Top 10 Tips for MeFi posters

December 29, 2007 6:42 AM

If you took Jorn Barger's Top 10 Tips for New Bloggers and replaced every mention of "blog" with "MeFi FPP", you could probably carve it onto tablets and present it as The Way.
posted by Plutor to etiquette/policy at 6:42 AM (19 comments total)

I broke tip #7. via.
posted by Plutor at 6:43 AM on December 29, 2007

Heh. Speaking of observations applicable to Metafilter... From a linked article by MeFi's own Lore Sjoberg:

Pugilistic Discussion Syndrome

In this curious form of aphasia, the subject is unable to distinguish between a discussion and a contest. The subject approaches any online forum as a sort of playing field, and attempts to "win" the discussion by any means necessary. The rules of the imaginary contest are apparently clear to the individual as he or she will often point out when others break them, but when asked to outline these rules the individual is reluctant, perhaps not wishing to confer an "advantage" on any "opponents." The conditions for winning are similarly difficult to pin down, although in some cases the individual will declare himself the winner of a discussion that, to all others, appears to be ongoing.

posted by GrammarMoses at 7:09 AM on December 29, 2007 [2 favorites]

I don't know, other than #7 and #8 most of them aren't really applicable to MetaFilter and some, #1 and #10 especially, will probably lead to deleted posts.
posted by Kattullus at 8:17 AM on December 29, 2007

GrammarMoses for the win!
posted by blue_beetle at 8:28 AM on December 29, 2007

That list strikes me as better suited for Mefi than for actual blogs. Since when is #1 true?
posted by Ms. Saint at 8:49 AM on December 29, 2007

Jorn's new place
posted by hortense at 8:51 AM on December 29, 2007

2. You can certainly include links to your original thoughts, posted elsewhere … but if you have more original posts than links, you probably need to learn some humility.

I enjoy link blogs, but I think the worst thing you can do is discourage bloggers from creating original content but claiming it is an insufferable act of ego on their parts. I want new content and original research; otherwise you end up with a million blogs that are simply linking to the online contents of mainstream newspapers, or press releases, or Michelle Malkin.
posted by Astro Zombie at 9:08 AM on December 29, 2007 [5 favorites]

Loosely translated for MetaFilter:

1. A true weblog is a log of all the URLs you want to save or share.

As long as there is a musical theme, post your favorite 200-300 YouTube links every day.

2. You can certainly include links to your original thoughts, posted elsewhere … but if you have more original posts than links, you probably need to learn some humility.

Self-linking is welcome, and encouraged.

3. If you spend a little time searching before you post, you can probably find your idea well articulated elsewhere already.

Your post isn't original, and you're a horrible human being, but write it up anyway.

4. Being truly yourself is always hipper than suppressing a link just because it's not trendy enough. Your readers need to get to know you.

A pattern of NSFW links involving animals and intimacy is never too much information.

5. You can always improve on the author's own page title, when describing a link. (At least make sure your description is full enough that readers will recognize any pages they've already visited, without having to visit them again.)

More Inside, Capitalization and Punctuation are the dreaded enemies of clarity and brevity. Avoid at all costs.

6. Always include some adjective describing your own reaction to the linked page (great, useful, imaginative, clever, etc.)

Editorializing is a vital and useful component of any post.

7. Credit the source that led you to it, so your readers have the option of "moving upstream."

Boing Boing needs the ad revenue.

8. Warn about "gotchas" -- weird formatting, multipage stories, extra-long files, etc. Don't camouflage the main link among unneeded (or poorly labeled) auxiliary links.

Add as many carets as needed.

9. Pick some favorite authors or celebrities and create a Google News feed that tracks new mentions of them, so other fans can follow them via your weblog.

Lindsay Lohan and Tom Cruise are perennial favorites.

10. Re-post your favorite links from time to time, for people who missed them the first time

Roll the dice — double posts make it through from time to time. Do you feel lucky, punk?
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 9:44 AM on December 29, 2007 [1 favorite]

The Crunchland Method seems more effective to me.
[Scroll past sock puppet list for tips on a good FPP]
posted by heeeraldo at 10:59 AM on December 29, 2007

Jorn Barger, the Internet's Ezra Pound.
posted by gwint at 11:39 AM on December 29, 2007

As is so often the case, I concur with the Zombie.
posted by GrammarMoses at 1:51 PM on December 29, 2007

I want to know what his tips are for growing my beard like that.
posted by horsemuth at 2:09 PM on December 29, 2007

I was just reading the archives of Ray's Place (the Achewood advice column) and I saw this list of question guidelines. I figure it applies to AskMe at least as well as Barger's applies to MeFi:

a) Don’t ask me about martinis
b) If you are having a relationship problem, please be at least over 27
c) I don’t know what the best car or gun is, that is mainly up to opinion.
posted by Ian A.T. at 2:31 PM on December 29, 2007

Okay, how do you like this weblog, Mr. Barger:

December 30, 2007 2:21 AM
F this guy

posted by Deathalicious at 4:22 PM on December 29, 2007

Jorn is the man, the ultimate blogger. One of the first and one of the best. (and yes I know about his issues with Jews, but I just turn the other cheek)
posted by caddis at 5:31 PM on December 29, 2007

The first two rules are stupid; I quit reading after that. You don't understand me, old man!
posted by aaronetc at 6:32 PM on December 29, 2007

11. Why not have a contest with your elf friend/rival Legolas over who can slay the most orcs in the course of an epic battle?
posted by drjimmy11 at 7:20 PM on December 29, 2007

Blog: I find this remark "clever."
posted by drjimmy11 at 7:22 PM on December 29, 2007

That man has an astounding beard. I aspire to have a beard like that someday.
posted by Faint of Butt at 8:53 PM on December 29, 2007