Last September, I suspended some of my inhibitions and embarked on a social networking experiment by spending a weekend with people I’d met on Newsvine. This Vinemeet was the event that sort of solidified my theory that Newsvine was much more than just a social networking site and hub for citizen journalists, but a place where virtual friendships become real. There have been several Vinemeets over the last year but this weekend I hopped on a plane (gasp!) to meet a few more practical strangers and reinforce the sense of community and camaraderie on the ‘Vine.

Where the last meet I attended was only a few hours’ drive away from home in the San Bernardino Mountains, this one took place in Columbus, OH at the home of Ryan Stolte-Sawa and Mykola Bilokonsky. So what made me decide this Vinemeet was worth flying across country for? It all started with visions and dreams of hanging out with various folks from previous Vinemeets. My community activity has also increased over the last few months as have my feelings of connectedness with some of the people I encounter most frequently. In all honesty, I have developed closer connections with people from Newsvine than some people I have encountered in real life. I’m a member of Newsvine Music: Listen In, was recently elected as a community group moderator and I’m even in semi-daily contact with some of these people either by virtue of having them as chat contacts or through site participation; Newsvine and its community have become a pretty big part of my life.

When Ryan made the announcement that she was hosting Vinemeet AWEsome I decided almost right away that I was going to make the trip. The truth is that I have been looking for excuses to travel and this one seemed like as good a reason as any. Not to be dissuaded, I looked at airfare options and chose the cheapest flight I could find, almost two months before the scheduled meet, committing myself even further.

Unlike the first Vinemeet, I had no real trepidations about the sanity of people who would take the chance to meet others from the internet. Maybe this says something about my own sanity? There is sort of a running joke that we ‘Viners have these meets because we are in search of friends; no doubt there is truth in this statement. My experience has also been that the people from Newsvine are the same, even when the virtual boundary no longer exists. 

Beyond bolstering the health of the community, there has also been a push to make these Vinemeets mean something more than just a weekend party, and while we did party most of the weekend, we were also actively contributing to Newsvine from Ohio in many ways. Be it live blogging, posting happy birthday videos for 'Viners unable to make the trip, or simply being willing to make 8 hour drives, take 14 hour bus rides and fly accross the country; 'Vinemeet is definitely more than just a party.

I arrived a day earlier and left a day later than everyone else which gave me time to spend time with Ryan; I was a little worried about overstaying my welcome but she assured me that she was happy I came. I was truly amazed by her hospitality, ability to accomodate multiple personalities and generally keep everyone happy without losing herself in the effort. It takes serious people skills to be willing and able to invite a bunch of virtual strangers into your home and Ryan was one of the most gracious hosts I have ever met. In fact, Ryan is a modern renaissance woman: femme fatal, intellectual, domestic goddess, artist and musician. One of the highlights of the weekend just happened to be a rockin' performance by Flotation Walls the band Ryan is a member of.

Over the course of three days, we Bar-B-Qued, played Rock Band (the best party game EVER!), discussed politics, social policy, and the latest Newsvine drama. We lamented the fact that Calvin and others were not there - but still enjoyed the company of those who were in attendance - and made phone calls to 'Viners in Tazmania, North Carolina, Seattle and Ireland. 

As the festivities began winding down and people began making their treks back to their respective abodes, I began reflecting on how real they had been in the virtual world; real life personalities fitting the online persona. Therein, I believe, is what makes these Vinemeets work so well. While some are no doubt wary of meeting people from the internet, I have found - as have plenty of other Vinemeeters - that something about our interaction on Newsvine lets us be exactly who we are; flaws and all. The bonds of friendship are forged and reinforced in person based on the age-old friendship model: acceptance. This weekend, I know for sure that I found in Ryan at least one new, possibly lifelong friendship. This is what separates Newsvine from other mashups such as Digg and StumbleUpon where the focus seems less on the community building and interaction.

I liken the experience of being a Newsviner to being a Freedom Writer, except the bondings are not forced and are formed more organically as a result. It doesn't take long to realize that Newsvine is quite possibly the most interpersonally connected social news site in existence. Users are encouraged to take stake in the wellbeing of the website as well as the community. As such, there are often public discussions and disagreements regarding appropriate onsite behavior. Sometimes there are outright feuds but like many loving, albiet disfunctional, families, we all come back again and again, and Newsvine is an important - sometimes too much so - part of our lives.

Image Credit: Stacy Melbon