Why did my question get deleted June 27, 2007 1:44 PM   Subscribe

For what reason did this get deleted? I am interested to hear informed peoples' explanations of the significance of Albert Schweitzer. I'm a little offended that my question got deleted, and with no posted reason. What's the deal, yo?
posted by pelican to Etiquette/Policy at 1:44 PM (50 comments total)

There's a posted reason there, along with the first two replies echoing the same thing as the reason.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 1:46 PM on June 27, 2007


i realize i can google schweitzer, and i have. My father also has a strong affinity for Albert Schweitzer; I could ask him this question, but that's not really a possibility right now. The question might have sounded like a question out of a school workbook, but it was merely my curiousity, i'm not even a student. I'm not trying to get people to write a paper for me, I'm interested to know specifically what impact Schweitzer had on the world and what the world would look like today if he had never existed. How is this worthy of being deleted?
posted by pelican at 1:47 PM on June 27, 2007


Dude. How hard it is to type "Albert Schweitzer" in a Google search box? Or, use Yahoo if you think Google doesn't cut the mustard.

He's famous. AskMe doesn't do your research report for you, and isn't (supposed) to be ChatFilter. If you want to debate or find out why Schweitzer is important, start a forum thread somewhere that specializes in history or alternate history.

Or: you could read the reason given. That's probably the easiest way to find out why your thread was deleted.
posted by plaidrabbit at 1:49 PM on June 27, 2007


Wikipedia seems to be down today, so here is a link to the google cache of the article for Mr. Schweitzer.

Your answer is most likely in the article.
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 1:52 PM on June 27, 2007


i realize i can google schweitzer, and i have.

So then surely you've already encountered the answer to the question as posted on askme. What is it that you didn't find through google or wikipedia (when it's up) that you thought askme would provide?

Hint: Your answer to that question is what you SHOULD have posted to askme instead of what you did post. We do have a policy of not asking for information that can be easily googled.
posted by shmegegge at 1:56 PM on June 27, 2007


what the world would look like today if he had never existed

Kind of spherical. Lots of water. Half a dozen or so land masses. Variable cloud cover. Planet-like.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 1:59 PM on June 27, 2007 [9 favorites]


pelican, I deleted the question, and jessamyn covered the why pretty well in her response to your email. There's nothing wrong with asking about Schweitzer, but you gave no indication that you had made any use of external resources; if not, do some basic reading instead of dropping such a broad query into Askme; if you had (as apparently you have), and still had questions, tell us what those are.
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:59 PM on June 27, 2007


And no, to be clear, the question of whether or not you were doing a report on the subject never occurred to me; it's immaterial to the main objections to the question.
posted by cortex (staff) at 2:00 PM on June 27, 2007


A question like "what would the world be like without Albert Schweitzer?" lacks any definitive answer, beyond conjecture.
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 2:02 PM on June 27, 2007


even Schweiter would not bother to save this thread.
posted by jonmc at 2:07 PM on June 27, 2007


I wrote you a long email explaining it about an hour ago. Check your email?
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 2:08 PM on June 27, 2007


even Schweiter would not bother to save this thread

Well not if he never existed, Jon! DUH!
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 2:09 PM on June 27, 2007


So?
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 2:13 PM on June 27, 2007


What effect did he have on the world?

He made you look like a putz on Metafilter, for starters.
posted by Meatbomb at 2:15 PM on June 27, 2007 [3 favorites]


I knew a kid in elementary school named Albert Schweitzer, but he went by his middle name (which I think was Chris or something).

So, in a way, it's like Albert Schweitzer never existed, except when a sub would call his name during roll.
posted by klangklangston at 2:16 PM on June 27, 2007


even Schweiter would not bother to save this thread

Well not if he never existed, Jon! DUH!


I was speaking of Waldo Schweiter, the well-known faith-healer from Altoona. He wouldn't bother either. So there.
posted by jonmc at 2:24 PM on June 27, 2007


you gave no indication that you had made any use of external resources...

When did AskMe institute this standard?
posted by cribcage at 2:32 PM on June 27, 2007


I'm interested to know specifically what impact Schweitzer had on the world and what the world would look like today if he had never existed.

Well, for one, the sardonic phrase "Yeah, you're a regular Albert Schweitzer!" would be rendered more or less meaningless.
posted by Atom Eyes at 2:36 PM on June 27, 2007 [1 favorite]


I flagged the question because hypothetical questions are against the guidelines. We could sit around all day discussing, How would the world be different if X never existed, but that's not the purpose of AskMeta.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 2:40 PM on June 27, 2007 [1 favorite]


You're offended?

That changes everything!

Seriously, you've been around for a minute. Did you think that this particular AskMe deletion whining thread would somehow turn out differently than the others? The [probably] hundreds of others? That your question would be reinstated, that your outrage your OFFENSE!!1!!! would cause the admins to lay hands upon and Lazarus your question while other equally vague and silly questions wallow in hypothetical me first google fucking exists this is not what askme is for purgatory?
posted by kosem at 2:54 PM on June 27, 2007 [1 favorite]


When did AskMe institute this standard?

It's certainly not a monolithic standard, but in context it's a big part of the problem with the question. No one is absolutely required to prove that they've checked the literature for a question, and for most questions it'd never even be an issue; but when a question is darned near to "what is this 'water' stuff I've been hearing about" in it's broadness and the plain, inarguable availability of basic resources on the subject, it's an issue.

Hell, people have a habit of speaking up about Google (or, in the more helpful cases, providing useful search information as links) even on fairly specific niche questions. It seems like there has for a long time been a basic cultural expectation that an asker will give some indication of either how much they know or have tried to find out about a subject already, or why they're asking something as broad and non-specific as they are. Without either, it comes across as either lazy or ill-considered. Sounds like the latter in this case, and no great harm done by pelican, but it's not a great question as presented.
posted by cortex (staff) at 2:55 PM on June 27, 2007


you gave no indication that you had made any use of external resources...

When did AskMe institute this standard?


"Please make sure you have asked Google your question before you Ask MetaFilter."
posted by oneirodynia at 2:56 PM on June 27, 2007 [1 favorite]


Too much Comics Curmudgeon, cortex.
posted by Wolfdog at 3:05 PM on June 27, 2007


Jessamyn: Did you really write a long email explaining the deletion of that askme question? It's great that the admins care so much about the exercise of their discretion and all, but isn't that using a missile to kill a mouse?
posted by Slap Factory at 3:07 PM on June 27, 2007


Just wait for the Finger Quotin' Double deletion, Wolfdog.
posted by cortex (staff) at 3:07 PM on June 27, 2007


What is this water stuff I've been hearing so much about?
posted by klangklangston at 3:12 PM on June 27, 2007


Did you really write a long email explaining the deletion of that askme question?

The OP emailed and I replied. I spend a fair amount of my MeFi work time answering email.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 3:44 PM on June 27, 2007


Metafilter: We don't just kill you for complaining, we kill your entire family, and then hunt down their friends and pee on them.
posted by blue_beetle at 4:02 PM on June 27, 2007


And on your left, you'll see Schweitzer Falls, named after the well-known humanitarian Albert Falls.

my favorite Disney Jungle Cruise joke
posted by davejay at 4:08 PM on June 27, 2007


What is this water stuff I've been hearing so much about?
posted by klangklangston at 3:12 PM on June 27 [+] [!]


It's the stuff you should go soak your head in.

ZING!
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 5:22 PM on June 27, 2007


my favorite Disney Jungle Cruise joke

And I think I said that exact joke about ... hmm, three rides an hour, eight hours a day, for let's say six months total of my years working there ... so, 5,000 times.

OMG
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 5:30 PM on June 27, 2007


God I love the comics curmudgeon. It's my favorite blog. (ummm...except for metafilter? I mean they're tied).
posted by lampoil at 6:31 PM on June 27, 2007


I think the question was:

Why is Albert Schweitzer important to you?

Albert Schweitzer taught me how to roller skate, and how to cry. Without Albert Schweitzer, no Chinese Panda bears would reside in Japanese zoos. If there had been no Albert Schweitzer, we would have no bumble berry pie.
posted by KokuRyu at 6:35 PM on June 27, 2007 [2 favorites]


Albert Schweitzer taught me how to roller skate, and how to cry.

Indeed. First, he put you on skates, then he shoved you into a wall. Efficient bastard, that Albert.
posted by jonmc at 7:05 PM on June 27, 2007 [1 favorite]


I saw Albert Schweitzer kneecap ol' Monty just 'cos Monty was talkin' too loud once agin 'bout how his wife was cheatin' at the weekly Contract Bridge game. Jus' whipped out the sawed-off shotgun he keeps under his regular table 'gainst that wall and blasted away. And then healed him right up again. He's a pretty remarkable guy, Albert is.
posted by ardgedee at 7:27 PM on June 27, 2007


You know who else Albert Schweitzer taught how to cry?

Dr. Livingstone, that's who.
posted by needled at 7:32 PM on June 27, 2007


Well, we'd not have had those Terminator movies and California would need a new governor, for starters.
posted by Abiezer at 8:50 PM on June 27, 2007


I was gonna tell the story of how Albert Schweitzer introduced my grandparents to one another and the time he bought me beer, but KokuRyu beat me to that particular joke. Great minds, and all that, right?



*Deletes KokuRyu (Thanks for the comment, btw!) from contacts.*
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 9:20 PM on June 27, 2007


Well, we'd not have had those Terminator movies and California would need a new governor, for starters.

I would so favorite that, Abiezer, but it only makes sense in context.

thanks for the laugh anyway
posted by misha at 9:50 PM on June 27, 2007


albert schweitzer funked my wagnalls while your mom watched.
posted by quonsar at 12:59 AM on June 28, 2007


What would the world be like now if Schweitzer had never existed?

I got this one covered.

Somebody else would have won the Noble Prize in 1952.

That's all I got.
posted by Joey Michaels at 3:10 AM on June 28, 2007


Also, somebody else would have won the Nobel Prize in 1952.
posted by exlotuseater at 5:31 AM on June 28, 2007


Did you see what he did there? He transposed the 'L'. Tricky, isn't he. I bet he learned that from Schweitzer.
posted by blue_beetle at 6:13 AM on June 28, 2007


Albert Schweitzer could lift like a hundred pounds over his head.
posted by Mister_A at 8:56 AM on June 28, 2007


"It's the stuff you should go soak your head in."

Also what comprises the lake I should jump in! Zing!

"Dr. Livingstone, that's who."

No, for full punchline effect, that needed to end "I presume."
posted by klangklangston at 9:06 AM on June 28, 2007


we're so sorry, albert schwietzer
we're so sorry if we caused you any pain ...
posted by pyramid termite at 9:28 AM on June 28, 2007


Albert Schweitzer is so tough, they renamed the Virgin Islands after he...never mind.
posted by KokuRyu at 10:10 AM on June 28, 2007


No matter how much I stare at "noble" and "nobel," they look the same to me. The wonders of dyslexia and refusal to spell check!
posted by Joey Michaels at 11:44 AM on June 28, 2007


it was merely my curiousity
Lucky you're not a cat then, isn't it?

Maybe you need to embed a midi file in the posting page that yells out "DID YOU AT LEAST FUCKING GOOGLE THIS FUCKING QUESTION FIRST?" before the "post" button appears.
posted by dg at 9:10 PM on June 28, 2007


Dude, midi doesn't do vocals. You'd have to tie in some sort of speech synth library, and at that point it's just getting kind of silly.
posted by cortex (staff) at 6:51 AM on June 29, 2007


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