What to do when there is no e-mail?

October 17, 2001 10:02 AM

What to do when there is no e-mail?

I've been following the thread regarding the film Waking Life, and found peebo's comments to be quite interesting as (her or his) take on the film was quite different from mine, I was hoping to strike up a conversation via e-mail. Alas, this new poster to MeFi has not supplied an address.

In the interests of discourse (and etiquette management) should this information be required of members?

Also, what's the proper way to get a hold of someone lacking an address? I'm reluctant to post a "hey please e-mail me" message in the thread itself, but I can't think of another means of contact.
posted by aladfar to MetaFilter-Related at 10:02 AM (21 comments total)

In the interests of discourse (and disclosure), probably.

It would be a bit wierd to retrospectively require all the users who had signed up under different expectations to provide it.

Dunno tho' ... most people do anyway, so perhaps it's about time? If you want to remain anonymous you could always get a free, web-based email address.
posted by walrus at 11:00 AM on October 17, 2001

There have been several metatalk threads debating the requirement and display of email addresses. The consensus seemed to be to keep things as is, and allow people their privacy. There were a few good reasons why, one of which is that someone here has regularly spammed people anonymously with hate mail (pathetic, cowardly stuff).

If I had more copious free time, I'd build an internal messaging system that would let you leave notes for other members to read when they log in. There is a lot holding that back however, security needs have to be addressed as well as ways to ignore someone sending you lots of notes.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 11:11 AM on October 17, 2001

Thanks Matt, I can understand that.

A private messaging system would be wonderful, but I imagine it'd be quite taxing for you to implement - especially when it comes to all the other features that the MeFi masses are clamoring for.
posted by aladfar at 11:17 AM on October 17, 2001

maybe we could expand the Metafilter Network.

someone can host the database off the main server, and possibly someone else can develop the database separate of the main metafilter code, but it could still officially be rolled into the site.
posted by moz at 11:31 AM on October 17, 2001

I didn't read the community mood to be consensus so much as resignation. What can ya do, short of tying Matt to the wheel?
posted by rodii at 11:32 AM on October 17, 2001

aladfar: Perhaps they just don't want email from you?
posted by andrew cooke at 11:39 AM on October 17, 2001

I don't post my email address on the profile page because I don't want to get spam, pr0n or otherwise, even at a free webmail address. I'm sure other MeFians have equally valid reasons, like avoiding stalkers and flamers, especially considering some of the hot topics and comments posted here. I don't see a problem with requesting someone to email you if you wish, as long as Matt and MeFians as a whole don't mind.
posted by Lynsey at 11:44 AM on October 17, 2001

Would it be any easier if you just didn't provide the security/blocking needs? What if the profile pages were treated as threads so that other members could post messages?

Users could read/not read their messages (as could anybody else). I know it has the potential to degenerate into a slag fest, but at least it gives somebody a way to comment to/on a user independent of the normal MeFi content areas.

A nice pointer/feature would be a change in the "You are logged in as: [name]" link color if there is an unviewed comment in the logged in member's profile.
posted by willnot at 12:01 PM on October 17, 2001

Is it just me, or are the newer members less likely to include their email? Has anyone else noticed this? Or is it my imagination?
posted by jpoulos at 12:20 PM on October 17, 2001

Is it just me, or are the newer members less likely to include their email?

Oh, they probably tried, but couldn't spell it correctly. Say, Matt, about that . . .
posted by Skot at 12:24 PM on October 17, 2001

What if the profile pages were treated as threads so that other members could post messages?

That is a very interesting idea, IMO!
posted by rushmc at 5:32 PM on October 17, 2001

I agree - although maybe though a reset button at the user-side might be a good feature, given the slagfest potential (me=scared : judging by all crap spam I've been signed up for recently, I have disgruntled a few folks).
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 5:48 PM on October 17, 2001

jpoulos, I suspect that the newer users see the number of current users and figure it's a safe bet that, with so many people, the odds are pretty good that one or two are the porn-spamming jerk types, and maybe it's not really in their best interests to create an address that'll either get nothing or get a bunch of junk.

Or maybe that's just me
posted by stefanie at 7:12 PM on October 17, 2001

Also, what's the proper way to get a hold of someone lacking an address?

I think we worked this one out during the Kaycee discussion.
posted by holgate at 6:43 AM on October 18, 2001

I agree with stefanie, I don't want spam. Until I can acquire & figure out anti-spam software I don't want to add my e-mail. More than one mailbox would be a hassle for me.
posted by redhead at 7:05 AM on October 18, 2001

What if the profile pages were treated as threads so that other members could post messages?

I think this is a bad idea as it stands. I think that some people are very protective, creative even, re their personal profile page, and if this idea was implemented in exactly this way, that Matt would just be inundated with complaints "Please remove this message that says I look fat in this photo"
posted by lucien at 7:05 AM on October 18, 2001

im a new user w/o an email address on my profile. i do include an AIM name however. the truth is i really don't use any of my personal email accounts much anymore ... can go days without checking them, but i am generally logged on to instant messenger for the 85% of my waking hours i am siting in front of a computer.
posted by danOstuporStar at 8:18 AM on October 18, 2001

i think the worries about spam from metafilter are a little extreme. i have not once gotten spam through metafilter in the 5 or so months i've been here. what's the problem?
posted by moz at 8:24 AM on October 18, 2001

what's the proper way to get a hold of someone lacking an address?

I believe that firmly around the neck is most appropriate...
posted by fooljay at 10:54 AM on October 18, 2001

moz: I got a piece of spam at my metafilter address a couple of weeks ago (though I think it was the first one). Generally, any time an email address is available on the web, it's bound to be found by a spambot sooner or later, especially when there are a lot of email addresses to be found in the same place, like here. I think the real problem is that, when a spammer does get your address, they're likely to pass it around, and eventually the address becomes useless.
posted by moss at 11:27 AM on October 18, 2001

I think that some people are very protective, creative even, re their personal profile page

Is this true? Are they really? How funny....
posted by rushmc at 6:43 PM on October 18, 2001