Anonymous Question Abuse?

September 10, 2005 3:16 PM

How do I avoid getting sick when I start a running regimen?
Why is this anonymous?
posted by 517 to Etiquette/Policy at 3:16 PM (63 comments total)

Does that really bother you?
posted by thirteenkiller at 3:20 PM on September 10, 2005

Obviously anon doesn't want us to know she is "in bed with the pale, hairy beginnings of a beer gut."
posted by ?! at 3:23 PM on September 10, 2005

I don't know, that's why I am asking.

Does my question bother you? If so, why?
posted by 517 at 3:23 PM on September 10, 2005

Obviously anon doesn't want us to know she is "in bed with the pale, hairy beginnings of a beer gut."

Then they should edit that out of the question, considering that it wasn't relevant to the question.
posted by 517 at 3:25 PM on September 10, 2005

Then they should edit

That's not how it works.
posted by gleuschk at 3:33 PM on September 10, 2005

Why did you post this?
posted by loquacious at 3:52 PM on September 10, 2005

Matt: thanks for coding the flag system to Meta too.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 3:55 PM on September 10, 2005

Anonymous posts can be frustrating because dialogue isn't possible. That said, I think people should always be able to post anonymously. Different people have different hang-ups and privacy issues. That's life.
posted by selfnoise at 3:55 PM on September 10, 2005

Why is this anonymous?

Because they didn't want anyone to know who they were?

For a more specific answer you would have to ask the poster... oh yeah, you can't. I guess it's just one of those things you will have to go through life not knowing.
posted by cedar at 4:05 PM on September 10, 2005

umm, must we constantly jump on metatalk participants for what are clearly legitimate questions?
posted by Saucy Intruder at 4:08 PM on September 10, 2005

no one understands the dark shame of the jogger:(
posted by Hat Maui at 4:21 PM on September 10, 2005 [1 favorite]

Saucy: No one's questioning the legitimacy of asking the question; the question is why it was posted anonymously.

It doesn't seem like a terribly good use of the anonymous feature to me either; but Ask Metafilter is about exchanging information, and if using anonymity caused the user in question to ask a question he wouldn't have otherwise asked, more power to him.
posted by Johnny Assay at 4:24 PM on September 10, 2005

Saucy... why is this a legitmate question?

The answer is obvious to anyone with even a passing aquaintance with how this place works. For newcomers, here is the answer: the person asking the question wanted to remain anonymous and Matt/Jessamyn felt that the question was worthy of posting.

This isn't all that complicated.

To answer your question: yes, we must constantly jump on people who post stupid questions or callout deleted threads. If this seems unreasonable, I would advise you to take it to MeTa.
posted by cedar at 4:33 PM on September 10, 2005

umm, must we constantly jump on metatalk participants for what are clearly legitimate questions?

Err, no, saucy is defending 517's 'right to know.' "Why is this anon?" is clearly a legit question to saucy and 517.

I can't imagine why it needs to be anon, and I agree that it is not the best use of the anon feature, but I'm with thirteenkiller and loquacious.
posted by fixedgear at 4:34 PM on September 10, 2005

Why is this anonymous?
None of your business, really.
posted by obloquy at 4:34 PM on September 10, 2005

so it was obloquy who posted as anonymous?
posted by Hat Maui at 4:36 PM on September 10, 2005

It's hard to imagine why the AskMe poster wanted to be anonymous, but it's even harder to imagine why 517 thought it worthy of a MeTa post.

517, why do you care? Is there an anonymous-AskMe quota? Are you somehow disadvantaged by profligate use and abuse of anonymous AskMes? What deep personal need drives you to post this question? Whatever it is, this isn't the place to deal with it.
posted by vetiver at 4:39 PM on September 10, 2005

obloquy ... you took the words right out of my mouth

why does anyone care? ... this is a pointless discussion
posted by pyramid termite at 4:56 PM on September 10, 2005

Wouldn't that be a better question for Ask.Metafilter.com?

"Why do you post questions anonymously?"
posted by anonymous at 5:56 PM on September 10[!]
posted by blue_beetle at 4:57 PM on September 10, 2005 [1 favorite]

I'm curious because it seems like a very tame question. I'm not calling anyone out, I'm asking a question.

Some of the responders seem to want to read more into it than that.

...this isn't the place to deal with it...

Keep that logic coming.
posted by 517 at 5:03 PM on September 10, 2005

If one of the admins wants to come along and say "it was because it was", that will satisfy me but I am still asking.
posted by 517 at 5:08 PM on September 10, 2005

mathowie says: In case it wasn't clear, it's not a great question, but I allow through almost all of them. This is a borderline one, but I thought the direct deposit part for a new 20-something employee (making assumptions here) barely saved it.

I should probably just email people when they have really obvious or easily answered or pointless questions instead of letting them through.
posted by SeizeTheDay at 5:09 PM on September 10, 2005

"Why is this anonymous?"

Why not? If you give different answers based on usernames, maybe you should consider staying out of AskMe.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 5:17 PM on September 10, 2005

...but I allow through almost all of them...

And there's my answer. Thank you, SeizeTheDay.
posted by 517 at 5:19 PM on September 10, 2005

...If you give different answers based on usernames, maybe you should consider staying out of AskMe.

Is that some projection going on there _crash?
posted by 517 at 5:21 PM on September 10, 2005

HURRAH!

*gleefully flings pancakes everywhere*

Syrup?
posted by loquacious at 5:22 PM on September 10, 2005

And there's my answer.

Not that you deserve one, you upwind tailpipe destroyer.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 5:27 PM on September 10, 2005

Just to be clear, I wasn't looking for the motives of the asker.
posted by 517 at 5:28 PM on September 10, 2005

"Is that some projection going on there _crash?"

No.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 6:24 PM on September 10, 2005

Look, there had to be a reason this person chose to be anonymous, so why don't we simply respect the fact they did not want their username used for the question? I am smart enough to think of some scenarios, certainly the rest of you could do the same.

Or maybe their username IS "anonymous." ;-)
posted by konolia at 6:41 PM on September 10, 2005

the better question is: why do you care?

Seriously.
posted by delmoi at 7:12 PM on September 10, 2005

NONE OF YOUR FUCKING BUSINESS, THAT'S WHY!!!!
posted by furtive at 7:22 PM on September 10, 2005

517: I'm curious because it seems like a very tame question. I'm not calling anyone out, I'm asking a question.

Some of the responders seem to want to read more into it than that.

Some of the responders(?) took your original phrasing as a call out. Had you used the word curious in your original question than your reason for asking might have been more clear and the general tone of the conversation more civil.
posted by geekyguy at 7:27 PM on September 10, 2005

Again, "Just to be clear, I wasn't looking for the motives of the asker."

The answer was there is a very low standard to what can be posted anonymously. For some reason I assumed there was a higher one.

geekyguy My original question was "Why is this anonymous?. I guess I could have couched it with a bunch of hemming and hawing but I thought it was pretty straight forward.
posted by 517 at 8:04 PM on September 10, 2005

Dear item,

Is this what you are referring to?

Fuck you,

517
posted by 517 at 8:08 PM on September 10, 2005

Holy Schmoly Batman... you just don't know when to stop, do you. You seem truly determined to keep on going until you strike oil -- or, more likely, a deep and thick pipe filled with 50,000 volts of radioactive MeTa sewage.

I, and others, got the impression that you were questioning the motives of the poster -- I'm kinda curious myself but know that it's none of my business. I also know that it would be a waste of time to ask others to guess along with me. The one person who knows ain't talking.

As it turns out, you were asking a much more reasonable question: "What are the requirements for an anonymous post?"

If you had put it that way, instead of singling a particular post out, people would have explained that there are no requirements except a few moments of user #1's time.

Now, wouldn't that have been easier?

I would, however, like to compliment you on your decision to add a smidgen of vitriol and righteous indignation to your posts. This serves a twofold purpose in that it amuses me and gives me hope that you may be a genuine crank worthy of another tumbler full of this fine single malt and another cigarette (or ten).
posted by cedar at 8:30 PM on September 10, 2005

Whatever, commence with the pile on.
posted by 517 at 8:34 PM on September 10, 2005

Wow, 517, why the meltdown? Just curious.
posted by LittleMissCranky at 8:36 PM on September 10, 2005

LittleMissCranky, I've have been advised to shut-up. I think that is good advise and intend to follow it. Right...now.
posted by 517 at 8:50 PM on September 10, 2005

If you don't understand the loneliness of the long distance runner, don't bother to ask.

It was me.
posted by johngoren at 9:39 PM on September 10, 2005

I am Spartacus!
posted by monju_bosatsu at 9:40 PM on September 10, 2005

Actually, 517, I wondered the same question when I emerged from my head cold and realized I'd used the "Anonymous" feature for a question that was less shameful than

* "BodyDisposalFilter: So I killed a policeman...(MI)"

* "Has anyone had any GOOD experiences with incest?"

So I should have used the regular AskMe feature, but at the moment my situation must have seemed as embarrassing as the above. Anyway, I wanted to clear up the cloud of suspicion that I was somehow trying to cheat the weekly limit.

Now the word is out that I don't have a six pack.
posted by johngoren at 9:49 PM on September 10, 2005

I'm sorry for posting this question in regard to your question.
posted by 517 at 9:59 PM on September 10, 2005

It was me; I didn't want 517 to know that the pushups regimen I was on hasn't worked so well. For shame. Slacker.
posted by Tuwa at 10:00 PM on September 10, 2005

No, it's a good question, I was wondering actually what the qualifications were.
posted by johngoren at 10:02 PM on September 10, 2005

NO, I AM SPARTICUS!
posted by delmoi at 10:04 PM on September 10, 2005

We just have bad luck with users whose names are numbers, don't we...
posted by Krrrlson at 10:09 PM on September 10, 2005

I admit, I posted that question. It was anonymous because I own a small island in the Carribean where people have been terrorized by packs of bloodthirsty cheetahs since times untold.

I maintain a dictatorship there by virtue of my reputation as a man who can run faster than a cheetah, and my promise of one day passing on this knowledge to the people. If someone were to find out I am a fraud, this would cause a bloody revolution. I hope you understand now.
posted by Krrrlson at 10:15 PM on September 10, 2005

We just have bad luck with users whose names are numbers, don't we...

Well I am not a number! I'm a human bei- oh wait, I'm #16925. Nevermind.
posted by Stauf at 10:40 PM on September 10, 2005

YOU LIED TO US KRRRLSON
posted by Jairus at 10:43 PM on September 10, 2005

Sometime in the near future, I will be asking a question anonymously.
posted by mischief at 10:48 PM on September 10, 2005

I'm late to the party but I'm going to say it anyway: Who gives a shit?











Oh. But... why, man?
posted by punishinglemur at 11:31 PM on September 10, 2005

posted by geekyguy at 1:23 AM on September 11, 2005

Hey, it's Shouting 517.
posted by fire&wings at 1:59 AM on September 11, 2005

Please tell me that y'all aren't anything remotely like this in real life. 517 could have phrased his or her question better, sure... But are you really so hungry for bloody drama that this thread represents fresh meat to you? Really?
posted by taz at 2:07 AM on September 11, 2005

it was certainly better than the titfuck question anyway
posted by matteo at 4:58 AM on September 11, 2005

517 writes "Dear item,

"Is this what you are referring to?

"Fuck you,

"517"

Coo - useful. Thanks 517... :-)
posted by benzo8 at 5:51 AM on September 11, 2005

There is no 'I' in Spartacus.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 5:54 AM on September 11, 2005

Metafilter: Whatever, commence with the pile on.
posted by Grangousier at 7:07 AM on September 11, 2005

Um, I have no idea what this comment means or what is going with that mini-drama. Can anyone explain it to me slowly in single-syllable words?
posted by Optimus Chyme at 2:26 PM on September 11, 2005

I love watching these threads. The pattern is exactly the same every time.

1) Some whiny fuck finds something to complain about and does so, unable to pull his finger back from the mouse button long enough to stick it up his ass, where it belongs.

2) About 15 people chime in and very politely point out the utter needlessness of the complaint and, optionally, the complainer's obsessiveness.

3) Some contrarian runs to the rescue of the beleagured, aforementioned whiny fuck to find some grain of merit, no matter how small, in the complaint. It's nothing that they would ever complain about themselves, but they hate to see anyone put on the ropes for bringing a grain of merit (of any size) to light. These people do not understand the concept of "worth it" and likely lack good judgment in general.

4) This valiant fuck-defender winds up in a wrestling match with 1-3 other people - whoever has the energy to sustain one - endlessly splitting hairs, molecules, then atoms over the original issue, and tangental pet peeves of their own. These adamant fuck and fuck-defender smashers also probably lack all judgment, blind with their desire to see any complaint describable as niggling go unpunished.

5) Meanwhile, the noise of people chiming in with pancake jokes, hamster photos, miscellaneous other in-jokes and animated GIFs rises to a fever pitch, until nothing remains except a supposedly joyous display of oblique humor, which some like to case as the "group hug" stage, even though, on a particularly bitter day, the drawn-out and salty bottom-scrapings of the wrestling match mentioned in #4 are still going on. EB diatribes optional if gender can possibly be brought into the discussion.

Usually the original poster's balls recede into his pelvis and he takes his leave before stage #3. And on a good day, Matt closes the thread after #2. If the whinge of stage #1 is particularly egregious and Matt has better things to do, we enjoy a 300-comment circle-wank and litter the page with blinkies, scrollies, and more GIFs than even quonsar can waddle his faddle at (and that's a serious buttload, nay, a veritable motherASSload of GIFs, let me tell you).

Why do we love it so much?
posted by scarabic at 4:14 PM on September 11, 2005

"EB diatribes optional if gender can possibly be brought into the discussion."

I do not "diatribe". I "stupefyingly lecture". Let's be accurate.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 8:01 PM on September 11, 2005

;) I kid because I love, ya know.
posted by scarabic at 8:13 PM on September 11, 2005