MeFi post contest?

February 28, 2006 2:32 PM

How about a contest where candidate posts are judged on quality, the winner of which gets to be posted as item 50000? This would avoid the contention and possible server disruption likely to occur in the coming days, which will only be distracting, anyway. We could pre-emptively make this energy positive. Unless there are plans already, in which case, hurry up and delete this thread. (inspired by this comment)
posted by cacophony to Feature Requests at 2:32 PM (51 comments total)

Define 'quality'.
posted by mischief at 2:46 PM on February 28, 2006

Maybe we could vote on it, with paper ballots, of course.
posted by gsb at 2:56 PM on February 28, 2006

You mean mathowie should set up an area that worked like Projects, where folk could post, and we could all vote on, but not comment on, those posts?

I doubt enough people give enough of a toss about making the 50,000th post for it to be worth the bother, to be honest.
posted by jack_mo at 3:14 PM on February 28, 2006

How much time do we have before post 50k anyway? I doubt matt would have time to implement such an idea.

How about we just give ten ipods to the person who gets the 50,000th FPP?
posted by delmoi at 3:20 PM on February 28, 2006

I think Matt should just silently wire the blue to not assign #50,000.
posted by Wolfdog at 3:20 PM on February 28, 2006

"....the contention and possible server disruption likely to occur in the coming days....."

This part of your post seems to be completely made up and singularly a product of your imagination. I suggest finding a hobby.
posted by y6y6y6 at 3:28 PM on February 28, 2006

I like wolfdogs idea.
posted by puke & cry at 3:30 PM on February 28, 2006

Wolfdog, yes.

And then we can quietly spread rumors about the post that really was once at 50000—a post so vile, so awful, so darkly and perfectly loathesome that Matt did not merely delete it; did not merely nuke it; but erased any evidence of it from the eyes of man and denies, even to this day, that it had ever existed.
posted by cortex at 3:31 PM on February 28, 2006

Seeing MeFi reach that 50,000 post mark is the event I've been anticipating my entire life. Indeed, I remember the day that I saw my first FPP. It was exhilarating. I was only a boy, but right then I knew what I wanted from life. The future is coming, and you'd better get out of its way!

I'm a'tingle.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 3:32 PM on February 28, 2006

Are you the kind of person who will drive around the block just to watch the odometer go from 99,999 to 100,000?
posted by fandango_matt at 3:35 PM on February 28, 2006

Wigu a'tingle?
posted by cortex at 3:36 PM on February 28, 2006

"This part of your post seems to be completely made up..."

Yeah, it is made up, since I have no statistics. I'm not trying to avert Y2K here, (which, suspiciously, also did not come to pass) only suggest a diversion. There's no need for all new code, the simplest implementation is just to give the author of the post with the most fantastic flags between now and then the right to do it. It could increase post quality.

I'm not under the impression anyone really cares about this, but we celebrate less significant events than this, and anything can be an excuse for a sort of celebration.

On preview, fandango_matt, yes.
posted by cacophony at 3:36 PM on February 28, 2006

cortex : "... that it had ever existed."

You mean like we did with MetaTalk 5000?
posted by graventy at 3:39 PM on February 28, 2006

Take a look. It mysteriously redirects to askme. But I was there. I remember it all!
posted by graventy at 3:40 PM on February 28, 2006

posted by cacophony It could increase post quality.

I thought the point of MetaFilter was to post things that don't suck. I'm not trying to be a dick, I just don't understand your intentions here.
posted by fandango_matt at 3:42 PM on February 28, 2006

I suggest that whoever posts #50 000 have their account revoked. That ought to settle everyone's enthusiasm for the number.

personally, i can't imagine anyone giving a sweet damn about having post #50k. how pitiful to consider it some sort of grand accomplishment.
posted by five fresh fish at 3:51 PM on February 28, 2006

... besides Dupont already paid for 50000.
posted by mischief at 3:51 PM on February 28, 2006

Are you the kind of person who will drive around the block just to watch the odometer go from 99,999 to 100,000?

Yep.
posted by Witty at 3:52 PM on February 28, 2006

I think post 50K should be reserved for some obsessed loon who waits on his enter button with a substandard post he whipped up just for the occasion (like all other milestones).
posted by scarabic at 3:55 PM on February 28, 2006

Take a look. It mysteriously redirects to askme. But I was there. I remember it all!

Look, graventy. I know that. You know that. All the right-thinking true believers of Metatalk—damned few of us that there are among all these deathbots and mindslaves—know that. But speak softly; there are those who will go to great and violent lengths to protect the political fiction that AskMe, early in its inception, shared thread numbers with MeTa.
posted by cortex at 3:56 PM on February 28, 2006

How about if mathowie makes the 50,000th post?
posted by Witty at 3:59 PM on February 28, 2006

fandango_matt: No offense was taken. My intentions are as follows -- something everyday is made more interesting. That's it, nothing earth-shattering. All the other stuff is just potential pros and cons. Even if we take for granted that your statement is correct and no post on Metafilter ever sucks, it doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement. It wouldn't matter either way though.

I probably should have phrased it differently re "contention". I'm not trying to say this has any natural importance -- in fact, I'm saying the opposite, that we could do something fun to mark an otherwise ho-hum occurrence.
posted by cacophony at 4:07 PM on February 28, 2006

I predict the 50,000th post will be a dupe.
posted by furtive at 4:16 PM on February 28, 2006

This is a job for user 0.
posted by TwelveTwo at 4:22 PM on February 28, 2006

Wow. That guys sure takes his time coughing up his five units of United States currency.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 4:55 PM on February 28, 2006

Too late. I've already arranged post number 50,000.

It will consist solely of one inline, hotlinked jpeg of a pissing elephant posted directly to the front page with absolutely no comments, description, links or text of any kind. Yes, heavy bribery was involved, as was a big screen TV and a not-to-be-spoken-of amount of angry gay sex.

The thread will consist of the mother of all political arguments and flamewars, the worst of newsfilter and a smattering of often-seen Google video links. The thread will result in a pre-deterimined number of casualities and flame outs. Later there will be refreshments featuring favorite animated gifs, served in casual a stand up buffet setting. BYOB.

I wasn't going to say anything, but if your user ID number is prime, I'd avoid post number 50k at all costs. Your life and limbs aren't worth it. You're simply all tasty meat snacks in the eyes of the supreme greatness that is to come.
posted by loquacious at 5:12 PM on February 28, 2006

Just curious, did anything special happen for posts 40,000, or 30,000, or 20, 000, or 10,000?
posted by Pontius Pilate at 5:21 PM on February 28, 2006

Um - are you heralding some kind of new era in the age of Metafilter, loquacious, or are you just being bombastic?
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 5:25 PM on February 28, 2006

fandango_matt writes "Are you the kind of person who will drive around the block just to watch the odometer go from 99,999 to 100,000?"

Yep, not only that I've got odo pictures of every car I've rolled over.
posted by Mitheral at 5:26 PM on February 28, 2006

For the link-lazy:

September 10, 2001: 10000
September 14, 2002: 20000 (nothing special, although appropriately, a weed post)
December 4, 2003: 30000 (nothing special, although appropriately, a Bush post)
February 27, 2005: 40000 - (BTW, someone wake ColdChef!) (yes, also I was a slow-witted noob)
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 5:35 PM on February 28, 2006

Thanks for the links. Not especially interested in their content, per se - I figured asking the old regulars whether there was some ongoing tradition for x0,000 topics would be an easier way to clarify.
posted by Pontius Pilate at 5:42 PM on February 28, 2006

Not calling you link-lazy at all, Pontiac Pirate - in fact, your comment piqued my interest as well, and prompted me to look them up.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 5:56 PM on February 28, 2006

There are far more interesting numbers than 50 000.

What about post 32768? The prime numbers? What about number 44444? 666? 12345?

Way more interesting than boring ol' 50 000.
posted by five fresh fish at 6:12 PM on February 28, 2006

Well, I am kind of link-lazy anyway. It just didn't occur to me that it was as simple as typing the topic number after www.metafilter.com/mefi. Good to know.
posted by Pontius Pilate at 6:24 PM on February 28, 2006

What? You got a problem with the decimal system?

Although your 32768 bit did make me feel fuzzy inside. Especially because it's about a dead poet who used to listen to punk rock.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 6:25 PM on February 28, 2006

I plan to make post 8675309.
posted by killdevil at 6:39 PM on February 28, 2006

gnfti: A new era of MetaFilter?

Yeah, yeah, if you have to explain a joke, ad nauseum, ad astra, etc.
posted by loquacious at 7:06 PM on February 28, 2006

This idea is silly. Also, am I the only one pondering the prolonged gap between post 30,000 and 40,000?
posted by drpynchon at 8:31 PM on February 28, 2006

September 10, 2001: 10000

that was mentioned in the past, it's spooky.
now I'm worried about what'll happen the day after fpp no. 50,000
posted by matteo at 2:49 AM on March 1, 2006

50000 Watts of Goodwill
posted by OmieWise at 6:02 AM on March 1, 2006

The World Trade Center will explode five times
posted by cortex at 7:39 AM on March 1, 2006

I like that post 40k had exactly 40 comments....oooohhh.
posted by piratebowling at 7:49 AM on March 1, 2006

I plan to make post 8675309.
About Jenny? ; >

it's interesting to see the post labeled with your user number--mine was a nice winter one, 7 months before i joined (and had riff, miguel, normy, realjanet...).
posted by amberglow at 11:23 AM on March 1, 2006

Cool! Mine was about a prostitute killer in Vancouver.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 11:34 AM on March 1, 2006

Yeah, mine was about crappy car ads co-opting rock music. I wish I didn't know that. Posted by a defunct 14ker.
posted by OmieWise at 11:51 AM on March 1, 2006

I noticed the slowing of FPPs. Odd, especially considering the explosion of new members.

"My" post was about a mailbox bomber.
posted by deborah at 4:07 PM on March 1, 2006

I noticed the slowing of FPPs. Odd, especially considering the explosion of new members.

Is there a way of providing us with FPPs per day/month/year since '99?

Just for the statistics geeks among us.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 5:28 PM on March 1, 2006

Sho' 'nuff.
posted by Gator at 6:46 PM on March 1, 2006

September 10, 2001: 10000

We were so innocent back then.
posted by drezdn at 6:47 PM on March 1, 2006

Define 'quality'.
posted by mischief at 5:46 PM

Robert Pirsig spent a 400 page book trying to do just that.
posted by knave at 10:20 PM on March 1, 2006

Thanks Gator, I had completely forgotten about that.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 5:18 AM on March 2, 2006