Time between initial posting and final response

October 2, 2006 11:52 AM

This really isn't a pony request, but it would be cool to see what FPPs and AskMe questions had the longest time period between their initial posting and the final response. I'm amazed that there continue to be posts regarding Mark Foley long after it's dropped off the front page.
posted by Kickstart70 to Feature Requests at 11:52 AM (25 comments total)

You shouldn't be too surprised. I rarely visit the front page because I get the posts in my newsreader.
posted by Mr. Gunn at 12:24 PM on October 2, 2006

Given the overall political makeup of Metafilter I'd be more surprised if a thread about a Republican who resigned amidst talk of child molestation DIDN'T continue for a long time.
posted by phearlez at 12:43 PM on October 2, 2006

Perhaps it is because people can sort the front page by "recent comments" and therefore it stays on the top of *their* front page longer than one who sorts by date?
posted by terrapin at 12:44 PM on October 2, 2006

I'm afraid your longest-gap threads might be mostly disappointing (or, I guess, delightful) outliers: folks intentionally posting at or near the closing date of a thread, long after actual activity had died out.

Of course, if the db dump were a go, someone could help you out pretty easily.

*provokes Matt's wrath*
posted by cortex at 12:44 PM on October 2, 2006

Before Matt closed comments after 30 days, some threads kept getting comments for years. Just try the ancient archives.
posted by languagehat at 1:07 PM on October 2, 2006

I know of one recent thread that was active right up until the cutoff.
The whole thing was just so surreal.
posted by Floydd at 2:09 PM on October 2, 2006

There are those who speak in whispers of a thread which went so long that it birthed its own website.
posted by drezdn at 2:24 PM on October 2, 2006

I just think it's funny that 3 days is "long after it's dropped off the front page."
posted by mediareport at 2:35 PM on October 2, 2006

Metafilter: The Next Generation; which eventually spawned Metafilter: Voyager, and Metafilter: Deep Space 9, which spawned the regretable prequel MetaFilter: Enterprise.
posted by blue_beetle at 3:01 PM on October 2, 2006

The guy's resignation letter was announced Friday, and it's only Monday... come on, the body (politic) is still warm.
posted by clevershark at 3:05 PM on October 2, 2006

I just think it's funny that 3 days is "long after it's dropped off the front page."

considering that most conversations are pretty much dead when they drop off (which should be acknowledged more here when people complain about updated FPPs on previously covered topics), three days is a long time...
posted by troybob at 3:06 PM on October 2, 2006

Before Matt closed comments after 30 days, some threads kept getting comments for years.

Really? What in the world would people be talking about for that long?
posted by yhbc at 7:30 PM on October 2, 2006

The thread. Duh.
posted by mediareport at 11:52 PM on October 2, 2006

ericb seriously needs to get his own blog. 150 comments in a single thread by one person? Thou doth protest too much.
posted by geekyguy at 12:08 AM on October 3, 2006

Hey, layoff, geekyguy; most of those comments are links to relevant articles that are wonderful to have collected in one spot. ericb's style is just fine the way it is.
posted by mediareport at 12:34 AM on October 3, 2006

One of the reasons the Maf54 threads are still active is because at least one new thread was deleted, so people who want to post news post there. There's a new Mark Foley thread now up, and we'll see if it gets deleted.
posted by delmoi at 1:49 AM on October 3, 2006

This post was deleted for the following reason: newsfilter, sloefilter, chest beating filter

I'm just saying that ericb is moderating the crap out of his Mark Foley thread and has, in my opinion, turned it into unpalatable chest beating filter. Take it to Newsfiltervine.
posted by geekyguy at 5:57 AM on October 3, 2006

We've had this same discussion before. The majority of ericb's posts in that thread are links to new, breaking updates on this HUGE political story. He's also occasionally joining in the conversation. That is not "moderating the crap out of" the thread. Lay off.
posted by soyjoy at 10:23 AM on October 3, 2006

Wrong-o, geekyguy. ericb has been tireless in finding threads to recent Foley news. If you're not interested in the Foley thread, then don't read it, but for heaven's sake, don't put him down for the info he finds.

Many of us are in awe of his continuing digging for more info and grateful to him for sharing it with us.
posted by leftcoastbob at 7:19 PM on October 3, 2006

I'm just saying that ericb is moderating the crap out of his Mark Foley thread

And I'm just saying you have a mistaken impression of what "moderating the crap out of a thread" is. Someone is "moderating the crap out of a thread" when they respond to every post that disagrees with their take on the issue. Posting relevant links does not count as that kind of over-moderating of one's own thread. It's not even close.
posted by mediareport at 7:35 PM on October 3, 2006

I, too, am eternally grateful for ericb's contributions (amberglow's, as well) to that magnificent thread. Keep up the great work, guys!
posted by maryh at 8:26 PM on October 3, 2006

I'm amazed that there continue to be posts regarding Mark Foley long after it's dropped off the front page.

Huh? The Foley story's got more legs than that! It's on the front page of just about every major daily in the US today still.
posted by Neiltupper at 11:12 PM on October 3, 2006

I'm amazed that there continue to be posts regarding Mark Foley long after it's dropped off the front page.

It's old news to anyone who desperately wants to believe that it's a plot by the Democrats to swing the election their way, but it's fascinating to the rest of us who are amazed at the many ways this whole sordid affair is being spun.

While I can understand why some people who want the Republicans to continue to hold the majority in Congress also want to sweep this under the rug, to write that one is "amazed that there continue to be posts regarding Mark Foley" is a little silly.

I, personally, am amazed that some people still bring up Lowinski as a rebuttal to the Foley debacle, but ya gotta spin what ya gotta spin.
posted by leftcoastbob at 7:37 AM on October 4, 2006

Just chiming in here, ericb and amberglow are doing a stellar job. Thanks y'all!
posted by zoogleplex at 10:25 AM on October 4, 2006

second - zoogleplex's statement
posted by Smedleyman at 1:42 PM on October 4, 2006