MetaChat - Good question, deborah.

For me it was probably this MetaTalk thread that convinced me to join up, though I think I had visited a time or two before that.

I'm betting the non-MetaFilter folks will have the more interesting answers.

posted by danostuporstar 24 March | 08:57

In longboats. (With lots of tasty mushrooms aboard, aarr).

posted by GeckoDundee 24 March | 08:58

You're pulling my peg, dundee.

posted by danostuporstar 24 March | 08:59

A. I have a mefi account with a 9k user number that I hardly ever use even though I read most days. I have been stalking metacha for months now and it seems like a friendly place so I decided to jump in.

B. I am actually a robot and I am some grad student’s project

C. I was looking for porn

D. All of the above

posted by betty 24 March | 09:03

I just happened to see the first post that dodgy made about MeCha being up and cruised on past. The rest, as they say...

posted by gaspode 24 March | 09:03

Ditto, gaspode.

posted by jonmc 24 March | 09:06

(one thing I like about this place is that several people who relatively minor participants at the Blue-'pode, fris, deborah-are headliners here)

posted by jonmc 24 March | 09:07

I was making my way alphabetically through every internet site. Once I found metachat, I didn't bother with metachaw.com and beyond!

posted by mike9322 24 March | 09:08

That would be this one, gaspode?

betty, are you 'betty' over there? (Don't answer if you'd rather not.)

posted by danostuporstar 24 March | 09:09

gecko, if that's true, who are you, really?

I can't remember. It was some offhand comment in MeTa talking about the inanity or something over at MeCha. I thought, "I'm inane, I should check it out." And so it was, and mighty tasty too.

posted by omiewise 24 March | 09:10

that would be the one, dano.

posted by gaspode 24 March | 09:10

I owe it all to Shane. He linked to MeCha in a MeTa thread about a Cleveland meet-up.

posted by amro 24 March | 09:12

Viewropa (or as it's now known "that European Metafiltery blog that came and went last year")

posted by dodgygeezer 24 March | 09:12

That's an interesting first thread. Cool to see who commented early and is still a big presence here. ico, mati, etc etc.

posted by omiewise 24 March | 09:13

Ditto gaspode/jonmc.

I tended to get angry a lot at Metafilter; this place is much better for my karma.

posted by tr33hggr 24 March | 09:14

I followed the early users over as soon as metachat was announced. I've never looked back.

I sure wish I could see user-numbers still. Did I get here before tr33hggr, gaspode & jonmc. What user number are we up to? I HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW!!! :)

posted by seanyboy 24 March | 09:21

I am forced to reside here against my will.

posted by mcgraw 24 March | 09:23

*tightens the restraints on mcgraw*

Stop your mumbling, you!

posted by tr33hggr 24 March | 09:25

Nope I am not betty over there. I just like the name. I am mmm over on the blue. Not that I have used it much.

posted by betty 24 March | 09:26

I didn't bother with metachaw.com

That's where we all sit on the porch whittlin' and expectoratin' into the spittoon, I plumb reckon.

posted by jonmc 24 March | 09:26

Of course the problem with creating a new MeFi is - well you can't. MeFi is a community at war with itself, constantly being pulled in different directions, some towards news and politics, some towards Farkisms or b3taisms, some towards arts & culture, some towards web design and pepsi blue viral marketing. The only thing people here have in common is MeFi itself and once you try to recreate it then you'll get splinters as the various factions try to build the site in their own image.

--dodgy (from taz's thread)

Huzzah for the Mecha Splinters! You people have gorgeous faction.

So nobody is gonna cop to landing here after googling for "abuelas en fuego"?

posted by danostuporstar 24 March | 09:29

Plus, I notice - It's only two months or so to our first birthday.

posted by seanyboy 24 March | 09:30

I have no recollection of how I got here. Chloroform may have been involved. But, once I came to, I liked it. It was smaller and friendlier, with less intellectual wankery, but lots of wit.

posted by richat 24 March | 09:31

I saw it the first day or two, joined up, and never looked back (yeah, I am one of those very minor metafilter users).

posted by matildaben 24 March | 09:32

i had been lurking on metafilter for a while, and saw a link to the metafilter wikipedia entry, which lists a bunch of spinoffs. came here, lurked, jumped in.

posted by wens 24 March | 09:33

can't breathe right! hampering blood fl....eehhh... *nods off*

posted by mcgraw 24 March | 09:36

Ditto matildaben.

posted by Capn 24 March | 09:42

Omiewise, read my profile. I ain't no sockpuppet. I'm a free man. I love/hate MeFi, but I just plain love this place. I used to have a many-times-a-day MeFi fix. I stumbled upon it through the Green just as the Green was started up, I stayed for the Blue. Then I started following the soap opera that was the Grey. Then I spotted you guys. As Mr Hggr says, the karma is so much better here. It's like the MetaFilter that everyone's nostalgia tells them was real, but never was.

Don't go changin'.

posted by GeckoDundee 24 March | 09:44

Ditto matildaben.

Dude, mimeograph machines are obsolete. If we need more matildabens (and what good American dosen't), we'll run her through the Xerox machine and fax her worldwide.

posted by jonmc 24 March | 09:45

I started lurking when it was first announced. Then there came a point (probably after a couple of months) when I couldn't stand not being in on the fun.

One of MeCha's great distinguishing strengths is that new people tend be greeted with "Yay! Someone new to play with" rather than "Ewww..noob!"

posted by jrossi4r 24 March | 09:45

I woke up here too. All I know is that I have a wicked headache and my ass hurts like a mother.

posted by jelly 24 March | 09:49

Mr. Hggr?? Them's fightin' words! :)

posted by tr33hggr 24 March | 09:51

Professor Hggr, I will never do that again. Sir. And my essay will be in tomorrow. I promise.

Or, like, the hggrino. If you're not into the brevity thing. I'm cool with that too.

Jelly, you think your arse hurts, check out

≡ Click to see image ≡

posted by GeckoDundee 24 March | 10:03

Easy, I've got a beverage here!

posted by tr33hggr 24 March | 10:15

matildabens are much better when there is only one. Plus the world is a lot safer that way.

posted by matildaben 24 March | 10:27

Rats.

*calls Kinko's to cancel work order, walks away kicking pebbles and saying 'aw, shucks.'*

posted by jonmc 24 March | 10:29

Must resist the bait tr33hggr has set. Must resist. Must. Must. Aw crap.

Where's the fucking money tr33hggr?

posted by GeckoDundee 24 March | 10:29

Obviously you're not a golfer.

posted by tr33hggr 24 March | 10:36

tr33hggr, I love you heaps. But we can't go on like this. There's a thread to consider.

Though your comment really tied the thread together.

posted by GeckoDundee 24 March | 10:47

:)

gecko wins! I concede.

Now hand me the ringer dude.

posted by tr33hggr 24 March | 10:58

I find Metachat very pleasant, thank you very much.

posted by deadcowdan 24 March | 11:02

Not on Shabbos! But, hey. I think we all won here. I have to go to bed now though. (Just as you guys are all waking up). Ah well. That's why Mecha radio is so sweet.

posted by GeckoDundee 24 March | 11:03

*points to jonmc*

It was all his fault! He did it! He did it!

Mostly because he couldn't stop talking about you guys and the funny threads.

posted by TrishaLynn 24 March | 11:18

I was lured here by jonmc and dano.

They'll deny it.

posted by krix 24 March | 11:29

How can I lure someone I've never met, krix? What am I, some kind of male siren?

posted by jonmc 24 March | 11:32

Of course you are, jonmc.

Me, I'd seen oblique references on MeFi—where I lurk under a different handle and mostly just make smartass comments in the middle of flamewars—and have been lurking on and off around here since December. I love the vibe of this place, and thought I'd break a little piece off for myself, so I signed up.

posted by Zozo 24 March | 11:43

See? SEE?

posted by krix 24 March | 11:43

*sits on top of unwarked car, twirling and going 'woooo-woooo'*

posted by jonmc 24 March | 11:44

I got my metafilter account two or three weeks before thanksgiving (after much lurking).

At some point, I came across a metatalk thread in which mathowie said something to the effect of "if I wanted to know everyone's favorite color, I'd go to Metachat."

And I was all like, "ooh! I want to know everyone's favorite color!" And searched for the link. And I've been very happy to be here ever since. :)

posted by SassHat 24 March | 11:44

sasshat: BTW, my favorite color is red.

posted by TrishaLynn 24 March | 12:02

I knew of this place, but didn't start hanging out here alot until I became so frustrated with the incivility and mean-spiritedness and agenda-pushing and entitlement complexes over on MeFi that I couldn't stand it any longer.

posted by sciurus 24 March | 12:02

I think I saw it almost immediately when dodgygeezer posted to meta. But I wasn't that quick to join. Maybe that day or the next is when I did, I'm not sure. Someone else was ethereal bligh for a little while, and so I wanted to register "kmellis" right away.

posted by kmellis 24 March | 12:03

my favorite color is plaid.

posted by jonmc 24 March | 12:06

green, sasshat.

posted by gaspode 24 March | 12:16

I'm a fan of blue

posted by betty 24 March | 12:30

Divining rod.

posted by Hugh Janus 24 March | 12:38

*sits on top of unwarked car, twirling and going 'woooo-woooo'*

posted by mcgraw 24 March | 13:17

Dame's panties.

posted by Eideteker 24 March | 13:20

I came out of curiosity through some mention of it in MetaTalk. Stayed for the shouting. :) The shouting here is much happier than the snarky back-biting talking in MeTa.

posted by heatherann 24 March | 13:28

I have always been here. When Taz & Dodgy showed up, I was sitting under the willow tree, waiting, for the spirits had shown me that they would come.

posted by mygothlaundry 24 March | 14:11

I don't remember what first brought me here but it was probably the initial announcement as my first comment was when MeCha was still shiny new.

posted by Mitheral 24 March | 14:48

This thread inspired me to create this photoset.

posted by Eideteker 24 March | 15:05

Pale pink, sasshat.

I hopped over hear pdq! Q enough that I'm user 10! Yes, I know, user numbers are kaput, but I'll nevar forget!!

dano, thanks for dragging the question over here. And big smooches to everyone for answering!

posted by deborah 24 March | 15:29

Why can't the rest of you see the user numbers?

I bounced straight on over as soon as I saw the MeTa thread - hard to believe that was 10 months ago - it seems like last week. I must admit that I hardly ever visit MeFi anymore and then usually only when a thread is linked here. I do follow MeTa though, which I generally enjoyed more than MeFI anyway.

posted by dg 24 March | 19:43

it was just there
one day

posted by ethylene 24 March | 19:49

Hm.

As with all great addictions, this one crept in slowly.

I have no clear memory of finding MeCha.I was a MeFi lurker for a long time before signups reopened. I saw the mentions and knew MeCha and MoFi existed, but didn't wander over immediately. I guess I thought they were clubby or something. And when I did wander over, I 'got' MoFi and joined, but I didn't quite 'get' MeCha at first. But I think I kept coming back now and then when MeFi was down, because some of my favorite MeFi personalities were often here.

I read quietly for a while. Somehow this thread was the first to inspire me to comment, though I'm not sure why.

And then MeCha set its hooks. I read this thread and said I'd like to hear the music -- shortly thereafter, there were music files in my email inbox, a generous gift from near-total-stranger uws. Wow! This place was nice!

But it was when I commented in this thread that I knew there was a problem. What on earth made me think all of you would care about my list of 10 things you didn't know about me? What was it in the confessional, therapeutic atmosphere that made me feel OK admitting to a couple things I never tell? It's like a cult --- once you make that first major confession, you're pledged to the brother/sisterhood.

I'm surprised now to note how little I commented from last summer, when I first noticed the place, until this past January, when something clicked and I became a real participant. First, I discovered IRC, yay. Then there was the Bunny Tarot. Then, there was Valentine's Day. How could a gal not stick around?

Anyway, not looking back.

posted by Miko 26 March | 22:04

24 March 2006