Bremerton Sun (Bremerton, WA)

From Dean supporters to scrap bookers, groups connect online

Communities start on Web sites using a united interest as a starting point for friendship.

By Melodie Wright
April 2, 2005

Trish Skinner, left, pulls her son Alex Skinner, 13, up the beach wall at Silverdale Waterfront Park. The Skinners are part of a pagan parent group with which they became associated through Meetup.com. They represent a trend of people with like interests who meet through the Internet.

In these days of virtual reality and big box communities, the Internet is taking the place of the front porch.

It's a phenomenon that's been quietly growing as the web's strands thickened, finally reaching the mainstream during the 2004 presidential election. Governor Howard Dean's strategists were the first to take advantage of online power. Dean's followers spontaneously combusted online, firing up phone lines and broadband with their support.

Although Dean burnt out, the trend of online meetings rode the tsuami-like awareness wave into America's living rooms and offices. Meetup.com, started in 2002 by Internet innovator Scott Heiferman, sought to provide a forum for everyone of any interest to hook up. Dean's supporters used it, as did those of other political persuasions. According to Meetup's web site, 500,000 Americans are signed on to attend political Meetups.

But politicos aren't alone. Dog enthusiasts, pagans, Christians, parent groups — even vampires — are active on Meetup, and spin-off sites like Tribe.net and Myspace.com.

These Web sites provide an nonthreatening environment to hook up offline. They encourage groups to meet in neutral places, like coffee houses or libraries, and be sparing with personal information. But when a face-to-face meeting occurs, members often exchange personal emails and meet more frequently than once per month.

Trish Skinner is the organizer for two Meetups in Kitsap County — one for scrap bookers and one for pagan parents. Since her retirement from the Navy last year, Skinner has more time and inclination to build herself a community.

For her, Meetup is all about ease.

"It's so easy to jump (online)," Skinner said. "There's the convenience of meeting like-minded people with the same interests without having to look through the newspaper or word-of-mouth."

Grace Hawkins leads a group of former Deaniacs at Democracy for America. During the election, the group was called Dean for America but changed its name when the governor's nomination bid failed.

Although Hawkins said the group was "plunged into despair" when Bush as re-elected, she and 286 other South Kitsap residents faithfully sign on to Meetup to network and set monthly meeting dates.

"(Meetup) is informal yet provides an easy way to send mass e-mails, which is very important," Hawkins said. "It gives people a neutral place to go to, and you don't have to do your own Web site."

Alex Skinner, 13, plays soccer on a spring like day at Silverdale Waterfront Park. He and his mother were at the park with a pagan parenting meeting group.

Hawkins and Skinner are just two of seven Kitsap County organizers, but Meetup's Allyson Leonard said the forum is growing. There are hundreds of Meetups in Seattle, contributing to the 1.4 million registered users.

Two similar sites, Tribe.net and Myspace.com, were launched within the past 18 months and don't share their membership figures. But the fact of their existence proves the trend is expanding.

"There are no disadvantages that I can see," Hawkins said. "I think it provides a comfy structure and it benefits the places where we meet."

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