Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

["Michael D. Thomas" <mdthomas AT mindspring.com>]

All,

Some questions about the Thursday gathering were replied back to the
inet-announce list after I announced the March gathering. Inet-announce
is a broadcast-only list and doesn't accept replies. I thought I'd post
the questions here on the discussion list.


>I'm brand new to town and plan swinging by the gathering Thursday.  I 
>look forward to meeting you all *ahem* y'all.

>One quick question, if you will... Are there any special group mores, 
>folkways, taboos, or other general etiquette principles that I should
be 
>familiar with before I show up and immediately offend everyone?  

Sure -- you should buy me a drink... and wash my car... and do a belly
dance while humming crowd pleasing show tunes.

Actually -- the general principles are the same you'd fine for any
techie gathering. You'll find people to be friendly and interested in
meeting you, and you'll probably have a better time if you express the
same attitude.

For this one we might be doing some penguin dress-up and photo-shoots.
Depends on whether our penguins show up, along with some cameras. 

>I ask 
>because, although I'm from the South originally, I've spent the last 
>several years in California and I'm afraid I'm a little rusty with 
>regard to the law of the land down here.  I'm just looking for general 
>things like the following:

>* Are people pretty punctual, or is there some fashionably late period 
> built into the meeting time?

There is /definitely/ a fashionably late period. However, those of us
that organize these things kinda like a couple of people to show up on
time so that we aren't thinking things like, "no way I'll ever organize
another one"  for half an hour.

> * Is this a more or less casual affair?

Very casual. Per NC state law, though, you should wear clothes and
you'll need a shirt and shoes to enter the establishment. 

> * Should I bring anything?

No need to -- just bring money to pay for whatever you consume and maybe
some business cards if you'd like to pass them out.

> * Are you offended by ugliness, drunkenness, strangeness or odor?

Ugliness of spirit, maybe -- but many of the world's most beautiful
people are ugly that way. Drunkeness -- only if you are a danger to
yourself or others. Odor -- we haven't tested the bounds on that one
yet...