I've been thinking about this.
The email that one generally gets over these meetings quite clearly says not to share the information.
Obviously, people are trying to protect the integrity of the meeting, as well as reduce any possible risk.
But, as we all know, unless we stand up about this and don't bow to pressure of transactivists, nothing will get changed.
So here is the dilemma.
We will get an email confirming the venue. People want to meet up.
I now think that posting a nearby pub would be detrimental. To both the venue, and the fact that it would become public information. These threads are open to anyone.
We don't have to make it easy for transactivists.
I'm happy to take a dirty big pom bear/penis beaker/naice ham sign with me to the meeting and hold it up before it starts so we can all meet. Actually in the meeting.
But in terms of being able to tell everybody the same pub, I think that's going to be tricky unless someone (or two people) are happy to volunteer as a point of contact via PM.
It means trying to vet the person who asks you where venue/pub is.
Checking their posting history to make sure they're not a) really new, and b) have demonstrable content on their posting that shows they are 'like-minded' and not chancers taking the piss.
Which will, sometimes, mean that the point of contact has to say I'm terribly sorry, I hope you understand, but I can't tell you.
I think most people understand why that might happen.
And I certainly don't think we should ever disclose the actual venue.
We are being asked not to, and need to respect that.
And finally, I don't want to volunteer as the point of contact!!
So maybe a couple of people will?
The more people who volunteer as a point of contact, who themselves have a posting history (and are therefore beyond reproach) the less work it will be for one person.
I desperately don't want to have anyone left out, whilst at the same time, I know just how sneaky transactivists can be.