108 ain't bad.

July 13, 2008 8:44 AM

Olive Riely has died at age 108.

I met her thanks to pyramid termite's 2007 World's Oldest Blogger FPP. I didn't think her passing worth a repeat FPP, but I wanted to mark the occasion and share the news with others who may have been as charmed as I was by a blog that transcribed the reminisces of a woman born in 1899.

posted by mmahaffie to MetaFilter-related at 8:44 AM (32 comments total)

Is this where we drop a

.

Or where we say mean things about the deceased? I'm no longer sure of our cultural standard regarding this type of post.
posted by five fresh fish at 8:53 AM on July 13, 2008

.
posted by ruelle at 9:02 AM on July 13, 2008

I'm no longer sure of our cultural standard regarding this type of post.

Damn, that pesky FFF's decision making chip has gone rusty again?! Does anyone know a way to make it think for itself?

Seriously, that's a neat post, I missed it first go around. Mmahaffie, could you describe the meeting and what she was like?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 9:10 AM on July 13, 2008

.
posted by Navelgazer at 9:16 AM on July 13, 2008

Sorry, Brandon Blatcher, I was using "met" in the figurative sense, not the literal. The original FPP led me to the Life of Riley blog, of which I have been a fan ever since.
posted by mmahaffie at 9:20 AM on July 13, 2008

I missed that one the first time too. I live in Riverdale in the Bronx, which may just be the world's retirement home capital. I know there are at least a dozen just within a few blocks of here.

This has me wondering how many untold stories there are floating around my neighborhood. I smell a project! CodgerTales.com maybe?
posted by JaredSeth at 9:24 AM on July 13, 2008

what a shame
posted by pyramid termite at 9:24 AM on July 13, 2008

.
posted by Busithoth at 9:24 AM on July 13, 2008

I like the fact that obit posts are now being made directly to MeTa. Skip the middleman!
posted by found missing at 9:26 AM on July 13, 2008 [1 favorite]

I think her passing is worth an FPP.
posted by ornate insect at 9:27 AM on July 13, 2008

posted by five fresh fish I'm no longer sure of our cultural standard regarding this type of post.

We must wait for Blazecock Pileon to post the correct response. If you post the incorrect response or express a different opinion, Blazecock Pileon will loudly demand you return to your disdainful website of origin.
posted by optovox at 10:29 AM on July 13, 2008 [3 favorites]

Bah, you just didn't have the balls to post an obit after wendell's last MeTa. Either that or you're just trying to prove how silly it is to judge who deserves front page when they die.

I thought the Snow obit was well-written, btw, and would have said so then, if I knew who the hell the guy was.

Front page for all!
posted by sunshinesky at 10:34 AM on July 13, 2008

I had only one link, two if you count the link back to the original FPP. I was not trying to make any comment on obit threads. My thinking was to partially celebrate the fact that MetaFilter introduced me to Ms. Riley in the first place. But there's not a new "best of the web" aspect to this, so I thought it belonged on MetaTalk.
posted by mmahaffie at 10:38 AM on July 13, 2008

With all the obituaries, MetaFilter is becoming the blue screen of death.
posted by optovox at 10:40 AM on July 13, 2008 [14 favorites]

.
posted by greta simone at 11:21 AM on July 13, 2008

We must wait for Blazecock Pileon to post the correct response. If you post the incorrect response or express a different opinion, Blazecock Pileon will loudly demand you return to your disdainful website of origin.

Knock that shit off. Bringing other MeFites into a thread they have nothing to do with just to show how much you can't stand them is not approved procedure around here.
posted by languagehat at 12:27 PM on July 13, 2008 [3 favorites]

I approve of this Obit (as if anybody gives a shit what I think).

.
posted by wendell at 12:30 PM on July 13, 2008

she could clearly remember conversations from 1908, which really blows my mind. i can't remember conversations from yesterday.

.
posted by SteveTheRed at 12:44 PM on July 13, 2008

"O RLY?"

"No, O'Riley!"

Is Riley the leet internetization of "Reilly"?
posted by Eideteker at 12:44 PM on July 13, 2008

Aw.

.
posted by Iosephus at 12:47 PM on July 13, 2008

.
posted by Afroblanco at 12:51 PM on July 13, 2008

"Riley" is a pretty common (Irish? Scotch-Irish?) surname. "Riely" looks like a tpyo or a typpo.
posted by fantabulous timewaster at 2:15 PM on July 13, 2008

Thanks. I didn't catch the first post, and I look forward to reading her blog when I can see it (maybe too many visitors now?). All those excerpt in the comments of the original post are just whetting the appetite.
posted by PY at 2:21 PM on July 13, 2008

*ignores scuffle in thread*

Bless her. Here's my heartfelt . and a RIP.
posted by jokeefe at 2:57 PM on July 13, 2008

Knock that shit off. Bringing other MeFites into a thread they have nothing to do with just to show how much you can't stand them is not approved procedure around here.

Take the day off optovox; that is completely beyond the pale and uncalled for.
posted by jessamyn at 3:17 PM on July 13, 2008 [1 favorite]

This is a swell example of why using MeTa as a place for updates may not be such a swell idea.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 5:06 PM on July 13, 2008

This is a swell example of why using MeTa as a place for updates may not be such a swell idea.

Unfortunately, you're probably right about that, AA. If only people would show a little more class, and not use an obit thread about someone as wonderful as this now-deceased lady to make little jabs at other MeFiers. Still, not posting something like this here out of fear of dumb, nasty or ill-considered comments means the terrorists snarkers have won.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:07 PM on July 13, 2008

If only people would show a little more class, and not use an obit thread about someone as wonderful as this now-deceased lady to make little jabs at other MeFiers. Still, not posting something like this here out of fear of dumb, nasty or ill-considered comments means the terrorists snarkers have won.

I see it as being a two-part problem: Firstly, MeTa is a really inefficient vehicle for updating FPPs, comparable to the NYT publishing retractions and corrections in the Racine Weekly SmartShopper. The readership is a small fraction of the intended audience, and the content doesn't fit the format. That leads to the second problem which is that MeTa isn't a place for FPPs. In a previous MetaTalk post about ObitFilter (Appropriately enough), someone made the point that unless the subject would make for a good FPP while alive, odds are their memorial post wouldn't be all that great, and I think that applies to UpdateFilter as well. If your content wouldn't cut it on the Blue, why clutter MetaTalk? Inversely, if the subject of your post does merit an FPP, you're doing it a disservice and giving it short shrift by stuffing it in the Ol' Grey Crawlspace.

Secondly, people are given more latitude to be asses and to derail or explore tangents than on MetaFilter's front page. In the interests of full disclosure, I should probably cop to having a less than polite response to optovox deleted from this thread, and while I understand the mod's intention, I'm not sure it's a good idea apply MeFi standards of conduct to select MeTa posts. Possibly requiring more shepherding than post of the Blue, these updates could lead to headaches for the mods, bitching from folks about inconsistency, and increased potential poster stage fright.

FWIW, I think this fascinating woman's death is definitely merits an FPP - it's been over a year since the original post, and Olive brought something very unique and interesting to the web.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 7:18 PM on July 13, 2008

... potential poster stage fright.

See the man with the stage fright
Just tryin' to be such a brave MeFite
To be deleted, well it just might,
But when the post's at an end
He wanna post all over again...
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:15 PM on July 13, 2008 [1 favorite]

Prob'ly be deleted, well it just might,
But when the post's at an end
He wanna post all over again...

slight revision
posted by gac at 10:56 PM on July 13, 2008

.

That original post about Olive is one of my favourite things I've found through Metafilter.

RIP Olive.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 8:06 PM on July 14, 2008

Beautiful in a sad way.


Rest in peace your beautiful person you.
posted by oxford blue at 7:15 AM on July 17, 2008