Metafilter: Get your own blog

November 9, 2007 3:28 AM

"Get your own blog" is a stupid thing to say to a member of a site whose masthead reads "Community weblog."

This has probably been raised before, and if so, bring on the snarks from the Cool Kids Brigade ... But "Community weblog" atop the blue really should be changed to read "The best of the web," which is ostensibly what we aspire to. "Blog" carries tons of connotations that are just not correct for us.

posted by jbickers to MetaFilter-Related at 3:28 AM (139 comments total)

Today's special: Plate of beans served with a can of worms.
posted by veggieboy at 3:39 AM on November 9, 2007 [11 favorites]

Are you seriously asking for the difference between a personal blog and a community one to be explained out to you in full?

If so the answer is mung beans.
posted by gomichild at 3:48 AM on November 9, 2007 [3 favorites]

That was a fucked-up self-linky stinker. GYOB is the nicest thing anyone said.
posted by chuckdarwin at 4:00 AM on November 9, 2007

What chuck said.
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 4:15 AM on November 9, 2007

But "Community weblog" atop the blue really should be changed to read "The best of the web,"

Then most of the members would have to leave!
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:16 AM on November 9, 2007

That was a fucked-up self-linky stinker. GYOB is the nicest thing anyone said.

Agreed. And that has nothing to do with what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the disconnect between what the site calls itself and what it is.
posted by jbickers at 4:16 AM on November 9, 2007

jbickers, have you had a difficult week or has some particularly awful happenstance flopped onto your offline plate today? Because the barrow you are attempting to push is big and this hill is steep.

If you have indeed got something offsite that is causing you to react here then I'm sorry. I suggest you don't read anymore here today.

But if you have merely jumped in with your pet peeve of the moment then that barrow of shit is almost certainly about to run you over.

What gomichild said: community weblog and personal weblog are not considered the same thing. Don't you get that?
posted by peacay at 4:25 AM on November 9, 2007 [1 favorite]

Just like a corporate weblog and a personal weblog are not the same. Or a journalistic weblog and a personal weblog are not the same. There are some things that appropriate for a community weblog. For others, GYOBFW.
posted by grouse at 4:36 AM on November 9, 2007 [3 favorites]

I admire people with courage.

*dons shitcock suit*
posted by rudster at 4:39 AM on November 9, 2007 [2 favorites]

Put half of meatloaf mixture in loaf pan, layer pepperoni and chedder cheese and then cover with remainder of meat mixture. 15 minutes before meatloaf is done spread a half cup of your favorite pasta sauce on top and bake for 15 more minutes.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 4:40 AM on November 9, 2007 [4 favorites]

Hah! Hah! I am posting on Metafilter! And I am totally not being a dumbass in any way that would invite pointing and laughing from the snarkers and the barkers! I hope. Oh man, I hope.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 4:40 AM on November 9, 2007 [5 favorites]

""Blog" carries tons of connotations that are just not correct for us."

You mean that "Blog" carries tons of connotations *in your head* that are just not correct for *for the way this site works*. I'm not sure it's difficult to understand that a community blog is different from a personal blog and that whereas you control many aspects of your own blog there are pretty clear rules to contribute to this community one.
posted by patricio at 4:41 AM on November 9, 2007

Or, to be less opaque and stuff: jbickers, you are a big dummy.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 4:42 AM on November 9, 2007

Stavros: the barkers?
posted by patricio at 4:43 AM on November 9, 2007

"Get your own blog" was a very polite and sensible thing to say to that tosser in the other thread. I fear it maybe much politer than anything said to jbickers here. As for sense.....
posted by adamvasco at 4:47 AM on November 9, 2007

Are there any personal community blogs out there? Ones with 40000 members posting daily diaries and diatribes? If so I don't want to read them.
posted by soundofsuburbia at 4:51 AM on November 9, 2007 [6 favorites]

Or, to be less opaque and stuff: jbickers, you are a big dummy.

Yes, you have a very good point there.
posted by jbickers at 4:51 AM on November 9, 2007

Someone also once told me to get my own bucket of cocks. I say - aren't we supposed to share?
posted by SassHat at 5:00 AM on November 9, 2007 [1 favorite]

Agreed. And that has nothing to do with what I'm talking about.

Then why did you link to the post?
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 5:01 AM on November 9, 2007

The emphasis in the phrase Get Your Own Blog is intended to be on "Your Own", not "Blog". Unfortunately, this doesn't come across as well in text as it does when it's being said by the angry, resonant voice in the commenter's head.
posted by flashboy at 5:08 AM on November 9, 2007 [2 favorites]

I'm talking about the disconnect between what the site calls itself and what it is.

Could you expand on what exactly you're talking about so that a useful discussion can be had? Because at this point you're just lobbing bombs and snark and it's not really helpful, you know?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:11 AM on November 9, 2007

Yes, you have a very good point there.

Thank you sir.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 5:15 AM on November 9, 2007

I'm talking about the disconnect between what the site calls itself and what it is.

Could you expand on what exactly you're talking about so that a useful discussion can be had? Because at this point you're just lobbing bombs and snark and it's not really helpful, you know?

I'm surprised to find myself accused of being snarky - I'm a pretty consistently non-snarky fellow, and don't really know what I've said that counts as snarky.

It seems as if one of the major barometers used to judge a post's quality is "is this really the best of the web?" My question, then, is isn't that a better site descriptor than "community weblog," which could mean many different things to many different people and says absolutely nothing qualitative about the posts on said site?

To clarify, I understand well the guidelines about self-linking, and yes, that thread completely breaks them. I was merely using it as a point of entry to a discussion about the masthead, and wasn't clear. My bad.

Am I really the only one who thinks "Community weblog" isn't the best descriptor of the site? Especially for someone who might be encountering it for the first time?
posted by jbickers at 5:28 AM on November 9, 2007

I was merely using it as a point of entry to a discussion about the masthead, and wasn't clear. My bad.

Ooh, ok.

I have a blog. I use it to rant about my day sometimes, or upload pictures I've taken.

Such posts would not be appropriate for MetaFilter, and if I were to actually post such things, I would probably be told to get my own blog.

I don't know, I think the guidelines are pretty clear as they stand.
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 5:34 AM on November 9, 2007

Am I really the only one who thinks "Community weblog" isn't the best descriptor of the site?

I find MetaFilter pretty difficult to explain to others, even if I have much more than two words. But whenever I do, I almost always use the word "community," because that's what I think defines MetaFilter much better than other directories of wonderful things.
posted by grouse at 5:37 AM on November 9, 2007 [4 favorites]

So, is it a self-link that should be deleted, or not?
posted by yhbc at 5:40 AM on November 9, 2007

Weblog is the type of website where entries appear, dated, with the newest entries on top.

Community means that many different people post entries.

I don't think it's meant to be qualitative.
posted by lampoil at 5:46 AM on November 9, 2007

I don't know, I think the guidelines are pretty clear as they stand.

And one more time, just in case I'm still not being clear: I'm not talking about the guidelines. I'm talking about the masthead.
posted by jbickers at 5:48 AM on November 9, 2007

Weblog is the type of website where entries appear, dated, with the newest entries on top.

It's also the type of website where people complain about someone stealing their Flickr photos.
posted by jbickers at 5:50 AM on November 9, 2007

What could be done is to allow people to create subsites. So, you could have jbickers.metafilter.com, etc, in other words 'your own blog'. That way "GYOBFW" would actually be a nice, friendly invitation rather than the rather nasty piece of advice it is today.
Years of snark would be nullified in a single stroke, and MeFi (and by extension, the World) would retroactively become a happier, sunnier place.
So, my friends, GYOBFW!
posted by signal at 5:54 AM on November 9, 2007

It's also the type of website where people complain about someone stealing their Flickr photos.

No, it's not. All weblogs are websites where entries appear, dated, with the newest entries on top. You can complain about flickr theft on any kind of website, or you could use any other form of communication in the world to do the same thing.

You really don't see the difference? One thing is the definition of the term, the other is one of nearly infinite uses of that thing.
posted by lampoil at 6:04 AM on November 9, 2007

Yeah, yeah, Metafilter blog hosting! That'll go great with the private messaging and the dating subsite. When do we get the animated .gif avatars?
posted by box at 6:05 AM on November 9, 2007 [1 favorite]

I've always thought 'Community Weblog' was a perfect description. It is, as pointed out, dated, with the newest entries at the top. It's post-based, with comments. The difference lies in the way posters here are expected to contribute.

This is my POV, but the 'Metafilter voice' if you like is a journalistic, relatively objective one (most of the time). Personal editorialising or just having a rant is generally not on. Viz the infamous Portobello Mushroom post.

When people say 'Get Your Own Blog', they're really saying 'Please don't use Metafilter to advance personal axe-grinds, viewpoints or dingbat theories that are more usually found on personal blogs'.
posted by Happy Dave at 6:05 AM on November 9, 2007 [2 favorites]

Why the hell hasn't that post been deleted yet? I guess it's still early in the morning for two of three admins. But still.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 6:08 AM on November 9, 2007

I'm not talking about the guidelines. I'm talking about the masthead.

Let's have random taglines again!
posted by carsonb at 6:10 AM on November 9, 2007

What could be done is to allow people to create subsites.

Sure, but what could also be done is continued mockery of the dim and the internet clueless. Because that's the dirty steely I-beam foundation upon which Metafilter has been built, and that's what.

That'll go great with the private messaging and the dating subsite. When do we get the animated .gif avatars?

Don't get me fucking started.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 6:10 AM on November 9, 2007

Why the hell hasn't that post been deleted yet?

Seriously. Can't we get a another admin in Hong Kong, Tokyo or Sydney, or at least offshore some of their responsibilities to a shop in Hyderabad? The fact that this one-line post still lingers on the Blue continues to offend my delicate sensibilities.
posted by psmealey at 6:11 AM on November 9, 2007

“The fact that this one-line post still lingers on the Blue continues to offend my delicate sensibilities.”

You said it, brother. Fortunately, cortex came along and soothed my delicate sensibilities, as well as unruffling my panties.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 6:15 AM on November 9, 2007 [2 favorites]

Metafilter: I'm not talking about the guidelines. I'm talking about the masthead.
posted by b1tr0t at 6:22 AM on November 9, 2007

Am I really the only one who thinks "Community weblog" isn't the best descriptor of the site? Especially for someone who might be encountering it for the first time?

I really don't get what you mean. MetaFilter is undeniably a weblog, and all the posts are made by a community of users, so 'community weblog' seems pretty apt, really.
posted by jack_mo at 6:26 AM on November 9, 2007

Thanks to greasemonkey, MetaFilter tells me to get my own fucking blog at the top of every page. I take that shit to heart.
posted by chunking express at 6:27 AM on November 9, 2007 [1 favorite]

Good morning! I think Jess is traveling. The post is dead now.

Am I really the only one who thinks "Community weblog" isn't the best descriptor of the site?

I can't think of why it's so bad a descriptor, honestly. You seem to be arguing from the stance that because there are highly personal blogs out there, and because highly personal blogging is verboten on the front page of mefi, that "blog" is a bad description; but I think that's off.

There are tons of not-personal blogs out there. People blog on all sorts of subjects in a fashion closer to mefi (or the things mefi links to) than to "i ate a cheese sandwich" lj dribble; those are blogs too. It's not a term that has been cornered by emo kids or whatever, so the problem you see with "Community weblog" isn't even there for me, no.
posted by cortex (staff) at 6:36 AM on November 9, 2007

I find MetaFilter pretty difficult to explain to others

I'm also having this problem.

I often feel the need to explain to people just what MeFi is, and what it's about, but end up blathering at a mostly nonplussed audience. Responses usually run something like, "Right so like Yahoo! Answers but with cats that come out of the ceiling?" or "Aha! It's an Internet cult where people worship snark!"

I'd prefer to offer them something better. Anyone got a two-sentence compendium of all that is good-and-holy about our glorious MeFi to convince the infidels? Or at least, you know, a way to explain it that doesn't make me sound fucking insane?
posted by dead_ at 6:36 AM on November 9, 2007

Am I really the only one who thinks "Community weblog" isn't the best descriptor of the site?

I'm not talking about the guidelines. I'm talking about the masthead.

It seems your objection to the masthead is primarily that it doesn't function as guidelines. As jack_mo said, "community weblog" is a very apt description of the site. It's not an apt description of what you're supposed to post on the site, but for that we have guidelines.
posted by scottreynen at 6:38 AM on November 9, 2007

MetaFilter: Does that cheese sandwich come with LJ dribble on it?
posted by dead_ at 6:41 AM on November 9, 2007

I'm talking about the disconnect between what the site calls itself and what it is.
It gets worse; this bit is called MetaTalk but it's all typed text. Fucked up nine ways to Sunday.
posted by Abiezer at 6:56 AM on November 9, 2007 [3 favorites]

MetaFilter
"community" "weblog"
posted by pardonyou? at 7:02 AM on November 9, 2007

I'm talking about the masthead.

Really? I've always thought it was more of a tagline.
posted by gnomeloaf at 7:02 AM on November 9, 2007

Am I really the only one who thinks "Community weblog" isn't the best descriptor of the site?

MetaFilter: Community Weblog, OCD Support Site, Cohort of Hipsters who Hate Hipsters, Disenfranchised Democrats, Angry Libertarians, Conservatives with Victim Complexes and Quonsar.
posted by psmealey at 7:07 AM on November 9, 2007

Sadly I have no time now to read 1027 comments re: portobello mushrooms. Please can someone briefly summarise why that thread was not deleted and why it has 107 favourites.
posted by roofus at 7:10 AM on November 9, 2007

The only way to make sense of any of this is to watch Sesame Street for thirty-six hours straight while cranked up on coke, hookers, liquor and some reasonable hallucinogens.

...somewhere around Hour Thirty, the "one of these things is not like the other" skits will start to make cosmic sense.

Don't ask me why I know this.
posted by aramaic at 7:10 AM on November 9, 2007

MetaFilter: The plastic.com it's OK to like.
posted by tepidmonkey at 7:17 AM on November 9, 2007 [5 favorites]

But "Community weblog" atop the blue really should be changed to read "The best of the web,"

That is a really good idea.
posted by LarryC at 7:19 AM on November 9, 2007

On the Mushroom thing, it's on the wiki. Basically, classic example of someone writing a GYOB post. With mushroom pictures.
posted by Happy Dave at 7:29 AM on November 9, 2007

Wow, I just wanna say something's seriously broken in that portabello thread & it wasn't me who broke it. Way down at the bottom, after everything starts to blink (side comment: WTF?), I get this:

500

ROOT CAUSE:
coldfusion.runtime.RequestTimedOutException: The request has exceeded the allowable time limit Tag: cfoutput
at coldfusion.tagext.io.OutputTag.doAfterBody(OutputTag.java:208)
at cfcomments2emefi1937931967._factor11(C:\metafilter sites\www.metafilter.com\comments.mefi:321)
at cfcomments2emefi1937931967._factor14(C:\metafilter sites\www.metafilter.com\comments.mefi:33)
at cfcomments2emefi1937931967._factor15(C:\metafilter sites\www.metafilter.com\comments.mefi:25)
at cfcomments2emefi1937931967._factor16(C:\metafilter sites\www.metafilter.com\comments.mefi:19)
at cfcomments2emefi1937931967.runPage(C:\metafilter sites\www.metafilter.com\comments.mefi:1)
at coldfusion.runtime.CfJspPage.invoke(CfJspPage.java:192)
at coldfusion.tagext.lang.IncludeTag.doStartTag(IncludeTag.java:366)
at coldfusion.filter.CfincludeFilter.invoke(CfincludeFilter.java:65)
at coldfusion.filter.ApplicationFilter.invoke(ApplicationFilter.java:279)
at coldfusion.filter.RequestMonitorFilter.invoke(RequestMonitorFilter.java:48)
at coldfusion.filter.MonitoringFilter.invoke(MonitoringFilter.java:40)
at coldfusion.filter.PathFilter.invoke(PathFilter.java:86)
at coldfusion.filter.ExceptionFilter.invoke(ExceptionFilter.java:70)
at coldfusion.filter.ClientScopePersistenceFilter.invoke(ClientScopePersistenceFilter.java:28)
at coldfusion.filter.BrowserFilter.invoke(BrowserFilter.java:38)
at coldfusion.filter.NoCacheFilter.invoke(NoCacheFilter.java:46)
at coldfusion.filter.GlobalsFilter.invoke(GlobalsFilter.java:38)
at coldfusion.filter.DatasourceFilter.invoke(DatasourceFilter.java:22)
at coldfusion.CfmServlet.service(CfmServlet.java:175)
at coldfusion.bootstrap.BootstrapServlet.service(BootstrapServlet.java:89)
at jrun.servlet.FilterChain.doFilter(FilterChain.java:86)
at com.intergral.fusionreactor.filter.FusionReactorFilter.A(Unknown Source)
at com.intergral.fusionreactor.filter.FusionReactorFilter.A(Unknown Source)
at com.intergral.fusionreactor.filter.FusionReactorFilter.doFilter(Unknown Source)
at jrun.servlet.FilterChain.doFilter(FilterChain.java:94)
at coldfusion.monitor.event.MonitoringServletFilter.doFilter(MonitoringServletFilter.java:42)
at coldfusion.bootstrap.BootstrapFilter.doFilter(BootstrapFilter.java:46)
at jrun.servlet.FilterChain.doFilter(FilterChain.java:94)
at jrun.servlet.FilterChain.service(FilterChain.java:101)
at jrun.servlet.ServletInvoker.invoke(ServletInvoker.java:106)
at jrun.servlet.JRunInvokerChain.invokeNext(JRunInvokerChain.java:42)
at jrun.servlet.JRunRequestDispatcher.invoke(JRunRequestDispatcher.java:284)
at jrun.servlet.ServletEngineService.dispatch(ServletEngineService.java:543)
at jrun.servlet.jrpp.JRunProxyService.invokeRunnable(JRunProxyService.java:203)
at jrunx.scheduler.ThreadPool$DownstreamMetrics.invokeRunnable(ThreadPool.java:320)
at jrunx.scheduler.ThreadPool$ThreadThrottle.invokeRunnable(ThreadPool.java:428)
at jrunx.scheduler.ThreadPool$UpstreamMetrics.invokeRunnable(ThreadPool.java:266)
at jrunx.scheduler.WorkerThread.run(WorkerThread.java:66)
posted by scalefree at 7:30 AM on November 9, 2007

jbickers posted "'Get your own blog' is a stupid thing to say to a member of a site whose masthead reads 'Community weblog.'"

How so? "This is a community weblog. What you have posted is not suitable for a community weblog. It is suited for a personal blog. If you have a blog, post it there, not here. If you don't have a personal blog, but want to post stuff like this, get a blog".
posted by Bugbread at 7:33 AM on November 9, 2007

Sadly I have no time now to read 1027 comments re: portobello mushrooms. Please can someone briefly summarise why that thread was not deleted and why it has 107 favourites.

GYOPAF!

(Get your own personal assistant, fuckWit!)
posted by Mick at 7:34 AM on November 9, 2007

Think of "blog" as a generic term, like "bread", or "dog" (but not a "bread dog" as that is too specific). The terms carry some amount of information but not enough to be terribly descriptive. If I say "think about a dog" what you think and what I think are two very different things even though they most likely have similar characteristics. "Blog" falls into the same category, and so does "best of the web". I seriously doubt changing the tag line would have any measurable effect on how people act here. Back in the not-so-distant past the tag line rotate through a series of (to varying degrees) clever phrases. Now it is static. People have acted the same under both templates.
My blog is different from your blog, from Bill Gates' blog from... and each one has its own rules and expectations. Different bread taste different and that is good.
posted by edgeways at 7:34 AM on November 9, 2007 [1 favorite]

So, we have this community sailing on the treachery waters of world wide web. We keep a log about our findings. Everyone can write there, but it has to be about things we found from the web. We also seem to have a mast and there is some text in it's head. The text describes this whole ship as a log and by some metaphysical twist it might be just true, as the purpose of this ship is to keep writing that log. Occassionally part of the community gathers to Metatalk to blow on the sails to keep us moving forwards. Interesting project this is.
posted by Free word order! at 7:37 AM on November 9, 2007

I think Jess is traveling.

I am in Michigan in a hotel with one of those Sleep Number Beds. Apparently #25 causes me to sleep until 10:30, who knew?

I think Community Weblog is better at describing what this site is and does better than almost any other two word phrase, but that's only because Internet Peanut Gallery is three words.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:41 AM on November 9, 2007 [3 favorites]

GYOCWFW -- Get Your Own Community Weblog, Fuckwit
posted by pardonyou? at 7:43 AM on November 9, 2007

Sadly, if jessamyn were only a few dozen miles further east, we could treat her to lunch at Kozmo's Deli, which hosts an unholy hybrid of American and Korean diner fare.

But since she's not in Ann Arbor, she'll have to get her own Seoul Dog.
posted by ardgedee at 7:52 AM on November 9, 2007

"querying the hive mind" is 4 words.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 7:55 AM on November 9, 2007

jessamyn writes "I think Community Weblog is better at describing what this site is and does better than almost any other two word phrase, but that's only because Internet Peanut Gallery is three words."

Exactly. There are a wide variety of blogs. Some include everything. Some include very specific things. Saying "MeFi is a blog" doesn't mean "and therefore is one of those E/N blogs where you can post whatever the hell you want", any more than "My computer is a Windows PC" means "and therefore it is a Dell" (because it isn't).

What we have is a blog. It is made not by one or two people, but by a community. It is thus a community weblog. That's an accurate term for it. Jbickers reading that general term as some incredibly specific term doesn't mean the general term is wrong.
posted by Bugbread at 7:56 AM on November 9, 2007

On the other hand, this thread alerted me to the existence of a self-link party, so there's that.
posted by delmoi at 7:58 AM on November 9, 2007

Yeah, you guys are right. I clearly have a bias against the word blog, a bias which I didn't realize I had. Respectfully withdrawn.
posted by jbickers at 8:06 AM on November 9, 2007 [2 favorites]

Two words to describe MetaFilter?

Good Shit.
posted by baphomet at 8:08 AM on November 9, 2007 [1 favorite]

And people say Metatalk never changes minds. Good on ya, jbickers.
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:14 AM on November 9, 2007

"It gets worse; this bit is called MetaTalk but it's all typed text. Fucked up nine ways to Sunday."

That's because MeTa is for the site's neo-Platonists, who privilege logos over text.
posted by klangklangston at 8:21 AM on November 9, 2007 [1 favorite]

I think Community Weblog is better at describing what this site is and does better than almost any other two word phrase, but that's only because Internet Peanut Gallery is three words.

What happened to Tepid Wonderland?
posted by Kirth Gerson at 8:27 AM on November 9, 2007

And, yanno, if you use the 'business-like' site theme, there ain't no straplines anywhere.
posted by Happy Dave at 8:31 AM on November 9, 2007

Two words to describe MetaFilter?

Good Shit.

From the Google search for "Good Shit":

GoodShit (NSFW)
Blog of tasteful nude pin-ups and thought-provoking links.

No pics of Cortex, thank god.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:35 AM on November 9, 2007

Fortunately, cortex came along and soothed my delicate sensibilities, as well as unruffling my panties.

You're probably gonna need some penicillin.
posted by milarepa at 8:37 AM on November 9, 2007 [1 favorite]

You mean I could have one of these bulletin boards all to myself? Score!
posted by breezeway at 8:44 AM on November 9, 2007

Let me just ask: How uncool do you have to be to accuse people who spend a lot of time online of being a cool clique? That's like yelling at the math club for being too popular with the girls, or yelling at Star Trek conventions that the participants shouldn't be so reasonably non-obsessed with popular culture.
posted by Astro Zombie at 8:57 AM on November 9, 2007 [5 favorites]

[to the tune of the wheels of the bus]
The sound of MeTa is la-la-la
la-la-la, la-la-la
posted by DenOfSizer at 9:01 AM on November 9, 2007

Is it time to raise the fee to $10 and throw in a written exam?
posted by tommasz at 9:47 AM on November 9, 2007

they think just because they've got scale-model phasers and linear equations that they're the only people that matter

'ohhh, look at me, i'm so awesome with my spock ears, ohhhhh'

i hate them i hate them i HATE them
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:02 AM on November 9, 2007

It was a great party until the It's Academic team showed up and left with all the beautiful people.

They're probably over at Mac McGarry's pad knee-deep in coke and sudoku. The speed round's supposed to be amazing.
posted by breezeway at 10:36 AM on November 9, 2007

I would just like to applaud jbickers for out-whinging my awful Captcha post.
posted by Reggie Digest at 10:36 AM on November 9, 2007

*buzz* Sorry, the correct Simpsons quote response would be the following:

Lisa: Why do you listen to this magazine? It's a Larry Flint publication.
Marge: Lisa, stop reading mastheads!
Lisa: I can't. I won't!
posted by ALongDecember at 11:17 AM on November 9, 2007

The sound of MeTa is la-la-la
la-la-la, la-la-la

No, more like:

The sound of MeTa is blah-blah-blah!
Blah blah blah, blah blah blah!
posted by beaucoupkevin at 11:25 AM on November 9, 2007

[...] correct Simpsons quote [...]
so, I guess we're done here.
posted by boo_radley at 11:50 AM on November 9, 2007

Maybe it should be GYOBTIMFW (Get Your Own Blog That Isn't Metafilter Fuck Wit) from now on. Would that make you happy?
posted by Effigy2000 at 12:00 PM on November 9, 2007

Oh J, you're just Bickering.
posted by damn dirty ape at 1:10 PM on November 9, 2007

Oh J, you're just Bickering.

Wow! A pun based on my last name! Never heard one before!

(Monty Python bit: "My name's Mr. Smokestoomuch ...")
posted by jbickers at 1:19 PM on November 9, 2007

so, I guess we're done here.

Oh, you poor poor delusional soul. What were you thinking?
posted by aramaic at 1:35 PM on November 9, 2007

Blog of tasteful nude pin-ups

And then, smack dab in the middle of them, an eight-legged Indian girl!
posted by whir at 1:54 PM on November 9, 2007

Maybe you already know this, Brandon Blatcher, but Good Shit is actually the personal weblog of one of MeFi's own, namely Postroad.
posted by cgc373 at 1:59 PM on November 9, 2007 [1 favorite]

I've never seen that site before in my life.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 3:39 PM on November 9, 2007

Swear ta dog.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 3:40 PM on November 9, 2007

Funny ol' world, ain't it?
posted by cgc373 at 4:14 PM on November 9, 2007

Okay, so what do I do next?
posted by I Got My Own Blog at 4:39 PM on November 9, 2007

Now you spay your own dog.
posted by cortex (staff) at 4:46 PM on November 9, 2007

What? Dog? No way, cortex. Now I Got My Own Blog gets all of us our own blogs. If we get blogs of our own, it's almost like getting bl'own, isn't it? Which is like PLO CHOPS or something. I forget how it goes.
posted by cgc373 at 4:59 PM on November 9, 2007

I'm not talking about the guidelines. I'm talking about the masthead.

How 'bout dropping "Community Weblog" in favor of "Welcome To Matt's Olde Tyme Link Emporium and Snark Shack! You pays yer fi'dollahs and you takes yer chances!"
posted by flapjax at midnite at 9:26 PM on November 9, 2007

“That's because MeTa is for the site's neo-Platonists, who privilege logos over text.”

What do you think you are saying in that sentence? Logos has a lot of different meanings, some of them make your sentence self-contradictory.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 10:21 PM on November 9, 2007

It might be too late to get this thread back on track, but there is still a question here... We've agreed that "Community Weblog" is an accurate description, but is "The best of the web" a better one?

I'm inclined to say 'yes', but then I mainly post to AskMe, so I don't really give a shit what the main site tagline is! :)
posted by ranglin at 10:30 PM on November 9, 2007

Best-ish, anyway.
posted by Reggie Digest at 10:51 PM on November 9, 2007

breezeway, wow, I'm 11 years old again. Now to go find out what became of Mac McGarry.
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:01 PM on November 9, 2007

OMG It's Academic is still on, is now the longest running game show ever, and is still hosted by Mac McGarry!
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:06 PM on November 9, 2007

Alex Trebek still does High-Q every now and then too.

(What were we talking about?)
posted by Reggie Digest at 11:42 PM on November 9, 2007

"What do you think you are saying in that sentence? Logos has a lot of different meanings, some of them make your sentence self-contradictory."

Do you want me to be that guy who explains the pseudo-hermetic joke past where it's got even a passing claim at being funny?
posted by klangklangston at 11:56 PM on November 9, 2007

No, don't bother. I should have just said that you don't know what you're talking about.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 12:03 AM on November 10, 2007

(What were we talking about?)
posted by Reggie Digest at 12:30 AM on November 10, 2007

Better stay out of this one, Reggie. It could get ugly. You don't wanna be in the crossfire...
posted by flapjax at midnite at 12:43 AM on November 10, 2007

Awww, come on! Semiotics fight!!!!!
posted by Reggie Digest at 12:55 AM on November 10, 2007

Bold italics and five exclamation points but a small typeface . . . I'm probably more confused than I need to be.

Was logos a reference to the plural of logo, klangklangston? Or was it meant to indicate the Greek classical thing with its train of Biblical associations all intact? I confess I missed the humor at first blush.
posted by cgc373 at 1:16 AM on November 10, 2007

Metafilter: Community web.. Personal web.. Best of the w.. ah, fuck it.

Blog carries connotations that are just not appropriate for us?

Well, first off: metafilter is not yours and it's very presumptious of you to so boldy state what IS appropriate for us - but for me metafilter is always going to be a textbook blog - the first and last one i think of when someone asks me what a blog is, exactly.

What is it that you have trouble with? Just because so many b-grade high school journal blogs are out there on the web doesn't mean that THEY are what a blog actually IS.
posted by Dillonlikescookies at 2:39 AM on November 10, 2007

My partner, who is not a member, and never will be, describes it as an 'internet club', as in… how did the internet club meeting go today? On the basis of this input from a non-involved person, I propose a name change to 'Internet Club'.
posted by tellurian at 6:20 AM on November 10, 2007

The first rule of Internet Club is ...
posted by donpedro at 7:29 AM on November 10, 2007 [1 favorite]

I dunno. "Internet Club" somehow makes it seem worse than it actually is.
posted by psmealey at 7:30 AM on November 10, 2007

Like we're all wandering around in robes and smoking pipes or something.
posted by psmealey at 7:31 AM on November 10, 2007

"Was logos a reference to the plural of logo, klangklangston? Or was it meant to indicate the Greek classical thing with its train of Biblical associations all intact? I confess I missed the humor at first blush."

Logos from lego: "to say," and a sidelong reference to Derrida's critique of ancient, especially Platonic, philosophy as contrasting a "good" logos against a "bad" lexis.

But that's OK—EB didn't get it either, and he was a prick about it.
posted by klangklangston at 8:28 AM on November 10, 2007

I'm still not clear on the eggos.
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:32 AM on November 10, 2007

If the word is God, then we should worship waffles (requires addition of comma).
posted by klangklangston at 8:53 AM on November 10, 2007

cortex: The post is dead now.

But krautland isn't? Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course.

krautland: just add a few vaugely relevant links and repost. Adding an opposing view gives the appearance of controversy and stimulated discussion:

Perhaps you're used to some obscure blog stealing your images from flickr but a major publication can't claim ignorance. It says "All rights reserved" but still they did it: [screenshot]

Wired readers respond with mockery and insults.

posted by ryanrs at 10:40 AM on November 10, 2007

krautland isn't banned, no. There's a difference between being a fucker and merely fucking up, and this seemed a lot more like the latter. I've talked to him, he's wholly apologetic and understands now that it was a really bad move, and it sure as shit won't happen again.
posted by cortex (staff) at 12:22 PM on November 10, 2007 [2 favorites]

“But that's OK—EB didn't get it either, and he was a prick about it. ”

I didn't “get” it because I happen to know what the word logos means from reading it in Greek, as well as many uses of it in translation, and not, just as an example, from one particular writer's use of it in translation from which I wrongly inferred a standard meaning with which I could then make a lame intellectual joke. You're being a poseur and it's good for your soul to get called on it. Suck it up.

When my sister asserted that logos meant “word of God” generally, I gave her shit, too. Which brings up this comment:

“ Or was it meant to indicate the Greek classical thing with its train of Biblical associations all intact?”

It has Biblical associations because the New Testament was written in Koine Greek and used the word logos in a specific way. But λογοσ is a very important and very common word in Greek, very much so in Classical Greek where it doesn't mean “word of God”. In the Classical context, which is the primary context and where there is a very large corpus of material, logos with a theological meaning is far, far from the first thing that comes to mind.

If a person uses the word logos casually in a way which depends upon its Biblical or, say, Derrida's usage, then you're demonstrating a parochial understanding of the term and are revealing ignorance, not erudition.

Klangklangston's case is a very good example of this particular error that comes from reading small or moderate amounts of philosophy or surveys of same. Philosophers notoriously neologize common language as technical terminology and subsequent writers will follow that usage. Without reading the earlier writer, you won't understand the context. Derrida was a fairly reliable classic scholar, and I'm sure that in context what he wrote is completely accurate, but I can tell you that my own reading of Plato, in translation and in Greek, does not reveal a repeated contrasting of logos with lexis. I imagine that Derrida is referring to things from Gorgias and Phaedrus, though perhaps also Republic, as well. Nevertheless, and with the qualification that it's been nearly 20 years since I've read any part of these in Greek (I've read portions since in translation), I certainly don't recall logos used frequently enough in the manner that klangklangston takes for granted for his joke to be made obvious. And, you know, that's the original source.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 1:10 PM on November 10, 2007

"I didn't “get” it because I happen to know what the word logos means from reading it in Greek, as well as many uses of it in translation, and not, just as an example, from one particular writer's use of it in translation from which I wrongly inferred a standard meaning with which I could then make a lame intellectual joke. You're being a poseur and it's good for your soul to get called on it. Suck it up."

Bullshit. You didn't get it; nasreddin did. It was a joke within the context of one of the broadest axioms of Derrida's work, and because you weren't familiar with it (and because your sense of humor is vestigial at best), you presumed to lecture. And I sought to avoid hashing this bullshit out with you because I know that you're both petty and pedantic, and that (gasp) the joke really wasn't the sort that would benefit from an endless explication.

You're being an asshole, and it won't do your "soul" any good to be called on it, because you already presume to have learned all worth learning.
posted by klangklangston at 2:39 PM on November 10, 2007

metafilter: if a person uses the word logos casually in a way which depends upon its Biblical or, say, Derrida's usage, then you're demonstrating a parochial understanding of the term and are revealing ignorance, not erudition.

Now there's a tagline.
posted by signal at 3:18 PM on November 10, 2007 [1 favorite]

“Bullshit. You didn't get it; nasreddin did. It was a joke within the context of one of the broadest axioms of Derrida's work, and because you weren't familiar with it...”

You're right—I'm not familiar with his usage of logos. So? If logos was a word rarely used by anyone except Derrida, that would be one thing. But it's not. It's one of the most important words in classical Greek thought. It's used everywhere. The problem is that you used logos as if Derrida's usage would be the first to come to mind. That's a perfect example of knowing just enough to be dangerous. If your erudition is esoteric but superficial, you need to be careful not to reveal this fact.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 3:59 PM on November 10, 2007

You're being a poseur and it's good for your soul to get called on it. Suck it up.

This is true. Unfortunately, it's bad for the soul to be the caller. Accusatory soul-enrichment is a zero-sum-game.

That's what I feel to be true, anyway, which I expect makes me a neuroscientist.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 4:07 PM on November 10, 2007 [2 favorites]

“This is true. Unfortunately, it's bad for the soul to be the caller.”

You know, that may well be true, though I can't recall anyone except you asserting it. I, myself, fear to be brought down to Earth when I'm preening, and my initial reaction is anger and defensiveness, but after enough time has passed, I am thankful for it. I suppose the deciding factor would be the motivation—if it's just out of malice, it's certainly bad for the soul. Best would be if it's done as a gentle correction—but I don't think that describes my behavior in this case. I was motivated by at least a minimal amount of ill-will, so, on balance, I'm going to agree with you about this specific comment.

I apologize, klangklangston.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 4:17 PM on November 10, 2007 [2 favorites]

Hey! Maybe we can have nice things!
posted by Jon Mitchell at 4:36 PM on November 10, 2007 [1 favorite]

Will you people stop saying "logos"? For the last fucking time, it's "logo bricks".
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 4:39 PM on November 10, 2007 [4 favorites]

Hey EB, ya shoulda used a terminal sigma in yr greek spelling of logos back there :)
posted by mdn at 4:55 PM on November 10, 2007

I just wish you would make the logos bigger.
posted by cortex (staff) at 5:34 PM on November 10, 2007 [1 favorite]

Hey EB, ya shoulda used a terminal sigma in yr greek spelling of logos back there :)

Heh. Yeah, I noticed that too. But EB is right about the word, you know.
posted by languagehat at 5:58 PM on November 10, 2007

Is this the time for me to trot out again how much (especially in the face of the hatred people have for 'blogosphere') I like 'logosphere' as a neological kinda descriptive for, well, this?

No, I didn't think it was.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 6:11 PM on November 10, 2007

I thought Timothy Archer had a monopoly on the logos.
posted by psmith at 6:32 PM on November 10, 2007

cortex wrote: krautland isn't banned

Harrumph. Your thoughtful, evenhanded response isn't the least bit entertaining.

And Ethereal Bligh, you're just as bad!.

If you people insist on acting this way, I'm going to go read some other thread. Goodbye forever, jerks!
posted by ryanrs at 12:52 AM on November 11, 2007

ryanrs, it's interesting that you use the archaic form jerks. You must have been reading some of those old-fashioned hard-copy books. As is well-documented by R. Lee Kewldude and others, the old word has been largely supplanted by the modern jerx. Its economy of pixels and enhanced impact, due to its having an X in it, make it the current favorite. I'm afraid you're only demonstrating your superficial understanding of jerkitude, probably the result of some survey course you took in high school.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 5:27 AM on November 11, 2007

Kirth Gerson, of course, is a world-renowned expert in jerkitude.
posted by grouse at 6:39 AM on November 11, 2007

Goodbye forever, jerks!

EB, you were supposed to keep our new soda fountain venture under wraps. I knew I shoulda made you sign an NDA.

Its economy of pixels and enhanced impact, due to its having an X in it, make it the current favorite

But enough about me!
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:29 AM on November 11, 2007

That r sort of diminishes the effect.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 1:22 PM on November 11, 2007

“EB, you were supposed to keep our new soda fountain venture under wraps. I knew I shoulda made you sign an NDA.”

You perhaps should be responding to someone else..?

“Hey EB, ya shoulda used a terminal sigma in yr greek spelling of logos back there :)”

Yeah, I have a custom keyboard map where I can use ctrl-alt and most letters to type their Greek counterparts and I just typed it out, realized I needed to use the terminal sigma instead, and then thought, oh, why bother. Should have known someone would call me on it. :)
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 10:24 PM on November 11, 2007

You perhaps should be responding to someone else..?

EB, you were supposed to be ryanrs. I knew I shoulda made you sign an identity transfer form.
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:36 PM on November 11, 2007

MetaTalk: jeux d'esprit.
posted by ryanrs at 2:13 AM on November 13, 2007