Should I post this?

August 23, 2007 2:06 PM

So I've been reading a lot about a particular issue I'm involved in as part of my job (and personally), and I think that a lot of the stuff I've been reading online is MeFi -worthy. At the same time, does the fact that I do have some personal stake in this stuff getting read (in the sense that it would make me happy if more people knew about this particular issue) make this a self-link? I didn't provide content to these sites, or have anything to do with what goes on there. Can I safely post these on the front page, or should I just not? Also, I know that once you ask yourself "should I post this" the answer is probably no. At the same time, I'm pretty passionate about this stuff and don't want to just not post anything...
posted by OverlappingElvis to etiquette/policy at 2:06 PM (29 comments total)

If it's interesting, post it.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 2:14 PM on August 23, 2007

Agreed - I just don't want to be banned :)
posted by OverlappingElvis at 2:15 PM on August 23, 2007

Does the topic happen to be about increasing penis size? If so, I'd hold off on the FPP.
posted by found missing at 2:19 PM on August 23, 2007 [2 favorites has favorites]

From the FAQ: It's against the rules to link to your own site, a site that you host or contribute to substantially or a site of someone who is a close friend or relative of yours.
posted by Floydd at 2:20 PM on August 23, 2007

One solid post about an issue you care about, based off of links that are great = yay, interesting!
Posting about the same issue every single day, where the quality of the links was irrelevant to your wanting to post it = boo, no good.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 2:20 PM on August 23, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Rather than inviting the almost-inevitable MeTa shitstorm, you could always email one or more of the admins with the proposed post, and your personal connection to it, and inquire as to its appropriateness.

That's what I did with this post.
posted by dersins at 2:21 PM on August 23, 2007

If you post on one issue too frequently, some MeFites will politely suggest that you get your own blog in which to promote awareness of this issue.
posted by GuyZero at 2:21 PM on August 23, 2007

It doesn't make it a self link but it often makes it a bad link. Your filters tend to be a bit lowered toward things that you agree with.
posted by smackfu at 2:22 PM on August 23, 2007

That's what I did with this post.

Make sure you email the mod you know will have a soft spot for your particular topic also.

In short, if the people on the site you are linking to are your good friends or family members and you think that may either impact your view on how worthy the topic is or have it pass the "smell test" for self-links then don't do it. This is especially true if it's a sort of hobby horse "sign my petition" Very Important political topic. However if it's interesting, something people probably haven't seen before and likely to garner good discussion, go for it.
posted by jessamyn at 2:24 PM on August 23, 2007

Thanks everyone for the advice - I think (per smackfu's comment) that the best thing for me to do is to shelve this for now and actually make sure I can make a good post out of this instead of just "a post that I happen to like." There's definitely a difference.
posted by OverlappingElvis at 2:25 PM on August 23, 2007

Make sure you email the mod you know will have a soft spot for your particular topic also.

Are you hinting that someone needs to put together a killer post on the recreational uses of poultry?

sorry.
posted by dersins at 2:38 PM on August 23, 2007 [3 favorites has favorites]

sorry.

no, you aren't, but I can make you very very sorry.
posted by jessamyn at 3:11 PM on August 23, 2007 [5 favorites has favorites]

Now THAT, that I would like to see a post about.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 3:13 PM on August 23, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

i am a tiny, pathetic, sorry little person and not worthy of your vengeance or even your scorn
posted by dersins at 3:14 PM on August 23, 2007

I didn't provide content to these sites, or have anything to do with what goes on there.

I think that's the definition of "not a self-link".
posted by EndsOfInvention at 3:21 PM on August 23, 2007

Everybody is invited to Jessamyn's for scorn on the cob!
posted by cortex at 3:29 PM on August 23, 2007 [3 favorites has favorites]

You should never post anything that you're interested in. Post things you hate, or have found by typing random URLs into the address bar of your browser. Anything else is unacceptable. Also, sarcasm is a must. Even when it's poorly used.
posted by blue_beetle at 3:32 PM on August 23, 2007 [3 favorites has favorites]

OverlappingElvis, please post it. Now that you've teased us it's mean. Just make it a fairly dense, explanatory post and put all the juicier and sketchier links on the more inside.
posted by Deathalicious at 3:42 PM on August 23, 2007

No thanks, I've been eating scorn on the cob too much lately. I'm up for some hot doggerels though.
posted by DarkForest at 3:42 PM on August 23, 2007

Post things you hate

You're going to have to narrow that down a bit.

/eyeballkid
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:49 PM on August 23, 2007

Everybody is invited to Jessamyn's for scorn on the cob!

Actually we are having lotuses. Tasty!
posted by jessamyn at 3:56 PM on August 23, 2007

hurf durf flower eater
posted by cortex at 3:59 PM on August 23, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

I'm pretty hungry, so I'll have the monetary unit of Lesotho, equal to 100 lisente.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 5:48 PM on August 23, 2007

Are you hinting that someone needs to put together a killer post on the recreational uses of poultry?

I'm not sure whether to glare or preen.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 6:12 PM on August 23, 2007

You should probably be afraid. Very afraid.
posted by dersins at 6:22 PM on August 23, 2007

Does the topic happen to be about increasing penis size? If so, I'd hold off on the FPP.

Same goes for mesothelioma. (Did I spell that correctly? Firefox doesn't think so.)
posted by oaf at 7:04 PM on August 23, 2007

Would each moderator please list his/her favorite topics for which he/she has a soft spot? I'd like to try to make at least one of you sorta happy just once.
posted by davy at 8:24 PM on August 23, 2007

The other thing is to try and avoid editorializing on the front page at least. Your pet topic post will go over a lot better if it's balanced (and not in the Fox way) and doesn't come across as axe grinding.
posted by Mitheral at 9:05 PM on August 23, 2007

Same goes for mesothelioma.

$20 SAIT

(Did I spell that correctly? Firefox doesn't think so.)

Firefox wouldn't know if you spelled it wrong, either; it's just not in the standard dictionary. Be activist! Don't let Firefox limit your vocab; take the fight to it!
posted by cortex at 8:22 AM on August 24, 2007