So I was just wondering what you all think about this...

I have done it before. It is harder with the global scene because of distance. I used to use a local BBS and they had a monthly get together at a local pizza place so it was very public and monitored by the admins for years until Inet took off. Oh the love/drama triangles lol. "As the modem turns" we used to joke... I make most of my friends online now days, almost never date someone from online until I know then IRL for a bit before asking them out. Had a poor experience once meeting a e-GF for the first time. The netmask is too easy to hide behind and some do not represent themselves accurately. When I meet people from online for the first time it's in public and rarely alone. Cons are a good idea for meetups as more people are together that like the same stuff. I hope some of you come to Portland for one of our comic cons sometime. The city of Roses is fun. They sell bumper stickers here "Keeping Portland Weird". It would be a kick to meetup or cosplay as a group. Last year they did cosplay chess and I wanted to be in it but it was too late by the time I found out about it w/o costume too. =(

Meeting up with someone online is trending a lot more these days. I met a girl online and we met up. I wasn't sexually attracted to her but I thought we would make better friends. We hang out almost every weekend. Just be careful meeting guys online. 90% of them just want dat booty.

I don't know about 90% looking for booty. That is quite a high number or maybe I'm just naive ;) I think most of the guys would understand if you only want friendship. I think any kind of connection with a fellow anime lover would suffice for most, be it romantic or purely platonic.

I don't see why not. You meet people at work and hang out. You meet people in school and hand out. you meet people online, why wouldn't you hang out? I think this view came from kids being told not to so they don't get abducted. but as adults we never grew out of that fear.