you only casually know the person, it would take two very strong personalities to hit it off, otherwise the meeting would be a flop. I'm not saying that we don't have outgoing personalities (as most of us do - after all, we do write on FT), but some meetings would be overly awkward. Some people I'd rather picture in mind than meet.

Nevertheless, there are a few that I'm extremely curious as to who they are, although in my previous country few were members of FT. As I've moved in the past few days to Toronto (Canada), the possibilities here are endless, because I know only 4 people in the city, and about 7 in the country.

Hope nobody was offended, but I'm a realist, as optimism wasn't working out.

--LDV

Have you read the thread entitled "Calling all Brits! Read this!" None of us were particularly close, the age span was about 30 years but I think we all enjoyed ourselves, the afternoon certainly wasn't flat. I have seen the video, heard the video - what a noise we made, laughing and chatting, no awkward silences. I wouldn't hesitate to meet other members given the opportunity.

To reply to why few actually do it, if you read the related thread about arranging a meet in America (East coast shin dig) that the main reason we rarely meet is only down to distance. Everyone is spread out equally throughout much of the world, mainly in the English speaking countries but many elsewhere, and in the States it seems the average distance between most members is a few hundred miles.
There are posts telling of various American meetings between two or more members when one was in the area of another, as well as the stories on this of people travelling to and from Australia to meet other members. Now if anyone is prepared to travel to the other side of the world to meet other members, I'd say that was a big vote in favour, and I can think of at least one person who's done it twice.
For fear of being chastised, I'll add that I know of another site that organises meetings where members fly from all over the States plus abroad from time to time, and they are very popular. And you'll recognise many of them yourself from here as well, to show I am comparing like with like.

To focus on my own experience, I've been talking online to all the members I met last week both as I am now, by PM and in at least one case the chat room, and when I met them in person, as Sue pointed out, it was exactly as if I'd known them in person for 3 years than online, and many were exactly as I'd thought they'd be, and would be happy to meet them all whenever I got the opportunity, but the nearest one lives 40 miles from me, and the furthest about 12000 miles.
And the common base of trivia is a common bond, plus the average 1000 plus posts each of every member I met meant I'd learnt more than enough about them over the years to know they were my sort of people. People here often share far more about themselves online than people do face to face, so it's not that hard to see things you like about them, and having emailed many as well with all sorts of what could be called 'gossip' I know we have a lot to talk about as well. Say what you like, but I'm sure even unbiased visitors to the site would agree, you get a better class of people at FT. And if they lived near me I'm certain I could add at least 50 people I know here to my circle of close friends. So now you're in Toronto, it could be a good chance to test your theory, I haven't checked but I think there must be a few regulars within a few hours of you, so if you arrange a meeting you can see for yourself. I've been planning more ever since the first one, and if they materialise will all be added here as they do. So for me FT has entered the new dimension of being real solid people now, and just as interesting in person as on screen.

I strongly agree with satguru and Sue. I feel if this were to happen it would be a wonderful experience, no awkward pauses and a wonderful time had by all. In my opinion we are all intelligent, out going and fun people here at FT and it would be surprising if anyone were to come away feeling disappointed or uninterested. In that case I would suggest not to attend, but I'm sure if they did they would have a great time. Just reading and watching the interaction that takes place here in the forums, AFT and the chat boards I find it incredible that people from different countries, race, age and sex can get on so well and by doing what we do here I feel forms a basis for friendships to blossom without the first initial reactions that we tend to have when meeting in person for the first time. Of course we all have our visual imaginations of what we all look like etc but is that really going to change our opinion of each other when we meet if such and such doesn't have long red hair and nice eyes? C'mon! We all enjoy each other's company here immensly or we wouldn't be here! Perhaps I am being a bit naive here, as I am the same here on FT as I am in real life. I don't boost myself up into someone I'm not and I don't make anything up to look good, I am me, here and in reality. No, there would be no surprises meeting me. But, others may have something to hide and that may be an issue for them I don't know.

I have quite a few "friends" here at FT whom I have spoken to everyday, for nearly a year and I feel very comfy with them. I am 30, and my closest "friends" here are in their fifties. One in particular I have become very close to and feel as though I have been a part of their life for years not just months. We have exchanged heaps of photos and spoken on the phone but have never "met" but I don't see it would change anything. I think it is amazing what possibilities can occur just from getting to know people here.

I think if people were willing to trot across the globe to meet each other it means that the friendships that they have made here are important and are valued. I would be there in a flash to meet all of you, as I think (through intense analyzing of posts) you are all an extremely nice, honest and intelligent bunch of people.