Obitfilter becomes Babyfilter? October 29, 2001 4:53 PM   Subscribe

Is it appropriate to post births, anniversaries, etc., on MeFi? I think not, but that's just one man's opinion. What's your opinion?
posted by msacheson to Etiquette/Policy at 4:53 PM (47 comments total)

Well, Greg, of EOD, was a well-known web presence when his site was still up, and in that sense, it seems appropriate to me.
posted by Zosia Blue at 4:56 PM on October 29, 2001


It depends on the person.
posted by holgate at 4:57 PM on October 29, 2001


Well, holgate, that's spoken like a true a-lister. Sorry my user number is above 7000 and I don't rate important enough for a birth announcement.
posted by msacheson at 5:00 PM on October 29, 2001


I don't think metafilter was around when you were born. Either that, or you're the most precocious little bastard in the world.
posted by crunchland at 5:10 PM on October 29, 2001


> It depends on the person.

Kofi Annan? Michael Jordan? Bill Gates?

I can see one for the birth of Lil' Nicky Kottke, maybe, but ...

I think that MetaFilter may have gotten too big for this kind of stuff. If it is ok for people you admire or are friends with, why not for people that [MF-user] admires or is friends with? Who is going to decide whether the post is appropriate?

(Matt, of course.)

(So, my opinion is that this sort of thing should be left to the right-hand sidebar and not regular front page posts.)
posted by sylloge at 5:19 PM on October 29, 2001


It's not about usernumbers, msacheson. We routinely post death announcements, for example. Obviously, not everybody gets mention.

The fact of the matter is, Greg Knauss is a genius who has very few peers. He's somebody that most people around here know, and care, about. I guess that's the criteria.

That said, I saw this a week ago, and declined to post it. I think it's acceptable, but not great, front page material. Just so long as it's done in moderation.
posted by gd779 at 5:26 PM on October 29, 2001


I'm with sylloge. Metafilter isn't the same site it once was. Anyway, this seems like the kind of thing you should call someone about, not post a "Me Too" comment on Metafilter.
But then, I think Death announcements suck also.
posted by Doug at 5:37 PM on October 29, 2001


Pardon me for being the highest user number in the thread, but the difference between death announcements and birth announcements is that the dead, or dying have usually done something during their lives to for their death to warrant attention. Babies just get born.
posted by eyeballkid at 5:59 PM on October 29, 2001


I would think this post makes better sense in Metatalk>Weblog Related...

(speaking as a sub-600er)
posted by owillis at 6:09 PM on October 29, 2001


Marc: Greg Knauss, if nothing else, is extremely well worthy of a front page link, merited by his writings. Scanning the first 20 links on the front page: people have linked to McSweeney's, wire news (Excite, Yahoo!, twice), and to some sexagenarian woman's colon. (I will let the MeTa posts slide.) Someone even had to clarify that Christian Science Monitor is "not a religious rag." I think the CSM thing was telling, 'cause someone doubted the collective sophistication of the MeFi membership. This is a right time to post stuff from the 'glory days.' I think Knauss makes for a much better reading than most of the stuff that were linked today.

That said, I think the front page link could've included links to some of Knauss's writings linked later by holgate and waxpancake. Including those links as 'background/support information' would've made for a better post; compliant of iceberg273's guideline for better posting practices.

By the way, I am 'un-listed'.
posted by tamim at 6:25 PM on October 29, 2001


Don't make me come off as a GK not-liker, tamim ...

But:

site:metafilter.com "greg knauss" (111 items)

site:metafilter.com eod (69 items)

Sure, there are lots of dupes/metatalk threads/profile pages in those counts, but it is not like no-one's ever mentioned Greg before (I count five distinct front page posts on the first page of the first search, and that's not counting any of the "what're'y'r favorite blogs?" threads.)

I'm with Doug being with me: as big of a fan as I am, a two word birth announcement (excluding the "specs") is not a compelling read and if we aren't linking to interesting things on the web then ...
posted by sylloge at 6:38 PM on October 29, 2001


With all respect to the genius that is greg knauss, I fail to see how his having a child, which millions of people do every day, deserves a front page link. For one of his projects? Sure. For having a family? No. No more than anyone else here.

I do agree with owillis. Metatalk would be fine.

The fact of the matter is, Greg Knauss is a genius who has very few peers.

Opinion, not fact.

He's somebody that most people around here know, and care, about. I guess that's the criteria.

Most people? 500? 1000? I doubt it. Most people would actually be over 6000, and I doubt there are 6000 people who know who mathowie is.
posted by dantheman at 6:43 PM on October 29, 2001


msacheson, you need to take a bufferin.

you asked a (presumably) honest question and received from holgate an honest answer. if he had recognized your query as the opening salvo in an intended rant against metafilter elitism, perhaps he would have formulated his response a little differently.

I think your question is a legitimate one, but your attack on holgate for his 'elitism' is way out of left field. nothing in his answer merits an attack, or is even mildly pointed or unpleasant.

greg knauss has been making things on the web for a while, and in some circles is as well-known as matt haughey is in these here parts.

I agree with sylloge that this type of post is no longer appropriate to the front page of metafilter, since the community here has become much more diverse than the particular group of net-heads that originally populated the board. so, in my opinion, it would now be more appropriate to metatalk, provided (and here is that pesky 'it depends on the person' part) that 25% of the metafilter community is likely to recognize the congratulatee's name. for example, an announcement that our own dave adams had a baby recently, would, in my opinion, be a wonderful metatalk link.

in closing, I'd like to leave everyone here with an indian proverb:
"When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a way so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice."
posted by rebeccablood at 6:46 PM on October 29, 2001


our own dave adams had a baby recently, would, in my opinion, be a wonderful metatalk link.

Woo hoo! Mathowie did sidebar this (thanks, Matt!), but no one MeTalked it. Sniffle. Maybe I have to wait another week and someone will post it to Mefi.

Well, holgate, that's spoken like a true a-lister. Sorry my user number is above 7000 and I don't rate important enough for a birth announcement.

Wow, relax.

/me sprays msacheson with pepper spray, making him cry like baby jessamyn.
posted by daveadams at 8:10 PM on October 29, 2001


I don't think every link posted has to appeal to everyone. Metafilter is more like a collection of communities than a single community. A certain number of people need to be interested in what you're saying for it to be worthwhile, of course, but not everyone.

So if you see a post that you hate, wait. If a dozen people are interested in it and comment on it, hold your tongue.
posted by lbergstr at 8:11 PM on October 29, 2001


rebecca, et al,

True, I jumped on holgate rather too quickly with my snarky a-lister comment, and I apologize. holgate, I owe you a Worthington's White Shield.

But I saw the front page link as a pretty hollow link. I mean, look at the eod page linked to by plinth. It says, "Peter George Knauss, October 15, 2001, 3:50pm, 8 lb., 2 oz.; 21 in. He's beautiful." That's it. I've seen 404 pages with more to look at/link to. For one, why wasn't this posted in the baby blog thread on Oct. 23? That seems the right place to me...if eod, in it's current state, had anything on it besides the above announcement.

Tamim summed up my position better than I did. ("Greg Knauss, if nothing else, is extremely well worthy of a front page link, merited by his writings....That said, I think the front page link could've included links to some of Knauss's writings linked later by holgate and waxpancake. Including those links as 'background/support information' would've made for a better post; compliant of iceberg273's guideline for better posting practices.")

I respect all of your opinions and respect your admiration and happiness for Greg Knauss, his wife and new beautiful son. Thanks for discussing the merits of the front page post.

p.s. dave, congrats also to you for your new baby.

posted by msacheson at 8:12 PM on October 29, 2001


/me extends olive branch to a-listers
posted by msacheson at 8:12 PM on October 29, 2001


Not worthy. Nothing to discuss. Mindless cards with baby seals on them.
posted by holloway at 8:17 PM on October 29, 2001


Breeding is boring. Let him buy a textad.
posted by rushmc at 8:23 PM on October 29, 2001


I agree with you, though, msacheson, that the thread in question was bad. Bad thread, bad!

/me sprays thread 11918 with pepper spray, to no effect.

Damn intangible internet.

Just a tip, though: never, ever make a serious post about how evil and self-congratulatory the "a-list" is. You will always appear to be a whiny, sour-grapes jerk, even if you aren't.
posted by daveadams at 8:27 PM on October 29, 2001


thanks for the tip...

have a good night, all.
posted by msacheson at 8:31 PM on October 29, 2001


I think this link could have been presented a little better. Perhaps list some of the accomplishments of this Greg, and show how he has effected the web in a positive way. Follow it up with mentioning his latest accomplishment.

I figure that people come here to find new and cool things on the web, from people who know a lot of cool things about the web. I don't really want to hear that some guy had a baby, but I would like to be introduced to this influential person in the web community.

And quit bitching at each other.
posted by hotdoughnutsnow at 8:44 PM on October 29, 2001


sylloge: "Don't make me come off as a GK not-liker"

I have never doubted your alligience to GK. I didn't disagree with the idea of moving the 'announcements' to the side-blog. I just thought, compared to the other links posted today, GK had that warm-fuzzy-blanky feeling to it. Since EOD has been off-line for such a long time, plinth could've linked to GK's pieces in Suck, linked later by holgate. I remember reading some ill-health issues in EOD some time back (to which I can not link to, 'cause they are not even in Google Cache). Considering all that, this good news is worthy of a community announcement. (Maybe not as a front page post, but maybe as a side bar blurb.)

I agree with Sylloge, RCB, et. al. that maybe the 'community' has grown too big for the occasional 'shout outs (to the homies),' and maybe it's time for a new 'no announcement (or side-blog only announcement) rule.'

Marc, this was a good topic for MeTa. Brought out a lot of thought out discussions (by Sylloge and RCB) about how the 'community' has evolved and how it should rethink the rules and practices. I am just glad that we stuck with the 'validity of front page link' topic and not gone on to crucify people.

As long as we are announcing celebrity child-births, Graf gave birth to her and Agassi's first son, Jaden Gil, last Friday, after being married on Monday last week.
posted by tamim at 8:45 PM on October 29, 2001


I'd like to take a moment to offer you best wishes on your birthday, congratulate you on your new baby, offer a hand-shake on your recent promotion, express my happiness at your marriage, send you good new house-warming vibes, comment nicely on your dress or neck tie, evince positivity about your new haircut or dye job, lay on you a high five for your getting properly laid, wish you Merry Hanukah, Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, Peaceful Ramadan, Merry Happy Peaceful Saturnalia, Joyeux Noël, Feliz Navidad, Happy New Year, etc., etc.

My obligations are fulfilled.
posted by Mo Nickels at 9:35 PM on October 29, 2001


I'd like to take a moment to offer you best wishes on your birthday, congratulate you on your new baby, offer a hand-shake on your recent promotion, express my happiness at your marriage, send you good new house-warming vibes, comment nicely on your dress or neck tie, evince positivity about your new haircut or dye job, lay on you a high five for your getting properly laid, wish you Merry Hanukah, Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, Peaceful Ramadan, Merry Happy Peaceful Saturnalia, Joyeux Noël, Feliz Navidad, Happy New Year, Happy Ground War, etc., etc.

My obligations are fulfilled.
posted by Mo Nickels at 9:37 PM on October 29, 2001


You missed my anniversary again, you cold bastard.
posted by rodii at 9:39 PM on October 29, 2001


"...never, ever make a serious post about how evil and self-congratulatory the "a-list" is."

There goes my first comment this week, then.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 11:25 PM on October 29, 2001


Hey, stavrosthewonderchicken - for it is he - welcome back!
posted by MiguelCardoso at 11:32 PM on October 29, 2001


What's a Greg Knauss? Oh. Mild. Not wild. Smiled a little. I don't feel any hipper. Web-cache from the pre-me years, so he's premium back-fence gossip fodder for the pre-me MeFiers. Cool. Old imaginary friend with a new imaginary baby. One star out of a possible five, offered with suitable temerity to the fading-but-still-feisty a-list chimera.

(If the web had any talent for star-making, I would've known about the guy.)

Tough call for MeFi community-builders. I mean, what kind of community doesn't have a births/obits page? If Matt isn't too busy out back baling up text-ad money, maybe he could add a "comings and goings" schmalzfest. MetaMawkTalk...
posted by Opus Dark at 12:48 AM on October 30, 2001


Hey, the least this Knauss guy could do would be to post a "Thank You" note here on MeFi, along with a report on how young PG - probably the coolest dude ever - is doing. How unutterably rude!

posted by MiguelCardoso at 1:30 AM on October 30, 2001


Here's the thing: MeFi emerged onto the web out of a particular context, in which certain people did more than just write about their choice of breakfast cereal and link to AYBABTU on their blogs. As tanim has suggested, many of MeFi's oldbies are nostalgic for those times and those names. Admittedly, it doesn't mean a thing to later arrivals, and that's often because life (work, children) has intervened.

This isn't an a-list self-promotion thing. (After all, I'm hardly a-list, but I do get invited to some of the same parties.) It's partly about reminding ourselves when MeFi (and the web) was about cool stuff, and appreciating that it doesn't last forever. (And that applies to you as well, sylloge.) Could we please be having just one more Cider with Rosie moment, please?

Actually, no. It just looks indulgent now, and this thread proves that it's all gone to shit. Ah well. Ou sont les websites d'antan?
posted by holgate at 5:17 AM on October 30, 2001


Hey, the least this Knauss guy could do would be to post a Thank You note here on MeFi

He doesn't post here much.
posted by rory at 5:31 AM on October 30, 2001


It's partly about reminding ourselves when MeFi (and the web) was about cool stuff, and appreciating that it doesn't last forever.

::: hears the violin music start up and rolls his eyes :::

Resignation is such an ugly thing....
posted by rushmc at 6:13 AM on October 30, 2001


what's the hubub? god forbid we should treat this like a community...
posted by o2b at 6:36 AM on October 30, 2001


<cheerleader post>
Yes, o2b. Thanks.
</cheerleader post>
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 6:46 AM on October 30, 2001


"member since: March 20, 2000

gknauss has posted 1 link and 3 comments to MetaFilter
"

Ah, one day I too hope to attain these hallowed heights...
posted by MiguelCardoso at 7:06 AM on October 30, 2001


That should go under 'feature requests', Miguel.
posted by rory at 8:15 AM on October 30, 2001


Re-virginization can be had, for a price.

"Only driven once, by a little old lady from Pittsburgh" leaps into my brain.

What?
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 8:21 AM on October 30, 2001


That should go under 'feature requests', Miguel.

Are you suggesting he create a new thread in MeTa?

;)

(I look forward to the upcoming birth announcement: MeFi Police Have a Cow.)


posted by mattpfeff at 8:49 AM on October 30, 2001


mattpfeff, LOL!
posted by msacheson at 9:11 AM on October 30, 2001


daveadams, if I were in your position, I'd be careful about making babies, or anyone else, cry. Unless you *like* being up at 2 am, that is.

Karma, dude.

I'm just saying.
posted by anapestic at 9:49 AM on October 30, 2001


rebeccablood:"When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a way so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice."
Thank you,that made my day and it's not even 11 am!
posted by Mack Twain at 10:56 AM on October 30, 2001


But why not just have everyone rejoice at the end? What's with the crying?

(Reminds me of the koan about the woman whose (baby?) son dies and she explains that she didn't mourn him because why should she? she didn't mourn him before he was born either ...)
posted by sylloge at 12:57 PM on October 30, 2001


Unless you *like* being up at 2 am, that is.

What? My baby has slept through the night ever since she was born. She never cries, and even changes her own diapers.
posted by daveadams at 8:05 PM on October 30, 2001


Hey, the least this Knauss guy could do would be to post a "Thank You" note here on MeFi, along with a report on how young PG - probably the coolest dude ever - is doing. How unutterably rude!

Unlike some second bests, the truly greats don't need to consistantly draw attention to their peacock-assed selves to feel validated.

I'm sorry people don't know who Greg Knauss is, and I'm sorry people thought that a link to him was inappropriate, because it means that the current population of MeFi is very ignorant of much of not only the site's history, but the history of the nebulous communities from which this one was born.

A link to his site saying "Where's Greg gone?" back in early 2000 was appropriate. A link to his site saying "Yay! Greg's writing on EOD again!" in whenever the fuck that was was appropriate. A link to his site saying "Nuts! Greg stopped writing EOD again! We love you Greg!" was appropriate when he shut down."

But MetaFilter hasn't changed in the past year.
posted by cCranium at 9:38 PM on October 30, 2001


Eh?
posted by sylloge at 11:21 PM on October 30, 2001


I'm sorry people don't know who Greg Knauss is, and I'm sorry people thought that a link to him was inappropriate, because it means that the current population of MeFi is very ignorant of much of not only the site's history, but the history of the nebulous communities from which this one was born.

Good for them. Weblogging is enough of a fandom as it is.

Though, admittedly, anyone who isn't reading Greg's work is missing out.
posted by rcade at 8:21 AM on October 31, 2001


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