The first thing I'd need on a Meetup Planning Committee are people who are up to date on social media, because I don't use any of these services.
Wine, I'm glad you're here because you're reminding me of other crucial things to consider for a real live meetup.
What can be done to ensure people's safety? Not only are there catfishes, but we have a lot of readers here who lurk and never say anything or reveal themselves. What if we announce a meetup and some 65-year-old guy decides he's going to show up because he wants to meet a 17-year-old member he's "interested" in, without her even knowing? I would feel personally responsible for her safety and would do everything I could to prevent that from happening.
There are tons of people who, unfortunately, pick up internet stalkers (at any age) and we need to protect people as much as possible.
Then it becomes a matter of invitation-only, which would turn the whole thing into one big clique, and that just doesn't seem fair either.
With all the challenges of trying to plan a real-life meetup, what would you all think of trying to plan a series of meetups in Singles Chat instead?
I can't guarantee I'd appear on camera (it's against my personal code, in order to protect the innocent
), but I'd definitely be willing to try the mic.