nancymarie

I never commented that I would come because I knew I couldn’t; Newfoundland to Ontario is quite the drive. :D You have my empathy for the not-so-hot response to your Meet Hal party.

All I can think of for why people said they would come but didn’t is they feel the online connection with you doesn’t justify meeting you in person. For me, yes, I thought that, but would you expect a stranger to drive 3 days to see someone you only know from reading his blog? (It would’ve been a great story though.)Meeting you would make you “real” and they would have an emotional connection which brings in all that emotional baggage like guilt (for not following Twitter, skipping your blog a few times, etc.).

Audrey

I was also under the impression that “old friends” (ie people you already know) weren’t supposed to come. I went out and watched Wall-E instead. It was good.

Totally surprised that only one person showed up… at least she seems normal/cool…

andrea

hmm! i have to say that the result of this experiment surprised me. maybe everyone and their brother has social anxiety.

i was considering coming, but i live out of town.

PS. apparently i can’t see well enough to pass the image verification test easily.

Celia Tucker

Hey Hal,

like the others said, a six hour drive for a free drink? hmmm…nope, not so worth it. But, you already know me so I wouldn’t be new.  On the other hand, we were never really friends were we? So I could’ve been a new friend right? Something to think about. After reading an excerpt in your book about your so called camp friends I don’t think I want to be fodder for a new book. Or maybe it’s that I just don’t meet lonely looking married men in bars.

Stacey

hi hal,

you look so sad and lonely until your new friend shows up.  we san franciscans would have been there, had it been an easy commute.  know it! believe it!

and, would you please make sure to join the group City Lights Bookstore on facebook, as that’s the only way that we can connect there. businesses aren’t allowed to have profiles on facebook, just groups for groupies.

stacey

Mason Wright

Kudos on the interesting experiment! I stumbled across the event on FB and although I know you by reputation, this is my first visit to your blog. I’m certain we have many mutual friends, but I haven’t added you virtually (yet).

I probably have at least 25 Facebook friends I’ve met fewer than two times, but to me part of the appeal of FB, Twitter, etc. is the sense of community they help foster. Whether or not I see my “friends” in real life, I can always catch up on what they are up to and feel as though I belong in a network of fellow citizens. Plus I love being able to see photos of my infant nephew, who lives on the west coast.

Lately I have been on my bike or around town, seen friends or acquaintances and chosen not to say hello. This is partly because I dislike small talk, but I suspect social networking sites have made chit-chat redundant. It’s a habit I’m trying to break, so if you’re reading this and you see me around town, feel free to say hi!

Thanks again, Hal, for the conversation-starter.

Jenny

Hal I woulda been there – but I’ve already met you and that’s why I didn’t rsvp a ‘yes’ to your event!  You and that nice chap you wrote that almanac with came to the <span class=“caps”>CBC</span> in Calgary many years ago and I interviewed you.  We would be pals, share parenting tips, our spouses would be pals, etc. if we lived there…but sadly, we live in the west.  Our loss!  To those who haven’t met Hal, definitely make an effort next time. 

Lindsay, I like your comparison to “touch Paul Bellini”.  For me it was a cross between that and what I’d imagine many of Larry David’s scrapbooks to look like (cause I’m <span class=“caps”>SURE</span> Larry David’s into scrapbooking) – it’s the hand gestures.

Lindsay

oh yea, and that photo essay reminds me of when Bellini went to visit the winner of the “touch Paul Bellini” contest on Kids in the Hall.

Lindsay

You know why I didn’t come… ‘cause I wouldn’t have been a “new” friend.

but wow, one person. I guess that’s all you can expect. When I was in a band and I’d invite my real friends to come see us play I was lucky when three people I knew actually came, even though many would say “attending” on facebook.

Janine

i was going to come, but the i remembered i don’t live in toronto

Frandroid Atreides

The Rhino serves Young’s Double Chocolate Stout?  Where’s this place?

As for your own questions, other than what Sheryl said, which seems that you kind of didn’t help yourself there (sometimes people you know <span class=“caps”>IRL</span> are not friends yet), I think you mistook the “Friends” moniker that Facebook applies to everyone, and what everyone actually considers a Facebook “Friend” to be: a contact.  Flickr actually makes this distinction: everyone is contact, but additionally, you can tag contacts as either friends or family.  Suddenly, I have a lot less friends on Flickr than on Facebook.

Plus, I believe that people stick to the internet as a cheaper form of entertainment than actually going out.

© 2008. This entry not be used nor quoted in Hal’s articles without my prior consent. :D

Sheryl

Dude, you told us not to come if we already knew you <span class=“caps”>IRL</span>. We were gonna come; we live 2 blocks from Rhino. Instead we stayed home and watched So You Think You Can Dance.

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