Comment Limits Per Thread?

November 2, 2001 5:38 AM

Now that each subscriber is limited to starting one thread a day, isn't it time to limit the number of comments per thread that a subscriber can post? With unlimited commentary, it's just unfocused chat.
posted by pracowity to Feature Requests at 5:38 AM (47 comments total)

Harsh, but fair, w/r/t the linked member. Sorry, bunnyfire, but.

I must say no, however. Certain MeFites may run off at the mouth (and we all know who we're really talking about here) but there are some (myself included, more's the pity) that have an opinion about pretty much goddamn everything, and sometimes have the energy to express all those half-assed opinions...

It's not artificial to limit Front Page posts, it's a 'community standard'. But I think it is artificial and limiting to limit discussion contributions.

(Pracowity : I'm thinking you're trolling in a goodhearted way a wee bit here and not really serious. So I won't get my back up about what is basically a really evil idea, much as I also get annoyed by some folks...)
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 5:57 AM on November 2, 2001

Let me guess, pracowity: your suggested limit is five posts per thread? ;)

How about a limit on people having the last word? I'm thinking a pop-up movie clip of Dr Evil going 'shhh... sshhhh... zip it... zip... zp...'
posted by rory at 6:04 AM on November 2, 2001

Shht! Shh! Shhhp!
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 6:07 AM on November 2, 2001

It's limiting to limit contributions. Sheesh.

Note to self : limit contributiond to lame jokes whilst PUI.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 6:10 AM on November 2, 2001

Ohmygod, I just had a vision of this thread ending up with 12,000 comments.

(Over to you, Stavros.)
posted by rory at 6:11 AM on November 2, 2001

How in God's name would this make Metafilter better? How?
posted by y6y6y6 at 6:22 AM on November 2, 2001

It's kind of a zen thing. What we need next is to sweep out 95% of these messy threads and comments, and put in some carefully-raked white pebbles and some bonsai.

Come to think of it, there's already a MetaFilter with a limited number of comments per thread. It's called Memepool.
posted by rory at 6:28 AM on November 2, 2001

Ding! We have a winner!
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 6:31 AM on November 2, 2001

A limit on both by bloggers with tiny tiny typefaces? Like once a month max?
posted by y2karl at 6:36 AM on November 2, 2001

pracowity = pot. bunnyfire = kettle.

Is bunnyfire the new aaron?
posted by gd779 at 7:11 AM on November 2, 2001

...b-but we would miss the ljr/holgate slapfest about Chile and other wonderful things.
posted by rodii at 7:25 AM on November 2, 2001

And then maybe we could limit how many pageviews a user can get a day. That'll cut down on the server/bandwidth troubles. Yeah! Be selective about the threads you visit, people.

The talking stick has passed around the room twice. Obviously, everything has been said. Now, everybody have a smile, and a coke, and--oh forget it.
posted by Su at 7:59 AM on November 2, 2001

but we would miss the ljr/holgate slapfest about Chile and other wonderful things.

And I enjoyed the hell outta that, even if I wasn't quite sure who was talking shit. ( I lean towards ljr as making it up as he goes along)
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 8:01 AM on November 2, 2001

I will admit some threads can become unfocused, but good commentary leads to more discussion and sometimes you need to restate, or backup, or even "modify" a position you might have taken.
posted by bjgeiger at 8:09 AM on November 2, 2001

And I enjoyed the hell outta that, even if I wasn't quite sure who was talking shit. ( I lean towards ljr as making it up as he goes along)

Care to back that up with some evidence, maybe?
posted by ljromanoff at 8:13 AM on November 2, 2001

We shouldn't limit the number of comments a user can make. We should limit the number of words in each comment. I vote for a 10 word limit, and no use of any word starting with "T."
posted by Doug at 8:26 AM on November 2, 2001

Care to back that up with some evidence, maybe?

Not a chance, Lance.

*smooch*
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 8:30 AM on November 2, 2001

I vote for monosyllabic responses only.

Me think you talk bad!

Very cathartic.
posted by Kafkaesque at 8:55 AM on November 2, 2001

I say that mad ape den is the way! If you can not say it in one or two or one and two, it may be a bit to not say.
posted by iceberg273 at 9:09 AM on November 2, 2001

Oh no! I did not say it the mad ape den way!

I say that mad ape den is the way! If you can not say it in one or two or one and two, it may be a bit to not say.
posted by iceberg273 at 9:09 AM on November 2, 2001

*smooch*

Stavros, you better be careful, you might get smitten.

Err, I mean, smited. Or, smote.

Whatever.
posted by mattpfeff at 9:10 AM on November 2, 2001

If you are in the mad ape den, you say to the one way. But if you say to the bad way, you not be the Me Fi way, you end in bad way.

We by Me Fi way are yes way, not no way, and go to all big mad ape den sky!
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 9:16 AM on November 2, 2001

I say mad ape den is the way!

Nah, you know me -- I say that made apex dean is more fun, for it is not as hard as mad ape den is, but yet not easy to do. Let's make the rule: if you can't say it in less than four, don't say it. Go, made apex dean meme, go!
posted by redfoxtail at 9:26 AM on November 2, 2001

i say ape den is best so non apes get scared and don't look no more at Me Fi. bandwith no more full. search no broke no more. babe J no cry no more. apes no can talk 'bout eat pan*****. den Me Fi make apes smile.
posted by rorycberger at 9:39 AM on November 2, 2001

shit. i meant say band with. two words so it fits in ape den way.


posted by rorycberger at 9:40 AM on November 2, 2001

Fes go yes way too,
not no way. Yes way fit hi
koo way, yay for Fes!
posted by UncleFes at 9:51 AM on November 2, 2001

two words so it fits in ape den way.

Do you ken mad ape den or no? It may be no, as you go on as if you do not ken mad ape den.

See:
mad ape den may be one, as in "a" or "I".
mad ape den may be two, as in "is" or "it".
mad ape den may be one and two, as in "orb" or "fax".

Mad ape den may vex you. If so, try the way the Fox of Red did say a wee bit ago. Two and two may be the way for you, I say!
posted by iceberg273 at 9:59 AM on November 2, 2001

it be too much work:
i say you wrong, you say no! you
be the one who wrong.
posted by Kafkaesque at 10:05 AM on November 2, 2001

I am a feeb who can't count
posted by Kafkaesque at 10:16 AM on November 2, 2001

mad ape
den be bad for i.d.
or ego tag

li am
be lia
or i am
posted by liam at 10:25 AM on November 2, 2001

I am a feeb who can't count

No, no! I say to you do not be sad, "man of bug", for you can try and try and you too can say in Mad Ape Den, for you now see how Icy can do it.
posted by Avogadro at 11:23 AM on November 2, 2001

Avo can see, bug man,
you not too dum to say in
Mad Ape Den. Say, Kaf!
posted by UncleFes at 11:51 AM on November 2, 2001

Kaf can say or not
in long run say is same thing
as no say you see?
posted by Kafkaesque at 12:22 PM on November 2, 2001

You say in one, he
say in two. "One"! "two"! "two"! "one"!
Let's call whole thing off.
posted by mattpfeff at 12:31 PM on November 2, 2001

Me vote for make new
apes use less words and old apes
say much as they want

Yeahyeahyeah, I forgot the seasonal reference, but I'm just adding to the number of recurring themes showing up in this thread.
posted by Su at 12:50 PM on November 2, 2001

as no say you see?

no say, can you see?
by the [yawn], er, Me Fi
what so cowed he, she fails,
at the fly guy vast squeal thing.


posted by jessamyn at 1:18 PM on November 2, 2001

Thanks, jessamyn. You owe me a keyboard.
posted by NsJen at 2:05 PM on November 2, 2001

jess make tee jay laff. he sad now cos he lost drink through nose.
posted by tj at 2:50 PM on November 2, 2001

Limit daily front page posts.
Limit posting rights for new members.
Limit member sign-ups.
Limit number of total members.
Limit number of in-thread posts.
Limit self-reflection and "meta" concerns.
Limit egalitarian feedback and "self-policing."

Come on, folks, I know you can do better than this! What ELSE do you want to limit? Number of characters per post? Number of thoughts provoked upon reading a thread? MeFi contribution amounts? Monthly allotment of semi-colons and elipses? Humorous remarks, confusing comments, challenging questions, contrary opinions?

You are destroying that which you claim to value and want to protect. Making something safer (but smaller and less useful and less fun and more rigidly controlled and less subject to semi-random and serendipitous congruity) does NOT make it better; it stifles it, chokes it, drains away its lifeblood. Everyone has peeves and preferences. If we try to make everyone happy, we will whittle the totem to a toothpick. Please, step back, think of what is happening, tolerate a little chaos and strangeness and even a little ugliness and discomfort. Leave some life in the thing.
posted by rushmc at 7:13 PM on November 2, 2001

I personally would like to limit whittling the totem to a toothpick, just because it sounds like more whittling than we as a technologically advanced society should be doing.

And don't even get me started about the goddam semi-colons, rush.
posted by Kafkaesque at 7:22 PM on November 2, 2001

I was wondering when this thread would return to your normally scheduled programming.

As rushmc say, I say too.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 7:23 PM on November 2, 2001

Long past due, but:

smited. Or, smote.

smotten
posted by gleuschk at 7:03 PM on November 3, 2001

Use smøt or smöt, please.
posted by rodii at 8:48 PM on November 3, 2001

smoot?
posted by zempf at 10:39 PM on November 3, 2001

smoot?

no, no, a smoot is a unit of measure for bridges between Cambridge and Boston.
posted by mattpfeff at 6:42 AM on November 4, 2001

Dong Resin: "someone say-SMUT?"
posted by clavdivs at 9:37 AM on November 4, 2001

So I had diarrhea of the keyboard on ONE thread.

Big hairy deal.
The meds weren't working that day.
posted by bunnyfire at 2:40 PM on November 25, 2001