MediaShift interviews mathowie April 8, 2006 11:13 AM   Subscribe

'I did my best to make the place as welcoming as possible, and eventually a few hundred people showed up and we had something good,' Haughey told me via email. 'Since then, I think the strong sense of community — the sense of belonging and getting something out of the participation is what drives people to contribute. There are no points or karma or awards, but I think members enjoy sharing interesting links and comments with each other and seeing their name mentioned on the site.'
Scary picture, too
posted by y2karl to MetaFilter-Related at 11:13 AM (60 comments total)

Well isn't that special
posted by thirteenkiller at 11:30 AM on April 8, 2006


Metafilter's great!
posted by thirteenkiller at 11:31 AM on April 8, 2006


um, the guy asked me over email why people contribute to mefi. I also answered it about ask mefi -- that for ask mefi there's an obvious practical reason (to get your questions answered and to answer questions).

How would you answer it? Why do people contribute to MetaFilter?
posted by mathowie (staff) at 11:32 AM on April 8, 2006


I don't think anybody's ragging on you, matt.

(Y'all aren't, are you?)
posted by Bugbread at 11:33 AM on April 8, 2006


Why do people contribute to MetaFilter?

For the chicks, right?
posted by xmutex at 11:34 AM on April 8, 2006


I think it applies. We like to contribute. We like to participate socially and/or intellectually in a community. Some of us crave attention.
posted by thirteenkiller at 11:35 AM on April 8, 2006


Why do people contribute to MetaFilter?

Metafilter teaches me a lot; when they're not being snarky assholes, people contribute comments that add valuable information to the topic being discussed in a thread. If I know something about a topic that hasn't been added, I feel it's my responsibility to "give back" more information.

When I'm not being a snarky asshole, that is.
posted by interrobang at 11:40 AM on April 8, 2006


Matt's correct. It is cool to see my name up in the blue. Or grey.
posted by docpops at 11:46 AM on April 8, 2006


docpops
posted by docpops at 11:46 AM on April 8, 2006


Todd Lokken
posted by docpops at 11:46 AM on April 8, 2006


You know, in all seriousness, MetaFilter ought to be the standard by which any other forum is judged. I'm still surprised by how rarely I see references to the site from other venues. Maybe that's a good thing.
posted by docpops at 11:48 AM on April 8, 2006


Hey, at least it's not snaggletoothmatt.jpg.

Besides, what other site would have me?
posted by jenovus at 12:03 PM on April 8, 2006


I like typing. I also like reading. They go good together.

Also, the weekly shipments of hookers and blow are quite nice, but I'm still waiting for my recumbent bicycle. I know I sent in enough points. 6-8 weeks my ass.

Wait, what? Matt isn't the one sending me all these truckloads of morally ambiguous women and mountains of glittering Peruvian flake? Well then, who is?
posted by loquacious at 12:12 PM on April 8, 2006


You know, in all seriousness, MetaFilter ought to be the standard by which any other forum is judged. I'm still surprised by how rarely I see references to the site from other venues. Maybe that's a good thing.

I see MeFi referenced fairly often in blogs. Also, even though Fark sucks as much as it does and is the AntiMeFi, it also frequently links to us with a little blue MetaFilter tag and everything.

I think eliminating the trackbacks for threads kind of turned off much of the blog linkage, though, but trackbacks were turned off for a good reason.

I've also been totally and completely surprised by the number of emails I get from lurkers and non-members, and even more surprised by how often it is I already know them from somewhere else. I get a fair amount of email from members, too, but it's the non-member emails that surprise me the most.

I even just reconnected with someone - who is a lurker and who isn't a MeFi member - from my old college radio station via that feedback-art post that I spewed in, and they were blown away when they discovered they already knew me.

I've also posted links to MeFi threads or discussions on current events to totally unrelated mailserv lists and have had people reply, "Holy shit. That's you!? You're loquacious? WTF!? I've read tons of your stuff! How come you never tell anyone?", and some of these people I've known for decades.

Which certainly isn't to say "omg I'm so awesome!" at all. I'm frankly just as shocked and as surprised as anyone, and often just as annoyed. I just like reading and typing.
posted by loquacious at 12:23 PM on April 8, 2006


Well, with flickr there's an obvious practical advantage of being easily able to share and manage your photographs (that was their first example). In fact, flickr actually makes money by charging people to do just that, rather then by advertising. The photo browsing makes the site fun, but it isn't strictly necessary.

As far as metafilter goes, who knows? People just have a desire to communicate with each other, and this site enables that. Pretty simple, and no different then news groups or anything back in the day.
posted by delmoi at 1:03 PM on April 8, 2006


MetaFilter first launched in July 1999, but has grown to include Ask MetaFilter , where the community will answer your random question about anything.

Ha! It's painfully obvious that he has yet to stumble upon MetaTalk!
posted by sic at 1:14 PM on April 8, 2006


Wait, what? Matt isn't the one sending me all these truckloads of morally ambiguous women and mountains of glittering Peruvian flake? Well then, who is?

Neil Bush.
posted by the_bone at 1:31 PM on April 8, 2006


Flickr’s vast array of user-submitted photos all have added incredible commercial value to these for-profit companies, yet people continue to do this work for free.

I think this whole sense of "work" is overstated. Flickr gives people a better way to do something they were already doing for fun and personal reward: organize and share photos.

I for one pay for their "pro" service, so the value exchange is pretty clear.

What "incredible commercial value" have all the photos from non-paying members really provided Flickr? (other than a huge buzz around this web 2.0 concept of 'community,' which netted them an offer from community-crazed Yahoo!).

Epinions is a better case of commercial value provided by a community. Product reviews directly impact commerce, greasing the wheels of online shopping and leading to fewer returns and more satisfied customers. But still, people are going to gossip the things they own, about what's good and what's not. This isn't "work," it's simply a matter of *capturing* something people already do, consolidating it into a big information resource, and finding a way to capitalize on that, commercially. There's no more net "work" for the community memebrs than they were already doing, and if the tool is a good one, they're getting more out of it.

Simple. Journalists just can't step away from this "why do people do work for free??????" question because it's SUCH A GOOD HOOK FOR A STORY, MAN! Just like they can't step away from the news hook: HYDROGEN CARS ONLY EMIT H2O EXHAUST!!! no matter how senseless hydrogen is as a national energy strategy.

empty buzz.
posted by scarabic at 1:53 PM on April 8, 2006


It's like saying white people with a family income of over $500,000 anually are doing some kind of "work" for the Bavarian Motor Works company because BMWs are fashionable among that demographic. OMG! Someone told his friend how awesome his M3 is! He's doing *work* for *free!*

Why DO people engage in these online communities? What are they getting out of it????? I dunno. Why do people talk to each other at all, live within miles of each other in the first place, go out drinking together rather than alone?
posted by scarabic at 1:57 PM on April 8, 2006


If Mark Glaser thinks about Flickr as "people working for free", I'd hate to hear what he privately thinks about Metafilter: Folks paying Matt to work.
posted by Bugbread at 1:59 PM on April 8, 2006


Jesus, loquacious, didn't you read the manual? You're not supposed to talk about the hookers and blow.

I opted, personally, for the gift coupons for housewares and accessories. Pretty soon I'll have a whole set of Mefi blue furniture!
posted by jokeefe at 1:59 PM on April 8, 2006


cuz in real life no one listens. (ain't sayin' n'yone listens to me `ere, but y'all don't walks away when I opens me mouth)
posted by blue_beetle at 1:59 PM on April 8, 2006


Matt, you look mildly constipated in that picture. Smile, for the love of God, smile!
posted by mr_crash_davis at 2:53 PM on April 8, 2006


he has a fish. in his pants.
posted by quonsar at 3:12 PM on April 8, 2006


I think the question is hard to answer because there's a variety of reasons people contribute. As we know, some people are effectively political activists with this as their main platform. Others probably just like creating content that many others will see. Still others do it out of a sense of community and the desire to contribute to the community. There's a variety of reasons.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 3:21 PM on April 8, 2006


He's wearing PANTS?! I note this with astonishment!
posted by Gator at 3:24 PM on April 8, 2006


Why do people post to Usenet?
posted by Jimbob at 3:24 PM on April 8, 2006


So I’ve often wondered what motivates people to do this work without compensation of the monetary variety.

Actually, this attitude really sends chills down my spine, in the same way as companies who expect such "loyalty" from their staff that you get the sack if you express concerns about having to work 20 hours unpaid overtime a week.

Christ, people are allowed to have fun, aren't they? That's why people work. So they can afford to buy the digital camera and post pretty pictures to Flickr.
posted by Jimbob at 3:28 PM on April 8, 2006


MetaFilter: "omg I'm so awesome!"
posted by Chuckles at 3:42 PM on April 8, 2006


Matt always looks like he's licking his upper lip.
posted by MegoSteve at 3:54 PM on April 8, 2006


That's because he has a fish in his pants.
posted by loquacious at 4:20 PM on April 8, 2006


I was expecting the picture to be Matt sitting on a giant bag with a $ on it.
posted by SenshiNeko at 4:33 PM on April 8, 2006


Also, even though Fark sucks as much as it does and is the AntiMeFi, it also frequently links to us with a little blue MetaFilter tag and everything.


Actually, Fark is how I first heard about Metafilter. When I found out a colleague of mine was doing his thesis on it, I came over to take a look and I have been hooked. I don't think I've ever been back to Fark since I joined here.

I don't post on the blue, but I read and comment because I actually feel that MeFi is a community of sorts. I know some of the posters names and personalities, and I love reading their stories and their opinions. Some of the smartest people I have ever come across are in this group, and I reference stuff I learned / ideas I heard from MeFi regularly in my offline life.
posted by arcticwoman at 4:42 PM on April 8, 2006


I read and comment because I actually feel that MeFi is a community of sorts.

Exactly. As online groups cast a wider and wider net, a sense of community becomes ever-increasingly more rare. It's why I lurked for years while new signups were turned off, and why I continue to check in every day.
posted by ipe at 4:59 PM on April 8, 2006


People share things they find interesting, ask and answer questions. Story at 10.
posted by Tuwa at 5:34 PM on April 8, 2006


What Jimbob said.
posted by mediareport at 5:53 PM on April 8, 2006


docpops
posted by The Monkey at 5:59 PM on April 8, 2006


Oh my God, he was right, it is cool seeing his name in the grey!
posted by The Monkey at 5:59 PM on April 8, 2006


I thought this was the queue for enlightenment pizza.
posted by peacay at 6:25 PM on April 8, 2006


Well, now I think I should get paid.
posted by Astro Zombie at 7:03 PM on April 8, 2006


Why do people contribute to MetaFilter?

I do it to promote taco awareness.
posted by I Love Tacos at 7:22 PM on April 8, 2006


Well, the reason why I come here, and the reason why I post is to learn about things and hopefully, to teach others about things they may not be aware of.
When I first came here I admit I was a bit snarkier than was appropriate, but I hope I've learned enough that I'm not as snarky and abusive as I once was.
As naive as it may seem, I hope that mefi is one of those 'avenues of ideas' that might ultimately contribute to changing the world to a better and more all-inviting and respecting place. But that's just me.
posted by mk1gti at 8:04 PM on April 8, 2006


Oh and by the by, the photo with you of your fingers so tightly knit is really freaking me out right now. . . .
posted by mk1gti at 8:14 PM on April 8, 2006


Matt IS sitting on a giant bag with a $ on it... the photo was cropped (and photoshopped... those are not his fingers).

As for the rest of the article, now I'm just jealous that I don't own the domain loadedpun.com.
posted by wendell at 8:35 PM on April 8, 2006


I post here because mefites tend to get my jokes. Which is actually a pretty profoundly important thing to me, socially.
posted by cortex at 8:35 PM on April 8, 2006


It seemed like a fluff piece. It's like asking why do people talk. Um, to communicate, to learn, to pick up strangers, to order a pizza, to kiss ass, to alleviate boredom, to hear the sound of their own voice...
posted by Devils Slide at 8:47 PM on April 8, 2006


One of his eyes follows you round the room.
posted by Joeforking at 9:10 PM on April 8, 2006


I primarily post here to meet fellow Christians who respect my faith.
posted by gsteff at 10:24 PM on April 8, 2006


I don't know why people contribute, to anything really. I do know that, in large part, my family and I owe the fact that we're still in our home to Matt and another individual. I'm just glad they do.
posted by IronLizard at 11:38 PM on April 8, 2006


If we never make it back to how far we've come along this way
We search around for solid ground that will help to carry us away
If the memories I left throw the light that helps to guide you through
We trickle down to our goodbyes but a part of me will stay with you

What we've spoken over time
Never broken or compromised

Dream on together
Leaning against each other
However it happens I hope it's
Whatever makes you happy

- powderfinger
posted by 404 Not Found at 11:57 PM on April 8, 2006


I post here because I've such an enormous ego that I think y'all care to hear what I've got to say.

It is a silly conceit, this I know.
posted by five fresh fish at 12:33 AM on April 9, 2006


I post here because I've such an enormous ego that I think y'all care to hear what I've got to say on behalf of the commonwealth
posted by 404 Not Found at 12:47 AM on April 9, 2006


oh i forgot the g not that about that canada was a non event at the games or anywhere else
posted by 404 Not Found at 12:58 AM on April 9, 2006


as they say this should be in chat
I'm your new enemy
what a shame it's not white
now it's called a terrorist
posted by 404 Not Found at 1:11 AM on April 9, 2006


I post here because I have nowhere else to go..............
posted by BitterOldPunk at 4:15 AM on April 9, 2006


Why I participate in metafilter?

1) I learn stuff, even from the people I disagree with vehemently. I'm a dilettante in digital writing research, so not only is metafilter a place to discover new ideas, facts, opinions, beliefs, etc., I also get to think about digital rhetoric, personae construction, writing competency, ideological positionality, argumentation, restrictions associated with modality, and a lot of other things.

2) The complexity of the discourse on MeFi is surprisingly high, and its user-base (at least among the computer savvy) is diverse. So, I never know what is going to come up, but I can be reasonably sure that at least one person is going to say something about it that I find interesting.

3) I'm pretty insulated from the day to day with my research, so metafilter is my link to what's current, what's bizarre, overblown, and just plain wrong.

4) Unlike traditional media, I really do feel like I'm getting a bias towards liberal humanism here...and I like it.
posted by mrmojoflying at 6:02 AM on April 9, 2006


Why do people contribute to MetaFilter?

because its design is much better than my own blog, and because a few dozen of its 30K users post very interesting things
posted by matteo at 8:46 AM on April 9, 2006


I suddenly have a craving for tacos. Anyone up for an El Bronco run?
posted by slogger at 8:37 AM on April 10, 2006


Why do people post to Usenet?

To try to get other people involved in pyramid scams and to advertise dubious products, mostly.

There is also a bit of traffic involving people asking questions and getting them answered, or socializing.
posted by kindall at 11:24 AM on April 10, 2006


“Since then, I think the strong sense of community — the sense of belonging and getting something out of the participation is what drives people to contribute." -

This is a touchy-feely sort of place ?

I've lost that sense.

There is - however - a lot of traffic.
posted by troutfishing at 9:00 PM on April 10, 2006


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