where the heck is metamail?

March 30, 2008 3:20 PM

Let's establish first of all that I'm a complete moron. Ok, with that out of the way, every great once in a while I've managed to find where to go to do metafilter mail. I'm never sure how I did it, and I can never seem to repeat it. I've just clicked about every link I could on my profile and contacts list and elsewhere, and can't access it. Now, since I'm, again, a moron, I'd never suggest that you place a clearer link to this feature. But can someone deign to give me a URL, a clue....something? Many thanks!
posted by jimmyjimjim to MetaFilter-related at 3:20 PM (66 comments total)

Underneath the search bar in the top right, there is a line that says "welcome back jimmyjimjim," and next to that is a small envelope. That's it.
posted by danb at 3:22 PM on March 30, 2008

Also, if you go to someone's else profile, there is a small link underneath "[username]'s profile" that says "send MeFi mail" with that same envelope icon.

I agree with you, though -- it's pretty well-hidden as MeFi features go.
posted by danb at 3:25 PM on March 30, 2008

Yeah check the little envelope. On most users' pages there is a link under their username saying "send MeFi mail" and that will take you in there also. There are a few MeMail user settings when you go to edit your profile.

- send MeMail to your email address
- "turn off" MeMail

and I'm not sure what else. I just sent you a message, go check it!
posted by jessamyn at 3:25 PM on March 30, 2008

y'know, if the interface were more visual/icon-strewn, I'd have been more likely to notice the envelope. But it's not...it's texty. So I sort of ignored the envelope!

Thanks, all!
posted by jimmyjimjim at 3:27 PM on March 30, 2008

There's a search bar in the top right? Huh?

Oh. Template. Right.
posted by maudlin at 3:29 PM on March 30, 2008

That's an envelope?

I've longed suspected that Matt gets kickbacks from eye doctors due to his seeming love of small elements.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 3:29 PM on March 30, 2008

I can't find the "." please help.
posted by Krrrlson at 3:30 PM on March 30, 2008

danb: "Also, if you go to someone's else profile, there is a small link underneath "[username]'s profile" that says "send MeFi mail" with that same envelope icon."

Note that if that person has opted out of MefiMail, the link will not be there. Maybe a "this user doesn't want MefiMail" non-link would be more helpful in those cases, but I'm betting they're the vast minority.
posted by Plutor at 3:30 PM on March 30, 2008

You could have just sent the admins a MeMail to ask instead of making this thread.

Oh, right.
posted by grouse at 3:31 PM on March 30, 2008 [2 favorites]

"Note that if that person has opted out of MefiMail, the link will not be there. Maybe a "this user doesn't want MefiMail" non-link would be more helpful in those cases, but I'm betting they're the vast minority"

how about an envelope with a red "x" running thru it?
posted by jimmyjimjim at 3:37 PM on March 30, 2008

Also, is there some sort of box we can type our comments on various threads into?
posted by Astro Zombie at 3:40 PM on March 30, 2008

, is there some sort of box we can type our comments on various threads into?

Once travelfilter is up, Matt said he'd work on that.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 3:48 PM on March 30, 2008 [1 favorite]

Also, is there some sort of box we can type our comments on various threads into?

Second that pony. Man, wouldn't that be cool.
posted by special-k at 3:50 PM on March 30, 2008

All my comments, including this one, are written on scented, hand-made paper, kissed once, folded twice over, sealed with wax, then wafted on the breeze until they finally show up on all your computers via the magic of paper-to-packets.
posted by maudlin at 3:53 PM on March 30, 2008 [1 favorite]

I think theres a hidden pony in this thread, lets see if anyone can find it!
posted by wheelieman at 3:53 PM on March 30, 2008

But we all know what hidden ponies are covered IN. *holds nose*
posted by konolia at 3:59 PM on March 30, 2008

But we all know what hidden ponies are covered IN. *holds nose*

MeTa threads?
posted by cosmonik at 4:08 PM on March 30, 2008

maudlin: "All my comments, including this one, are written on scented, hand-made paper, kissed once, folded twice over, sealed with wax, then wafted on the breeze until they finally show up on all your computers via the magic of paper-to-packets."

Eponysterical!

I use a Greasemonkey script to insert all my comments onto each page, myself. Plus a Firefox extension that pulls quotes from Markovfilter with keywords from the FPP to fill out the comments for the rest of the page. That's right, you're all figments of some algorithm's imagination, and I'm crazy for even talking to you.

crazy, i say
posted by Rhaomi at 4:19 PM on March 30, 2008

Somebody please GreaseMonkey an envelope icon gigantifier.
posted by Sys Rq at 4:22 PM on March 30, 2008 [1 favorite]

Because I'm also a moron, I spent a good ten minutes the other day trying to figure out how to *write* a MetaMail - I kept looking for a compose button somewhere. And maybe there is one that I have yet to find.

Finally I figured out that I had to visit the recipient's profile. Doh.
posted by kbanas at 4:23 PM on March 30, 2008

Actually, since the "Welcome back, [username]" link is redundant, and the microscopic envelope icon is, uh, a microscopic envelope icon, maybe that whole little top-right bit could go away altogether. Just put "Sign Out" and "My Messages" -- in text form (for this is MetaFilter) -- over with all the other navigation links on the left.
posted by Sys Rq at 4:32 PM on March 30, 2008

That's an envelope?

I've longed suspected that Matt gets kickbacks from eye doctors due to his seeming love of small elements.

Well, it's a small envelope because it's just to hold short messages.
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 4:44 PM on March 30, 2008

Sys Rq, that might be the most sane thing I've heard in a while. I just went up and looked at the layout of that part of the page; it is a little strange to have those specific links in the place they are.
posted by mosessis at 5:25 PM on March 30, 2008

yeah, but how will people know what sockpuppet they're using?
posted by cosmonik at 5:44 PM on March 30, 2008

Somebody please GreaseMonkey an envelope icon gigantifier.

What Sys Rq said. For the love of god, some of us are well into our presbyopic years, so embiggening that freakin' microscopic envelope would be greatly appreciated.
posted by FelliniBlank at 5:54 PM on March 30, 2008

I think complaints like this just show who's got a huge, high-res monitor more than anything. I am limited to 1024x768 and it's definitely not microscopic to me.

But really, I mean now that there's this thread enlightening folks, does Matt really need to make a huge ugly icon for y'all? MeMail is not the point of the site, it's more a feature along the lines of any other, so I really don't think we need any big flashing arrows.
posted by loiseau at 6:21 PM on March 30, 2008

does Matt really need to make a huge ugly icon for y'all?

no, just mememememe. Or a nice sweater.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:36 PM on March 30, 2008

It's called milfmail, get it right.
posted by puke & cry at 6:41 PM on March 30, 2008

I'd make the disclaimer to establish that the fact that I am also a complete moron, but that goes without saying.
posted by Burhanistan at 7:19 PM on March 30, 2008

I don't think you are a moron, jjj.
Just saying.
posted by Dizzy at 7:20 PM on March 30, 2008

B-Han, on the other hand...
posted by Dizzy at 7:20 PM on March 30, 2008

For the love of god, some of us are well into our presbyopic years, so embiggening that freakin' microscopic envelope would be greatly appreciated.

LOLOLD.

*Does a donut on your lawn before peeling out in the direction of Teeny-Tiny Font Land*
posted by the littlest brussels sprout at 7:34 PM on March 30, 2008 [1 favorite]

I agree with Sys Req. I had to open this account because one of my coworkers spotted the "welcome back EXTREMELY WELL HIGHLIGHTED USERNAME" thing, and after a couple of days, people were asking about my comments here.

Can I please have a "hide username" pony?

Thanks.
posted by Dr. Curare at 8:20 PM on March 30, 2008

I am not a complete moron yet, but practice makes perfict!
posted by not_on_display at 8:38 PM on March 30, 2008

Dr. Curare, I know this is probably a long shot but if you have firefox at your workplace you can use an extension like RIP or platypus to remove any element from a page you want to.
posted by puke & cry at 8:47 PM on March 30, 2008

dammit, quickdraw! can't we have at least five minutes' fun?!??

(commenting here becoz not worth a memail)
posted by UbuRoivas at 8:57 PM on March 30, 2008

I'm starting to become more than concerned about the recent uptick in SEO shitheads here.
posted by puke & cry at 9:15 PM on March 30, 2008

Good! You need more stress in your life, p&c!

**ducking thrown rotting fruit**
posted by not_on_display at 9:44 PM on March 30, 2008

This has been a splendid confidence increaser! I thought no Mefite past or present was more technically challenged than I until this thread. Thanks jjj. BTW, the teeny envelope will be pinkish when you get mail. Just trying to be helpful.
posted by Cranberry at 9:52 PM on March 30, 2008

Also, cortex was supposed to replace the link with example.com. Tsk tsk.
posted by puke & cry at 10:01 PM on March 30, 2008

Ooh, good point.

And no. No fun. Fun is disallowed. It's in the FAQ somewhere, I think.
posted by cortex at 10:18 PM on March 30, 2008

Fun is disallowed. It's in the FAQ somewhere

Not any more it's not !!!
posted by jessamyn at 10:24 PM on March 30, 2008

FUN FOR ALL!!1!!!

(now, where's that deleted self-link, with the img tag enabled?)
posted by UbuRoivas at 11:42 PM on March 30, 2008

Fun is disallowed.

Shouldn't that be "Fun is deprecated"?

/trying to learn to talk techie
posted by languagehat at 5:55 AM on March 31, 2008

It might be nice to add a MefiMail link to the footer, too
posted by pithy comment at 6:41 AM on March 31, 2008

I'm starting to become more than concerned about the recent uptick in SEO shitheads here.

It is a little consoling that some of them don't seem to give it any more effort than reading some "how to spam Metafilter" guide and investing $5. But yeah.
posted by Tehanu at 7:18 AM on March 31, 2008

special-k said: "'Also, is there some sort of box we can type our comments on various threads into?'

Second that pony. Man, wouldn't that be cool."

I like nola's workaround, myself.
posted by pineapple at 7:33 AM on March 31, 2008

I've hear that Cabal members get all their MetaMail printed, using the blood of endangered black rhinos, onto the same kind of material they use for the American dollar, and this is hand delivered by an elite team of mute eunuchs who know kung-fu.

Which, to be totally honest, is a bit of overkill. I mean, requiring a courier to be mute? That just seems incredibly anachronistic and unnecessary. I suppose it's traditional and all, but really; hire some castrated kung-fu dudes who can talk.
posted by quin at 8:28 AM on March 31, 2008 [1 favorite]

Kung-fu is best administered silently. And money paper actually tastes sweet. If you don't believe me, next time you get some fresh bills in serial # sequence, lick one. Then think of that with endangered black rhino blood, and it's a veritable party on your palate. Definitely worth the extra money for the mute messengers, so they won't ask you, "How's it taste? Can I have a lick?"

Who's in the cabal, btw? I have some intense powers of obsquieousness and I need a cabal to practice on.
posted by not_on_display at 10:02 AM on March 31, 2008

There is no cabal. I believe this is also addressed in the FAQ.
posted by cortex at 10:15 AM on March 31, 2008

....says a member of the cabal.
posted by nevercalm at 10:38 AM on March 31, 2008

I believe this is also addressed in the FAQ.

I think it may be time for you to shut up.
posted by jessamyn at 10:56 AM on March 31, 2008

...and for years afterwards, there would be an occasional "say, what ever happened to cortex?" from MeFites who hadn't followed MetaTalk back in the day, and a chorus of "sssh! there is no cortex!" from the clued-in. If that didn't work, a stern MeMail from Cooter usually did the trick.
posted by languagehat at 11:21 AM on March 31, 2008 [2 favorites]

Hey, jessamyn: that may have been your 5000th MeTa comment. Who needs to shut up now?

(was that obsequious enough?)
posted by not_on_display at 1:10 PM on March 31, 2008

Ha! Not may be, but was.
posted by cortex at 1:13 PM on March 31, 2008

Jessamyn,

Congratulations for overachieving against one of your productivity targets under The Plan.

Your efforts here have not gone unnoticed.
posted by the Cabal at 2:57 PM on March 31, 2008

Hey! There is no you! You aren't!
posted by cortex at 2:59 PM on March 31, 2008

How can you tell how many comments you/she had?
posted by misha at 3:00 PM on March 31, 2008

Go to her profile, and see what it has to say about comment counts. Simple as pie!
posted by cortex at 3:11 PM on March 31, 2008

this is kinda ironic or odd or maybe I'm a lunatic; as of this timestamp my little envelope is missing, not there, gone. Is this some kinda sick joke?
someone has pie?
posted by dawson at 3:44 PM on March 31, 2008

THIS IS AN EMERGENCY! I NEED TO DIAL 911 BUT I CANNOT FIND THE ELEVEN KEY. PLEASE HELP THANKS!
posted by syzygy at 5:22 AM on April 1, 2008 [1 favorite]

Spell "eleven" with the alpha-numeric keys, ya complete moron.
posted by Burhanistan at 5:29 AM on April 1, 2008 [2 favorites]

I once called an automated directory that actually asked me to press the ten key, the eleven key, and the twelve key for the last three options, respectively. Dialing it as a sequence of single digits didn't work. I have no idea what they were thinking there.
posted by cortex at 6:26 AM on April 1, 2008

Must've been a Canadian phone system.
posted by Burhanistan at 6:49 AM on April 1, 2008

cortex: "I once called an automated directory that actually asked me to press the ten key, the eleven key, and the twelve key for the last three options, respectively. Dialing it as a sequence of single digits didn't work. I have no idea what they were thinking there."

DTMF officially supports sixteen keys. Maybe they thought you were calling from a certain type of (internal to the company) handset?
posted by Plutor at 11:34 AM on April 1, 2008

DTMF officially supports sixteen keys.

You gotta be cheerful-hearted,
There's at least 15 ways to leave your man.
Get a flat and a magazine,
Get your body ahead and out of that scene.
But don't be disconcerted,
There are 8 ways to keep your man.
Don't be down-hearted,
There are 15 ways to leave your man.
Don't be too disconcerted,
Use all 15 ways to leave your man,
Leave your man.
16 ways to leave your man,
Leave your man,
Leave your man.
posted by UbuRoivas at 3:28 PM on April 1, 2008