Time and Effort Wasted

September 29, 2008 7:40 AM

Awesome comments go bye-bye with deleted post.

Makes you wonder, why make the effort to inform?

posted by netbros to MetaFilter-Related at 7:40 AM (44 comments total)

Unless I'm mistaken, those comments are still there, just not Googleable/visible. Sometimes, really good comments will save a thread that is otherwise looking doomed but that wasn't the case this time. I'm not sure what you're calling out here.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:44 AM on September 29, 2008

OooOooohhh and it makes me wonder.

It's not about the comments, except when it is. As good as those ones are, how many Bailout FPPs do we need? MeMail the commenters and ask if they'd mind if you copy and pasted their quotes in one of the other 700 Billion posts.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 7:46 AM on September 29, 2008

Can't people still favorite them? And maybe if enough people favorite them or flag as fantastic a mod will side-bar them? Or link to them from an already open thread on the subject?
posted by macadamiaranch at 7:47 AM on September 29, 2008

If deleted threads could make the sidebar, what would be the point of deleting them?
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:56 AM on September 29, 2008 [1 favorite]

Making the effort to inform is good, but nobody who has been around here for any amount of time should be under the impression that good comments will reliably indemnify a bad post. And that was essentially a textbook example of a bad post; caveat commentor, essentially.
posted by cortex (staff) at 7:56 AM on September 29, 2008 [1 favorite]

I put coded messages to my network of spies into threads that I think will be deleted.

The dog bays at the October moon; there is death afoot.
posted by Astro Zombie at 8:12 AM on September 29, 2008 [4 favorites]

I agree with the folks that think this shouldn't have been deleted. I understand that the OP may have been a little link light, but it is a link to the *actual legislation* that is about to dramatically alter the way the entire world does business.

There are also some links in comments that are succinct and informative.

We all know there's going to be more bailout posts if there's not one on the front page. Why not let this one stand, and be the proxy comment dump for the legislation? Else we're going to end up with a zillion similar posts, like unto all of the politics threads.
posted by dejah420 at 8:19 AM on September 29, 2008

netbros: "Makes you wonder, why make the effort to inform?"

Please delete this thread, so we can wonder why anyone would make the effort to post a MeTa thread encouraging overreaction.
posted by Plutor at 8:20 AM on September 29, 2008 [1 favorite]

Oh...and Astro:

Little plastic things on the end of shoelaces. Bowling ball. High in the 90's.
posted by dejah420 at 8:20 AM on September 29, 2008

We all know there's going to be more bailout posts if there's not one on the front page.

And there's a very good chance, considering how bad this one was, that another one will be significantly better. At when that happens, that one can stand as the new locus for this subject and we'll be in good shape without being armwrestled into letting stand a post that was explicitly a lazy "hey let's chat" prop.
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:27 AM on September 29, 2008

well, all i've got to say is that i'm listening to the kinks' preservation act 1 & 2 today and it seems oddly, spookily appropriate
posted by pyramid termite at 8:37 AM on September 29, 2008

I understand that the OP may have been a little link light, but it is a link to the *actual legislation* that is about to dramatically alter the way the entire world does business.

Agreed about the newsworthiness of the subject. However, the language of the FPP -- I realize this isn't the best post. Just thought that comment in mefi would be something a lot of people would like to read and the sooner the better to get opinion on it -- really left me wondering "why post this at all if you can't find a decent link or two on the topic?" which is the same way I feel about people who post breaking-news obit posts or other hot off the press topics and link to the front page of CNN.com or something. As someone who emailed me said (and yes we get emails about this stuff) it's a bad post mainly because

1. It's not a bank bailout.
2. It's not being passed tomorrow. It's being voted on.

and on top of that, it's a weak newsfilter post with apologies for being a bad post.

Aglet!
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 8:41 AM on September 29, 2008 [2 favorites]

Valid points. I withdraw my objection. (Cause we all know this is a parliamentary procedure, right? Heh.)
posted by dejah420 at 9:12 AM on September 29, 2008

Also: zabaglione
posted by dejah420 at 9:14 AM on September 29, 2008

Well, netbros, for what it is worth, I would have never read those had you not posted them here. So they were not all for nought.
posted by clearly at 9:28 AM on September 29, 2008

...and that isn't to say that my reading a comment is the determinant of what makes a comment worthwhile.
posted by clearly at 9:30 AM on September 29, 2008

Is this really any better? One link to a pdf, and inside links to House.gov and Senate.gov lists? Can someone please make a decent post about this so we can stop this race to post junk?
posted by Plutor at 9:40 AM on September 29, 2008

No, that's really not better. I wish I had the fortitude and temperament to put a post together, but it's just not my sort of thing.
posted by cortex (staff) at 9:49 AM on September 29, 2008

Is this really any better?

td;cr
posted by mandal at 9:55 AM on September 29, 2008

Looking back from twenty years in the future, this is going to be the apex of a series of increasingly telling signs that something was deeply wrong with the United States. It's certainly the most historically significant thing to happen this year, and probably will go down as the most significant since 9/11.

So, yeah it deserves a few posts. Just not these posts.
posted by Ryvar at 9:56 AM on September 29, 2008

And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his comment upon a thread that was canned.

--Matthew 7:26, Revised Metafilterian Version
posted by Rhaomi at 9:57 AM on September 29, 2008

I thought the main link was good, in that it was a citizen mark-up legislation site that was not just the proposed text, but was interactive. And since this is, by common consent, the single biggest economic event in a generation, it strikes me that whether it is a perfect post or not is besides the point - I mean, for the most part, lousy obituary posts do not get taken down and the intent of both is the same: newsfilter with a chance for discussion.

And both might warrant a "." as well, now that I think about it.
posted by Rumple at 10:13 AM on September 29, 2008

What happens to a post deleted?
posted by milkrate at 10:31 AM on September 29, 2008

This is garbage. I also got my post deleted because it "doesnt appeal to someone not immersed in the day-to-day back and forth about USian politicking".

All I did was post a link to the actual copy of the bill which is often referenced but has rarely been read.

http://www.metafilter.com/75241/

Total hogwash.

And yeah...there ARE tons of people posting this. If one was posted and kept up, there wouldn't be tons of people posting this.

So yeah...lets talk about tiny little comments the politicians are making on a daily basis...but lets not post the full text of the 700,000,000,000 plan thats about to be voted on in 9 minutes.

Metafilter...for the first time ever I give you a FAIL.
posted by hal_c_on at 10:34 AM on September 29, 2008 [1 favorite]

Is THIS any better?

The content of this SLYT is so inaccurate, so misleading, so partisan... but it's partisan in favor of the "MetaFilter Minority Viewpoint" so it must stand, eh?

And BTW, is THIS any better? The very presence of this piece of racist porno disguised as humor on the front page singlehandedly made me question my long-time support of this site.

But then I remember I've witnessed times when the MeFi moderators screwed up badly in the past, and based on this, I know I have to allow at least four more strikes.
posted by wendell at 10:35 AM on September 29, 2008

All I did was post a link to the actual copy of the bill which is often referenced but has rarely been read.

So put it in the threads where it has been often referenced, goddammit.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:36 AM on September 29, 2008 [2 favorites]

All I did was post a link to the actual copy of the bill which is often referenced but has rarely been read.

You thought that was a good link for a post? Just the text of the bill?
posted by smackfu at 10:38 AM on September 29, 2008

U.S. history that's being passed tomorrow.

You're always
A day
A way!
posted by and hosted from Uranus at 10:50 AM on September 29, 2008 [2 favorites]

hal_c_on: "This is garbage. I also got my post deleted because it "doesnt appeal to someone not immersed in the day-to-day back and forth about USian politicking". All I did was post a link to the actual copy of the bill which is often referenced but has rarely been read."

Make a little effort next time. Simply linking to a pdf of a bill is always going to get deleted, no matter what. Link to some references, some debate, some discussion about the pros and cons, or even just a condensed version of the bill. Linking to only the bill is like linking to the Constitution and claiming it's a good post about the flaws of warrantless wiretapping.
posted by Plutor at 10:57 AM on September 29, 2008 [1 favorite]

I have misgivings about it, but here is my best effort to put the bill in some readable context, sans any GYOBiness or political boosterism, while including some not-foaming-at-the-mouth outside analysis.

I expect that there will be a wealth of stronger commentary on this whole thing two or three days out, and I think a stronger, better post would be made then with that, but as far as walking the walk this is more of what we'd expect from a decent attempt at doing more than just pasting the bill and shouting that it's rilly, rilly important, etc.
posted by cortex (staff) at 11:04 AM on September 29, 2008

Metafilter...for the first time ever I give you a FAIL.

Please drop the drama. "Here is a big document without context, CONTACT YOUR CONGRESSCRITTERS" is a bad post. This bailout bill does not even have the mitigating factor of having been a surprise; as you are very well aware, this thing has been cooking for days. This was not a sudden shocking development; you couldn't take an hour and try to construct something substantial, despite this being so OMG WTF important?
posted by cortex (staff) at 11:07 AM on September 29, 2008 [4 favorites]

Thanks cortex for crafting the post in the blue.
posted by exogenous at 11:13 AM on September 29, 2008

But then I remember I've witnessed times when the MeFi moderators screwed up badly in the past, and based on this, I know I have to allow at least four more strikes.

I'm not even sure I understand you here. Neither post was so flagged that it seemed like they needed deletion. What we were talking about here is "how to make a decent post about the weird messed up financial scene in the US and/or bailout" not how to make a decent post generally to MeFi.

If you have issues with those posts enough that you think we are screwing up at our jobs because we didn't delete them, maybe you want to start your own callout?
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 11:26 AM on September 29, 2008

MeFi admins don't screw up. They're ineffable. Sometimes that can be mistaken for screwing up.
posted by Plutor at 12:05 PM on September 29, 2008

Also, and I almost hate to make this point, but it's nice to have a new thread every so often because a lot of people read MeFi that don't have accounts or aren't familiar with recent activity. Following the weeks old threads via recent activity is great for us that understand how to use it and comment to make it worth it, but it's not particularly accessible to those who don't. Metafilter has somewhat of a reputation for good commentary on these issues; I think it does good to keep that up on the front page as long as there is still something so huge happening.

Thanks, cortex.
posted by lunit at 12:12 PM on September 29, 2008 [1 favorite]

caveat commentor, essentially

Surely you meant caveat scriptor?
posted by Meatbomb at 1:02 PM on September 29, 2008

caveat whatevor
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:05 PM on September 29, 2008 [2 favorites]

jessamyn: 2. It's not being passed tomorrow. It's being voted on.

How eerily prescient.
posted by Kattullus at 1:07 PM on September 29, 2008

I had not heard the latest about Wachovia which holds my portfolio. (This actually a coded response to Astro Zombie and means I will meet him under the clock at the airport with the secret plans for the buyout.)
posted by Cranberry at 1:50 PM on September 29, 2008

Astro Zombie : there is death afoot.

Death of feet? OH MY GOD, IT'S THE GRIM SNEAKER!!
posted by quin at 2:16 PM on September 29, 2008

"CONTACT YOUR CONGRESSCRITTERS"

Don't blame me, I voted for Dramatic Hamster.
posted by Ms. Saint at 3:08 PM on September 29, 2008

HOGWASH I TELL YOU
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 4:24 PM on September 29, 2008

Hang on - a stavros comment without 20+ favourites? WTF?
posted by strawberryviagra at 4:46 AM on September 30, 2008

Hang on - a stavros Pastabagel comment without 20+ favourites? WTF?
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 7:43 PM on September 30, 2008