Updated Site Policies + Boston Area Meet-up

~ JenniferP

Hello everyone. I hope you are having a nice weekend. I have three things to tell you before I answer more questions.

1. I just cleared a fuckton of comments out of the spam queue. I don’t know what’s going on – even comments by regular posters are getting sent there. Most of them seem to be from people who are leaving a number of comments in quick succession as they jump around in various discussions, so my guess is that the spam filter is being overly vigilant about multiple posts by the same person in a very short time period.

2. Since we have a ridiculous number of new readers and commenters, I took a stab at updating the site policies. Please take a look.

3. General Expression would like to announce a meet-up for Boston Area Awkwardeers. Here are the details:

You are cordially invited to the first Awkwardeers Army meet-up! We will meet on Sunday, August 26 from 6-8 pm in Davis Square, Somerville, MA in the open area outside JP Licks. We can all get ice cream, sit on benches outside, and be generally awkward together. RSVP not required. General Expression will be the one holding a sign saying “Awkwardeer Army Meet-up.” Volunteers to provide coloring sheets and crayons (as suggested in this link: https://captainawkward.com/2012/07/28/313-314-broken-friendships/) and conversation cards (with suggested opening questions for the conversationally challenged) would be ever so helpful.

Neat. Wish I could be there.

43 thoughts on “Updated Site Policies + Boston Area Meet-up”

  7. I live a mile from Davis Square. I also have a degree in sociology. I will be there explaining the ever-loving FUCK out of human interaction, for anyone who wants to hear it. 🙂

    1. I can bring conversation cards, if people don’t mind the questions alternating wildly between things like, “What is your favorite episode of Buffy? Please act it out, including all dialogue and battle sequences. Here, use my sugar cone as a stake,” and “What do you think is the greatest current threat to humanity, and what should we do about it?”

      Small talk: perhaps I should google it.

      1. Totally OT, but I really need to ask: with a username like that, are you a Raveller?

        1. Nope, picked totally independently of Ravellry, but I love to knit and I would it sounds like the LSG is a great group, so I feel like there’s a connection. 🙂

      2. I won’t be there, so I can’t speak for attendees, but we’re a pretty Terrible At Small Talk Crew.

          1. Random passersby in Davis Square are accustomed to far, far weirder things than the Awkward Army, I assure you. They would probably think we’re presenting an interactive street art project. 🙂

      3. Acting out Buffy episodes = way better than small talk.

        For some reason this made me think of Hush, when Giles is showing the Scoobies a slideshow about the Gentlemen, and Buffy pantomimes staking in a way that looks dirty…

  11. Are there collections of us in other areas that would also like to run meetups? I’d certainly be up for one if there are any other awkward people on the Olympic side of the Atlantic.

    1. I am on the Olympic side of the Atlantic and would totally be up for attending and/or helping to organise an Awkward Army meet-up! Am in Bristol, England, but can travel within the UK no problem and possibly to Europe depending on cost. Have fun in Boston, Awkwardeers!

      2. I’m in Manchester. baroquemongoose, isn’t Sheffield awesome? Spent three years there and still visit fairly often. 🙂

        1. It’d be even awesomer if it weren’t for the air pollution levels (asthma, cough, cough, splutter, gasp), but yes, it’s pretty cool. Especially the trams. Oddly enough I visit Manchester quite a lot, as I’ve got a friend over there who runs an opera company that I’m involved with! 🙂 You have some gorgeous architecture.

          1. Maybe we could arrange a thing for either Birmingham or London? As these seem reasonably easy to get to by coach/train. London has the best transport links from everywhere of course, but Birmingham is less of an epic trek for those Oop North. Hmm.

      4. If you want to make a meetup in the UK or anywhere, what I suggest is to do what General Expression did.

        1. Pick a day, time, and place that works for you.
        2. Email me and I’ll make a post like this one.
        3. Whoever shows up shows up.
        4. The comments thread there can serve for additional planning.

        Recommendations:

        -Choose something inexpensive.
        -Think about accessibility – Is there a bathroom there? Is there public transit close by? Is it public, safe, and accessible from public transit? Is it on the ground floor and wheelchair accessible? (Maybe don’t invite internet strangers to your fourth-floor walkup flat for both your safety and theirs).

        The mysterious date, time, and place that works for everyone and will make everyone 100% happy is fictional…like unicorns. So: Organizer gets to pick everything out.

    2. I’m in the SF Bay Area and would dearly love to attend (= help organize) such an event. There’s at least a few of us here and I know I’ve been very curious to put faces to names.

      1. I would maybe attend a Bay Area meetup! I’m in SoCal, but my family and boyfriend are in Santa Cruz, so I’m up there a lot and could definitely trek a bit further north to meet members of the Awkward Army! Not so much with the organizing, though, seeing as I’m at the other end of the state.

      2. YES. I am in SF and would love an awkward meetup here! If you want help planning (fair warning: I am not always the best planner, but I like helping) feel free to email me at this name @gmail.

  14. General Expression, if the meet-up goes well and you want to hold another one later, I’d love to go. (I’m moving to Boston but I’m not there yet!)

    1. …and then I got an email from meetup.com with “Top Meetups for you!” including a meetup for CAAers. Captain Awkward’s Army? But it turned out to be Compassionate Action for Animals.

  15. I am 100% in favor of a Boston meet-up! Sadly, I will be out of state on vacation that day. OH NOES. I think this just means that we have to plan another one at some point.

    Have a faaaabulous time, Awkwardeers!

    1. I just started reading your blog. You have managed to pick out so many, many things I hate about the pop-psych idiocy in Cosmo.

      … I may have to blog about it. LOOK WHAT YOU’VE DONE.

  20. I just wanted to say, what a great meet up that turned out to be! Lots of fun people…and also ice cream!

Comments are closed.