OMG CHEATING! July 11, 2007 11:16 AM   Subscribe

This is why jokey answers are bad in AskMe.
posted by dersins to Etiquette/Policy at 11:16 AM (105 comments total) 1 user marked this as a favorite

In case the comments in question get deleted, what happened was this:

Work-mandatory dinner, is it overtime or Free Time?
July 11, 2007 10:45 AM
SlaveryFilter: My girlfriend is attending "mandatory" dinners with co-workers every week, which eats up her entire evening! She isn't being paid for her time, how is this legal?

Shouldn't it be considered overtime or something? If you HAVE to go to something for WORK, shouldn't they PAY you?
For all the bull she gets about life-work balance, they sure tip the scales in favor of the latter.

thanks
posted by emptyinside to work & money (13 comments total) [add to favorites] [!] 1 user marked this as a favorite

She's cheating on you.
posted by greta simone at 10:47 AM on July 11 [1 favorite +]


Just kidding.
posted by greta simone at 10:47 AM on July 11 [+]


Is she salaried or paid hourly? If she's salaried, there's not really any concept of "overtime" at all.
posted by occhiblu at 10:50 AM on July 11 [+] [!]


It doesn't sound legal? What happens if she just says she can't go? Has she tried doing this?
posted by chunking express at 10:50 AM on July 11 [+] [!]


What occhiblu said. Although I was once lucky enough to have a salaried job where I also got overtime pay, that's not the norm.
posted by amro at 10:54 AM on July 11 [+] [!]


I don't want to speculate on the legality of the situation because I have no credentials to do so, but I would advise her to consider looking for somewhere else to work.

Even if she was getting paid, the idea that the company she works for has no problem trying to dictate her life outside of work hours seems rather insidious to me, and I'm assuming she is childless; I can't imagine what her coworkers who are parents would do, especially if they commute. I also can't believe that eating out that frequently - and perhaps having your meal choices scrutinized by an accountant! - is very healthy.

Where are you? Perhaps someone will have a more specific legal answer for you.
posted by mdonley at 11:04 AM on July 11 [+] [!]


Well, I'll just point to my comment earlier today.

She's free not to attend. They're free to fire her. She's free to look for another job which doesn't require mandatory dinners. Tolerate it or don't; those are the choices.

(There is a non-zero chance she's dating someone from work. Not to make you nervous, but "work is making me stay late and do stuff" is the number one excuse of cheaters.)
posted by jellicle at 11:04 AM on July 11 [+] [!]


I...really kind of think she might be cheating on you.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 11:06 AM on July 11 [+]


She's cheating on you.

Yes. It's time to wake up. For example, why not drop by one of the dinners sometime. D'Oh!
posted by four panels at 11:07 AM on July 11 [+]


Oops. I started something.
posted by greta simone at 11:09 AM on July 11 [+]


Ask her where they went for dinner. If she dodges, or says "oh, just this place we always go to around the corner", the odds that she's cheating on you increase manyfold.

If she isn't cheating on you, then, yes. She might well have mandatory off-hours dinner meetings, whether she's paid for them or not. I think there's one US state that isn't an "at-will" employment state, and of the Canadian provinces, only Quebec isn't at-will.

Yes, they should be paying her if she isn't a management/salaried employee. But, y'know, good luck on getting that enforced while keeping the job.
posted by solid-one-love at 11:13 AM on July 11 [+] [!]

Basically, a joke-y response turned a simple question about labor and employment practices into a referendum on whether the asker's girlfriend was cheating on him.

Not. Very. Useful.
posted by dersins at 11:19 AM on July 11, 2007


Sometimes jokey answers are also good answers though. I would have suspected the same thing, depending on what kind of job she has.
posted by empath at 11:20 AM on July 11, 2007


So it's good practice to post threads that might be deleted as a result of a metatalk callout...in metatalk?

God. I got work ta do!
posted by disclaimer at 11:22 AM on July 11, 2007


You miss my point, or perhaps I was insufficiently clear in making it.

The point is that "OMG CHEATING," accurate or not, is not a useful answer to the question "Shouldn't this be considered overtime?"
posted by dersins at 11:23 AM on July 11, 2007


Jokey answers are okay when they are hilarious.
posted by ND¢ at 11:25 AM on July 11, 2007 [14 favorites]


On the one hand, those answers are speculative derails.

On the other hand, she's cheating on him.
posted by brain_drain at 11:28 AM on July 11, 2007 [5 favorites]


from where i'm sitting, its the most useful answer he's going to get
posted by criticalbill at 11:29 AM on July 11, 2007


Emptyinside should have posted a "relationship-is-fine" disclaimer on the question like he did here.

Maybe the partner is just out eating steak frites.
posted by Bookhouse at 11:29 AM on July 11, 2007


Those answers, like...aren't jokes. I know mine wasn't.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 11:32 AM on July 11, 2007


Oh I didn't realize that emptyinside asked that question. I'm boning his girlfriend.
posted by ND¢ at 11:34 AM on July 11, 2007


Oh I didn't realize that emptyinside asked that question. I'm boning his girlfriend.

You too? Damn.
posted by milarepa at 11:36 AM on July 11, 2007


I think lighting up the suspicious signal is really useful as an answer -- well, as long as he follows through sanely and not busting into work at 6pm screaming TEH INTERNETS TOLD ME YOU WERE CHEATING!!1!11!!
posted by spec80 at 11:39 AM on July 11, 2007 [1 favorite]


That whole question is a mess. Its phrased as outrage-filter. There isn't enough detail to offer useful advice: Does everyone attend these meetings every week without fail? Really? Is it to discuss business? Is it purely social? If the latter, can he join them? Etc.

So I actually agree that "She's cheating on you." is the best answer he's going to get.
posted by vacapinta at 11:42 AM on July 11, 2007


I killed some of the cheating pile-on; the flippant opener from greta simone was a really bad idea, even if the cheating aspect is a real possiblity, and some of the comments that addressed that with some nuance seem fine.
posted by cortex (staff) at 11:48 AM on July 11, 2007


Hey dersins, it's not a joke.

Oh and hey dersins, the all-caps TXT!! joke is really fucking old.
posted by four panels at 11:48 AM on July 11, 2007


Thanks for the support ya'll. I was trying to helpful but light-hearted. I really didn't mean to derail the thread. I was just feeling a little mischievous today.
posted by greta simone at 11:49 AM on July 11, 2007


I agree with dersins. It's a great example of why those kinds of one-liners are a bad idea in AskMe. Even if true, it has nothing to do with the answer to the poster's question, and it's rude and rank speculation to post it.
posted by OmieWise at 11:53 AM on July 11, 2007 [1 favorite]


Oh I didn't realize that emptyinside asked that question. I'm boning his girlfriend. - ND¢

Now THAT'S a joke.
posted by Mister_A at 11:53 AM on July 11, 2007


On preview:
I was trying to helpful but light-hearted.

What part of "your gf is cheating on you" is meant to be lighthearted?
posted by OmieWise at 11:53 AM on July 11, 2007 [1 favorite]


Sorry cortex. *shuffles over to the corner*
posted by greta simone at 11:54 AM on July 11, 2007


The part afterward that said "I'm kidding". Ok, so I half-lied. I wasn't really meaning to be helpful. I'm going to just stop now.
posted by greta simone at 11:55 AM on July 11, 2007


Ain't nothing wrong with mischief as a general principle, greta simone. It's all about context, and AskMe is not that context.
posted by cortex (staff) at 11:58 AM on July 11, 2007 [1 favorite]


Indeed. Lesson learned.
posted by greta simone at 12:00 PM on July 11, 2007


Oh and hey dersins, the all-caps TXT!! joke is really fucking old.

So am I. What's your point?
posted by dersins at 12:01 PM on July 11, 2007


*hugs and kisses*
posted by greta simone at 12:03 PM on July 11, 2007


If you band Greta Simone, how many banninations would that make? A significant or impotent number?
posted by Mister_A at 12:07 PM on July 11, 2007


If you're going to make a one-liner joke, at least don't ruin it by posting "Just Kidding" immediately thereafter. If you've rethought the appropriateness of your post, flag it and/or contact matt/jessamyn/cortex.

"Just Kidding" not only doesn't help, it also makes the joke unfunny.
posted by tastybrains at 12:11 PM on July 11, 2007 [1 favorite]


My girlfriend used to work late sometimes. Now I keep her chained to my radiator. No more cheating!
posted by klangklangston at 12:15 PM on July 11, 2007


Do you pay her overtime?
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 12:17 PM on July 11, 2007 [1 favorite]


It's the weekend business trips that get rather suspicious.
posted by caddis at 12:23 PM on July 11, 2007


How come no one is outraged over the "Slavery Filter" label? I AM OUTRAGED! THINK OF THE CHILDREN!
posted by Mister_A at 12:23 PM on July 11, 2007


I agree with dersins. It's a great example of why those kinds of one-liners are a bad idea in AskMe. Even if true, it has nothing to do with the answer to the poster's question, and it's rude and rank speculation to post it.

I kinda felt like his question was along the lines of, "How exactly would one go about polishing the brass on this here boat on which I presently sail, the Titanic?" -- but I allow that could be a mistaken impression. Still, I felt like it would be...um...less than helpful not to suggest that there could be a much larger issue (the possibility of which seemed fairly obvious to a few). A few followups from emptyinside could maybe have dispelled the suspicion, but asking those questions seemed considerably less tactful than just putting it out there for him to rebut...? I dunno. It was kind of an awkward thing. No disrepsect of emptyinside intended, though.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 12:26 PM on July 11, 2007 [1 favorite]


"Do you pay her overtime?"

Nah, she's celeried.
posted by klangklangston at 12:26 PM on July 11, 2007


So - you're sayin' she's a total veg, then, eh?
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 12:38 PM on July 11, 2007


tastybrains, didn't you get my hugs and kisses?
posted by greta simone at 12:46 PM on July 11, 2007


Vegina dentata lapinata, baby.
posted by Mister_A at 12:47 PM on July 11, 2007


I'm boning your radiator.
posted by ND¢ at 12:51 PM on July 11, 2007


That's hot! No, really - you're gonna scald yourse... oh! Oh, my! Boo-urned!
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 12:53 PM on July 11, 2007


DTMFA!
posted by drezdn at 1:02 PM on July 11, 2007


that's aimed at ND$
posted by drezdn at 1:02 PM on July 11, 2007


that's aimed at ND$

What, you can't figure out how to make a ¢?
posted by dersins at 1:20 PM on July 11, 2007


Inflation.
From all that hot air.
In the radiator.
Good night.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 1:23 PM on July 11, 2007 [1 favorite]


tastybrains, didn't you get my hugs and kisses?

Hey, Greta, I didn't mean to be...well...mean. I've certainly gotten flack for some of my comments in the past (and, um, maybe had a few deleted). It was just constructive criticism, really. You made a perfectly cromulent comment with just a twist of snark, but the "Just kidding" just ruined it. I guess I'm in the minority that enjoys the occasional one-liner.

Not that I necessarily condone telling emptyinside his girlfriend is cheating on him. (Even if she totally is.)
posted by tastybrains at 1:40 PM on July 11, 2007


Honestly, what the fuck is wrong with you people who are continuing to try to derail a perfectly legit AskMe?

Still, I felt like it would be...um...less than helpful not to suggest that there could be a much larger issue (the possibility of which seemed fairly obvious to a few)

Except it's really really not helpful. He doesn't question his girlfriend's whereabouts or that her job expects her to be at a dinner, he's simply asking if it's legal that she not receive compensation. Plenty of other people seem to have managed to answer without making up another question and answering that instead.

Heck, their relationship isn't even central to the question, except that girlfriend = category of people with whom the OP wishes to spend time.
posted by desuetude at 1:46 PM on July 11, 2007


Inflation.
From all that hot air.
In the radiator.
Good night.


Except
It's hot water.
In radiators.
Mostly.
posted by dersins at 1:55 PM on July 11, 2007


desuetude, they weren't really continuing at that point. Agreed in general, but it does seem to have stopped post callout/cleanup.
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:56 PM on July 11, 2007


There's no reason whatsoever to believe anyone's boning her. It's right there in the question that she's eating out with coworkers every night. The only question is who?
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 2:01 PM on July 11, 2007 [1 favorite]


Ambrosia Voyeur wins the thread, and the maillot gris is hers!
posted by Mister_A at 2:06 PM on July 11, 2007


There's no reason whatsoever to believe anyone's boning her.

Come on, you don't think it's just a little weird that she has a weekly mandatory dinner with coworkers? It would sound more legit if it was with clients, or if it was just a weekly coworker get-together.

Unless maybe it is just a weekly coworker get together after work and she says it's required because otherwise her bf would get all pissy & jealous. It happens.
posted by tastybrains at 2:10 PM on July 11, 2007


"Come on, you don't think it's just a little weird that she has a weekly mandatory dinner with coworkers? It would sound more legit if it was with clients, or if it was just a weekly coworker get-together."

From time in the publishing business, not really. We had a mandatory bi-weekly meeting that was outside of normal business hours, but we got paid for it and got free food.
posted by klangklangston at 2:23 PM on July 11, 2007


Someone ate out tasty's brains.
posted by The Bellman at 2:23 PM on July 11, 2007


Yummy.
posted by greta simone at 2:42 PM on July 11, 2007


She immediately said 'just kidding'. That made it fucking hilarious!

Quit 'yer whining. Next thing you know someone will bitch about how her posting had a compounding effect on the carbon footprint created by metafilter by adding to the energy required to light up the pixels on their screens.
posted by matty at 2:48 PM on July 11, 2007


So, how is this related to the Methylviolet experience?
posted by Sailormom at 2:49 PM on July 11, 2007


We have a not mandatory (but attendance recommended) wine and cheese event today at work.

FREE wine and cheese. And I will be home late. This being an IT company, and me being a male, I am worried about who I will have to bone/get boned by so that all this makes sense.
posted by Dataphage at 2:54 PM on July 11, 2007


That's crazy talk, matty.
posted by cortex (staff) at 2:55 PM on July 11, 2007


Wait, not to derail the derail, but for the people who were seriously suggesting she was cheating: what about that situation led you there? My first reaction was "there's no such thing as overtime for salaried workers; deal."

Was it emptyinside's previous relationship posts? Some other fact I'm missing? Or is it just really the first thing that leaps to mind when a partner says something like "sorry honey I have to work late"? I fully anticipate having many late evenings and last-minute obligations at my new job this fall; am I necessarily going to be suspected of cheating?
posted by rkent at 3:06 PM on July 11, 2007


From the thread on the green:

It's very hard to answer your question unless we know what your gf does and where she does it.
posted by yohko at 3:11 PM on July 11, 2007


Unless maybe it is just a weekly coworker get together after work and she says it's required because otherwise her bf would get all pissy & jealous.

My money's on that horse. Just because nothing in the post referred to her volition or agency. But there are a lot of other possible explanations (cheating, writing style).
posted by salvia at 3:13 PM on July 11, 2007


Someone ate out tasty's brains.

Someone done scooped it out!

We have a not mandatory (but attendance recommended) wine and cheese event today at work.

We have those too, sometimes. Like, once or twice a year. Not weekly.

what about that situation led you there?

I don't know if she's cheating or not. It wasn't my first thought either. But after other people mentioned it, it seems like a possibility. I have to work late sometimes too. A couple times a year I will have an after-work function or an all-day training to attend. But either these things are irregular events, or (when working late) kind of unexpected. Having a standing weekly mandatory dinner meeting sounds strange to me. Also, I find late-night dinners that are mandatory and with coworkers a little weird, because, as I stated before, I don't see what can be accomplished over dinner out that couldn't have been done during the day. Whenever I have had to stay late with a group of coworkers to meet a tight deadline or launch a product, we have had to stay on site and are lucky if we can order some frigging pizza.

But I've also said if she's in a sales type role where she has to wine & dine potential clients, that would make a lot of sense.
posted by tastybrains at 3:14 PM on July 11, 2007


But I've also said if she's in a sales type role where she has to wine & dine potential clients, that would make a lot of sense.

Right. And my experience differs from yours: at my position last summer, we had wine & cheese every week, usually one other social-ish outing a week, and a weekend getaway in Tahoe. None were required, but it certainly would've been odd to turn down more than a couple of them. This was at a major Bay Area law firm, btw.* I'm not firmly behind either the cheating or not cheating position, I just don't think it's at all obvious from this evidence, so I was curious how others were so sure.

* Yes, this was the typical biglaw summer associate wining n' dining, and I didn't feel put out by it, but some real employee had to come and show the summers a good time.
posted by rkent at 3:20 PM on July 11, 2007


desuetude, they weren't really continuing at that point. Agreed in general, but it does seem to have stopped post callout/cleanup.
posted by cortexAdmin at 4:56 PM on July 11


Both post-callout by 15 min, and from my recollection, that was post-cleanup as well. I can't be the only person who previews. [shrug]

Come on, you don't think it's just a little weird that she has a weekly mandatory dinner with coworkers? It would sound more legit if it was with clients, or if it was just a weekly coworker get-together.

Mandatory can go beyond the completely literal "if you don't attend you will get fired immediately." Significant pressure to participate with insinuations that you'll be overlooked for not being a "team player" can effectively equal "mandatory."
posted by desuetude at 3:24 PM on July 11, 2007


rkent, fair enough. As I said, I am not firmly for or against the theory, but I find the mandatory dinners unusual. As someone who is in the technology industry & whose friends & husband are all engineers, I find staying late sometimes to be normal, but not going out for dinner on weeknights on a planned basis.

I admit that I would have probably not really thought about cheating if it weren't for all of the "Cheater!" comments posted.
posted by tastybrains at 3:28 PM on July 11, 2007


The cleanup was post-callout by about a half hour—both of those comments came before/during said cleanup and before I dropped in the "hey, cut it out" comment. I'm not stressing about the timeline argument, but in those folks' defense it's entirely plausible that they hadn't seen the callout or the cleanup happening, and certainly couldn't have seen my comment. [agreeable shrug]
posted by cortex (staff) at 3:30 PM on July 11, 2007


Except it's really really not helpful. He doesn't question his girlfriend's whereabouts or that her job expects her to be at a dinner, he's simply asking if it's legal that she not receive compensation. Plenty of other people seem to have managed to answer without making up another question and answering that instead.

I won't get into particulars, but having observed this EXACT behavior before, I said the first thing that popped into my head -- which was basically Greta's "joke." I wasn't trying to derail the thread, insult the OP, or what have you. In retrospect, I should have just shaken my head and moved on.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 3:52 PM on July 11, 2007


I love every boy and every girl.
posted by greta simone at 3:57 PM on July 11, 2007


It wasn't even a joke answer. It was just a joke. It really should be deleted with the others.

Even though a majority of us think she might be cheating, it has nothing to do with the question about whether her not being paid for these meetings is illegal.

Unless she is a prostitute who is also cheating.

Then, you know, she should be paid.
posted by misha at 4:06 PM on July 11, 2007


It's funny what a rorschach test most AskMe questions are.
posted by salvia at 4:09 PM on July 11, 2007


Yeah, you can pretty much tell who has and hasn't read Watchmen.
posted by cortex (staff) at 4:16 PM on July 11, 2007 [2 favorites]


Someone ate out tasty's brains.

Someone done scooped it out!


*reads paper; tries not to look suspicious*
posted by brain_drain at 4:17 PM on July 11, 2007 [2 favorites]


Some people see a pretty butterfly...whereas some OTHER people see....
posted by kittens for breakfast at 4:20 PM on July 11, 2007


Yeah, you can pretty much tell who has and hasn't read Watchmen.
"Cock. Cock with head split in half."

I admit that I would have probably not really thought about cheating if it weren't for all of the "Cheater!" comments posted.

Same here. You people are all either really insecure, or really, really slutty... which makes the pain of being far, far away from the Meet-ups hurt all the more.

Honestly, what the fuck is wrong with you people who are continuing to try to derail a perfectly legit AskMe?

And don't forget the people who keep turning MeTas into frickin' games of I've Got a Crush Grabassery. If everyone makes up and works their differences out, fine, yay. If everyone agrees to disagree and just walk away from one another, also yay. But when everybody starts with the *licks* and *huggles* and *wacky fun mischief*, that's when things go too far.
Get a room.
Or a livejournal community.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 4:40 PM on July 11, 2007


If you have a girlfriend, she's cheating on you. All girlfriends cheat, all the time. I assume that's widely known, so it's not really useful to put as an answer.
posted by Mr. President Dr. Steve Elvis America at 7:28 PM on July 11, 2007


No, Steve -- if YOU have a girlfriend, she's cheating on you. It's an important distinction we're making here; let's make it clear.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 9:21 PM on July 11, 2007


I have no use for a girlfriend.

That said, I've fucked a lot of people's girlfriends, and my impression is that the other person rarely suspects a thing. I've certainly never gotten in any sort of trouble for it. Hell, I fucked a woman whose girlfriend was sure she was a lesbian who had never touched a man.

Everyone cheats.
posted by Mr. President Dr. Steve Elvis America at 10:11 PM on July 11, 2007


House? Is that you?
posted by jacalata at 11:26 PM on July 11, 2007


Even though a majority of us think she might be cheating

I am not so sure the majority is on your side.

That said, I've fucked a lot of people's girlfriends

This is not something that most people with healthy egos brag about on the internets.
posted by caddis at 12:53 AM on July 12, 2007 [1 favorite]


I don't know how you interpreted my comment as bragging.

I was responding to kittens for breakfast's comments by clarifying what lead me to believe that all girlfriends cheat, regardless of what their significant others might think.
posted by Mr. President Dr. Steve Elvis America at 1:15 AM on July 12, 2007


Metafilter: This is not something that most people with healthy egos brag about on the internets.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 1:23 AM on July 12, 2007


That said, I've fucked a lot of people's girlfriends

he has ... and i've got the cadillacs, mink coats and photographs to prove it
posted by pyramid termite at 1:31 AM on July 12, 2007


Dear AskMe:

I'm texting from a rail bridge where I've got an awesome view of the surrounding valley. It's shaking quite a bit, however, from the oncoming train. Will I get better results if I set up the tripod or should I just stick with hand-held?
posted by dreamsign at 1:49 AM on July 12, 2007


That said, I've fucked a lot of people's girlfriends

Wives are better.
posted by ND¢ at 5:07 AM on July 12, 2007


So...what is it that people with healthy egos DO brag about on the internet?
posted by kittens for breakfast at 5:55 AM on July 12, 2007



Everyone cheats.
posted by Mr. President Dr. Steve Elvis America at 10:11 PM on July 11 [+] [!]


I've got it, you're House!
posted by drezdn at 5:56 AM on July 12, 2007


So...what is it that people with healthy egos DO brag about on the internet?

Skillz that are either leet or mad and pwning.
posted by ND¢ at 6:48 AM on July 12, 2007


So...what is it that people with healthy egos DO brag about on the internet?

Nothing, of course.
posted by caddis at 7:11 AM on July 12, 2007


So...what is it that people with healthy egos DO brag about on the internet?

Mostly about what badass things they eat for breakfast.
posted by dersins at 8:47 AM on July 12, 2007


So...what is it that people with healthy egos DO brag about on the internet?

My ego is healthier than yours. My super-ego can snatch clean-and-jerk ten times the weight of my Id.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 8:56 AM on July 12, 2007


"Mostly about what badass things they eat for breakfast."

I had ramen. Not so badass, but I saw Tampopo again last night.
posted by klangklangston at 9:37 AM on July 12, 2007


You would not believe the oatmeal I had for breakfast. You couldn't handle them oats.
posted by Ms. Saint at 9:53 AM on July 12, 2007


Coca-Cola and cigarettes.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:14 AM on July 12, 2007


emptyinside's girlfriend.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 10:20 AM on July 12, 2007


Cola cigarellos and coke.
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:41 AM on July 12, 2007


Unhandleable oats snorted off emptyinside's girlfriend's radiator.
posted by ND¢ at 10:48 AM on July 12, 2007


Worlds.
posted by cortex (staff) at 11:05 AM on July 12, 2007


Your soul.
posted by OmieWise at 11:20 AM on July 12, 2007


Oh, I'm sorry, I wasn't clear: I meant to say I ate my oatmeal from a lion's mouth while snowboarding down Mt. Rushmore with a jet-pack, and the lion was snowboarding with his own jet-pack so he could keep up, and bombs tossed from helicopters exploded above us.

It was pretty tasty.
posted by Ms. Saint at 12:07 PM on July 12, 2007 [1 favorite]


I ate my oatmeal from a lion's mouth

My cat's breath smells like cat food oatmeal.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 12:09 PM on July 12, 2007


This is why jokey answers are bad in AskMe.

Not necessarily.
posted by UbuRoivas at 5:30 PM on July 12, 2007


yeah, a little (and I really do mean little) bit more freedom for levity, especially in questions which just beg for it, would be good in AskMe. The general principle of staying the course is good, but sometimes a little fun in the fashion which makes most people smile without insulting the person asking the question, without being just an ego booster for the joker, and which fails to really disturb the helpful thread should be left for all to enjoy. Sometimes they are, often they are excised, like as by a robot. It's all the more frustrating when those doing the cutting really do have a great senses of humor. I do understand the whole slippery slope, this could get out of hand, rules are rules argument. I just think it is dopey. (oops, posted this in the old thread by mistake but here it is now. please give us some leeway on humor when tastefully done.)
posted by caddis at 7:37 PM on July 12, 2007


I'm glad you reposted that here, caddis; I've deposted it there.
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:02 PM on July 12, 2007


see, that is my point, sort of. when a comment deviates at all, it is disappeared, just like as if Bush Co. were moderating.
posted by caddis at 10:10 PM on July 12, 2007


Are you suggesting that that comment shouldn't have been deleted? The comment that had nothing to do with the question you posted it in, and which was metacommentary and which actually made sense in this thread?

Because that's not a comment that "deviates at all", that's a comment that totally doesn't make sense in AskMe. I see your point, but pick your damn battles.
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:14 PM on July 12, 2007


"This is why jokey answers are bad in AskMe."

Not necessarily.


To be fair, that's not really an example of a jokey answer being a good answer. It's more an example of "Best Answer" checkmarks being doled out in an arbitrary and capricious manner.

It's also pretty damn funny, and, unlike the AskMe that motivated me to post this thread in the first place, not anx unnecessarily mean, pointless derail of a jokey answer.
posted by dersins at 11:08 PM on July 12, 2007


dersins - is that the tooth? i'm quite disappointed. i thought i had accidentally come up with the correct answer, through incisive wit.
posted by UbuRoivas at 11:40 PM on July 12, 2007


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