How best to introduce a non-fur to TFP?

[Endeavour3d]

[Jinx]

[Witchiebunny]

[Purplecat]

I kinda did show to a few classmates that I'm into furries.

...none really cared longterm. Probably because I didn't act too much like one IRL.

And Endeavour3D, that sounds like a really lame server to be honest anyway. I know plenty of furry friendly places on the internet that isn't... necessarily furry. None seems to specifically care that i have a furry avatar on a quite few forums, although I don't necessarily act furry.

[Tyakoto]

I've just let a RL friend of mine and my second cousin join me midgame and just mentioned watch out for the sprays. They got to experience everything else, and if they questioned it, I just said they were fun to play with, if they didn't want to deal with it, they could leave. So far I've had them come back a few times ^^

[Ferto12]

I'm going to have to agree with Endeavour3d on this one. I'd try some other servers when you're playing with them. That's what I do when I have RL friends playing TF2.

But it depends on your relationship with the person(s). Have you known them for a long time? Does he/she tend to gossip? Would they respond well to the furry sprays (IE: Constant shock images)? You could always tell the to turn sprays off "For their own good". You could also lie and say you're in a stance similar to mine, that is, you like the community and server, but you're not a furry yourself.

[Fernin]

I say if you're gonna bring him to the server, just warn of furries and porn sprays. Don't ,mention being a furry yourself, if he's smart he'll figure it out. Also if he doesn't know exactually what a furry is direct him toward the wikipedia article. I've used it to get several people whom were squieked about furries to see them in a good or at least neutral light.

[Small Girl]

The way it was first explained to me (or rather, fursuiting was explained to me) years ago:

"It is like cosplaying/LARPing, but instead with people who prefer like... Sonic the Hedhehog fanfiction while wearing Mickey Mouse suits or something."

[Angry_Squirrel]

Honestly... I don't see why people are so affraid of furries, they're just like everyone else in real life but have a fetish. It's not any different than being gay, what you do when you're alone at home on the internet is noone else's business. And this is coming from a non-fur BTW, despite what my name my suggest. (Squirrels... I don't know why, but I really like Squirrels... but not like that, I still prefer my females human ) I've two other friends who are furs, and in day-to-day interaction with them (or week to week is more like it) aside from the meme jokes (Yiff?) there are no signs of them being furs. From what you said about your friend... providing he isn't *too* crazy to start talking to others about you... I don't think he'd really care about it. The most dangerous thing I could see happening would be him making a related joke to you when you're around other friends who don't yet know (Yiff?)...

Actually, I *wish* I was a fur. Because having to explain to my parents and others about being a furry would be a helluva lot easier than trying to explain how I am now, and I'm certain that others I know back home know about that without me having told them... what am I? Well, let's just say... ISB and 4chan breaking tiem any1? (Since I know he don't hide it and displays it with his spray and all, basically the same as Furlock... there are a few others here in TFP but I don't know if you guys want that being said yet so I won't spill the beans :V)



...Late night rambling post is rambling!!!

[NikkyVix]

Doom, it comes down to what sort of vibe you get from your friend on internet cultures, your friendship with him, and how you feel they'll handle being invited into this side of your online social life.

One of the oldest friends I have was introduced to Furries by me when we were in high school. I started on MUCKs, and he got curious when seeing me on one in the computer lab. Turned out he was quite alright with it. I trusted him to be, mainly because I knew he was not the type to try to shaft me about it and blab to the entire school. Granted, Furry infamy wasn't as widespread a taboo in 1998, but that hardly mattered; online chat-rooms were.

Some people will tell you not to trust your friend with such information possibly because they put too much stock in the taboo of Furrydom overloading a friendship between two people. Therefore, you have to ask yourself: If I show my friend this, will he/our friendship be able to handle it in a mature fashion? Is it going to be a small deal?

If no, then obviously, don't tell. Or only meet him on other non-Furry servers.

If yes, then by all means ask him "What do you know about Furries?" (a simple question which doesn't sound as if you're trying to hide your affiliation), or if he knows about them, as an appropriate buffer. And if things still look good, then drop him into the server one night as a litmus test and explain afterwards, if you feel it's necessary, that you were just making sure he was cool with being on a server with furfags before you invited him. Be jokingly self-ridiculing of Furry status if needed; the better-adjusted furs don't take themselves too seriously.

In conclusion, just keep in mind that people can be more accepting when they are your friend. And if he develops a question or opinion concerning the more exhibitionist tendencies we have on the server, remind him that it's all just in good fun.