questions and answers for this week's podcast?

February 21, 2007 10:34 AM

Questions for cortex? mathowie? jessamyn?
posted by mathowie to MetaFilter-related at 10:34 AM (195 comments total)

We're going to do another podcast this week, featuring an interview with cortex. As I was assembling my own list of questions, I figure everyone else probably has a lot more. Post them as a comment here and we'll pick a few to hit him with.

Also, I was thinking we might as well have a "viewer mail" type segment where me and jessamyn answer your burning questions. So drop them here as well and we'll try to pick one or two to cover this Friday.

Format-wise, maybe just post your suggested question like this, with the username: question

cortex: how on earth do you have time to do what you do, what with all the music and the posts and the personal life you must be neglecting?
posted by mathowie at 10:34 AM on February 21, 2007

I want to know what sort of cocktail of meds he is taking for his OCD and ADHD issues. I'd also like to know when he is coming to Dallas.
posted by dios at 10:49 AM on February 21, 2007

Ooh. Also ask cortex if I can have some space on one of his many webdomains to run the cortex fanclub I'm setting up. And also if he will program and design it for me.
posted by dios at 10:54 AM on February 21, 2007 [2 favorites has favorites]

If a tree fell in a forest and there was no one there to blog about it, what kind of tree would you be?
posted by Floydd at 10:54 AM on February 21, 2007

"Is this seat taken?"

/leers
posted by OmieWise at 10:54 AM on February 21, 2007

Has he stopped beating his wife yet?
posted by blue_beetle at 10:56 AM on February 21, 2007 [2 favorites has favorites]

I want to know how the mefi compilation sales are going, figuring that is a good way to plug the CD AGAIN and start moving some of the stock :)
posted by terrapin at 10:59 AM on February 21, 2007

Cortex:
How has a chat community/offshoot (the Tapes IRC channel) affected your relationship with metafilter?
posted by filmgeek at 11:01 AM on February 21, 2007

Seconding the Cortex Time Management & Productivity System question.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 11:02 AM on February 21, 2007

Did he ever get that nut thing taken care of?
posted by thirteenkiller at 11:03 AM on February 21, 2007

All: What does the "." mean?
posted by ND¢ at 11:05 AM on February 21, 2007

cortex: Any favorite haircare tips?
posted by ludwig_van at 11:07 AM on February 21, 2007

cortex: Why didn't "matthewchen is spamming" make it on to the MeFi CD?

matt: will future podcasts feature member interviews? because that would be great!
posted by contessa at 11:09 AM on February 21, 2007

WHAT
THE
FUCK,
MATT?
posted by dflemingdotorg at 11:09 AM on February 21, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Any: What's your favorite deleted thread?
posted by ardgedee at 11:10 AM on February 21, 2007

cortex: what time is it there? It's 1:14 here.
posted by Terminal Verbosity at 11:14 AM on February 21, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Cortex: can we talk guitar gear for a minute? Guitars, mics, favorite pick, strings, fingerpicking, strumming, electric versus acoustic? (amps?)
posted by ikkyu2 at 11:16 AM on February 21, 2007

cortex: would you accept a sizeable, no-strings annunity that allows you to quit your job and be obnoxiously productive 24/7?
posted by cortex at 11:17 AM on February 21, 2007

cortex: would you accept a sizeable, no-strings annunity that allows you to quit your job and be obnoxiously productive 24/7?
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 11:19 AM on February 21, 2007

Cortex: who let the dogs out?
posted by COBRA! at 11:21 AM on February 21, 2007

This isn't a question for the podcast, just a small pony request: Can you provide a transcript? Does that defeat the whole purpose of a podcast? I am audio-less but would like to know what's going on.
posted by bobobox at 11:23 AM on February 21, 2007 [7 favorites has favorites]

I actually have a serious MetaFilter-related cortex question.

cortex: What happened with that Waltz Number Two wedding mix CD you put together for your friend? You may have responded to this somewhere around here already, but I haven't seen it. How many songs did you include? How did it turn out? Did they like it?
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 11:25 AM on February 21, 2007 [2 favorites has favorites]

Mathowie: What does the banhammer look like? Is it more like a judge's gavel or like mjolnir?
posted by ND¢ at 11:27 AM on February 21, 2007

My pug has one question for cortex.
posted by jonson at 11:28 AM on February 21, 2007

Can't you read, dflemingdotorg? Use proper syntax:

MATT: WHAT THE FUCK?
posted by Kwantsar at 11:30 AM on February 21, 2007

cortex : When will you begin taking submissions for the next MeFi compilation CD? How is the current one doing, saleswise? Did it recoup its costs?
posted by Afroblanco at 11:30 AM on February 21, 2007

a/s/l, cortex?
posted by horsewithnoname at 11:34 AM on February 21, 2007

Matt and Jess: Where is this all going? What do you hope MetaFilter will be in the next year or so? Or are you making it all up as you go along?
posted by fuzz at 11:45 AM on February 21, 2007

The bad guys shoot at Superman and the bullets bounce of his chest but he ducks when they throw their guns at him. What's up with that?
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 11:48 AM on February 21, 2007

cortex: Is there any possibility of you recording more of Mefi - the Lost Sessions and/or turning the thing into a CD? Also, more MefiComp please.
posted by graymouser at 11:52 AM on February 21, 2007

Cortex: Who are you, what do you do that's so special and why are you being interviewed for this podcast?

(Seconding request for transcript; otherwise I might never know who cortex is.)
posted by davy at 11:53 AM on February 21, 2007

*frothes at the mouth at whoever will pretend to listen, regarding AskMe posting limits*
posted by Kwine at 11:57 AM on February 21, 2007

cortex: How much would an illicit sexual favor cost out in the suburbs?
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 12:01 PM on February 21, 2007 [2 favorites has favorites]

Cortex: The artist, Momus once created a whole album of commisioned songs about individuals and organizations, each of which payed something like $1000 each for the privilege. Would you, in the spirit of art and commerce, be willing to do the same--though, one would hope, at a lower rate--for those members of the Metafilter community who might like such a thing? Would you reprise 88 Lines for 44 Mefites, only this time selling space (in the form of a couplet) to those whose fame was not sufficient to warrant inclusion in the first ballad, but who still thirst for that one tiny moment of recognition and vicarious internet fame only such a mention in the famous Cortex's ouevre might quench?

Do you do weddings? How about commisioned wedding songs? How about lyrics for wedding songs set to well-known contemporary music? Would you, if the price were right, compose a song for the now-impossible but still poignantly imaginable wedding of Anna Nicole Smith to her longtime lover-lawyer-possible babydaddy, Howard K. Stern? Set to the music of any song from Mary Poppins (your choice)? How about if it was generally understood that such a song would be performed live on CNN, MSNBC, and FOX by a steel drum band and sung by a chorus of children assembled from local Catholic orphanages, dressed in bleached white peasant garb and made to stand barefoot under a blazing sun on a beach in Antigua, upon the occasion of the dispersal of ANS's ashes into the lapping azure waters of the Carribean? Why? Why not?
posted by Chrischris at 12:02 PM on February 21, 2007

"another podcast"?
Are there others?
Where do they live?
Sorry, I normally dutifully keep up with the comings and goings of here in MeTa but totally missed this one.
great idea though!.
posted by dan g. at 12:09 PM on February 21, 2007

Can you provide a transcript?

If someone wants to transcribe it, we'll upload it somewhere, but I'm not going to talk for 20 minutes and then retype it all, sort of defeats the purpose.
posted by jessamyn at 12:14 PM on February 21, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

dan g: Here is the meta thread.
posted by terrapin at 12:17 PM on February 21, 2007

If you transcribe it, then cortex can set it to music, and you can interview him about it next month.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 12:17 PM on February 21, 2007 [2 favorites has favorites]

Very Interesting Mefites (VIMs?) that I'd like to hear interviews with, in alphabetical order:

amberglow
Astro Zombie (any one of them)
dhruva
gd779
grumblebee
homunculus
iconomy
languagehat
madamjujujive
matteo
MiguelCardoso
mr_crash_davis
nickyskye
plep
stavrosthewonderchicken
posted by vacapinta at 12:30 PM on February 21, 2007

Me? questions for cortex? nonono, thx, I'm too busy organizing a revolt. Bloody king of MetaFilter Music now wants to annex Metatalk to his dominions.
posted by micayetoca at 12:31 PM on February 21, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Does cortex plan on retiring from RL romance and living off mefi-based affection, as mathowie has been able to do with respect to finance? xoxoxo
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 12:38 PM on February 21, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

I'd consider transcribing it, for shits and giggles, if someone can hook me up with a Dictaphone Time-Master.
posted by cortex at 12:38 PM on February 21, 2007

My question is what are the long term plans for the site, and if another moderator is in the cards as MeFi expands?
posted by Effigy2000 at 12:39 PM on February 21, 2007

cortex: does esch really have a 'butts lol' shirt and where can people buy them? Would you say that shirt is similar or dissimilar to other awesome shirts?
posted by dios at 12:41 PM on February 21, 2007

vacapinta: Very Interesting Mefites (VIMs?) that I'd like to hear interviews with
I think that's a bad idea.
I'm not that in too the little cult of personality we sometimes have at mefi. I'd much rather hear someone connected to a post that really stood out recently.
posted by jouke at 12:45 PM on February 21, 2007 [4 favorites has favorites]

I have often wondered what sort of spinoff - cross branded type deals- projects people have proposed to Matt.
posted by R. Mutt at 12:46 PM on February 21, 2007

Are you now, or have you ever been, an Astro Zombie?
posted by Astro Zombie at 12:50 PM on February 21, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Jessamyn: As a Metafilter moderator and a professional librarian, how do you respond to the charge that, by permanently deleting inappropriate, offensive, and otherwise unapproved content from the site, you are robbing future historians and scholars of the Internet of possibly valuable research material, the nature of which, by its very classification as inapropriate, helps to provide a valuable contrast (and thusly helps to successfully divine the character, scope and nature of the site itself for future generations who might wish to study it as an early and important model of electronic interchange and discourse) to the material which is deemed appropriate? Is there a permanent record of everything that appears on Metafilter, which, while not presently accessible, might someday be provided to those who would like to study it?

How do you reconcile your duties as a censor (however benign and necessary to the smooth operation of the website) with the sensibilities of an archivist?
posted by Chrischris at 12:50 PM on February 21, 2007 [6 favorites has favorites]

I would rather see interviews of random "unknown" members than the more prolific posters. Maybe Matt can write some script that selects a username at random and that person will be interviews (as long as they have broadband and/or Skype).
posted by terrapin at 12:51 PM on February 21, 2007 [2 favorites has favorites]

I have often wondered what sort of spinoff - cross branded type deals- projects people have proposed to Matt.

That's a good one. All those sort of "Behind the Scenes" type of things would be cool to hear about.
posted by micayetoca at 12:55 PM on February 21, 2007

I think that's a bad idea. I'm not that in too the little cult of personality we sometimes have at mefi. I'd much rather hear someone connected to a post that really stood out recently.

Ditto.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 1:06 PM on February 21, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

I like the double meaning of not being "in too" the cult of personality.
posted by found missing at 1:13 PM on February 21, 2007

Cortex: Whose shirts [do] you wear?

Also, I'd be willing to purchase a track on this Momus-like album, have your people telegraph my people.
posted by drezdn at 1:16 PM on February 21, 2007

On the NPR show Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me each week they call someone related to an story mentioned in the show. I know its more work, but calling a nonmefi, say... John Suler from the flamewars post might be interesting.
posted by R. Mutt at 1:19 PM on February 21, 2007

I agree.
posted by Dave Faris at 1:21 PM on February 21, 2007

I think that's a bad idea.
I'm not that in too the little cult of personality we sometimes have at mefi. I'd much rather hear someone connected to a post that really stood out recently.
posted by jouke 23 minutes ago

I'm going to disagree. I'm not sure cult of personality is a problem; I think the problem is personality conflict. And a sure way to diffuse personality conflict is to get know each other and realize there is a real person behind these typed-words. So in that sense, I see this as a good thing.

Maybe I don't know what you mean by cult of personality. It would seem to me inevitable that some people will be more well known, and that popularity would be self-reinforcing. I don't know that having well-known members is a bad thing (or a good thing, for that matter). It just is.

Given that this podcast will have such a limited audience to begin with, it needs to be appealing. With all due respect, I wouldn't listen to thing to learn more about random user #14153 because I have no reason to want to get to know more about that user. Maybe that user made a good post that one time, but it holds no interest for me. Conversely, I am intrigued to get to know more about cortex, so I will listen.

The interviewee has to have some presence and recognition, otherwise how does one connect the person being interviewed? If you told me that the person talking is RandomUnknown how do I connect that to this site? If you tell me its blahblahblah, then I can say, "yeah, this is the cat who makes all those awesome posts... let's find out more about this cat."
posted by dios at 1:22 PM on February 21, 2007

I disagree. I would never listen to an interview of a cat, well-known or otherwise.
posted by Dave Faris at 1:24 PM on February 21, 2007

I never realized his meowing would sound so adenoidal.
posted by jouke at 1:29 PM on February 21, 2007

Because "Everbody's interesting," dios.

I would argue that we already know much about many of the more prolific users simply because they post so much. I personally would rather learn more about someone who doesn't reveal quite as much of themselves here.

Maybe not a random user (as I suggested above), but perhaps what jouke suggested. If matt or jess found a particular thread interesting (porn in the woods, fort building etc) then perhaps the poster behind that thread would make for an interesting interview? *shrug*

Coincidentally, I just happened to have dropped by #bunnies this afternoon and got to (briefly) meet jouke right before jouke posted above. I'd like to learn more about jouke. jouke seems interesting.
posted by terrapin at 1:33 PM on February 21, 2007

I would never listen to an interview of a cat, well-known or otherwise.

I would imagine that ceiling cat would have some interesting stories to tell. Are we still doing ceiling cat? Is that played out? Am I the guy still saying "Wassup!"?
posted by ND¢ at 1:38 PM on February 21, 2007

If you transcribe it, then cortex can set it to music, and you can interview him about it next month.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson

But then I'd be asking for the MeFi Marionetters to be dispatched to my living room to perform his new song translated into sign language. And so on.

Oh, dear, commenting in MetaTalk makes me feel sinful. Now look what you've done! Two comments in one thread? I need to go scrub my dirty, dirty typing fingers with a Magic Eraser now.
posted by bobobox at 1:42 PM on February 21, 2007

Because "Everbody's interesting," dios.

Is this where we make ourselves feel warm inside by talking about how everyone has worth and stuff like that?

Everyone is not interesting. Everyone does not have a story to tell. Most people are boring. It's the reason that Barbara Walters interviews the people she does and people tune in. It's also the reason that this place busts a nut when the Woz posts, but doesn't get all excite when RandomUser posts.

Coincidentally, I just happened to have dropped by #bunnies this afternoon and got to (briefly) meet jouke right before jouke posted above. I'd like to learn more about jouke. jouke seems interesting.

That's kind of my point: you have a connection to jouke, so you are interested in finding out more. With all due respect to jouke, I've never noticed the person before, so though jouke may be fascinating, I have no interest in tuning in to find out more about jouke. That is not a negative reflection on jouke, but it is just a basic fact: we have to have some frame of reference upon which to connect the interviewee in order to care about the interviewee.

I'm satisfied that matt and jessamyn can pick out people who would be interesting to interview. The demand that the person be random seems absurd to me. If there is a fascinating post about something that a poster with intimate knowledge of the thing can tell us more about, then great. But I really don't understand the position that we should avoid having the guests be people that we all know because those are the people who will have the broadest appeal. There is just no way you can convince me that languagehat shouldn't be a guest because "we known enough about him already."
posted by dios at 1:47 PM on February 21, 2007

posted by ND¢ I would imagine that ceiling cat would have some interesting stories to tell.

I sort of imagine Ceiling Cat poking his head through the ceiling and speaking in a gruff Tom Waits growl, "I tell ya, Carl Monday wouldn't believe how many people are jackin' it in libraries."
posted by fandango_matt at 1:49 PM on February 21, 2007

I think terrapin and jouke have the right idea—or, really, that R. Mutt nails it. Not a black-and-white policy of "don't talk to known mefites", mind you, since I would like some of that, but if I had my druthers I'd push a focus on the mefites tied to Recent Interesting Thing to drive the interviews. More This American Life, less Charlie Rose, maybe.

I mean, I'm pleased as punch to get the podcast treatment, and I think talking to highly visible mefites does make sense for some of the reasons dios advances—community touchstones help engage listeners, and humanizes the personalities—but that shouldn't be the focus of the content. There's a great big pile of users out there, and I'd like to know what makes them tick.
posted by cortex at 1:50 PM on February 21, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

dios: The interviewee has to have some presence and recognition, otherwise how does one connect the person being interviewed? If you told me that the person talking is RandomUnknown how do I connect that to this site?

Along those lines I would like to hear from some of our more prominent flame-outees. Pretty_Generic and signal come to mind. Hell, dios should be interviewed just to stop the hate. ;)
posted by frecklefaerie at 1:51 PM on February 21, 2007

I've been a Mefite since 2002 and never posted in MeTa. What would be a good first post?

Damn!
posted by dr_dank at 1:53 PM on February 21, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

I wouldn't listen to thing to learn more about random user #14153 because I have no reason to want to get to know more about that user.

Somewhere, shadow45 is weeping quietly.
posted by George_Spiggott at 2:14 PM on February 21, 2007

How do you reconcile your duties as a censor (however benign and necessary to the smooth operation of the website) with the sensibilities of an archivist?
Excellent excellent question--please ask this.

Also, i have one for matt and jess: When will we get UpdateMe? (either for the poster themself or as a separate page linked to an original thread--i have Gannon/Guckert and Haggard updates for you all, for just 2 examples)

I think those of us who are well-known here are already known, so an interview might not reveal much--i don't hide much stuff from anyone here, and most of us bigmouths don't, i don't think. Putting a voice to someone's words is always good tho.
posted by amberglow at 2:16 PM on February 21, 2007

I'd like to hear from some of the more cantankerous Mefites, perhaps being interviewed by one another.
posted by janell at 2:16 PM on February 21, 2007

Cortex: Do you like my beard? Has it gotten out of hand?

your thoughts...
posted by French Fry at 2:17 PM on February 21, 2007

Also, ask Matt if he's really still amused by one-liner snarky/assholish deletion reasons and when he'll grow out of it. : P
posted by amberglow at 2:21 PM on February 21, 2007

I'd actually rather hear from someone who posts a lot but never reveals a lot. Or those people who go away and then come back after a year or so.
posted by amberglow at 2:22 PM on February 21, 2007

Jess: You're excellent at finding logical answers and consistent application to the problems and issues that arise on this site with regard to policy. Is Metafilter really just some sort of doctoral thesis/experiment in librarian-ism (?) for you?
posted by matty at 2:24 PM on February 21, 2007

Why is it so funny when women say the word "schlong"?
posted by Mister_A at 2:34 PM on February 21, 2007

Are you guys gonna ask scarabic about how he knows certain things?

Matt, what would you like to do if you weren't doing Metafilter?

Jess, same question.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 2:36 PM on February 21, 2007

French Fry: that bustling hedge-row of a beard is a constant mockery of the hard-tilled scrubland that is my own half-consanguinous chinscape. I dream nightly that you will shave it off and take the rest of your head with it.

btw mom likes me best
posted by cortex at 2:36 PM on February 21, 2007

Mathowie: Are you aware that MeFi still falls over on a pretty much daily basis?

I know it seems like a silly question, but I wonder if it only happens at a certain time (it seems to be mostly mid-evening here when it happens) when nobody who matters is around to notice.
posted by dg at 2:40 PM on February 21, 2007

I would rather see interviews of random "unknown" members...
I'm available for an interview.
For a small fee.
posted by Green Eyed Monster at 2:42 PM on February 21, 2007

Along those lines I would like to hear from some of our more prominent flame-outees. Pretty_Generic and signal come to mind.

signal? When did that happen?

I must agree with your point in that a son of minya interview would be highly entertaining.
posted by LionIndex at 2:45 PM on February 21, 2007

Cortex: When are you going to start singing the news again?
posted by absalom at 2:53 PM on February 21, 2007

cortex: Why are there so many songs about rainbows and what's on the other side? Who said that every wish would be heard and answered when wished on the morning star? What's so amazing that keeps us star gazing and what do we think we might see? Have you been half asleep and have you heard voices? Is this the sweet sound that calls the young sailors?

Sorry for the multipart question. French Fry, if it fits in your hand, then you're fine.
posted by sleepy pete at 2:58 PM on February 21, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Question for mathowie and jessamyn: Do you ever disagree on deletions? If so, does Matt win by virtue of being the site owner or does Jessamyn ever persuade him to concede to her point of view?
posted by amyms at 3:01 PM on February 21, 2007

mathowie and Jessamyn: Do you ever yell at the screen when moderating?
posted by soundofsuburbia at 3:05 PM on February 21, 2007 [2 favorites has favorites]

mathowie and Jessamyn: Can I play with the banhammer? Pretty please?
posted by Salmonberry at 3:12 PM on February 21, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

These questions are for any or all of you:

Is it still hip to be square, or not yet?

Can any of you make any cool sound effects? Or maybe impersonations? Please demonstrate.

If you could use only one word for the rest of your life (but as often as you liked) what would it be?

Is frustrating behavior bad for the site, or just bad for individual users? Is harmony a good thing for Metafilter, or do occasional or even frequent flare-ups drive enough interest that they should be tolerated or even encouraged? In short, do you ever wish all the users would stop fighting? Do you think the site would stay interesting if everybody held hands?

What's the best thing you've ever tasted? Specifics, I need specifics.

What kind of car/vehicle do you drive, and what kind of driving do you do?
posted by breezeway at 3:22 PM on February 21, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

mathowie and Jessamyn: Do you ever yell at the screen when moderating?

On a similar note, what does the "ban user" link/button/lever/whatever look like, and do you laugh manically while clicking/pressing/pulling/whatevering it?
posted by EndsOfInvention at 3:31 PM on February 21, 2007 [4 favorites has favorites]

Whom (on MetaFilter) have you not met that you would most like to meet, and why?
posted by nj_subgenius at 3:40 PM on February 21, 2007

cortex: what the fuck is a "podcast", and why do you find butts so funny?
posted by cmonkey at 3:46 PM on February 21, 2007

cortex, will you be fighting for our rights in your podcast?
posted by shmegegge at 3:52 PM on February 21, 2007

cortex: long hair, upbeat attitude, popular with sinners, facility with magic. Do you know who else had these qualities?
posted by melissa may at 3:52 PM on February 21, 2007

Mathowie: Did you get my email about having guest presenters (myself and ludwig_van) do the podcast?
posted by armoured-ant at 3:52 PM on February 21, 2007

All three: when an where will be your first tour?
posted by snsranch at 3:55 PM on February 21, 2007

long hair, upbeat attitude, popular with sinners, facility with magic

Britney, up until last week...
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:55 PM on February 21, 2007

cmonkey: butts are simply lol, my friend.

shmegegge: you wake up late for MeTa and you don't wanna post / you ask Matt please but he just says "troll"

melissa may: Rasputin on uppers?
posted by cortex at 3:57 PM on February 21, 2007

It just occurred to me that starting a thread like this aimed at cortex that he can read but not respond to is the meanest thing you people could have ever done to him. He must be pacing and roaring like a wounded bear. mathowie and jessamyn: are you proud of yourselves?
posted by melissa may at 3:58 PM on February 21, 2007

Matt and Jess: How much time per day do you think you spend administering to MeFi/Ta/Me? Are there ever days when you are just totally fed up with us, and if so, what do you do to talk yourself down from the ledge?

Matt: How has Fiona changed your life? Has she fundamentally changed your relationship to Metafilter?

cortex: Do you use a rhyming dictionary?
posted by onlyconnect at 4:00 PM on February 21, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Matt : If you had it to do over again, would you still create an open forum for people to air any gripe about the site that comes into their head and give it a grey background color, or would you have made a simple email submission form instead? Are there any other things you would have done differently in the evolution of the Metafilter empire?
posted by Dave Faris at 4:00 PM on February 21, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Good question, Dave.
posted by dg at 4:04 PM on February 21, 2007

Matt: You're actually a bear masquerading as a blog administrator, is this not true?
posted by Astro Zombie at 4:08 PM on February 21, 2007

Cortex: Discuss the Led Zeppelin Conundrum. If indeed, "A Big leg woman ain't got no soul," and "The soul of a woman was created below," which would be preferable, soul-wise? A big-leg or small-leg woman?
posted by Devils Rancher at 4:27 PM on February 21, 2007 [2 favorites has favorites]

For Jess: as our lead MeFibrarian, how do you manage your time to work in a library, manage MetaTalk and AskMetafilter moderation duties tasks and travel to your many speaking engagements? For Matt: how do you juggle the need for privacy in your family and yet, manage several well-known Internet sites without compromising your family relationships?
For Cortex: is posting to Metafilter and doing music the whole extent of your professional obligations, or do you also have a "day job?"
posted by Lynsey at 4:39 PM on February 21, 2007

jessamyn, how did mathowie propose? Did you say yes right away?
cortex, do you ever fight with your wife about internet timesinks?
posted by peacay at 4:50 PM on February 21, 2007

Jessamyn, how many five-year-olds could you take down?
posted by matthewr at 4:52 PM on February 21, 2007

Matt: How has the evolution of Metafilter changed your idea of what Metafilter should be? Have you taken the site in any directions you would previously have been opposed to based on user feedback?
posted by baphomet at 4:55 PM on February 21, 2007

And I totally just finished the interview. (It turns out they tape these things before you actually see them.) Thanks for all the questions; I'll probably geek out and write up a responses-to-questions blog post at some point.

Questions for Matt and Jess are still useful, though—I think they're recording their main segment on Friday some time.
posted by cortex at 4:57 PM on February 21, 2007

cortex: do you like Cheap Trick?
posted by jonmc at 4:58 PM on February 21, 2007

he love you long time, jon
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 5:01 PM on February 21, 2007

Cortex: have you ever worn a kilt?
posted by boo_radley at 5:01 PM on February 21, 2007

Was Rasputin upbeat?
posted by jessamyn at 5:11 PM on February 21, 2007

When he was on uppers, I figure. All casting flower spells and making people's clothes disappear for laughs.
posted by cortex at 5:14 PM on February 21, 2007

resolve this progression:

E9b13 - Bbsus4 - F#7 -
posted by quonsar at 5:30 PM on February 21, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

no, no boom-boom cortex brother. too bo-coo.
posted by jonmc at 5:36 PM on February 21, 2007

Rasputin!

There lived a certain man in Russia long ago
He was big and strong, in his eyes a flaming glow
Most people looked at him with terror and with fear
But to Moscow chicks he was such a lovely dear
He could preach the bible like a preacher
Full of ecstasy and fire
But he also was the kind of teacher
Women would desire

Rah Rah Rasputin
Lover of the Russian queen
There was a cat that really was gone
Rah Rah Rasputin
Russia's greatest love machine
It was a shame how he carried on...
posted by languagehat at 5:44 PM on February 21, 2007

cortex: Why do fools fall in love?
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:44 PM on February 21, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Rah Rah Rasputin
Russia's greatest love machine

I'm sure it will come as no surprise, but that song was huge on Romanian pop radio when I lived in Transylvania.
posted by jessamyn at 5:46 PM on February 21, 2007

OK, cortex, now you've got to produce a song called "When I Lived in Transylvania."
posted by languagehat at 5:47 PM on February 21, 2007

or rather, "When jessamyn lived in Transilvania"
posted by micayetoca at 6:01 PM on February 21, 2007

Cortex: Can every even integer greater than two be written as the sum of two primes?
posted by eriko at 6:09 PM on February 21, 2007

When I lived in Transylvania
my neck got awful sore.

What passed for wit with local brutes
was "fuck your mother, she's a whore"
posted by vronsky at 6:10 PM on February 21, 2007

cortex: Do you like gladiator movies?
posted by emelenjr at 6:16 PM on February 21, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Cortex: Cerebral, Cerebellar, or Renal?
posted by Astro Zombie at 6:43 PM on February 21, 2007

Cortex: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? What would you do there?
posted by Secretariat at 7:05 PM on February 21, 2007

mathowie, jessamyn, cortex: Help me name my cat!

Just kidding, but if I ever do get a third cat, I'm open to suggestions.
posted by amyms at 7:15 PM on February 21, 2007

Amyms, the cat's name should be "derf". Fred backwards.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 7:54 PM on February 21, 2007

or Hurf derf?
posted by amberglow at 7:57 PM on February 21, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

French Fry, you should have no more than needed to fill a champagne glass.
posted by dobbs at 8:02 PM on February 21, 2007

How do you reconcile your duties as a censor (however benign and necessary to the smooth operation of the website) with the sensibilities of an archivist?

That's awesome. Please ask this. I think it's a fair question for either Jessamyn or Matt.
posted by owhydididoit at 8:10 PM on February 21, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Also, it should be heavy on the tuba. sort of oompah oompah oompah vaudville vibe.

When I lived in Transylvania
all the girls were awfully wan
I tried to woo them with a smile
but it was me they'd prey upon
*tuba solo*
posted by boo_radley at 8:18 PM on February 21, 2007 [2 favorites has favorites]

When I lived in Transylvania
That's when I caught jessamania...
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 8:34 PM on February 21, 2007

Amyms, the cat's name should be "derf". Fred backwards.

or Hurf derf?

I only have girl cats... So I could maybe go with Her derf.
posted by amyms at 8:46 PM on February 21, 2007

Euqirederf?
posted by owhydididoit at 9:03 PM on February 21, 2007

Apparently, cortex has already been cast into the pod, but I wonder if, as the King of MetaMusic, he has answers to any of these questions:

Why do fools fall in love?
If birds fly over the rainbow, why then, oh why, can't I?
How do you solve a problem like Maria?
How long has this been going on?
Have you ever seen the rain?
Does anybody really know what time it is?

Of course, those MetaMusic pretenders to his throne might want to take a shot at them too.
posted by wendell at 9:17 PM on February 21, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Matt: could you put a link to the podcasts on the MetaTalk sidebar or MetaFilter sidebar?
posted by brain cloud at 9:22 PM on February 21, 2007

The Transylvania song must either be a polka (ultimate collaboration: cortex and Weird Al) or to the tune of "Pennsylvania 6-5000"...

But seriously...

jessamyn: Of all the seemingly-cool places you've lived, which was the least like you expected it to be?
posted by wendell at 9:25 PM on February 21, 2007

And if you ever have languagehat as a podcast guest, he MUST sing a medley of Boney M hits ("Rasputin", "Ma Baker", "Daddy Cool" and "By the Rivers of Babble-on...")
posted by wendell at 9:28 PM on February 21, 2007

ONE MORE THING, he Columboed...

Once, just once, you should have two specially selected MeFites on the same podcast, for... MetaCrossfire!

Because just once I'd like to actually hear dios say "amberglow, you ignorant slut..." :)
posted by wendell at 9:32 PM on February 21, 2007

In case it's not too late...

Matt: you've been known around the internets to some degree as a go-to guy for ideas about 'web community'. How much do you reckon of the success of Metafilter has been from you planning things out in terms of architecture and moderation and stuff, and how much has just been trial-and-error? What was the worst mistake you think you've made in building this place out over the years, and why? What were the best decisions, both deliberate and accidental?
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 9:46 PM on February 21, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

I would never listen to an interview of a cat, well-known or otherwise.

I would imagine that ceiling cat would have some interesting stories to tell. Are we still doing ceiling cat? Is that played out? Am I the guy still saying "Wassup!"?I would never listen to an interview of a cat, well-known or otherwise.

I would imagine that ceiling cat would have some interesting stories to tell. Are we still doing ceiling cat? Is that played out? Am I the guy still saying "Wassup!"?

Er, what?

Hey, look.. A moth!
posted by Ceiling Cat at 10:16 PM on February 21, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Referencing wendell's questions for cortex here I'd like to add:

Who wrote the book of love?
Who put the bomp (in the bomp bomp bomp)?
Have you ever seen the rain?

And, most importantly...

War! What is it good for?
posted by amyms at 10:21 PM on February 21, 2007

Oops, wendell already asked "Have you ever seen the rain?"
posted by amyms at 10:22 PM on February 21, 2007

Heh. Oops. Moth got my tongue.
posted by Ceiling Cat at 10:29 PM on February 21, 2007

When I lived in Transylvania
vampires sucked my neck.

I crossed the ocean to the West Village
and transvestites sucked my deck.
posted by vronsky at 11:04 PM on February 21, 2007

Some mefites not already mentioned whom I would also love to hear (in absolutely no order at all): dhartung, melissa may and sleepy pete, mygothlaundry, jonson, occhiblu, Quartermass, ikkyu2, scody, dobbs, Mo Nickels, biscotti, anastasiav, ColdChef, dabitch, interrobang, nickyskye, dejah420, goodnewsfortheinsane, DaShiv, Wolfdog, Ljubljana, me3dia, KevinSkomsvold, misteraitch, Omiewise... and I have many, many more. Oh, god.
posted by taz at 11:24 PM on February 21, 2007

ooh! growabrain, mrs. pants, planetkyoto, tracicle, bugbread, y2karl, loquacious, robot johnny, E.B., quonsar, robocop is bleeding, cunninglinguist... I can't stop. But I will. Maybe.
posted by taz at 11:36 PM on February 21, 2007

To All: Which do you like the most? Blue, Grey, or Green?
posted by Totally Zanzibarin' Ya at 11:51 PM on February 21, 2007

Oh. And Why?
posted by Totally Zanzibarin' Ya at 11:53 PM on February 21, 2007

Given your experience with the Metaverse sites organized on the "community blog" principle, what other organizational principles for a community site, besides the blog type of site, have you considered, or would you find interesting? For example, wouldn't a site with the aims of AskMe work as well or better as a taxonomy driven site, where additional questions flesh out branches of the knowledgebase, and where the user interface encourages those in search of advice to explore and extend the existing archives with their new questions, better than the current category/tag "system" does?
posted by paulsc at 12:57 AM on February 22, 2007

Not that I pretend to anything, but to answer Wendell:

Why do fools fall in love?

That's the wonder, the wonder of you.

If birds fly over the rainbow, why then, oh why, can't I?

Mmm-mm I don't know why
Mmm-mm but sometimes angels can't fly

How do you solve a problem like Maria?

Tell her that you're never gonna leave her,
Tell her that you're always gonna love her,
Tell her, tell her, tell her, tell her right now.

How long has this been going on?

Long as I remember (see below)

Have you ever seen the rain?

It never rains in southern California

Does anybody really know what time it is?

It's four in the morning, and once more the ...... ARRRRGGGHHHH

posted by No Mutant Enemy at 1:13 AM on February 22, 2007

And now it's four in the morning in my world, which leads me to state:

My timezone brings all the boys to the yard, and they're like: "it's later than yours" — damn right it's later than yours, I could stay up, but I have to [re]charge.

posted by blasdelf at 4:36 AM on February 22, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Why do fools fall in love?
If birds fly over the rainbow, why then, oh why, can't I?
How do you solve a problem like Maria?
How long has this been going on?
Have you ever seen the rain?
Does anybody really know what time it is?


I don't know, I, don't know.
Stick around, and it may show.
I don't know. I, don't know.
posted by micayetoca at 4:52 AM on February 22, 2007

Why do fools fall in love?
Dump him.
If birds fly over the rainbow, why then, oh why, can't I?
Because you are a big fat hurf durf butter eater.
How do you solve a problem like Maria?
Are you really asking strangers on the Internet for help with this? TALK TO A LAWYER.
How long has this been going on?
Read the FAQ.
Have you ever seen the rain?
Chatfilter. Delete.
Does anybody really know what time it is?
OK, it is a valid question, but AskMe just doesn't do philosophy questions very well.
posted by Meatbomb at 5:03 AM on February 22, 2007 [8 favorites has favorites]

Why do birds suddenly appear?
posted by flabdablet at 5:23 AM on February 22, 2007

Not that I pretend to anything, but to answer Wendell:
Why do fools fall in love?

All due love and respect to wendell, but it was yours truly who, uh, first asked "why do fools fall in love"...

Hi wendell! How are ya? Didja steal my idea, or just neglect to read the comments that came afore ye? Hey, no biggie!

So, yeah, anyway, here's 6 more, all from the same song:

Why does the sun go on shining?
Why does the sea rush to shore?
Why do the birds go on singing?
Why do the stars glow above?
Why does my heart go on beating?
Why do these eyes of mine cry?
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:03 AM on February 22, 2007

Just some basics, what bands have you been in, are you in now? Do you have any commercially released music I can buy?
posted by caddis at 7:03 AM on February 22, 2007

cortex: Has anyone seen my sweet gypsy rose?
posted by Jofus at 7:38 AM on February 22, 2007

cortex: Are you tired of people posting lame questions from song lyrics yet?
posted by Dave Faris at 8:44 AM on February 22, 2007

Dave Faris: just like me, they long to be close to you.
posted by cortex at 8:53 AM on February 22, 2007

That reminds me... it's time to throw up.
posted by Dave Faris at 9:12 AM on February 22, 2007

Wait a minute. We have podcasts? Where do they live?
posted by nanojath at 9:48 AM on February 22, 2007

Next to our cameras.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 9:56 AM on February 22, 2007

Why does the sun go on shining?

Nuclear fusion, causing a tremendous release of energy at the center of the sun. The rest is all energy transfer and thermodynamics.

Why does the sea rush to shore?

Actually, the sea rushes everywhere. You only really notice it at the shoreline, though you can see it by using various navigation tricks at sea to find your position, and how it changes over time.

Why do the birds go on singing?

Sex. They're just yelling "Hey babe, watch this!"

Why do the stars glow above?

Because visible light is blocked by the earth, so you don't see the stars glowing below.

Why does my heart go on beating?

Electrical impulses, triggered by the SA and AV nodes in your heart.

Why do these eyes of mine cry?

Tear glands, of course.


Oops, this isn't the green.
posted by eriko at 10:48 AM on February 22, 2007 [2 favorites has favorites]

I'M TO FUCKED TO DRUNK.
posted by quonsar at 11:15 AM on February 22, 2007

quonsar, do your grandkids read your posts?
posted by Burhanistan at 11:23 AM on February 22, 2007

Who do you think is doing his typing for him ?
posted by y2karl at 11:43 AM on February 22, 2007 [2 favorites has favorites]

no Internet in jail
posted by matteo at 11:43 AM on February 22, 2007

Are we doing questions for quonsar now? If so, who put the bomp in the bomp-bomp-be-bomp?

My apologies to flapjax, whose comment inspired the other musical questions from me, but by the time I read down to the bottom of the page, I had misremembered what musical question he had asked... I thought it was "Who wrote the Book of Love?"

So, let me ask now:

Who wrote the Book of Love?

And also...
What would you think if I sang out of tune?
Would you stand up and walk out on me?
What do you do when my love is away?
Does it worry you to be alone?
How do you feel by the end of the day?
Are you sad because you're on your own?
Do you need anybody?
Could it be anybody?
Would you believe in a love at first sight?
What do you see when you turn out the light?
posted by wendell at 1:04 PM on February 22, 2007

Burhanistan, are your grandkids self-righteous dorks too?
posted by quonsar at 3:08 PM on February 22, 2007

Now he's too funny to be hung over.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 3:19 PM on February 22, 2007

Burhanistan, are your grandkids self-righteous dorks too?

quonsar, I've been trying real hard, but I can't remember for the life of me what song you've taken that question from.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:00 PM on February 22, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Oh, and for mister Ampersand, sorry, but I just can't resist:

What's it all about, Alvy?
Is it just for the moment we live?
etc. etc.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:02 PM on February 22, 2007

What's that you say, Mrs. Robinson?
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:03 PM on February 22, 2007

If you are going to keep doing interviews, you should get the interview subject to choose the next victimguest.
posted by Sparx at 5:21 PM on February 22, 2007

that's a great idea, Sparx, but it might not open it up enough.
posted by amberglow at 5:46 PM on February 22, 2007

We'd risk falling into a Quonsar/Kwantser loop. (Which is nothing at all like a cortex vortex.)
posted by Dave Faris at 5:49 PM on February 22, 2007

It's quonsars all the way down.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 5:57 PM on February 22, 2007

And only superficially similar, of course, to the Faris Wheel.
posted by cortex at 5:57 PM on February 22, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Well played, sir!
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 6:05 PM on February 22, 2007

If a picture paints a thousand words,
then why can't I ≺img≻, blue?
posted by rob511 at 6:31 PM on February 22, 2007

cortex: was Millard Fillmore really the worst president in US history?
posted by flabdablet at 7:45 PM on February 22, 2007

As far as future interview subjects go, how about those who have established other communities that have, in one way or another, been inspired by MeFi? SportsFilter, 9622.net, MonkeyFilter, MetaChat ... (in approximate order of appearance rather than merit). It would be interesting to hear about how the challenges have compared, given a high degree of overlapping circles in membership.
posted by dg at 7:58 PM on February 22, 2007

Why are there so many songs about rainbows?

(and what's on the other side . . . )

Why is it not easy being green?

Discuss.
posted by jason's_planet at 8:12 PM on February 22, 2007

What goes on in your heart?
What goes on in your mind?
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:44 PM on February 22, 2007

You know, these 'joke' questions were already kind of unfunny 180 comments ago.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 8:48 PM on February 22, 2007

They're not really jokes, stav. This thread has simply, for many of us, turned into a place to bring all the song lines that are questions into one convenient location. For future reference. For that reason (and not for the reason that you are unamused) I am favoriting this thread right now.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:51 PM on February 22, 2007

When will I see you again?
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:57 PM on February 22, 2007

OK. I woke up with this Ben Folds song running through my mind this morning, so:

Look at all the people in this restaurant
What do you think they weigh?

Look at all the people lining up for plastic
Wouldn't you like to see them in the National Geographic?

See that asshole with the peace sign on his license plate?
Giving me the finger and running me out of his lane?

Did I do it right?
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 9:09 PM on February 22, 2007

well...how did I get here?

How do I work this?

Where is that large automobile?
posted by timeistight at 9:21 PM on February 22, 2007

Did I do it right?

stav, I don't know the Ben Folds song, but my friend, even if you did it wrong, you know, you did it right.

Oh, but regarding "did I do it right?"... I don't think that's from a song. But if it is, you're a total genius.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 9:29 PM on February 22, 2007

"Jessamyn: As a Metafilter moderator and a professional librarian, how do you respond to the charge that, by permanently deleting inappropriate, offensive, and otherwise unapproved content from the site, you are robbing future historians and scholars of the Internet of possibly valuable research material[?]"

Especially considering the facts that (aside from rare places like Pompeii) archaeology's best results come from trash heaps and that some of our culture's most treasured old texts survived as palimpsests under what were considered more valuable material. Perhaps Metafilter will eventually serve as a repository for studies of disharmony and neurosis and/or perhaps Society will finally evolve enough that I'll be recognized as Great Genius.
posted by davy at 11:18 PM on February 22, 2007

"[P]erhaps Society will finally evolve enough that I'll be recognized as Great Genius."

But obviously not a Great Self-Proofreader.
posted by davy at 11:19 PM on February 22, 2007

by permanently deleting inappropriate, offensive, and otherwise unapproved content from the site, you are robbing future historians and scholars of the Internet of possibly valuable research material...

C'mon, you know as well as I do that most any deleted post can be dug up somewhere, somehow by the diligent digital archaeologist. For one thing, many (most?) of them are, in most cases, favorited by someone or other right here at MeFi.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 1:46 AM on February 23, 2007

oh, for next podcast, do a pronounciation thing--the meefite/mehfite, meeta/mehta, etc...
posted by amberglow at 3:51 PM on February 23, 2007

flapjax, some comments are not just deleted in the "deleted threads" sense but actually deleted. It's possible that they live in the db still, and even sort of slightly cross-your-fingers possible that they might be retrievable from the skeletons of a filesystem, but the fact remains that they are effectively gone.

It's an interesting question—I think that, practically, there's no big deal, but from a historical perspective those missing pieces are certainly missing pieces. When I was putting together the 88 Lines song, I had to go to an off-site cache for the canonical AlexReynolds thread because it wasn't around anymore. And not every comment or even every nuked-for-reals thread has been or will be cached—someone has to think to save the record or it's gone.

I don't mean that particularly dramatically, but it is there: there's a dilemma, a decision that has to be made about which purposes are served.
posted by cortex at 4:01 PM on February 23, 2007

cortex, how about a "People who died" for all who have flamed out/been banned?
posted by amberglow at 5:23 PM on February 23, 2007

(Half of) the aforementioned transcript
posted by cortex at 9:43 AM on February 24, 2007