Comments on: PoliticsFilter

PoliticsFilter

Eideteker — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 18:58:46 -0800

Can we get a partisan bullshit flag? [the more, it's inside?]

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 18:59:42 -0800

I'm not pointing any fingers or naming names, but what do you flag something that takes a post, political or otherwise, and tries to turn it into a Left/Right discussion?

By: mendel

mendel — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 19:00:57 -0800

If that's not appropriate for the subject matter, sounds like the textbook definition of a derail.

By: Rothko

Rothko — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 19:10:21 -0800

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 19:11:18 -0800

That's the flag I've been using, but it doesn't feel specific enough.

By: mendel

mendel — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 19:14:24 -0800

Specificity doesn't matter much, I don't think -- I'm not even sure that the particular flaggything you choose matters. If a bunch of people flag a post or comment then it'll get attention even if they all choose different reasons; if you're the only one to flag it it probably won't get attention no matter what reason you chose.

By: mr_crash_davis

mr_crash_davis — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 19:18:19 -0800

How about an O RLY flag for the incredibly obvious?

By: selfnoise

selfnoise — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 19:21:38 -0800

You bastards and your Macs.

I want a "SHIT" option. In all caps please.

By: weston

weston — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 19:30:48 -0800

Could we get a "Needs More Cowbell" option?

(After all, MOTU Digital Performer 4.6 has it.)

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 19:43:25 -0800

I've tried marking several of the comments in this thread with various flags and I can't feel the difference. Maybe I don't have the proper wrist technique.

By: loquacious

loquacious — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 19:46:25 -0800

Eideteker: Nah, it's not in the wrists, it's all in the hips. Just unclench and let nature lead the way. It's easy.

By: ikkyu2

ikkyu2 — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 20:14:27 -0800

After a few of my mildly-worded center-right comments on blue threads got deleted a year ago, I quit posting to political threads on the blue. Seems like if everyone would quit posting, everyone would be a lot happier.

By: quonsar

quonsar — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 20:27:17 -0800

By: blue_beetle

blue_beetle — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 20:37:09 -0800

gentlemen, start your photoshops! <VROOOOOM!!!>

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 20:38:54 -0800

Thanks, quonsar. I flagged yours "other." We'll see what that does.

By: fenriq

fenriq — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 20:44:38 -0800

Do you really think a (fill in the blank) flag is going to make it work "better"? The flag's could be made simpler even. A thumbs up or a thumbs down, like Tivo. The point is to bring the attention of they with delete (and bannination) powers.

Really the best thing to do is flag the derail and then ignore it and the poster who's trying to get a rise out of you. Responding to inflammatory posters encourages them and makes it harder to delete their partisan derail (and yes, it irritated me off too) if there are a dozen comments about the derail.

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 20:49:23 -0800

Thanks, fenriq.

(btw, I flagged your comment as "grammar/spelling error" for your egregious use of "flag's" when you meant "flags." It's lefty-neocon anti-grammar fascist hippie pinko jarheads like you that are tearing this country apart.)

By: Chuckles

Chuckles — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 20:51:15 -0800

If it was just thumbs up and thumbs down I would find it a lot easier to use - not that I would use it that often. If my complaint doesn't fit with the descriptions, such as they are, I feel really weird about following through.

Maybe up, down and other?

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 20:59:19 -0800

Up, down, and a box, at least. Other is good, but only with a box. I promise to keep it concise.

By: Chuckles

Chuckles — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 21:02:29 -0800

I completely agree Eideteker. 'other' shouldn't be in my list - don't ask me how I forgot how much a hate it...

By: scarabic

scarabic — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 21:03:47 -0800

Where do you draw the line between "someone's opinion" and "partisan bullshit?" Don't answer that. I'm sure it's all very clear to you. But you know it would never work, in practice. Or if it did, Matt would have to delete the whole site.

AREA MAN DECOMISSIONS WEB FORUM, CITING PREPONDERANCE OF OPINING
"What can I say?" Asks Matt Haughey, creator of popular community site MetaFilter. "There were tons of 'partisan bullshit' flags everywhere, on everything. I had to pull the plug before it all became 'you're wrong!' no,' you're wrong!'"

By: TwelveTwo

TwelveTwo — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 21:12:01 -0800

A simplified tagging system would be pretty nice.

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 21:14:24 -0800

Partisan bullshit is when someone bases their entire argument on calling someone "left" or "right". These terms have no meaning. It's just a step down (not up) from calling someone "stupid."

There are plenty of comments on this site that are completely free of any political content whatsoever. That you've already given up on reasoned political discussion (namecalling is not reasoned) speaks volumes about your consumption of information. Do you hang out only in political threads? There's more to MetaFilter than that. I'm not saying we should be shiny happy people all the time. I'm saying that lazy comments help no one and hurt the site overall (I'm led to believe this is the reason dhoyt got so much attention; though I never followed that race).

By: Hat Maui

Hat Maui — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 21:16:25 -0800

Rothko to quonsar: "i know you are but what am i?"

can't you come up with some variation on the joke at least? i knew you were largely humorless, but sheesh!

By: Rothko

Rothko — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 21:19:52 -0800

Maybe that's the point? It's not funny.

By: afu

afu — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 21:23:45 -0800

What actually happens after you flag a post or comment anyway?

By: Pot

Pot — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 21:24:40 -0800

I know you are, Kettle, but what am I?

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 21:24:49 -0800

I've already marked Rothko as "double post" twi ce in this thread. I think I'm getting the hang of this flag thing.

By: Kettle

Kettle — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 21:25:35 -0800

Iron(y)

By: Rothko

Rothko — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 21:25:54 -0800

Posts are not comments.

By: quonsar

quonsar — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 21:27:08 -0800

wrong font, incorrectly hinted. alex, you lose.

By: nowonmai

nowonmai — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 21:31:39 -0800

Partisan bullshit is when someone bases their entire argument on calling someone "left" or "right". These terms have no meaning. It's just a step down (not up) from calling someone "stupid."

A flag for "logical fallacy"? Perhaps the pulldown could lead to a hierarchical menu with "straw man", "ad hominem", "begging the question", "false dichotomy" et al.

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 21:33:15 -0800

Maybe if I ask Matt nicely, he'll change the verbiage to "double post/comment" just like "fantastic". Until then, I'll flag myself as "it breaks the guidelines." Thanks for the heads up.

So far, I think fenriq's thumb idea is the best thing to come out of this thread. And my box. I loves me a little box to type a two or three word explanation.

Also, I enjoyed getting between Pot and Kettle, but that's just my own particular fetish.

ON PREVIEW: nowonmai's got it! You understand where I'm coming from.

By: Rothko

Rothko — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 21:35:07 -0800

wrong font, incorrectly hinted. alex, you lose.

Shitty joke, quonsar; you lost from the start. Try the pissing elephant, it seems to be your trademark.

By: crunchland

crunchland — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 21:38:00 -0800

Dear Department of Transportation ... While I know that when I press the button at the crosswalk, I realize that pressing the button has no effect on the timing of the traffic lights, and that it's just busy work. Nevertheless, I would like more options for the crosswalk buttons. I would like a new button to be labelled "run." I would like another to be labelled "walk (backwards)." I would like a third to be labelled "float." Please do everything possible to implement this. Meanwhile, I will continue to perfect my ritual for washing my hands. Yours very sincerely, John Q. Asshat, III

By: drpynchon

drpynchon — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 21:38:00 -0800

I dunno.. I kinda laughed..

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 21:47:19 -0800

Wait; when I go to flag a comment, it tells me I'm flagging a post:

Someone needs to tell Matt about this.

By: LarryC

LarryC — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 21:54:30 -0800

Proposed new flags:
-lame, super duper lame (an old flag actually that needs to return)
-WTF?
-can't find the shift key
-Farktastic!
-newsfilter
-die die die

Actually, the whole flagging system is feeling like a mistake. There must be hundred of flags a day (how many Matt?), most of them bullshit. But the existence of the flagging system sets up an expectation that something will happen.

/vows never to flag anything again

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 21:56:58 -0800

/me flags LarryC as fantastic post/comment.
/me immediately regrets it.
/me goes off to start a new MeTa thread requesting the ability to edit our flags.

By: loquacious

loquacious — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 21:59:11 -0800

Maybe that's the point? It's not funny.

Heh, no, that was pretty funny. And when I see "quonsar" on the drop-down I just think "Kewl, a new positive flag! ARCTIC CANDY HOORAY!"

Matt, if you don't put "it breaks my mind" or at least "mushroom" on the post-flagging dropdowns, I'm totally going to kill a puppy, an emu, a six pack of antique pull-tab steel-can Schlitz and a recumbent bicycle. But not just any recumbent bicycle. Your recumbent bicycle.

By: mediareport

mediareport — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 22:07:43 -0800

Shitty joke, quonsar; you lost from the start.

He wins when you play, Rothko. He wins when you play.

By: scarabic

scarabic — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 22:38:50 -0800

Ever since Matt said that almost all the comments he deletes are submitted with flags for "breaks the guidelines," how to flag has been a pretty simple question for me :)

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 22:52:06 -0800

What's the name for that particular logical fallacy? Where the majority of things deleted (D) are also (B) "breaks the guidelines," but the majority of things B are not necessarily D?

By: wakko

wakko — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 23:08:47 -0800

this is like an old-fashioned throwdown

By: solid-one-love

solid-one-love — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 23:08:49 -0800

Fallacy of composition, Eideteker.

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 23:20:52 -0800

Game, set, and match to Q.

It's the game where returning the volley is a forfeit.

By: loquacious

loquacious — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 23:23:29 -0800

ARGH DAMNIT

I lost.

Again.

By: PareidoliaticBoy

PareidoliaticBoy — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 00:33:52 -0800

... --- ...

( I prefer morse code).

By: Catfry

Catfry — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 00:41:11 -0800

I think Eideteker is pretty funny. Playful even.

By: boo_radley

boo_radley — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 00:54:32 -0800

I'm with fenriq: replace the flags with [+] [-] for good and bad votes. No, plebes would not get to see any kind of vote count. We bring things to the attention of matt and jessamyn to either bring to everyone's attention in the sidebar, or to smother quietly.

By: grouse

grouse — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 01:32:05 -0800

lame, super duper lame (an old flag actually that needs to return)

I think it was removed because too many things on MetaFilter are "lame, like super duper lame."

By: juiceCake

juiceCake — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 04:42:04 -0800

Thanks, quonsar. I flagged yours "other." We'll see what that does.
posted by Eideteker at 8:38 PM PST on December 5 [!]

I flagged it as fantastic post/comment. Hilarious that one.

Humour is relative.

By: funambulist

funambulist — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 04:48:13 -0800

Why not replace the current flagging system with the terror alert system. Severe to low risk of metatalk callout. In pretty colours.

By: languagehat

languagehat — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 06:39:50 -0800

Matt has already said the current system isn't very sensible and he's thinking about consolidating the negative reasons into "double post" and "noise" or something like that. You realize that all the flags do is call a post or comment to his attention, right? It doesn't matter what they actually say; he'll make up his own mind when he takes a look.

By: Secret Life of Gravy

Secret Life of Gravy — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 08:03:54 -0800

* Ooo look pretty, shiny
* (Yawn)
* I'm mad at this poster
* I already read this somewhere else and since Metafilter revolves around me, I want it removed Pronto!
* I am psychic, all discussion in this thread will go badly
* Single link
* Double post
* Triple on the rocks, no ice
* Bad grammer, bad spelling, could use a good editing with a stiff cane
* Caused my eyes to roll so far back in their sockets, I am now legally blind

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 08:05:25 -0800

Right, languagehat. I think it would be helpful if he understood just why we flagged a comment, especially if he's wading through hundreds of flags a day. It may not be immediately apparent in some cases.

By: gubo

gubo — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 08:09:05 -0800

* begs the question

By: Kirth Gerson

Kirth Gerson — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 08:15:11 -0800

* Roger that

By: languagehat

languagehat — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 10:06:39 -0800

It may not be immediately apparent in some cases.

If it's not immediately apparent, he's probably not going to do anything about it. Deletion of comments is reserved for pretty serious transgressions.

But don't you see, if read in the context of A's comment earlier in the thread plus B's previous views, it's actually a vitriolic attack on the very foundations of civilization!

By: soyjoy

soyjoy — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 10:07:50 -0800

I have flagged quonsar's inline image as fantastic.

It was really just mildly OK, but Rothko's "comeback" bumped it up a few notches.

I hope I'm using this right.

By: If I Had An Anus

If I Had An Anus — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 11:12:18 -0800

By: gigawhat?

gigawhat? — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 11:31:10 -0800

That assless chap's one clever dick.

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 11:41:16 -0800

Assless Chaps again?

By: delmoi

delmoi — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 14:25:53 -0800

By: delmoi

delmoi — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 14:29:00 -0800

By: warbaby

warbaby — Wed, 07 Dec 2005 06:39:00 -0800

Maybe we could get Matt to change "Flag This Post" to "Frag This Post"?

I am interested in what the daily flag total is, just out of idle curiousity.