[placeholder for accidental post]

[beowabbit]

[The comments below refer to this post in polyboston, which I had accidentally posted here rather than in polyboston. Sorry about that. That’ll teach me to post with no sleep.]

Comments

[danaeris.livejournal.com]

>I’d be happy having you, as a poly activist and organizer and occasional >Boston visitor, on any or all of those (although you need to be on >announce in order to be on chat).

Ooo, you used the 'a' word. I'm a journalist, so theoretically, I can't be an activist. ;)

I'd definitely like to be on the meta list, and for now it might be good to be on the other lists as well so I can see how this all unfolds (unless you think most of the discussion will be on the meta list). My email is my username at freaknation.com.

In terms of the socials being too successful... I think it depends on your goals. Generally, my goal is to foster a cohesive poly community where strong ties of friendship exist, as a foundation towards bigger and better things, a support network, etc. Um. I have a LOT more to say about this, but suffice it to say that for MY purposes, the socials are just right. Later I might try to ADD other things in addition, but I think the regular point of contact that the socials can provide is essential for a cohesive community.

BTW, are you coming to 9ICB?

[beowabbit]

Ooo, you used the 'a' word. I'm a journalist, so theoretically, I can't be an activist. ;)

Well, sometimes the truth takes sides, even if the journalist doesn’t. :-)

[...] suffice it to say that for MY purposes, the socials are just right.

I gather you mean the socials you’re organizing (OK, OK, “organizer”) in Toronto, rather than the ones in Boston.

The ones at the Diesel are good and enjoyable (much of the time), but they’ve just gotten too big, and since they are noisy and crowded and a bit raucous, they have grown to attract people who like that atmosphere and drive away people who don’t. That wouldn’t bug me if there were lots of viable alternatives, but there aren’t really, because the other events (except for the dinners I occasionally organize, and the Queer Poly Women’s group) have sort of fallen off the calendar. That’s as much my “fault” as anybody’s, because I was the person who used to host a lot of them, but the fact is that there are a lot of people who used to come to Poly Boston events (including the Diesel, when it was a smaller group) who don’t come any more.

So, yeah, the social part of it is a big part of what I want, too, but the Tuesday gatherings are not serving that function as well as they once did, nor is the Poly Boston calendar as a whole (in my opinion, and I’d be happy to have people disagree with me).

Also, lots of people have said that the Tuesday socials are at best intimidating and at worst really unwelcoming for newcomers, and that makes me sad.

Ithink the regular point of contact that the socials can provide is essential for a cohesive community.

Absolutely. No argument there.

BTW, are you coming to 9ICB?

Alas, no. The summer’s just too crowded.