Comments on: First we take Manhattan

First we take Manhattan

Artifice_Eternity — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 17:26:40 -0800

Hello fellow MeFites. cortex called my music ass-bumping orwello-euro electropop (still one of my favorite reviews ever). You may have heard a bit of it on MeFiComp. And now (somewhat to my surprise) I will be performing it live this Saturday night at The Knitting Factory (NYC).

By: Poolio

Poolio — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 17:43:07 -0800

Self-link.

By: ludwig_van

ludwig_van — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 17:44:04 -0800

Awesome man, have a good show. Also, I was listening to Leonard Cohen when I opened this thread.

By: ThePinkSuperhero

ThePinkSuperhero — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 17:44:25 -0800

Break a leg!

By: The World Famous

The World Famous — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 17:58:42 -0800

Is it cool to post about one's own gigs on MeTa?

Because I had a gig a couple weeks ago that I totally would have posted here if I thought it was ok to do.

Granted, I'm not ass-bumping in any sense of the word, but I do rock.

(FWIW, I think it's definitely cool to post that you have a gig, and I think I may actually be able to come to the Knitting Factory on Saturday, so thanks!)

By: smackfu

smackfu — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 18:08:20 -0800

You can do it once. After that, people start bitching.

By: dobbs

dobbs — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 18:08:59 -0800

Is it cool to post about one's own gigs on MeTa?

No. It's been poo-poo'd numerous times.

I suggested a subsection to Music a while ago for just this type of thing. Also poo-poo'd.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 18:12:52 -0800

Artifice_Eternity, refresh my memory..have we met?

By: snsranch

snsranch — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 18:14:55 -0800

I think there may be a caveat to those doing this kind of self-linking: GUEST LIST AND DRINKS FOR MEFITES or bannination and hellfire for eternity.

See, now it's ok.

(I hope you have a great show!)

By: The World Famous

The World Famous — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 18:15:01 -0800

Aw, poo.

By: smackfu

smackfu — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 18:17:19 -0800

Also, there has been some very understandably hostile responses to: "Let's have a meetup! At my show! That you need to pay for!"

By: The World Famous

The World Famous — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 18:29:40 -0800

I think we should define, then, what is acceptable in terms of a meetup/event announcement. I won't post about one of my own gigs unless I'm certain that it's cool to do so (hence my abstention of a couple weeks ago). But I seem to remember people having posted about gigs here and getting very positive responses. Perhaps it depends on who is doing the gigging.

Is it ok to post a MeTa proposing a meetup at one's own show if the show is free? What if it's not free, but all MeFites are on the guest list?

I suspect there are lots of MeFites who have gigs, and opening up MeTa to gig announcements would likely result in lots and lots of those kinds of posts. So, moratorium on self-promoting gig announcements, across the board?

I, too, think it would be cool to have an area that lists the gigs of MeFites. MeGig, as it were. At least a sidebar on MeTa, right?

By: carsonb

carsonb — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 18:34:23 -0800

At least a sidebar on MeTa, right?

I think it'd do well on the sidebar of Music, a la the meetups bit of the MeTa sidebar.

By: aubilenon

aubilenon — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 18:35:42 -0800

I get the sense that projects is a place for things that you hope someone would click the [post this to mefi] button, but that's almost never appropriate for real-world events.

Rather than a music-gig specific thing I'd rather a general events section of projects (which has a combination of projects, music, and travel, in that it's very location specific, unless it's a tour).

That way all the photographers have somewhere to post gallery shows too.

By: YoBananaBoy

YoBananaBoy — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 18:37:51 -0800

Do we need calendar.metafilter.com?

By: ludwig_van

ludwig_van — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 18:49:27 -0800

You can post about your gig but doing so is of dubious value. Although people came to hear me in London last year. That was cool. I've asked for a Live section in music before, but it only got a smattering support (and some people responded to that by saying just post it in MeTa).

By: ND¢

ND¢ — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 19:04:44 -0800

Matt has opined about this before. He said something like "As long as the gig is in New York then it is fine." Something like that. I don't remember exactly.

By: achmorrison

achmorrison — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 19:08:09 -0800

Self-link.
posted by Poolio at 7:43 PM on September 6

n00b

By: ND¢

ND¢ — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 19:09:31 -0800

Oh I think that it is very much in the dickmove category myself. In case anyone was wondering.

By: ludwig_van

ludwig_van — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 19:18:10 -0800

Why is it a dick move? Because if one person does it, everyone will start doing it and it will clog up MeTa? If that's true, then there's enough of a demand that such things ought to have a designated section. If that's not true, then the few people that have gigs to announce should just announce them here and other people should stop bitching.

By: ND¢

ND¢ — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 19:28:49 -0800

I think that it is a dick move because MeTa is about community issues. It is a space for discussing things that affect a group of users on the site, be it the group who doesn't know what "." means or the group in Toronto that wants to meet for drinks at the Salted Moose on Thursday June 10th. However, when you make a post about your gig, you are taking a resource that is specifically designed to serve multiple people and you are using it solely for your own purposes. I don't think that it is a terrible thing to do. I do ten worse things everyday. But do I think that it is a bit dick? Yes I do.

By: The World Famous

The World Famous — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 19:33:28 -0800

Why is suggesting a meetup at a MeFite's gig worse than suggesting a meetup at nobody's gig or a non-MeFite's gig?

I don't know about the rest of the world, but in L.A. it's not like we're making money off these gigs, you know (for the most part, that is).

By: jonmc

jonmc — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 19:35:09 -0800

I have a gig tomorrow at %:15 at the corner of 12th & Broadway. Actually, that's just my smoke break. But I'll probably be talking to myself and pacing, which is kind of entertaining.

By: woodblock100

woodblock100 — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 19:44:33 -0800

Rather than a music-gig specific thing I'd rather a general events section of projects ... That way all the photographers have somewhere to post gallery shows too.

... and printmakers ...

Could this be 'events.metafilter.com'? All entries tagged with city, genre, etc. to make it easy to find what MeFites are up to ...

By: Blazecock Pileon

Blazecock Pileon — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 19:47:44 -0800

It's too bad your announcement brought out the lawyers, man. I hope you have a good show.

By: The World Famous

The World Famous — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 19:53:04 -0800

It's too bad your announcement brought out the lawyers, man.

Not to mention the shameless apologist suffering from massive brain damage ;-)

By: Artifice_Eternity

Artifice_Eternity — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 20:01:26 -0800

Sorry, I ducked out for a while.

Thanks to all well-wishers.

Self-justification:

I was trying to figure out how kosher this post would be. Playing at the Knit is kind of a big deal for me. I thought about posting it to Projects, but I posted an event of some kind there long ago, and it seemed not to get a warm reception. Everything there is more... project-y... like link-y and web-y.

I started scrolling thru recent MeTa posts, and found this one. I felt like that was a valid enough precedent. Granted, I'm not proposing a meetup at my gig. But I actually felt like it would be disingenuous for me to do so.

I would love to see some MeFites at the Knit on Saturday, but I'm not going to pretend like I'm gonna have a lot of time to hang -- lots of other people I know will be there, and I'm one of the organizers of the show as well as participant.

I feel like something of this sort should be postable somewhere in the MeFiVerse. Shouldn't it? Sorry if anyone was annoyed that I put it here.

By: Artifice_Eternity

Artifice_Eternity — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 20:02:46 -0800

jonmc: Yes, I organized (and DJed at) the MeFiComp meetup in NYC (last December 3).

By: Artifice_Eternity

Artifice_Eternity — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 20:10:02 -0800

Maybe event postings should be officially designated as postable to Projects? Not all MeFites' events are music-related, so it wouldn't work to put all event postings on MeMu.

By: The World Famous

The World Famous — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 20:17:10 -0800

Do people really read Projects that much? I haven't really been able to get into it. Maybe that would be different if there were events there, too, but it just doesn't seem like the same thing.

I think it would be very cool if there were a sidebar on Music that said what the upcoming gigs of MeFites were.

By: Dave Faris

Dave Faris — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 20:21:15 -0800

I was trying to figure out how kosher this post would be.

It's a shame that people don't figure 'when in doubt, don't.' But, as they say, it's easier to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission. In any case, good luck with your show.

By: Artifice_Eternity

Artifice_Eternity — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 20:25:07 -0800

Also, there has been some very understandably hostile responses to: "Let's have a meetup! At my show! That you need to pay for!"
posted by smackfu at 6:17 PM PST on September 6

Yes, that is understandable. So, full disclosure: there is a cover charge at my show ($6, at the door or in advance).

P.S. Listen before you pay, at MurdochSpace.

By: justgary

justgary — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 20:33:34 -0800

P.S. Listen before you pay, at MurdochSpace.

If you're as good at music as you are at self promotion it's going to be an awesome show.

By: Afroblanco

Afroblanco — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 20:44:03 -0800

I think it's totally cool to post your gig on MeTa, but some people are assholes about it.

If this behavior is officially discouraged, I really wish they would give us a place in MeFi Music to list our gigs.

By: smackfu

smackfu — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 20:46:06 -0800

I guess this is the argument for more rules, because in a vaccuum, people just make up their own and then call you a dick for breaking them.

By: Dave Faris

Dave Faris — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 20:51:54 -0800

I think it's totally cool to post your gig on MeTa, but some people are assholes about it.

Considering the tiny fraction of people who are local to the gig should be enough reason alone to realize that Metafilter isn't the place for this sort of thing. The site has a worldwide audience, so 99.999% of the people reading about your gig couldn't care less about it. And since this is Metatalk, it's practically essential to snark and naysay rather than to let it pass.

By: Artifice_Eternity

Artifice_Eternity — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 20:56:41 -0800

Considering the tiny fraction of people who are local to the gig should be enough reason alone to realize that Metafilter isn't the place for this sort of thing.

Users near Artifice_Eternity

By: Dave Faris

Dave Faris — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 21:00:03 -0800

Given that there are 58,000+ registered users, that means for every 1 of those people who live within fifty miles of you, there are 111 who don't. That doesn't count the non-registered readers. I stand by the 99.999% figure.

By: puke & cry

puke & cry — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 21:01:48 -0800

Good luck with the gig but metafilter isn't a place for self-promotion no matter how you want to justify it.

By: The World Famous

The World Famous — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 21:03:59 -0800

Given that there are 58,000+ registered users, that means for every 1 of those people who live within fifty miles of you, there are 111 who don't.

Um, the show's in L.A., not in New York.

Moreover, the whole "we're global, so don't post local events" argument could apply to meetups, too, couldn't it? And yet . . .

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 21:04:50 -0800

I think it'd do well on the sidebar of Music, a la the meetups bit of the MeTa sidebar.

That siebar could get clogged up pretty fast... I'd rather see a button on the sidebar that you could click on to go to a designated MeFi Music live calendar page. That'd be cool.

Oh, and Artifice_Eternity, watch out for those sharks that run the Knitting Factory. And have a good gig.

And I'm getting "Unable to find that event" at your Knitting Factory link. So either you got the link wrong, or they're doing things just as well as they always have down at the ol' Knit.

By: Dave Faris

Dave Faris — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 21:06:30 -0800

Mefi meetups are about Metafilter and the community. Not about the glorification of one person, no matter how awesome cortex thinks they are.

By: snsranch

snsranch — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 21:06:42 -0800

Artifice_Eternity: Not only are you not GUEST LISTING MeFites, but you have never even posted any music to MeFiMu.

It's my understanding that a MuFi side blog is coming up. Perfect for this kind of stuff.

I'm not discouraging posting gigs. If you're playing my town, I'm there.

However, I understand how folks feel. Why should you be able to post about your gig when others don't have one to post about?

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 21:06:55 -0800

Um, the show's in L.A., not in New York.

Should've previewed. I went to the NYC part of their site, since A_E's post indicates that it's the NYC one. You sure you know which coast you're on, there, A_E?

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 21:11:47 -0800

It's my understanding that a MuFi side blog is coming up

snsranch: I think your "understanding" is, at this point, more along the order of "wishful thinking"! After all, in the comment you linked to, cortex says: "I hope there's a sideblog thingy coming up, but we don't have any specific plans in motion right now..."

By: The World Famous

The World Famous — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 21:14:14 -0800

Yeah, apparently I'm an idiot and the show's in NYC. I guess I'm not going after all. Bit of a drive.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 21:14:36 -0800

Wow, now that KF link is going somewhere else. I'm all confused, what's happening? I'm losing my mind! The Knitting Factory is fucking with me all over again! It's like a bad dream!

By: smackfu

smackfu — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 21:19:16 -0800

I think it's great you're doing a show in NYC. Not a lot of people can say that. And I'm glad something positive is taking up space in MetaTalk, rather than petty bitching and whining.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 21:23:11 -0800

smackfu, actually, a perusal of the Village Voice ads for NYC clubs will show that, actually, a lot of people can say that!

Don't get me wrong, though, I'm happy for A_E and all the other musicians who play every night of the week in that city so nice they named it twice (and tripled the rent in a year).

By: maxwelton

maxwelton — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 21:27:00 -0800

rather than petty bitching and whining

Are we looking at the same thread?

By: ludwig_van

ludwig_van — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 21:30:28 -0800

It's cool world famous, I'll be at the LA Knitting Factory next month.

By: Poolio

Poolio — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 21:33:38 -0800

woodblock100 - Could this be 'events.metafilter.com'? All entries tagged with city, genre, etc. to make it easy to find what MeFites are up to ...

+1 for this suggestion.

By: The World Famous

The World Famous — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 21:34:49 -0800

It's cool world famous, I'll be at the LA Knitting Factory next month.

Sounds like a good excuse for a meetup, I say.

By: empath

empath — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 21:35:59 -0800

I think it would be better to get another mefite to post about your gig :)

If you can't get another mefite to care, then you probably shouldn't post it anyway.

By: Artifice_Eternity

Artifice_Eternity — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 21:36:28 -0800

Yes, it's in NYC.

As for the petty bitching and whining: that's what I get for posting to MeTa. :/

By: ludwig_van

ludwig_van — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 21:39:47 -0800

Sounds like a good excuse for a meetup, I say.

You see A_E, this is how you have to do it. Post your gig in someone else's thread and thereby sidestep the bitching.

By: Dave Faris

Dave Faris — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 21:40:28 -0800

Oh, quit acting like a victim. You're getting exactly what you deserve.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 21:44:59 -0800

If you can't get another mefite to care...

We're MetaFilter. And we care.

By: ludwig_van

ludwig_van — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 21:46:17 -0800

Christ, what an asshole.

By: Afroblanco

Afroblanco — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 21:51:07 -0800

A meetup is a meetup, and despite what others may think, it's perfectly okay to organize a meetup around something other than drinking.

As a non-drinker, I actually appreciate such things.

By: the_bone

the_bone — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 21:51:49 -0800

I, too, think it would be cool to have an area that lists the gigs of MeFites. MeGig, as it were. At least a sidebar on MeTa, right?

There's already a MySpace, and the band spam there is annoying enough. As nice as it would be to find a way to support members of the community in their live musical endeavors, I personally could do without MetaSpace.

By: The World Famous

The World Famous — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 22:06:58 -0800

There's already a MySpace, and the band spam there is annoying enough. As nice as it would be to find a way to support members of the community in their live musical endeavors, I personally could do without MetaSpace.

Unless MySpace has changed radically since the last time I checked, it is not a list of when various MeFi members have gigs, is it?

By: mediareport

mediareport — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 22:35:13 -0800

Weird that no mods have spoken up, so here's Matt from a thread about this in March:

I think the takeaway is we need to think about it a bit more and come up with a solution that strikes some happy middle ground between not being in everyone's face and not being a subsite no one visits, and the stuff on it has to be somewhere in the middle between super huge offline project announcement and thousands of teeny little microevent announcements.

I'm sure we'll come up with something but it'll probably take a few more months of thinking about it.

[closed because we don't need another nasty thread attacking people's motivations for promotion, and I think this has been as productive as it can be.]

cortex' comment sums up the uncertainty nicely, too:

The problem is not the mefite-gig-promotion aspect, though—a post like this now and then seems fine, and I'm big on intra-site gig awareness &c—it's that this sort of thing wouldn't scale well if everyone with a gig were to start posting it to MeTa. It'd be a mess, at that scale, though a post now and then (or, horrors, two in one night!) is completely tenable.

I'd love to see a Gigs section or subsection or what have you, events.metafilter.com or some such, but until it comes along we're pretty much stuck with careful navigation along the thin border between Don't Ever and Too Often.

I think it's good for folks to hesitate before using MeTa as an announcement site for gigs members have to pay to get into.

By: Abiezer

Abiezer — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 22:38:43 -0800

Up-and-comer johnmc's one-man off-Broadway show "Smoke Break" is a masterpiece that will redefine how we understand urban anomie. Combining physical theatre - his aimless pacing recalls the the relentless, restless motion of the unforgiving metropolis - with a freeform monologue (warning, profanity) that demands we ask questions of ourselves just as the protagonist questions the very basis of the modern social compact. "Why is that arsehole boss always up in my shit?" Why indeed.
Part of his trilogy, alongside "Hoagie" and "On the Crapper," that takes us on a Orphean tour through the consume-and-be-consumed underbelly of the city to an ultimate distopian destination where, he seems to suggest, we are ultimately squeezed out and flushed away in noxious squalor. A must-see (nose-clip advised).

By: cortex

cortex — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 22:55:08 -0800

Could this be 'events.metafilter.com'?

It's something I'm for. I understand the friction that gig announcements cause on metatalk, despite having historically been for 'em in moderation, and a calendar of events would be a nice way to (a) provide some non-meetup mefite interaction possibilities in general and (b) slice through the particular sort of gordian knot this thread embodies.

I have left my compadres a voicemail for the podcast. Will they answer my question? I VIBRATE IN ANTICIPATION.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 23:08:33 -0800

This cortex, he vibrates in anticipation?

By: scarabic

scarabic — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 23:51:06 -0800

I recall The Pink Superhero being in a play and posting a thread about it, inviting others to see it and meet up afterward. As I recall, her first thread was let go but a second thread the day of the event, as a reminder, was shut down. Perhaps there's a bit of a leash but not too much? In other words, as long as it's not too often and it's done with the sort of panache that strikes the admins' fancy the right way, it will continue. Some bonehead who can't write will eventually screw it up for everyone by posting a bald gig announcement for their shitty band that the admins won't be able to bring themselves to let stand.

By: lazaruslong

lazaruslong — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 23:57:33 -0800

I see the argument about scale, but if there is simply sidebar on MeFi Music, I mean....not all that many people come there right now. This might be enough to get a little more traffic to that section, and at the least maybe foster some collaboration and support between MeFi Musicians in similar locations.

By: Happydaz

Happydaz — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 01:06:06 -0800

Have a great show! I agree there should be a place to announce stuff like this, but if Cortex really thought you were the bee's knees, then Cortex would be posting this on MeTa and there would be no knotted panties in this thread. Also, all these people are telling you this post is too self-promoty, and you respond by giving more details and telling people how to get there?

Bad form man. Hope your music is better than your online etiquette.

By: Wolof

Wolof — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 01:44:40 -0800

Pfft, laissez les bons temps rouler.

By: Kwine

Kwine — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 07:03:48 -0800

This is not what Metatalk is for. What if people put gig notices in their profiles, so that when users find something of yours on Music that they like and then click on your profile to find out more about you then they can find out about your upcoming gigs?

By: micayetoca

micayetoca — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 07:08:59 -0800

That sidebar could get clogged up pretty fast... I'd rather see a button on the sidebar that you could click on to go to a designated MeFi Music live calendar page. That'd be cool.
posted by flapjax at midnite

That is a great idea, I think that's the perfect format for this kind of stuff.

And good luck, Artifice_Eternity, but snsranch is right, post something to Music, there is never enough contributions there.

By: smackfu

smackfu — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 07:11:39 -0800

Maybe create a new group called "Metafilter Music" on upcoming.org... and then create a link to it in the sidebar. People can add their gigs if they want. Other people can ignore it.

By: Wolfdog

Wolfdog — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 07:19:56 -0800

cortex called me a hamhanded, catstrangling, doggerel-spewing alcoholic. Should I post my gig schedule?

By: misha

misha — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 08:10:40 -0800

See, I felt good for AE, but then I began to see the point of the nay-sayers. I have some blogs, and I would love to promote them through Mefi, naturally, but obviously posting about them would be self-linking spamming of the skankiest kind. It would just be too tacky. And blogs are free to click on. I'll bet AE is talented as hell, but he is posting about something that would cost Mefites' 6 bucks a pop to see, so that's like putting up an ad for his show. So really, when you think about it, that's what he ought to do. Pay Matt to put an ad for his show on the site. But we pay our five bucks to keep us from seeing ads and...oh, what a quandary.

I think putting his music up on the mefi music site is the first step, yes. Then, maybe, since music threads don't close, whenever he has a gig, he could post it as a comment under his latest musical contribution. Does that make sense? So people who like his music and want to hear more know where to go? Maybe that's what we should ask anyone with a gig to do.

By: terrapin

terrapin — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 08:26:37 -0800

If a thread to wish jessamyn a happy birthday is kosher (and it was), then this is cool too.

This gig is a big deal for a member of our community. Just as birthdays, and, sadly, even death notices are. I certainly would rather celebrate the success of one of our talented members than read another "so and so was mean in this thread post."

Mefi meetups are about Metafilter and the community.
Dave, have you ever even attended a meetup?

By: Dave Faris

Dave Faris — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 08:54:59 -0800

Are you suggesting that because I haven't been to one, I'm not capable of distinguishing or justifying the differences between a post about a meetup, and what amounts to an unpaid advertisement?

Look, everyone is happy that this guy got his gig. It's the fact that he is unrepentant and continued to promote himself even after several of us politely told him it was wrong.

And because there's no good place to post about your gigs on metafilter, it doesn't mean that it's ok to do it anyway. If a store you're shopping in doesn't have a public restroom, that doesn't mean you're free to take a squat in the aisles.

By: micayetoca

micayetoca — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 09:48:33 -0800

Then, maybe, since music threads don't close, whenever he has a gig, he could post it as a comment under his latest musical contribution. Does that make sense? So people who like his music and want to hear more know where to go? Maybe that's what we should ask anyone with a gig to do.
posted by misha

Misha, allow me to disagree with you. Not enough people are going to music, and even those who go there regularly seem to listen to the song one time, perhaps download it and sometimes even comment. Very, very few people check back on the threads, even if they liked the song or the musician a lot. The posts in music don't lead to the same kind of exchange as the posts in MetaTalk or in the blue, so I think posting the link in our latest musical contribution wouldn't be useful at all.

I think flapjax's idea of a sidebar button that links to a live calendar is the perfect format. Perhaps they could even do a list of users who have an upcoming gig, similar to the list of people/songs that have been featured in a podcast, if they wanted to highlight who is playing soon.

I'd like to add that i say all this as someone who doesn't have any Mefites around at all, and thus, someone who won't be ever posting a gig. Even if I wouldn't benefit from this at all, I think it would be a really cool thing to have.

By: sgt.serenity

sgt.serenity — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 10:32:25 -0800

sounds a fair enough post to me - the mighty fall played the knitting factory, it's not exactly starbucks is it ?
props to you for getting a good gig, break a leg.

By: madamjujujive

madamjujujive — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 15:10:56 -0800

eh, I have mixed feelings on this.

One of the fundamental tenets of the site that has kept it pure over the years is the strict rule of no self promotion. People are banned for self promotion.

Projects and Music have offered a nice way to be exposed to member doings and talents without compromising Metafilter proper.

Nothing personal to you, Artifice_Eternity, but I don't think these types of notices belong here. Because they don't scale - lots of members probably have events. Because they are self promotion. Because they do seem too much like a free ad.

Now that being said, I think it is nice to learn about your event, A_E, and I wouldn't mind hearing about other events, I just don't think it belongs here. But I would support an events calendar or feature of some kind. I don't think it belongs on Music tho because I don't think it should be limited to music - why shouldn't a member who has an art showing, a book signing, a dance performance or a theatrical production be able to post a notice too?

By: tehloki

tehloki — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 15:19:17 -0800

I'm going to Nth "Mefite Shows in MeMu sidebar". I was in "can't post to MeTa" mode when myself and another mefite played our only show ever, and stupidly posted it to askme. There's just no good place to post them.

By: snsranch

snsranch — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 18:44:08 -0800

madamjujujive, you sum it up very nicely, that was well said.

RE: "Mefite Shows in MeMu sidebar", as madam3j just mentioned, this isn't just a music issue, it pertains to anyone with a gig, performance, showing etc.

MeFi Meetups is probably a good model for this, and as it could be theater, art or whatever coolness, sidebar on the front page might be best.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 18:54:24 -0800

the mighty fall played the knitting factory, it's not exactly starbucks is it ?

No, but they wanna be, baby, they wanna be.

By: KingoftheWhales

KingoftheWhales — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 20:29:54 -0800

Look, everyone is happy that this guy got his gig. It's the fact that he is unrepentant and continued to promote himself even after several of us politely told him it was wrong.

Dave Faris, several of you are not all of us. Just because you say someone is wrong, does not mean they must get on their knees and beg forgiveness. And especially after making a big deal about how only 1 in every 111 mefites are even close to the show, I don't see how several mefites and you are now the official dictators of what is right and wrong on this website.

By: Dave Faris

Dave Faris — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 22:06:35 -0800

Yeah, you know, you're right. After some thought about this thread, since this thread still stands when the moderators always delete everything beyond the pale, they've apparently given their tacit approval of it. And since they don't care, I'm not really sure why I bothered.

By: Artifice_Eternity

Artifice_Eternity — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 22:32:50 -0800

As suggested above, I've made a contribution to MeFi Music.

By: languagehat

languagehat — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 08:36:05 -0800

It's a shame that people don't figure 'when in doubt, don't.' But, as they say, it's easier to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission.

Considering the tiny fraction of people who are local to the gig should be enough reason alone to realize that Metafilter isn't the place for this sort of thing.

Mefi meetups are about Metafilter and the community. Not about the glorification of one person, no matter how awesome cortex thinks they are.

Oh, quit acting like a victim. You're getting exactly what you deserve.

Hmm. Once = "Gotta express my opinion!" OK. Twice = "Maybe they didn't hear me the first time!" Eh, probably they did, but what the hell. Over and over? Yer bein' an asshole.

It's the fact that he is unrepentant and continued to promote himself even after several of us politely told him it was wrong.

If "politely" = "assholishly."

I'm not really sure why I bothered.

Because you enjoyed it. Duh.

By: snsranch

snsranch — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 15:36:06 -0800

A_E, I swear that I checked your profile before stating that you hadn't contributed. (I was leg pulling anyway.) So, I stand corrected! Hooray!

By: snsranch

snsranch — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 15:42:32 -0800

Hey, wait a minute!!!! Nix my comments, but good show anyway.