Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Also at this particular meetup, people were wandering off by themselves. The group wasn't staying together. We were also supposed to have dinner together after the event, near the event. The group leader decided they wanted to get a beer 25 miles away instead.
Uh-oh, wondering off by themselves?! Did they talk to strangers too?!! So what? They used Meetup for what it's for...meeting other people they click with. Where in the meetup rule book does it say everyone must stay together?!!
Uh-oh, wondering off by themselves?! Did they talk to strangers too?!! So what? They used Meetup for what it's for...meeting other people they click with. Where in the meetup rule book does it say everyone must stay together?!!
Well how do you know if you click with someone if there has been no conversation, unless of course meetup for some of you is really meatmarketup.
Me, if I come to the group, I at least try to give people a chance. There to make new friends, no expectation of meeting Prince Charming.
I am with you. I always wonder what people are hiding and what their true motives are in they aren't willing to use their full name.
I don't put my full name on any sites, including MeetUp. I have my first name, my picture and where I live, what more do people need to gather at a public place for some activity, social security numbers??
Well because, I wouldn't put Meetup in the same category as city-data or any forum that is strictly sharing ONLINE advice, where most likely most of the people (other than a real estate agent here or there) will only connect or need to connect via the internet.
The Meetup group is just that, meeting in person.
There are also settings within meetup for levels of privacy, everything from completely hidden from other meetup groups to completely public.
With something personal like a support group, I would agree it is better for people to hide their names, but I still think the leaders should fully reveal who they are. Wouldn't you want to know if the leader of a support group was truly qualified to lead such a group?
So when you meet him/her, ask for a name.
If a person is running a support group and represents themselves as a professional, they will tell you their name and qualifications.
If a person is running a support group and represents themselves as a professional, they will tell you their name and qualifications.
Well they wont tell me because I don't do support groups. I do the fun and educational kind of meetups. Someone else brought that up and I was making a point to them.
I do think it is creepy that people who participate in that sort of thing would actually go to some shrink or fake guru's home without knowing their first name. No wonder people end up in cults or under mind control.
Boy do people distort things. I give up. I'm outta here.
Well because, I wouldn't put Meetup in the same category as city-data or any forum that is strictly sharing ONLINE advice, where most likely most of the people (other than a real estate agent here or there) will only connect or need to connect via the internet.
The Meetup group is just that, meeting in person.
There are also settings within meetup for levels of privacy, everything from completely hidden from other meetup groups to completely public.
With something personal like a support group, I would agree it is better for people to hide their names, but I still think the leaders should fully reveal who they are. Wouldn't you want to know if the leader of a support group was truly qualified to lead such a group?
I didn't say support groups. I said seeking support. That could mean just regular people talking about divorce or the loss of a child, or recently single people going out and hitting the town together to get their minds off their break-ups. You're reading entirely too much into this, and Meet-Up in general.
I think others on this thread have explained things very well. There is simply no need to put your last name and other private information on a public site like Meet-Up. It is a risk both to privacy and security. If you don't feel comfortable going to a Meet-Up because people don't have their last names (which may or may not be fake--I don't even use my real last name on Facebook), then don't belong to the site and don't go to any of the events. It's really that simple.
I don't put my full name on any sites, including MeetUp. I have my first name, my picture and where I live, what more do people need to gather at a public place for some activity, social security numbers??
If anything, I'd think twice about someone wanting more than that. Like, why is it necessary to know my last name just to meet with a group of people for a casual dinner or some bowling? What, exactly, do you intend to do with the information, anyway? Google me? Please. That's just being nosy. Boundaries are good things.
If you put your full name on your meetup profile, then that can be indexed by search engines...meaning that by simply googling your name, someone can find out what groups you belong to and possibly discover which of the group's events that you attended. That "someone" could possibly be your employer or (if you're job hunting) a company or recruiting agency that is performing a background check on you - these days it is damn near guaranteed that any organization bigger than a mom-n-pop shop will take a peek into your Internet and social media footprint.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Boundaries are good things.
