Meeting Internet Disney Friends article

**disneydame2004** · 08-05-2005, 11:45 AM

Mike Scopa of MousePlanet.com wrote a terrific article on meeting new friends on Disney internet sites:
http://www.mouseplanet.com/mike/ms050805.htm

Mike, if you're lurking, great story!

A lot of people on this site can really relate to it!

**Jiminy Cricket** · 08-05-2005, 12:31 PM

That is a grrreat article! Thanx for posting it.

I think Uncle Walt would be very happy. I try to talk to as many persons as I can while at WDW, or anyplace else for that matter, but that's probably because I am a shy person, like many actors and performers.

My DW is always commenting about how I have no fear of talking to strangers, except for the salespeople, or the missionaries, at the front door.

As for the Internet thing, I am really new to this, as DWT was the first place I really had the nerve to chat almost 1 year ago, even though I have had Internet access for 10 years or so. I always had the feeling that there were indeed a lot of scary people, who I would not want to ever meet, using chat rooms for whatever purpose. However, I have changed my mind--sort of. While I would like to meet as many members of DWT as possible, I am still a little wary of the "let's hang out" for a day or so thing. I guess I get that from my parents, who to this day still tell me not to trust anyone you don't know, and only trust the ones you do know very little. A chit chat at the parks, or maybe a meal, but no long term relationships for me. That's just the way I am.

**MandaBella** · 08-05-2005, 12:32 PM

Thanks for the link Pat.

I've been meeting internet people for....*gasp*...10 years now. And I find his article rings true of a lot of internet communities, both Disney and non-Disney.

ohmygod...has it really been 10 years? 2005-1995.....time is flying!

**GrumpyDude** · 08-05-2005, 12:37 PM

i'm hesitant on meeting internet people. did it once before and got burned.

not saying i wouldn't do it again, just have to wait for the scars to fade a bit.

**MommytoMJM** · 08-05-2005, 01:03 PM

I love meeting Internet friends, sometimes it works great, sometimes it ****s, but there are a great many friends that I wouldn't have now if I hadn't tried in the first place. It still hurts when I get burned, but I have some amazing people I would never have known if not for the internet.

**Jiminy Cricket** · 08-05-2005, 02:50 PM

Originally Posted by GrumpyDude

i'm hesitant on meeting internet people. did it once before and got burned.

not saying i wouldn't do it again, just have to wait for the scars to fade a bit.

Sorry to hear about your bad experience.

Was she the tall blonde bombshell that turned out to be my Uncle Bruno, who just got out of prison?

**GrumpyDude** · 08-05-2005, 03:01 PM

Originally Posted by Jiminy Cricket

Sorry to hear about your bad experience, was she the tall blonde bombshell that turned out to be my Uncle Bruno, who just got out of prison?

that would've been better.

a group of us wanted to get together so one of the crew, we'll call him X, stepped up and said, "hey, come down by me, i'll show you all a good time"

so, we all gathered from far and wide, even put two of the guys up in my house so we could ride down together. we all get to the hotel, meeting and greeting and having a good time, and X shows up. we have lunch, then X says he has to pick up his wife and that he'd be back. so, we wait for about 2 hours, he comes back, hangs out for 5 minutes then him and his wife leave............and we never hear from him again for the rest of the weekend.

we were expecting him to show us around, so we were left scratching our heads on what to do. we salvaged the remainder of the weekend and all made our way home.

once we got home, X and his wife were logged onto the site, waiting to ambush us. the two of them, in tandem, started a "forum assault" (for lack of better words) that you could not imagine. i got to the point which he could say what he wanted, doesn't bother me, if that's what he needed. well, when he realized he wasn't going to get under my skin anymore, he went after my wife, who joined me on the trip. i was mortified, she was completely upset. and, this guys wife was the worst. how can someone say such mean things after only meeting people for 5 minutes?

this was an individual that i respected, and had called a friend. not only did we talk on the forum, but we'd IM and call each other daily.

now, all i can say is that i will find the two of them, and i will settle up with them one of these days. it's not even about me, i can't let anyone talk to or about my wife or family like they did. and, i don't think i can ever forgive myself for exposing my wife to that.

so, that's my baggage, that's why i'm hesitant to meet internet people.

**Goofygirl** · 08-05-2005, 05:12 PM

Hey GD that's one heck of a story.....I would be leary if that had happened to me too.

I know a fiefighter who has been through 2 marriages and 1 relationship all with women he met on the Internet. One of them was a total nut case.....guess he couldn't tell what they were really like until too late. It's a pretty scary world out there for sure!

**Jiminy Cricket** · 08-05-2005, 05:46 PM

Wow, that's a scary story. I can see now why you are gun-shy. I doubt that anyone here would be that way, but you never know--do you?

P.S. Uncle Bruno is going away again for a long, long time.

**Lou Mongello** · 08-05-2005, 06:12 PM

Originally Posted by GrumpyDude

i'm hesitant on meeting internet people. did it once before and got burned.

not saying i wouldn't do it again, just have to wait for the scars to fade a bit.

Grumpy,

I'll be the guy wearing the pink carnation sitting at the bar at Champps in Menlo Park Mall. Oh, and I'll also be sporting my DWT thong in case there are other guys there in pink carnations sitting alone at the bar.

**Goofygirl** · 08-05-2005, 06:36 PM

Originally Posted by AKQJ10

Grumpy,

I'll be the guy wearing the pink carnation sitting at the bar at Champps in Menlo Park Mall. Oh, and I'll also be sporting my DWT thong in case there are other guys there in pink carnations sitting alone at the bar.

Lou, Talk about a scary story........that's a visual that would scar me and never, never fade!!!!!

**tiggerguy** · 08-05-2005, 07:30 PM

Originally Posted by Goofygirl

Lou, Talk about a scary story........that's a visual that would scar me and never, never fade!!!!!

It can't be worse than that thing we saw at Dorney Park! I still wake up with the cold sweats thinking about it

**iwannabeminnie** · 08-05-2005, 07:41 PM

Methinks Grumpydude has a marshmallow filling.

**MandaBella** · 08-05-2005, 07:49 PM

Originally Posted by tiggerguy

It can't be worse than that thing we saw at Dorney Park! I still wake up with the cold sweats thinking about it

BRIAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WHY?!?! WHY?!?! WHY?!?!

That's it! Everyone who was in Dorney Park that day, Sunday...July 10, 2005...and I know who you all are. You are now OFFICIALLY BANNED from mentioning...that...that....collective visual memory we share. Nothing good comes of reminding one another about it. Sometimes somethings really are best laid to rest and never brought up....like...ever.

Now to figure out a way to erase it from my memory...