Several times, I've tried to get a meetup started at Purdue. However, each time I post on LW that there might be a meetup if enough people comment and say that they want a meetup, only 3ish people will even comment. However, I know that there are at least 8 people at Purdue who read LessWrong, so I've decided to leave this meetup up on the site for a long time so that people on the site will see it.
Good plan. I'm the organizer in Vancouver, and It took me a while but I learned that you just have to make something happen and tell people to show up. Not "let's do something, who's interested?" not "When should we do this thing?", but "I'm going to be holding a meetup here at this time; see you there."
Then of course you adjust for what information you can squeeze out of them about convenient times and places, but again, don't put anyone else's actions on the critical path to something happening.
As I see it, the job of the organizer is to take responsibility for all the agency and do-ness that the group requires. Even expecting people to show up of their own accord has a mediocre success rate; you get much better results if you get people's contact info and specifically bug people like "Hi [person], how's that [thing you're working on] going? It was good to have you at the meetup that time. We're have a meetup at [time and place], you should come!". Seriously, direct orders are way more successful than vague suggestions. (keep it polite of course).
My biggest obstacle has probably been all the little cultural aversions against siezing power and treating other people like they don't have agency. That fact is people really appreciate having leadership, and they want to use their agency on other stuff. Make it easy for them. Build it and they will come.
Are you on lw-organizers? Do you have a mailing list or some other means to organize outside of these meetup posts?
I hope my ramblings are useful to you in your noble quest to build a meetup. More meetups are always good. Good luck!
I am on LW organizers, but I forgot about it. Thanks for the reminder and the advice.
"My biggest obstacle has probably been all the little cultural aversions against siezing power and treating other people like they don't have agency. That fact is people really appreciate having leadership, and they want to use their agency on other stuff. Make it easy for them. Build it and they will come."
That epiphany seemed particularly addictive :)
I would like to mention that 1) this meetup did happen, 2) it was a good time, and 3) we agreed to meet again at the same time (6:50PM) and same place (Hicks Undergrounds) as before this week, being Friday the 17th. I think I can say with confidence that if you decide to attend there will be other people there and they will be cool. Our conversation last time ranged widely over a variety of Less Wrong topics and there seemed to be a lot that different people could bring to the table.
The first meetup went very well. We had 5 people show up. Anybody who wants to come to the next meeting can send me a PM for details.
So, as of right now, we're schedule to have it in Hicks. But, we can have the meetup somewhere else if you'd like:
Hicks [pollid:389] PMU [pollid:390] Any dorm lounge [pollid:391] A restaurant or Dining court [pollid:392]
Discussion article for the meetup : First Purdue Meetup
WHEN: 11 January 2013 06:50:00PM (-0500)
WHERE: Purdue University - HICKS library
Several times, I've tried to get a meetup started at Purdue. However, each time I post on LW that there might be a meetup if enough people comment and say that they want a meetup, only 3ish people will even comment. However, I know that there are at least 8 people at Purdue who read LessWrong, so I've decided to leave this meetup up on the site for a long time so that people on the site will see it. I'm not planning on actually having the meetup until after winter break.
EDIT: First meetup went well. Second meetup page here (http://lesswrong.com/meetups/hx).
Discussion article for the meetup : First Purdue Meetup