Self-Link for supporting documents?

If I can't find a translation of something I want to post, can I link to the translations on my blog? I'm preparing what will hopefully be a badass FPP on French pop, rap, insult songs and surreal music videos. BUT, most of these songs don't have translations to English and those that do are horrible. So, what if I posted my own translations on my blog and linked to them?

Alternately, I could post the translations as comments, but that would take up a LOT of space, no?

posted by LMGM to etiquette/policy at 8:20 PM (45 comments total)

mais non
posted by ND¢ at 8:24 PM on March 9

In theory, you could link to them in a comment. Hopefully a moderator will OK it for you though, since you asked permission.
posted by delmoi at 8:29 PM on March 9

No.
posted by dhammond at 8:39 PM on March 9

Opens policy loopholes that are better left closed, unfortunately, I reckon.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 8:43 PM on March 9

The comment solution seems reasonable.
posted by Artw at 8:46 PM on March 9

Just put them in the comments. Besides, that way you'll get more favorites. And then you can turn them in at the prize counter for a box of plastic jacks and a little comb.
posted by puke & cry at 8:50 PM on March 9 [1 favorite]

Forget about the translations and go with the content in French.
posted by MLIS at 9:10 PM on March 9

you'll get more favorites. And then you can turn them in at the prize counter for a box of plastic jacks and a little comb.

*trades in favorites for Aerosmith mirror*
posted by jonmc at 9:11 PM on March 9 [2 favorites]

Konolia and Jon are back! Woo!
posted by klangklangston at 9:18 PM on March 9

You're like that one guy who couldn't quit having sex with that other guy in that popular movie!
posted by klangklangston at 9:20 PM on March 9 [1 favorite]

Besides, that way you'll get more favorites. And then you can turn them in at the prize counter for a box of plastic jacks and a little comb.

*trades in favorites for Aerosmith mirror*

I won't trade my favorites in for anything smaller than the giant stuffed animals on the top row.

Or maybe for some sea monkeys.
posted by amyms at 9:22 PM on March 9

you could do that but send me the blog link so I can post it and then I'll get the favorites and everyone's happy. I'm seriously joking!
posted by dawson at 9:28 PM on March 9

Don't link to your own blog as an essential part of the post. If you add that in a later comment [i.e. not a cheating "more inside"] just as an FYI that's okay. And including the translations in the post or a comment is also not okay. You could build a blog out of these and then post THAT to projects. What stav said, basically.
posted by jessamyn at 9:32 PM on March 9

thanks for the advice! I'm glad I asked before guessing at an answer. I think I'm just going to pass on the whole thing, seeing as the FPP will turn into a labyrinthine mess of links and auto-comments. Thanks nonetheless...
posted by LMGM at 9:50 PM on March 9

You know, there are a lot of multilingual people here, so just because translations aren't available doesn't necessarily make it a post not worth making. It's not about making everybody happy, it's about delighting the people who might be delighted by whatever neat thing you've found (and hoping the rest don't get all snarky about it).
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 9:54 PM on March 9 [2 favorites]

Whoo! Welcome back jonmc! (And konolia, though I haven't seen her post yet)

[/derail]
posted by Phire at 10:05 PM on March 9

Yeah, we do have a lot of multilingual users, so you might also consider just making the post without the translations, I didn't mean to be totally down on the post idea generally.
posted by jessamyn at 10:08 PM on March 9

there are a lot of multilingual people here, so just because translations aren't available doesn't necessarily make it a post not worth making.

Just as a data point, I've posted a link before to non-English material that was well-received. Also, judging from the popularity of language learning posts to MeFi, I'd bet there's plenty of people looking for a good reading assignment. I think oddball lyrics and French insults are fine reading assignments. If you've got the links to make it badass outside of your own contributions, then go! But if what you got is what you made plus some links to videos, then no.
posted by carsonb at 10:26 PM on March 9 [1 favorite]

I think I'm just going to pass on the whole thing, seeing as the FPP will turn into a labyrinthine mess of links and auto-comments.

Huh? That makes no sense.

Bite the bullet and make the post. Do it for the kids. The French-music-loving kids. There's nothing wrong with putting the translations in "auto-comments."
posted by mediareport at 10:30 PM on March 9

please make the post, we need more international content!
posted by Rumple at 10:39 PM on March 9 [2 favorites]

Yes, what they all said. Post it! Also, drop me a note that you've posted it so that I dont miss out; I've been somewhat erratic with my checking mefi lately. Woo!
posted by Stunt at 11:03 PM on March 9

jon, you know I... I love you, man. Don't do that again, and I'll continue loving you. Deal?
posted by item at 11:10 PM on March 9

*beats chest, throws semen at onlookers*
posted by item at 11:11 PM on March 9

Konolia and Jon are back! Woo!

When I saw that MC5 post last week, I had this vision of jonmc, desperate to post but unable to do so because his account was closed.

I wondered how long he'd make it before he relapsed.

In light of this post, I'd be getting worried if I were mathowie. It can only be a matter of time before one of these should-I-stay-or-should-I-go merchants files a lawsuit.

"Look, your honour, the facts of the matter are this. Metafilter is damaging to my productivity and my mental health. I specifically told the moderators this, both in private email and in posts to Metatalk. They agreed to close my account and put me on a 'do not post' list, but as soon as I asked them to revert the decision, they did it in a flash because they were so desperate to exploit the pearls of wisdom that I contribute to the site.

mathowie had a duty of care to protect me from myself and he failed to do so. I'm seeking damages in the sum of $5, and punitive damages in the sum of $20,000,000."

"The court finds for the plaintiff."

mathowie is unable to pay the judgement. Bailiffs, acting on behalf of the plaintiff, seize the site and turn it over to the new owners. Metafilter becomes JebusMetalFilter.

*Then* you'll wish you'd implemented my Drama Queen tax.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 3:38 AM on March 10

Oh and BTW, welcome back to you both.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 3:40 AM on March 10

When I saw that MC5 post last week, I had this vision of jonmc, desperate to post but unable to do so because his account was closed.

Heh. I thought exactly the same thing the second I saw the post.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 4:42 AM on March 10

*kicks out jams, motherfuckers*
posted by jonmc at 5:21 AM on March 10

Probably true. But they're our arbitrary distinctions, dammit!
posted by smackfu at 6:04 AM on March 10

So, this is probably a good moment to ask. A while ago I ran into some really cool videos of a music duel between hip-hoppers and campesino musicians from Latin America. It as really cool, and it was like a modern-day version of a style that is present throughout the subcontinent called contrapunto, in which two guys "fight" each other with improvised rhymes. I wanted to post that, and perhaps support it with more stuff about contrapunto, but I didn't because it was in Spanish. Seeing that people here are mentioning that there a bunch of multilingual users and that it would be cool to have more international content, would that post survive if posted?
posted by micayetoca at 6:43 AM on March 10

That sounds like a good post to me.
posted by ND¢ at 7:05 AM on March 10

Does it make any sense at all if you don't speak Spanish?
posted by smackfu at 7:20 AM on March 10

Don't be discouraged by the inability to link to your translations, make the post! If for no other reason, it will give me an opportunity to link to one of my favorite French hard-core gansta rap songs ever! (of which I understand exactly three words!)

(Well, there's also the background music in this video which is neither rap, nor ganster, but is French and fairly hard-core, so it's all right. It's also nearly impossible to find here in the states, which makes me a sad clown.)
posted by quin at 7:26 AM on March 10

When I saw that MC5 post last week, I had this vision of jonmc, desperate to post but unable to do so because his account was closed.

Moi aussi.

And make the damn post! Music is the universal language.
posted by languagehat at 7:33 AM on March 10

That, and volent snark.

(no, seriously, post it)
posted by Artw at 7:37 AM on March 10

volent = violent

It's really not my 24 hours...
posted by Artw at 7:37 AM on March 10

Does it make any sense at all if you don't speak Spanish?
posted by smackfu

Well, perhaps not. But even for those who don't speak Spanish it could be a collection of links to foreign music they might like, which is a type of FPP that happens with certain regularity. How does that sound? (or, ¿qué tal te suena eso?)
posted by micayetoca at 8:11 AM on March 10

micayetoca: Can't say whether or not it would survive, but I would certainly be happy to read it. I agree that even if you don't speak the language, it can also be a reference to something new that you've likely not heard before. Besides, if you only listen to songs in your own language, you're missing out on a lot. Same goes for the music referenced in the OP.
posted by DrGirlfriend at 8:26 AM on March 10

dale, micayetoca.
posted by signal at 9:36 AM on March 10

Thx DrGirlfriend. Yeah, I think I'll put it together. The original video that gave me the idea is fantastic, and it wouldn't be hard to compile a bunch of interesting links related to it. It will be one of those FPPs that very few people read, but those who do will love it, I'm sure.
posted by micayetoca at 9:37 AM on March 10

My girlfriend loves French rap. Please make this post. I beg you.
posted by vito90 at 10:20 AM on March 10

Why is a link to a translation of the main link in the "more inside" worse than a link in the comments? Both require you to delve into the thread. Neither appear on the front page. Seems like a slight and arbitrary distinction.

If it's in the [more inside] section, it's part of the syndicated content that goes out to umpteen thousand RSS subscribers, and lands on however many aggregators and RSS sidebar widgets and so on and so forth, along with being a potential pick-up for folks who pass the post content on manually via a cut-and-paste to their blog, etc.

The line of automatic visibility between more-inside text and a mere (even proximal) comment in the thread is rather bright, in that respect; and the incentive of a pile of mefi-driven traffic and potential extra-mefi secondary traffic to one's site is part of what we're looking at with the explicit disincentive of prohibition (and, in a lot of cases, punitive banning when it happens anyway).

That said, yeah, it doesn't seem like LMGM had any poor motives here, and was asking in totally good faith with an appreciation even that it might be sort of taboo, so good on 'em.
posted by cortex at 1:45 PM on March 10

Self-Link for supporting documents? March 9, 2008 8:20 PM Subscribe

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