Writing a script for linkless posts

October 31, 2001 3:09 PM

So proflinuspauling said in his linkless thread:

Maybe you can all "think out of the box" for a second here and not freak out if there is one stupid comment with no links. I just thought you all would have interesting insights.

The thing is, if there is "one stupid comment with no links" on the front page of metafilter, there will be more. And then you have an open ended discussion space where anyone can say anything they feel like, bounce topics off each other, without having to be weighed down with facts or links or outside information.

So I'm finally going to write the blockage for linkless posts.
posted by mathowie to etiquette/policy at 3:09 PM (29 comments total)

Yeah, but they're kinda fun. I know they suck bandwidth, but a good time can be had by all. Does anyone see another alternative?
posted by Wulfgar! at 3:17 PM on October 31, 2001

Metadiscuss!
posted by Catch at 3:20 PM on October 31, 2001

MetaFilter: Thinking Inside The Box, 24/7.
posted by Shadowkeeper at 3:21 PM on October 31, 2001

Does anyone see another alternative?

go somewhere that is designed for that kind of thing. seriously.

metafilter doesn't have to be everything to everyone. besides, we've been round and round this bush and it comes to this: that's not what matt wants his site to be. so it's not.
posted by rebeccablood at 3:29 PM on October 31, 2001

MetaChat!

How bout getting rid of them pesky non MeFi-related posts in MeTa next?

How about killing 1142 and rival 9622?

How about giving me a pony?
posted by dogmatic at 3:32 PM on October 31, 2001

How bout getting rid of them pesky non MeFi-related posts in MeTa next?

Yeah, I slacked today because it's clavdivs, if it were anyone else, I'd have deleted it. And one begats another.

I don't want a freeform discussion space because it could spin wildly out of control very fast. I don't want to have to manage (much less read) something like that.
posted by mathowie at 3:39 PM on October 31, 2001

go somewhere that is designed for that kind of thing. seriously.

Well so much thanks to you. I'm so severely chastised now. Here's the thing: a lot of these non-rule-abiding posts can be a whole lot of fun for a whole lot of people. I agree that its Matt's decision to delete them; BUT, couldn't they be moved to a non-harmful little corner of the Internet that we all may enjoy them for posterity? I'm not saying that they need to remain active; I'd just like to see them remain accessible. And I would appreciate if you not attribute to me things I didn't call for. I don't think that MetaFilter should be "everything to everyone". I was just asking if there might be an alternative. Feel free to slam me in Matt's name, but you may not have all the answers, 'kay?
posted by Wulfgar! at 3:53 PM on October 31, 2001

mathowie: good idea, I think. Will you allow the sort of posts people occasionally supply where they omit the official link and supply one inside the descriptive text instead?

-Mars
posted by Mars Saxman at 3:55 PM on October 31, 2001

wulfgar!, I'm not slamming anyone, it's just that we've had this discussion many, many times.

would you like to host these fun little discussions on your server so that when matt deletes them they aren't lost to the world? perhaps you can make an arrangement.
posted by rebeccablood at 4:01 PM on October 31, 2001

rebeccablood - (heh heh) - I'm actually working on that very thing. Crazy world, idn'nt it?
posted by Wulfgar! at 4:10 PM on October 31, 2001

How about killing 1142 and rival 9622?

But arn't such things the lifeblood of any civilisation?
posted by feelinglistless at 4:16 PM on October 31, 2001

9622 is not a "rival" of 1142.
posted by rodii at 4:39 PM on October 31, 2001

matt, would you be required to make the first part of the post a link? In the past, I have built my posts offline and didn't even use the first two parts of the post form. I think this gives more freedom to construct a post without artificial constraints. I guess what I am getting at is are you are using logic to look for an href within the entire post, or within specific form fields?
posted by machaus at 4:43 PM on October 31, 2001

9622 is not a "rival" of 1142.

Post suggesting that this thread becomes the new 1142 even though member has no clear idea what 1142 really is let alone whether another one is needed, or indeed possible
posted by dogmatic at 5:04 PM on October 31, 2001

Oh, in that case, I am a "rival" of Bill Gates.
posted by rodii at 5:18 PM on October 31, 2001

Good idea, but of course it won't stop "uselessly broad link posts" like linking to CNN's home page when they see something on TV, or linking to an IMDB page just to talk about a movie.
posted by fooljay at 5:25 PM on October 31, 2001

i agree. this is pushing it for me. but it being halloween and all. i would not make a habit of it. The free-form post could get out of hand. thanks matt for keeping it up.
posted by clavdivs at 5:34 PM on October 31, 2001

Hey man, lay off 9622!

It's buffoonery for the common man. And I agree that it is in no way a rival of the juggernaut 1142.
posted by Kafkaesque at 7:09 PM on October 31, 2001

::11629 shuffles off into the background, feeling neglected::
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 11:36 PM on October 31, 2001

it won't stop "uselessly broad link posts" like linking to CNN's home page when they see something on TV, or linking to an IMDB page just to talk about a movie.

The latter would be difficult, true, but what's to stop Matt from blocking posts that link to a few of the main offenders (with or without leading www, trailing forward-slashes, index.html, etc)? E.g. cnn.com, onion.com and the others that everyone complains about. And metafilter.com itself, which was linked to just the other day on the front page in a quickly-deleted help-me-with-my-homework post.

Can't head them all off at the pass, but blocking these ones would prevent a lot of headaches.
posted by rory at 3:07 AM on November 1, 2001

So I'm finally going to write the blockage for linkless posts. Hurrah!

My semi-serious suggestion for more civilized discussions: block linkless comments, too!
posted by Carol Anne at 6:19 AM on November 1, 2001

block linkless comments

But then we wouldn't be able to see your ... but how would we know to ... now my head hurts.
posted by walrus at 6:38 AM on November 1, 2001

MetaLINK!
posted by Carol Anne at 7:26 AM on November 1, 2001

BUT, couldn't they be moved to a non-harmful little corner of the Internet that we all may enjoy them for posterity?

For them to be moved, they have to start here. I think it's better that you, do-my-homework-guy, or someone else who wants MetaDiscuss to create it. I'm tempted to use metafilter.info for nothing but MetaFilter member self-links. More pancakes for everyone.
posted by rcade at 9:56 AM on November 1, 2001

Actually, when I can, I've been saving them to PDFs, just because I enjoy the frequently outragious comments and twists that those threads can take. I may or may not ever have a place to host these (nor would I ever do so without Matt's consent) but I enjoy them for myself.
posted by Wulfgar! at 10:28 AM on November 1, 2001

On a tangent, I'd like to apologize for my inadvertent role in 9622.
posted by solistrato at 9:56 PM on November 1, 2001

Oh, oh. The tide's turning, I can feel it. Just like a WWF match...
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 10:53 PM on November 1, 2001

Wheee! Linkless posts just got on the school bus!
posted by MiguelCardoso at 10:58 PM on November 1, 2001

9622 is not a "rival" of 1142

Troo. 9622 is the "nemesis" of 1142.
posted by daveadams at 12:36 PM on November 2, 2001