December Contest Results? January 2, 2007 10:09 AM   Subscribe

So when will Wii know who won the December Contest? How soon after that will the rioting start?
posted by wheelieman to MetaFilter-Related at 10:09 AM (69 comments total)

Ah yes, I am quite curious as well (even though I had no horse in the race).
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 10:09 AM on January 2, 2007 [1 favorite]


I won.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 10:11 AM on January 2, 2007


*sharpens the pitchfork* I didn't enter either but I'm bored. *waits for the signal*
posted by wheelieman at 10:11 AM on January 2, 2007


*motion to ban wheelieman for using wii like that*
posted by and hosted from Uranus at 10:13 AM on January 2, 2007


...by not posting. Because I don't believe in competition between bloggers. Actually, I'm lying about that, too. I just never find anything post-worthy anymore that hasn't already been done, and I'm not into the research-paper style posts. But I didn't want a Wii, anyway, and I didn't waste any time building the plu-perfect post. So I won.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 10:15 AM on January 2, 2007 [1 favorite]


there's not much to debate, 237 favorites mean that either the wonderchicken wins or we might as well get rid of the favorites feature. MeFi has spoken, period.
posted by matteo at 10:17 AM on January 2, 2007


(and yes, Matt said that the number of favorites would only be part of his decision, but still 237 is a landslide, that settles it)
posted by matteo at 10:18 AM on January 2, 2007


I would just like to be the first to register my complaint that the winning posts totally did not deserve to win, because there were other posts that were way better.
posted by Kwine at 10:19 AM on January 2, 2007


can i just start rioting now and find out why later?
posted by pyramid termite at 10:20 AM on January 2, 2007


I demand a recount.
posted by hermitosis at 10:22 AM on January 2, 2007


Bush still won.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 10:24 AM on January 2, 2007


Jessamyn and I talked about it this morning and we'll make final decisions this afternoon and announce them here.

but still 237 is a landslide, that settles it

Favorites were a decent gauge of interest, but I didn't like half the stuff that got the most favorites for the month (which by the way, I put here). In thinking about what makes a wonderful post to mefi, Stavros' doesn't really explain stuff and pull you in, it's just a linkdump.

I don't think it would undermine anything to give a preview by saying that this is close to what I think of as a perfect post. It's about something I've never heard of in my life, but the poster did a great job pulling me in and balancing between an explanation of what the subject is and what makes it cool. I'm sure that one will be in the top three by the end of the day.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 10:32 AM on January 2, 2007


As an American, I'm happy to settle for winning WWII.
posted by hermitosis at 10:34 AM on January 2, 2007


Don't get me wrong, I like Stav and I think the post was a fine thing, but it's of dubious merit because it's basically a copy-and-paste job.
posted by beaucoupkevin at 10:34 AM on January 2, 2007


MetaFilter: It's just a linkdump.
posted by Duncan at 10:34 AM on January 2, 2007


Look, everybody loves Colbert and everyone loves the Decemberists. I made a post about both. Therefore I win. Q.E.D. Motherfucker. Karate chop to the Wii. I'll be needing several controllers, as I am one of the few Mefites with friends.

God why did I try to give up caffeine again?
posted by ND¢ at 10:35 AM on January 2, 2007 [1 favorite]


Q.E.D. Motherfucker.

QEmotherfuckingD, motherfucker.
posted by cortex at 10:40 AM on January 2, 2007


but still 237 is a landslide, that settles it

So wait, you're saying matteo doesn't run metafilter? But... I'm confused.
posted by jonson at 10:48 AM on January 2, 2007


Masterblaster run MetaFilter.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 10:48 AM on January 2, 2007 [1 favorite]


Also my post was in December. I don't bring that up to say that it was eligible for the contest. I mean that it was a post about the Decemberists in December! Its called seredipidty. Look it up. It means when something totally cool happens by magic. Q.E.D. Can you send it express mail?
posted by ND¢ at 10:50 AM on January 2, 2007 [4 favorites]


I looked up seredipidty.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 10:54 AM on January 2, 2007


No magic.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 10:54 AM on January 2, 2007


matteo sez he's had enough of your shit jonson.

He also sez the gun is good and the penis is evil though, so you know, maybe he's just gotten into the Elmer's again.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:55 AM on January 2, 2007


matteo: "there's not much to debate, 237 favorites mean that either the wonderchicken wins or we might as well get rid of the favorites feature. MeFi has spoken, period. ... (and yes, Matt said that the number of favorites would only be part of his decision, but still 237 is a landslide, that settles it)"

If I have to vote for that to be the best post in order to be able to easily refer back to it later, then I'll remove it as a favorite. If MetaFilter became "copy and paste other web pages to the first comment", that would be a bad thing.
posted by Plutor at 10:59 AM on January 2, 2007


I looked up seredipidty

Wow. I won a Wii with my awesomeness, and you can spot spelling errors. You must be so proud.
posted by ND¢ at 11:03 AM on January 2, 2007


There was a spelling error?
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 11:05 AM on January 2, 2007


I'm totally willing to flame out now that I have a Wii and will need all the free time I can get to play Wii Golf, so keep pushing!
posted by ND¢ at 11:05 AM on January 2, 2007


I'm with pyramid termite, lets just start rioting for the sake of rioting. Who needs a reason in these troubled time?
posted by edgeways at 11:06 AM on January 2, 2007


He also sez the gun is good and the penis is evil though, so you know, maybe he's just gotten into the Elmer's again.

I suspect that isn't actually Elmer's Glue. Every 2nd grader knows that the effects of Elmer's is entirely psychosomatic.

Besides, the bottle looks weird.
posted by loquacious at 11:08 AM on January 2, 2007


Yes, as Plutor alludes to, some people use favorites to mean "this is a really great post," some use them to simply bookmark those they want to be able to find later, and some (myself included) do both. I would think the favorites on stav's compendium are mostly of the "I want to be able to find this later" type, not of the "what a great post" type.

(With 200+ posts marked as favorites, what I really need is a "search within your favorites" function.)
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 11:08 AM on January 2, 2007


Favorites were a decent gauge of interest

20 or 30 favorites, yes, they're a decent gauge. 237 is a bit more than a decent gauge, it's overwhelming. teh people have spoken -- I understand that the results are embarrassing (it is indeed a blind, stolen link dump), but still.


If I have to vote for that to be the best post in order to be able to easily refer back to it later, then I'll remove it as a favorite.


favorites are not exactly browser bookmarks, though.

you're saying matteo doesn't run metafilter

no, I don't have the time. you, on the other hand, certainly do.
;)
posted by matteo at 11:08 AM on January 2, 2007


acid burn!
posted by mathowie (staff) at 11:10 AM on January 2, 2007


no, I don't have the time. you, on the other hand, certainly do.

L. O. L.
posted by jonson at 11:15 AM on January 2, 2007


yes, they're a decent gauge. 237 is a bit more than a decent gauge, it's overwhelming. teh people have spoken

I suppose I have to be the one to point out the obvious: you are confusing quantity with quality.

Anyways, I only favorited five mefi posts this month. One was the Auf der Walz post. Also, Roland Topor. And the Stones of Yap. This is what I come to metafilter for...
posted by vacapinta at 11:16 AM on January 2, 2007


I come for the veal.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 11:17 AM on January 2, 2007


In thinking about what makes a wonderful post to mefi, Stavros' doesn't really explain stuff and pull you in, it's just a linkdump.

Upon the delivery of those words, the ground shook, trumpets blared, and the stars in the sky were torn from their orbits. The YouTube links understood they could never be a real community weblog, and shuffled off dejectedly toward digg and Facebook.
posted by Smart Dalek at 11:20 AM on January 2, 2007


Matteo, sure it has 237 favorites, but I would hardly call it a fantastic "post." It does contain a lot of useful information, but it's doesn't convey "best of the web" in a way that makes it an outstanding post. It may as well be a one-link, one word post to a youtube video that 237 members of the community favorite.
posted by frecklefaerie at 11:20 AM on January 2, 2007


I'm disappointed you didn't make an FPP for december, matteo, though I'm sure you had a good reason not to, are not a dancing monkey here for our amusement, etc.

Now this statement makes me look like a dang fool... unlike all those other comments I make that make me look like the Wilde-Meets-Ghandi-esque demigod of wit & wisdom that I truly am.

loquacious: You can't imagine that taste, though. Yum!
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 11:21 AM on January 2, 2007


I am so not tasting that.
posted by loquacious at 11:28 AM on January 2, 2007


*stares into bottle of Coke*

I know it was jinxed, loq, but do you really think frecklefaerie left backwash in it?
posted by Smart Dalek at 11:32 AM on January 2, 2007


Just because MeFi runs to scat-play and stav isn't potty trained, doesn't mean he should win.
posted by OmieWise at 11:34 AM on January 2, 2007


if i won the contest, ok whatevs, just give it to stav ok? I already got 8 Wii for hanukkah (1 each night), and 3 xbox 360 (for xmas). but thanks anyway.
posted by naxosaxur at 11:36 AM on January 2, 2007


What the howie is going on here? Gimme some of that.
posted by and hosted from Uranus at 11:37 AM on January 2, 2007


but still 237 is a landslide, that settles it

I use favoriting as a bookmark for something I want to be able to find later. It means the post has useful information, or maybe I just want to watch a trainwreck happen. It doesn't necessarily mean I think it is a great post. Does anyone else do the same?
posted by LarryC at 11:40 AM on January 2, 2007 [1 favorite]


No.
posted by loquacious at 11:42 AM on January 2, 2007


Yes.
posted by OmieWise at 11:42 AM on January 2, 2007


Sorta.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 11:42 AM on January 2, 2007


I've always assumed people favorite my comments as a means of tracking my migratory patterns, like shooting me with a dart and tagging my ear. In case they need to know where I am so they can break into my house and steal my 8-tracks.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 11:45 AM on January 2, 2007 [1 favorite]


I only favorite posts that would not be favorited under any possible favoritization scheme.
posted by Kwine at 11:46 AM on January 2, 2007 [1 favorite]


I use favoriting as a bookmark for something I want to be able to find later. It means the post has useful information, or maybe I just want to watch a trainwreck happen.

Yeah, I use it that way too. And not to sound like a marketing guy, but isn't that sort of the web 2.0 mantra? Thousands of people tag X based on their desire to refer back to X in the future, and the result is a somewhat useful database.

If del.icio.us and last.fm started giving out prizes for the most tagged things of the month, those services would stop being useful very quickly.

But I think matamyn know that, and that's why they're making no claims at democracy this time around.
posted by roll truck roll at 11:49 AM on January 2, 2007 [1 favorite]


Does anyone else do the same?

I do it both ways: sometimes it's a thumbs up and sometimes it's just a bookmark, which, I'd wager, most of that post's favourites were.

He's probably asleep now, but I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that stavros wouldn't claim his post was the best of the month. In fact, I think matteo's putting it forward is really just his protest against the contest.
posted by timeistight at 11:50 AM on January 2, 2007


Democracy is overrated.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 11:50 AM on January 2, 2007


your favorite favorites suck.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 11:51 AM on January 2, 2007


When I think about you I favorite myself.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 11:54 AM on January 2, 2007 [1 favorite]


If you read the word favorite enough times, it ceases to have any meaning.
Favorite.
Favorite.
Favorite, favorite, favorite.
Favorite, favorite, favorite, favorite, favorite.
What does that word mean? Is it some kind of mineral? A kids drink from the 1960's? I DON"T KNOW ANY MORE!!!
posted by yhbc at 12:05 PM on January 2, 2007


I just like saying "favorite".

Favorite favorite favorite.

No, wait, I don't. Saying "smock" is much more fun.
posted by loquacious at 12:09 PM on January 2, 2007


If several hundred of us go favorite the Auf Der Walz post now we can get matteo to change his choice for winner.
posted by Devidicus at 12:19 PM on January 2, 2007


I run to scat-play.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 12:21 PM on January 2, 2007 [3 favorites]


If several hundred of us go favorite the Auf Der Walz post now we can get matteo to change his choice for winner.

Not that the post doesn't deserve favorite, but it's easier to just ignore matteo.
posted by loquacious at 12:23 PM on January 2, 2007


I run to scat-play.

!!!
posted by loquacious at 12:25 PM on January 2, 2007


Favorites are an imperfect means for determining what people like. I favorited Stav's post just to have it as a reference, although it was quite an impressive compendium and quite a good post because of that. You tend to see a lot of favorites marked in compendium posts, recipe posts, etc. About half of the time I use a favorite I use it as a bookmark, the other half is to let the poster know that I liked it, usually when I don't really have a comment. Wasn't the original idea for favorites to be for things you would go back to?
posted by caddis at 12:37 PM on January 2, 2007


Just curious:

Do others think the contest caused a lot of good posts to be made as opposed to October and November? I remember August as being a great month for posts., but December was kinda hit and miss, but I was outta my mine on holiday sweets half the time, so what do I know.

Maybe 'cause there were more chances to win? August was a less busy month with no holidays?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 12:39 PM on January 2, 2007


After this post, I will forever think matteo = stavrosthewonderchicken, despite any and all evidence to the contrary.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 12:50 PM on January 2, 2007 [1 favorite]


Instead of entering the contest, I avoided making any bad FPPs. And I thought of plenty. Really bad ones. Surely I should get a prize for that.
posted by allen.spaulding at 1:12 PM on January 2, 2007


Well, let me be the one to say that as far as I understood it, matteo never said that stav's post was *his* favorite (check the 234 names, no matteo there) nor that he even thought that it was a great post, he has in fact indicated that he does not like the compendium style posts.

Meanwhile, stavros asked for his post to be deleted, that's how keen he is in wiinning, so you all are picking on the wrong people. (Matt and Jess, can we know the winner soon, please?)

Obviously, I could be wrong and matteo and stavros think differently...
posted by carmina at 1:29 PM on January 2, 2007


So why is the ward 'favourite' used? Wouldn't 'bookmark' or something similar be more a more accurate term?
posted by drill_here_fore_seismics at 2:25 PM on January 2, 2007


December was kinda hit and miss

Much of that is a function of what is out there. Not so many pretty, shiny, new things appeared in the blogosphere in December. The good ones made it here. Of course, posts like Matt referenced above transcend such vagaries.
posted by caddis at 2:35 PM on January 2, 2007


announced!
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 2:36 PM on January 2, 2007


I favorite posts as bookmarks and comments as kudos. It's not perfect, but it seems to get the job done.

And I have no idea why half of my stuff that has been favorited was chosen. I'm generally neither insightful or funny, so there must be some other ulterior motive at work here: and failing a more logical answer as to why, IRFH's suggestion seems perfectly reasonable.
posted by quin at 4:53 PM on January 2, 2007


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