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Meet for coffee in Palo Alto at 5 pm on Wednesday, October 12?


philg

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<p>How about a casual conversation in person? I'm a long-time photo.net member who would be delighted to meet some other photo.net community members in Silicon Valley. I will be out there on Wednesday, October 12 and suggest coffee at 5 pm at a to-be-determined place in downtown Palo Alto (near Jing Jing, I hope!).<br>

Thanks in advance! (you can email me, philg@mit.edu, to arrange)</p>

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<p>Well this is highly irregular. I know who Philip Greenspun is but I don't know how much pull you have to be allowed to post a topic like this. Are you still the owner? Isn't Name Media now the owners?</p>

<p>Why not just strike up a conversation here, Philip? I live in Texas and there's no way I'm going to do a meet up with someone I don't know even if they're the original creator of Photo.net.</p>

<p>What's the purpose behind a meet up with people you really know nothing about? This doesn't sound like a decision an MIT grad or teacher would make. Just sayin'.</p>

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And my immediate reaction was...that sounds like a great idea. Then I saw who the poster was and smiled at the claim of being a "long-time photo.net member". I would like to come along...if not for the fact that I am more than 5000 miles away!
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<p>Thanks, Colin. I'm definitely not worth a 5000-mile trip! But I hope to make it back to Ireland eventually. I have a helicopter enthusiast friend there.<br>

Tim: What's the purpose of a face-to-face meeting? Purely social! photo.net is great for getting a question answered, but I don't think online communities are ideal for figuring out what the question is.</p>

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<p>Mr. Greenspun: </p>

<p>What a nice offer. What a nice outreach. Everybody on this board has benefited from the fact that you started it so many years ago. Many of us still wish you were running it. </p>

<p>If I weren’t stuck in Florida with health issues of the elderly, I’d consider flying to Palo Alto. I was always sorry that you didn’t take another “Travels with Samantha” trip through Montana when I was living there. </p>

<p>I don’t understand the “highly irregular” post at all. Photonet has always been used to post events and get-togethers like camera club showings, secondhand photography equipment shows, etc. The inference that you are doing something wrong, that you would need pull to be allowed to post a topic like this, seems highly irregular, almost out of line. </p>

<p>I continue to appreciate your Photonet start-up, as well as your writings and photographs. I remember your offering a picture of your beautiful white dog as a way to raise funds to help pay for Photonet. </p>

<p>I wish you well and wish I could be there, </p>

<p>A.T. Burke </p>

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<p>A.T.: I will be in Florida eventually. I go to Orlando every year or two because of my passion for Disney (also for recurrent Pilatus PC-12 simulator training at SIMCOM). The next one will be May or June 2017.</p>
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<blockquote>

<p>Tim: What's the purpose of a face-to-face meeting? Purely social! photo.net is great for getting a question answered, but I don't think online communities are ideal for figuring out what the question is.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Well how many do you suppose you're going to get showing up at your meet up since quite a few live far away from Silicon Valley? I mean you're obviously going to attract folks that are most likely going to be professional photographers who can afford to live in that expensive place. I don't think hobbyist photographers that comprise most of the PN membership are going to be able to take you up on it. </p>

<p>And as a dyed in the wool loner that I've finally embraced as my identity after dealing with a lot of people in my 57 years I have this to say about social meet ups...</p>

<p>Each year, I get an email from a lady with kids and a husband whose only social connection was made by our eye contact passing each other in our high school halls in the early '70's for a meet up over 30 years later in my touristy town's well known restaurant.<br /><br />About ten or so high school acquaintances show up and talk about events happening in their lives both past and present. We laugh rambunctiously and so loud it makes the other restaurant tourist patrons give us strange looks. They take cell phone pictures of all of us in the worst light and terrible white balance and post them on their Facebook page. <br /><br />After it's over, we go our separate ways and I never hear or see any of them throughout the entire year until the next meet up which so far has become somewhat of a 4 year ritual. From a social standpoint I don't know what to make of it. I haven't developed any close kindred bonds with any of these folks after about 4 meet ups. And not one of them is interested in photography. That's a physical social experience and I'm more rattled by it than enthralled.<br /><br /></p>

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<p>Tim: I agree that there is a risk of being a lonely coffee drinker at 5 pm next Wednesday. But as a guy who works from home in a 2300 square foot house with two kids, two parents, a grandmother, a great-aunt, and a golden retriever, being lonely is typically something I can only dream about.</p>
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<p>Clearly A.T. Burke knows Philip more than I do so I have no clear reference to base the meaning of his actions posting this topic. </p>

<p>I still think it's not a good idea "socially" to offer a meet up to folks that know they're automatically excluded due to their own extenuating circumstances mainly influenced by their lot in life.</p>

<p>It appears presumptuous on Mr. Greenspun's part, and maybe it's due to his being somewhat of a geek programmer. I don't know who Mr. Greenspun is in relation to Photo.net only that I haven't read any of his posts in the ten years I've been a paying member. Does he do the drop in? Maybe he hangs out in another forum I don't visit. Not sure.</p>

<p>Sorry, if what I'm pointing out upsets folks, but what else are we going to talk about in this thread? I know as much about Mr. Greenspun from what he's stated in his PN profile and his profile pic is dated 1993. How about an updated photo?</p>

<p> </p>

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<blockquote>

<p>But as a guy who works from home in a 2300 square foot house with two kids, two parents, a grandmother, a great-aunt, and a golden retriever, being lonely is typically something I can only dream about.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>You might want to update your PN profile. It has you still looking to get married and having kids.</p>

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<blockquote>

<p>Don't assume you have to be rich to live on Palo Alto.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>You got a cost of living and Median Income ratio statistic for that area? What's the rent for a decent one bedroom that doesn't have neighbors who are chain smoking, substance abusers in Palo Alto?</p>

<p>Who said anything about being rich? What's the parking cost for the meet up?</p>

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Tim, by the nature of this site, some posts are going to be relevant to a limited audience. This is one of those (many) posts. It's also in the most casual of all the forums - 'Casual Photo Conversations'!

 

Yes, Philip hasn't been around this site much over recent years, but that's no reason to be hostile. One of the great things about Photo.net compared to some other forums is the friendliness of this site. If a (new or old) user wants to post here, we don't demand updated profiles and profile pics from them.

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<p>Tim: Oops! I have removed "I keep saying that I'm going to get married and have kids, but never get around to it, which I guess has been good for my photographic efforts since there was never a wife to complain about the purchase of a 600/4 or a Robinson R44 helicopter." and replaced with "I live the suburban (Boston) life with kids and golden retriever"<br>

Thanks for the heads-up.</p>

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<p>Tim: If you think that meeting with some like-minded strangers for coffee is a fraught proposition, I would strongly suggest that you avoid the helicopter instructor job. Remember that I meet with strangers, explain what the controls do, and then we go out and fly! There are dual controls, of course, but beginner pilots can surprise you...</p>
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<blockquote>

<p>...but that's no reason to be hostile.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>That's what I'm talking about. You think I'm being hostile. I truly think I'm telling the truth. What do you think how I'ld be if we met in person? Would you judge me on just what you've read or would you start looking for hostile tendencies in looks, sound of my voice or body language? You can't make an accurate judgement by just reading what someone writes in a forum. That makes you clueless IMO!</p>

<p>Believe me, if we met in person I wouldn't know what to talk you about because we'ld probably have a difficult time just breaking the ice.</p>

<p>Philip, what would be the first question you'ld ask the first person that shows up at your meet up? Just curious.</p>

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<p>I'm sorry I no longer live in the Bay Area, I'd enjoy meeting the person who founded PN. I have been a member here for more than 10 years and would like to hear a little about "the early years."<br>

As for hostility, that's why face-to-face is better than the internet for meeting people. It's a lot easier to correctly interpret meaning and intent f2f.<br>

Thanks Philip for the opportunity. And for PN.</p>

 

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<p>Philip, even though I signed up presumably after your departure from PN, your reputation speaks for itself. I'm not exactly in your neighborhood, so I have to pass on your kind invitation. However, if you ever visit south Florida, the idea of going out on a shoot with you sounds quite exciting.</p>
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<p>Laura: If you want to do an East Coast meeting, just suggest a place! Boston is easy for me but I make it down to N.Y. and D.C. from time to time.<br>

Michael: We went to Ft. Lauderdale last March/April for two weeks. The older Russian members of our family thought they had died and gone to Heaven!</p>

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<p>Tim: To your question "what would be the first question you'd ask the first person that shows up at your meet up?" ... I don't have a formal plan. I am confident that I can handle the challenge, though, because even today's college students, whom we are told are unable to decide on a persistent gender, seem to be able to get through a party by asking "What's your major?"</p>
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I would probably pump you for any speculation about the past history and current management ethos of your baby, Photo Net. Those who have been around since you were a presence and guide in the last millennium , well, there is an attachment. Not a "nuclear bond," but still some energy field is still out here. (Know anyone who might make them an offer? Don't say I asked that.) CA is close enough landfall only 2500 mi or so. I will be in Irvine next August for the National Stereoscopic Association Convention combined with the International Stereoscopic Union. And me I hate airplane travel anymore. Blah. ....... I got to do some photo shoots as PAO in an Army helo while in the service. And did the helo tour around Kauai, a breathless adventure!. The ONLY way to see the glories of that mountainous island.

Thanks.Philip, for popping in; you are always a welcome presence for many of us I know.

Photo below= A helo landing on a pinnacle above a rain forest, which you don't got in Beantown or Cambridge.. and me in my Hebrew Coke T shirt some years back with a Canon in hand.---

Aloha nui loa. Gerry PS: Are you still instructing at MIT? In what areas?<div>00eAhV-565755284.jpg.0408bc7b0e11cc9024f0d2c19187c635.jpg</div>

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