AskMe hell April 9, 2008 1:01 PM Subscribe
Hey, I'm successful young buck at 30 years of age, but enough about me, why don't you guys talk about me?
don't forget the fedora.
posted by gac at 1:05 PM on April 9, 2008 [11 favorites]
posted by gac at 1:05 PM on April 9, 2008 [11 favorites]
And here we are. Talking about him.
That'll learn 'em.
posted by bondcliff at 1:06 PM on April 9, 2008 [4 favorites]
That'll learn 'em.
posted by bondcliff at 1:06 PM on April 9, 2008 [4 favorites]
It's cases like these that make me wonder, just wonder, when we can get a community-based perma-ban button. 100 votes and this sucker is forced to shell out another 5 bucks, just because we said so.
posted by SeizeTheDay at 1:06 PM on April 9, 2008
posted by SeizeTheDay at 1:06 PM on April 9, 2008
ugh. I'm glad there's a Meta already. I almost threw a snark in that thread.
posted by special-k at 1:08 PM on April 9, 2008
posted by special-k at 1:08 PM on April 9, 2008
Normally I would think this is a FIAMO kinda situation, except for the fact that just a few months ago the same guy needed help adapting when his life was in major upheaval. Weird.
posted by bcwinters at 1:09 PM on April 9, 2008
posted by bcwinters at 1:09 PM on April 9, 2008
I'm trying to find the right "get a life go to Fight Club show me your war face" quote to throw at him, but there's. just. too. damn. many.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 1:09 PM on April 9, 2008
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 1:09 PM on April 9, 2008
This question isn't nearly as bad as any number of novella-length "What do I do with my relationship?" questions. The guy wants some ideas on what to do with his life. I can't actually think of a more important question. What exactly is your problem here?
posted by 0xFCAF at 1:09 PM on April 9, 2008
posted by 0xFCAF at 1:09 PM on April 9, 2008
Also, mad props for starting a MetaTalk thread about something without actually posting a MeTa in the original post. You're doing a heckuva job.
posted by 0xFCAF at 1:14 PM on April 9, 2008
posted by 0xFCAF at 1:14 PM on April 9, 2008
Hi, you don't know me but something's wrong. Can you tell me what it is?
posted by electroboy at 1:15 PM on April 9, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by electroboy at 1:15 PM on April 9, 2008 [2 favorites]
Good thing Metafilter's Bitter Old Man Patrol is on the case.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 1:15 PM on April 9, 2008
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 1:15 PM on April 9, 2008
Also, mad props for starting a MetaTalk thread about something without actually posting a MeTa in the original post. You're doing a heckuva job.
posted by 0xFCAF
Aww...are you the 23 year old "cute" girlfriend defending your sugar-daddy? You really ARE cute!
posted by Grither at 1:15 PM on April 9, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by 0xFCAF
Aww...are you the 23 year old "cute" girlfriend defending your sugar-daddy? You really ARE cute!
posted by Grither at 1:15 PM on April 9, 2008 [1 favorite]
And it's gone!
posted by electroboy at 1:16 PM on April 9, 2008
posted by electroboy at 1:16 PM on April 9, 2008
What a surprise: this guy only asks questions and doesn't contribute in any other way.
posted by CunningLinguist at 1:16 PM on April 9, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by CunningLinguist at 1:16 PM on April 9, 2008 [2 favorites]
Nixed it. There's nothing in principle wrong with using askme to get a sense of what to do with your life, I guess, but if dude has a genuine existential issue he wants addressed, he can try again in a week with a less awful, thread-dooming presentation.
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:19 PM on April 9, 2008
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:19 PM on April 9, 2008
I think that the post in question is a good example of an opportunity for us to take the high road, look past the annoying window dressing, identify the real question (I feel like something is missing from my life, but everything I can think of is fine -- what do I do?), and give a real answer.
This comes up on MeTa all the time. In such cases, many people choose to make jokes, which may be amusing but is not useful.
I dunno, it just seems to me that this is actually a very difficult question to ask. Maybe I feel sympathetic because I have had a similar feeling lately. When you're very lucky and successful, if you feel unhappy despite all of your success, that can be extremely uncomfortable. When it happens to me, I feel very guilty. I am reluctant to jump all over the poster for not dealing with this problem as gracefully as possible. And I am not sympathetic to those people whose snarky comments seem to come from the assumption that people with hot girlfriends and full passports can't possibly have a real problem.
posted by prefpara at 1:19 PM on April 9, 2008 [9 favorites]
This comes up on MeTa all the time. In such cases, many people choose to make jokes, which may be amusing but is not useful.
I dunno, it just seems to me that this is actually a very difficult question to ask. Maybe I feel sympathetic because I have had a similar feeling lately. When you're very lucky and successful, if you feel unhappy despite all of your success, that can be extremely uncomfortable. When it happens to me, I feel very guilty. I am reluctant to jump all over the poster for not dealing with this problem as gracefully as possible. And I am not sympathetic to those people whose snarky comments seem to come from the assumption that people with hot girlfriends and full passports can't possibly have a real problem.
posted by prefpara at 1:19 PM on April 9, 2008 [9 favorites]
Damn, I had a fine post ready to go for that one. Guess I'll have to save my clever remarks for the next narcissist.
posted by trinity8-director at 1:19 PM on April 9, 2008
posted by trinity8-director at 1:19 PM on April 9, 2008
What little ability I had to manifest seriousness in Metatalk has been thoroughly ruined by the sans quoi thread.
Ssshhh! What happens in Sans quoi stays in Sans quoi.
posted by dersins at 1:20 PM on April 9, 2008
Ssshhh! What happens in Sans quoi stays in Sans quoi.
posted by dersins at 1:20 PM on April 9, 2008
He's an AskMooch. He's just here to get his five bucks worth out of us. Don't answer the question if you're so irritated by his phrasing.
posted by iconomy at 1:21 PM on April 9, 2008
posted by iconomy at 1:21 PM on April 9, 2008
I almost threw a snark in that thread.
I appreciate your restraint. Doomed thread or not.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 1:24 PM on April 9, 2008
I appreciate your restraint. Doomed thread or not.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 1:24 PM on April 9, 2008
Also, mad props for starting a MetaTalk thread about something without actually posting a MeTa in the original post. You're doing a heckuva job.
You missed my intent. I looked at the poster's AskMe history and couldn't decide if he were a depressed dude or a fedora cap guy looking to preen. I suspected it was the former, and decided to post the MeTa as a release valve for the inevitable snark explosion to come. I was going to post the MeTa in line, but got called away from my desk, and the thread had closed by the time I got back.
Also, sarcasm only works in spoken form as it largely depends upon agreed upon context and vocal inflection. If you use it in print, people either think you're a fool or an asshole.
Btw, sincerely, are people still saying "heckuva job"?
posted by besotted at 1:25 PM on April 9, 2008 [1 favorite]
You missed my intent. I looked at the poster's AskMe history and couldn't decide if he were a depressed dude or a fedora cap guy looking to preen. I suspected it was the former, and decided to post the MeTa as a release valve for the inevitable snark explosion to come. I was going to post the MeTa in line, but got called away from my desk, and the thread had closed by the time I got back.
Also, sarcasm only works in spoken form as it largely depends upon agreed upon context and vocal inflection. If you use it in print, people either think you're a fool or an asshole.
Btw, sincerely, are people still saying "heckuva job"?
posted by besotted at 1:25 PM on April 9, 2008 [1 favorite]
Personally I think we should round up all of the AskMoochers, put them on a rocket, and blast them into space. That's pretty much my solution to everything though.
posted by burnmp3s at 1:25 PM on April 9, 2008
posted by burnmp3s at 1:25 PM on April 9, 2008
I actually feel sort of bad for him now that I've read the question bcwinters linked. The guy sounds more nutty and sad than obnoxious to me now.
posted by CunningLinguist at 1:25 PM on April 9, 2008
posted by CunningLinguist at 1:25 PM on April 9, 2008
These threads are only doomed because people choose to shit in them without any fear of recourse. Prefpara had a good answer, Burhanistan had a good answer, Cranberry had a good answer, there were some other decent answers in there as well.
posted by 0xFCAF at 1:28 PM on April 9, 2008
posted by 0xFCAF at 1:28 PM on April 9, 2008
They're doomed because there's no new answers. Change jobs, change girlfriends, volunteer, go to church, exercise, drink more water.
posted by electroboy at 1:30 PM on April 9, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by electroboy at 1:30 PM on April 9, 2008 [2 favorites]
Perhaps I'm in the wrong, but I do want to make my point more forcefully given that the consensus seems to be against me.
I think this is an example of our failure much more than it is an example of his failure. There seems to be a tacit understanding that at AskMeFi, we don't help assholes. I get it -- they're assholes! But, speaking as a frequent asshole, they're also human beings who can be just as lonely, unhappy, and in need of help as nice people. I understand that they're annoying and that there are a million things in the world that are more fun than patiently helping someone who is irritating or appears to be a bad person, but I do strongly believe that we shouldn't deny these people our help any more than we ought to deny it to smelly people, etc.
Just, you know, for the millionth time, I echo the sentiment that giving people the benefit of the doubt and providing good answers is better than what happened here, with the mocking.
posted by prefpara at 1:31 PM on April 9, 2008 [2 favorites]
I think this is an example of our failure much more than it is an example of his failure. There seems to be a tacit understanding that at AskMeFi, we don't help assholes. I get it -- they're assholes! But, speaking as a frequent asshole, they're also human beings who can be just as lonely, unhappy, and in need of help as nice people. I understand that they're annoying and that there are a million things in the world that are more fun than patiently helping someone who is irritating or appears to be a bad person, but I do strongly believe that we shouldn't deny these people our help any more than we ought to deny it to smelly people, etc.
Just, you know, for the millionth time, I echo the sentiment that giving people the benefit of the doubt and providing good answers is better than what happened here, with the mocking.
posted by prefpara at 1:31 PM on April 9, 2008 [2 favorites]
They're doomed because there's no new answers.
Really, there are only two answers possible:
(1) masturbate more, or
(2) masturbate less.
posted by besotted at 1:31 PM on April 9, 2008 [5 favorites]
Really, there are only two answers possible:
(1) masturbate more, or
(2) masturbate less.
posted by besotted at 1:31 PM on April 9, 2008 [5 favorites]
So "no" on the navel gazing, but "yes" on How do I spend $100?
Just checking.
posted by mkultra at 1:32 PM on April 9, 2008 [1 favorite]
Just checking.
posted by mkultra at 1:32 PM on April 9, 2008 [1 favorite]
Completely agree with prefpara and 0xFCAF. I do not think it should have been deleted. There was nothing wrong with his question, only the way he phrased it, slightly. Not all of us is good riters, we should not discriminate against those who are not good at explaining their problems. Unless there's obvious evidence, in past posts or blogs or something, that he really is patting himself on the back, we should be more sympathetic, even help him by pointing out that his question did in fact come across as self-centered.
posted by Melismata at 1:33 PM on April 9, 2008
posted by Melismata at 1:33 PM on April 9, 2008
If you look at his AskMe posting history, it sounds as if he's not doing as well as a lot of the surface trappings of his life would suggest. Add in some cultural differences (where do you draw the line between a clear description of your life and boasting?) and I see how this mess could have started.
Like cortex says, he can try again next week. Maybe it will go better then and he'll get some useful answers to a more well-thought out question.
posted by maudlin at 1:33 PM on April 9, 2008
Like cortex says, he can try again next week. Maybe it will go better then and he'll get some useful answers to a more well-thought out question.
posted by maudlin at 1:33 PM on April 9, 2008
I think there's a valid question somewhere between the lines there, and one I'd like to know the answer to as well, but man. That was even more "What other problems will my big penis and I encounter?" than the fedora guy.
posted by Metroid Baby at 1:36 PM on April 9, 2008
posted by Metroid Baby at 1:36 PM on April 9, 2008
I removed a lot of the snark and the post has been deleted, so I'm gonna close this up.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 1:37 PM on April 9, 2008
posted by mathowie (staff) at 1:37 PM on April 9, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by KokuRyu at 1:05 PM on April 9, 2008