best first post ever?

April 26, 2007 1:45 PM

I thought the buster keaton post was incredible, one of my favorites to read (and watch) in a long time, and even more so when i read it was a first post. Anyways I just want to recognize churl for putting so much effort into making such a great first post .. links to criticism, sources,background info and of course videos.. its awesome. Just a really auspicious begginning, i hope he does more like this
posted by petsounds to MetaFilter-related at 1:45 PM (32 comments total)

Seconded. That was a highlight of my AM MeFi perusing today.
posted by joseph_elmhurst at 1:52 PM on April 26, 2007

/me yawns
posted by Stynxno at 1:57 PM on April 26, 2007

I agree the links were decent, but man, that thing was loooong.

Have some confidence in your material, so to speak. If it's good, people will click through and explore. Perhaps my biggest pet peeve are FPP'ers who lard their links over with copious amounts of connective tissue. To me, it kind of reads like "I'm not sure if these links are worthwhile, but if I spin my wheels long enough I can make them look coherent and stuff."

I dunno. It's a matter of personal taste, I realize. YMMV.
posted by bardic at 2:16 PM on April 26, 2007

I liked it, but I'm a Keaton freak so I may be biased.
posted by brundlefly at 3:12 PM on April 26, 2007

excellent first try.
posted by Dave Faris at 4:14 PM on April 26, 2007

i feel a little embarassed about all my hyperbole up there. not trying to embarass churl or anything! ok, back to lurking and occasionally complaining about cortex
posted by petsounds at 4:51 PM on April 26, 2007

Great stuff, but it's a one link post with a shitload of padding.
posted by jack_mo at 4:56 PM on April 26, 2007

I would now like to thank petsounds for posting this to MetaTalk because I missed it on the blue, and it is wonderful.
posted by JanetLand at 4:57 PM on April 26, 2007

petsounds writes: "back to lurking and occasionally complaining about cortex"

Actually, the site could use more of that!

JanetLand writes: "I would now like to thank petsounds for posting this to MetaTalk because I missed it on the blue, and it is wonderful."

So, maybe tomorrow someone can post something about this MeTa post for those who are missing this one today! They could post it to AskMe in the form of a question, like, "Hey, did anyone see that MeTa post yesterday, which was about the Buster Keaton post?" Then, the day after that, cortex can write a song about the AskMe post and post it it MeFi Music, which will serve as a heads up for anyone who missed the AskMe post. Then petsounds can wrap it all up by complaining about cortex's song. I'd suggest he do that as a comment in some completely unrelated thread.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:19 PM on April 26, 2007 [1 favorite]

...but it's a one link post...

Yeah, but one of the links mentions Harry Houdini, and for whatever reason, one side of my family believes that we are related to the great one.

I doubt very much that this is true, but it was a great conversation starter when I was in college.
posted by quin at 5:44 PM on April 26, 2007

For quin's reason alone, then, it's a sterling post.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:01 PM on April 26, 2007

For the same reason quin's a legend too.
posted by Samuel Farrow at 7:25 PM on April 26, 2007

What constitutes a legend?
posted by Burhanistan at 7:28 PM on April 26, 2007

I would like to thank myself for simply being me.

(also, it was indeed a good post, but a bit long)
posted by jonmc at 7:33 PM on April 26, 2007

I would like to thank myself for simply being me.

I want ta thank you
fallettin jonmc be hisself
agin
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:35 PM on April 26, 2007

also, churl is newish and may not know about MeTa, someone might want to drop him a note.
posted by jessamyn at 8:03 PM on April 26, 2007

The hell with churl; is this where we complain about cortex, or not?
posted by yhbc at 8:08 PM on April 26, 2007

also, churl is newish

funny, he dosen't look newish...
posted by jonmc at 8:12 PM on April 26, 2007 [2 favorites]

Sorry, that was uncalled for. I did enjoy the post very much. I do like the occasional lengthy post, of the "Here's an interesting website (or topic) and here's a few highlights you might enjoy as stepping-off spots" variety. Especially where the whole thing is tied together with an engaging presenation, as churl did here, this can be a very effective and engaging way of presenting a post. Kudos to churl for doing so here.
posted by yhbc at 8:22 PM on April 26, 2007

I hope my first post will be as good. But I know it'll be just some drunken rant about pop tarts and Nazis.

You know, like all my comments.
posted by dirigibleman at 10:31 PM on April 26, 2007

Samuel Farrow : For the same reason quin's a legend too.

Damn straight. I once (with witnesses) flicked a cigarette butt 15 feet into an ash-tray. Yeah, it was unintentional, but I did the whole yeah-I-meant-to-do-that thing. Everyone around me was very impressed.
posted by quin at 11:04 PM on April 26, 2007

Welcome to MetaFilter, churl.
posted by timeistight at 12:19 AM on April 27, 2007 [1 favorite]

Good lord I just found this. I've been trying to think of how to respond for fifteen minutes and I'm still blushing like a schoolgirl. Metafilter's been my first bookmark for years and years, and it was with no small amount of terror I finally decided to entreat upon the denizens of the blue.

Bardic et al are right, it could have been posted as a single paragraph of movie links. If it's any consolation, after I originally first-drafted the damn thing it was probably twice as long.

It's definitely the kind of post that would only work on metafilter. Lots of my favorite posts have been interesting in and of themselves, even without the links; I guess that is what I was trying for.

And now I'm set for years. I'm really glad you guys liked it.
posted by churl at 12:55 AM on April 27, 2007 [1 favorite]

I liked it and thought it was a well crafted post. I appreciate churl making the effort.
posted by geekyguy at 2:55 AM on April 27, 2007

I thought it was a great post, especially since the front page feels like it's stuck in a bit of a NewsFilter rut. Thanks, churl!
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 5:47 AM on April 27, 2007

So, maybe tomorrow someone can post something about this MeTa post for those who are missing this one today! They could post it to AskMe in the form of a question, like, "Hey, did anyone see that MeTa post yesterday, which was about the Buster Keaton post?" Then, the day after that, cortex can write a song about the AskMe post and post it it MeFi Music, which will serve as a heads up for anyone who missed the AskMe post. Then petsounds can wrap it all up by complaining about cortex's song. I'd suggest he do that as a comment in some completely unrelated thread.

I like it.
posted by JanetLand at 8:57 AM on April 27, 2007

Hey, did everyone catch that comment by JanetLand where she expressed enthusiasm for a comment by flapjaxatmidnite? It was a really good comment especially since it was only her 143rd MetaTalk comment, and I thought some of you might have missed it. Here.
posted by Kwine at 9:43 AM on April 27, 2007

Janetland comments are so overrated
posted by petsounds at 10:09 AM on April 27, 2007

An inconvenient truth is that all of JanetLand will be covered by water by 2009. Then she will become JanAtlantis.
posted by y2karl at 1:42 PM on April 27, 2007 [2 favorites]

all of JanetLand will be covered by water by 2009. Then she will become JanAtlantis.

Well, I reckon then she won't miss any more posts to "the blue".
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:17 PM on April 27, 2007

Downloading Film now. Many thanks, foxy_hedgehog, churl and petsounds.
posted by flabdablet at 10:37 AM on April 29, 2007

Nice work, churl. I can't speak for languagehat, but I don't think this was a prognosticatory attack on your character.

The rest of you get offa my lawn, frag gummit.
posted by cortex at 10:58 AM on April 30, 2007