December Awesome Post Contest

December 1, 2008 5:05 PM

A couple years back we did a best post contest in December (winners here). A couple days ago, anotherpanacea suggested we do it again, and it sounded like a good idea, so yeah, consider this the announcement of a December 2008 Awesomest Post of the Official Recession Contest. With Prizes.

It'll be much the same as last time, make awesome posts to MeFi, and near the end of the month, me, jessamyn, and cortex will come up with our own personal top 3-5 posts we liked. We'll confer and likely figure out which ones showed up on everyone's lists and pick out the order as 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. We may even record the conversation for an early January podcast so you know our thinking on these things.

It's basically make a great post -- and that's a nebulous thing that usually means awesome interesting out of the way sites and subject matter. It could be a one-line post, it could be a wikipedia-esque monster post, but good stuff is what we're after. We won't go off raw favorites counts alone, but we of course always check the popular favorites to guide us towards what the community likes best (but there's no reason to game it and sign up 10 accounts to post fake favorites to your thing because your post still has to be awesome to win).

For prizes, I'll do like last time (mostly iPods) with some other options. So how about this for prizes:

1st: iPod Touch (16Gb model) or $299 cash or $299 donated to Creative Commons

2nd: iPod Nano (16Gb) or $199 cash or $199 donated to CC

3rd: iPod Shuffle (2Gb) or $69 cash or $69 donated to CC

Sound good? Great, post your best stuff this month for everyone to enjoy.

posted by mathowie to MetaFilter-Related at 5:05 PM (68 comments total)

I'm in! I would so love to upgrade....
posted by Miko at 5:09 PM on December 1, 2008

"...it was always said of him that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One!"
posted by anotherpanacea at 5:26 PM on December 1, 2008 [1 favorite]

Oh damn, now I have to make a GOOD post.

Sheesh.
posted by The Whelk at 5:30 PM on December 1, 2008

Protip: DON'T BE LIKE ME.
posted by cortex (staff) at 5:40 PM on December 1, 2008 [2 favorites]

You should be like me cause I won last time.
posted by ND¢ at 5:59 PM on December 1, 2008

Apple-ist.
posted by An Infinity Of Monkeys at 6:01 PM on December 1, 2008 [1 favorite]

Matt, thanks for doing this (again).
posted by anastasiav at 6:12 PM on December 1, 2008

Awesome!
posted by Tehanu at 6:46 PM on December 1, 2008

Metafilter: has to be awesome to win.
posted by Quietgal at 6:51 PM on December 1, 2008

Yay!
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:02 PM on December 1, 2008

How about best comments? I'm still laughing hysterically over Pastabagel's unfiltered conversation.
posted by Melismata at 7:17 PM on December 1, 2008 [2 favorites]

What do I get if I can craft the worst post, not just of December 2008, but of all time?
posted by gman at 7:22 PM on December 1, 2008

Well, time to get back to making FPPs.

Do we get anything if we make posts that get awesome comments?
posted by flatluigi at 7:29 PM on December 1, 2008 [1 favorite]

You get what my Mom says about longass words in Scrabble that get you very few points: "moral victory"
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:30 PM on December 1, 2008 [8 favorites]

jessamyn - flatluigi or me? OH PLEASE BE ME. PLEASE BE ME. I live for moral victories.
posted by gman at 7:39 PM on December 1, 2008 [1 favorite]

I love moral victories!
posted by flatluigi at 7:43 PM on December 1, 2008

no gman, not you.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:44 PM on December 1, 2008

I read that as "best poster contest", and thought "yeah, I'd like to see some cool posters that I could hang on my wall". Reality was slightly more disappointing.
posted by blue_beetle at 7:51 PM on December 1, 2008

But the recession's been going since 12/07.
posted by pompomtom at 7:59 PM on December 1, 2008

Man I'm so gonna win this when Obama gets elected in a few days I'm gonna post it before anyone else and it'll have 80 jillion favorites hahaha suckerz.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 9:00 PM on December 1, 2008 [2 favorites]

I'm going to make the best Kylie Minogue post EVAH! Suck it haters!
posted by Artw at 10:09 PM on December 1, 2008

me, jessamyn, and cortex will come up with our own personal top 3-5 posts we liked

I knew I was sitting on that FPP about the secret Fallout 3 level where you ride a recumbent bicycle while lifeguarding for a reason.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:49 PM on December 1, 2008 [3 favorites]

What's le morte de bea arthur going to do about the rather patchy state of iPod design?
posted by lukemeister at 11:07 PM on December 1, 2008

... Awesomest Post of the Official Recession Contest
This won't stop the recession, will it? It's just that, thanks to your recession, my mortgage payments have gone down almost $500 a month so far. If you're going to stop the recession, give me fair warning so I can fix my rate, please?

Plus, I look forward to the awesome posts.
posted by dg at 12:37 AM on December 2, 2008

What's le morte de bea arthur going to do about the rather patchy state of iPod design?

Don't make me picky. You wouldn't like me when I'm picky.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 3:31 AM on December 2, 2008

Awesome! Now, if I only I read things *other* than MetaFilter, so as to have material for an FPP. Hrm. I hear the internet's a big place, but I'm afraid of getting eaten by a grue.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 3:49 AM on December 2, 2008 [7 favorites]

You have been eaten by a grue.
posted by dirty lies at 4:09 AM on December 2, 2008

DAMNIT.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 4:14 AM on December 2, 2008 [3 favorites]

Not really. It's just pitch gray in here.
posted by ersatz at 4:39 AM on December 2, 2008 [2 favorites]

New Years Day, Pitchfork Power baby!
posted by wheelieman at 5:08 AM on December 2, 2008

What would the most awesome Askme post look like?
posted by ardgedee at 5:08 AM on December 2, 2008

Why doesn't vacapinta get a say too? He works just as hard when you guys are dreaming about plates of beans.
posted by allkindsoftime at 5:22 AM on December 2, 2008

Why doesn't vacapinta get a say too? He works just as hard when you guys are dreaming about plates of beans.

Hmm. It might be awkward for anyone else to respond, so let me do so. I've also been meaning to say this before.

There are three moderators here at Metafilter. They are Matt, Jessamyn and Cortex. That's it. In the background is PB of course but I believe he prefers to stay in the background. You'll notice that he never weighs in on policy for example except perhaps as just the opinion of another metafilter member.

Anyways, I am not a mod either. I like the title 'Midnight Mod' for its alliterative qualities but the truth is, I'm closer to a night watchman. I usually check the site in the morning (here in London) anyways and so Matt, I assume, felt he could trust me to hand me the power to delete posts or comments that, left unattended, would turn into major headaches for them in the morning. I'm happy to do this and it allows me the privilege of giving back a little to a site that has given me so much.

When jessamyn first introduced me you'll notice she referred to me as 'the "in case of emergency" midnight mod.' What that means is that, yes, I deal with emergencies but if there's something that can wait until the morning, then it waits. I do not deal with user queries or issues. I do not deal with general site problems or modifications. I do not deal with account issues or security issues or external issues. I have no more influence than any other user in determining the site's future direction. I do not deal with a huge number of things which Jessamyn or Cortex could explain better than I can. In all of those very important senses, I am not a moderator.

Most importantly here, I guess, is that I have no inclination to do so. I'm flattered that I was given some mod superpowers. But the truth is, as I've said, that I dont use them unless I have to.

The judges for this contest are, aptly, the three mods. Not PB. Not me. Not any number of trusted senior members. If you think more judges should be added, thats a fair general point. If you're nominating me, I politely decline. But, thank you, allkindsoftime.

The real question is: Can I compete in this contest too? :)
posted by vacapinta at 6:04 AM on December 2, 2008 [3 favorites]

What would the most awesome Askme post look like?

Something like this.
posted by lukemeister at 7:24 AM on December 2, 2008

How about best comments?

Speaking as one who pretty much only gets his kicks through comments, I second this. Even an iTunes gift card would be a nice Honorable Munchin.
posted by Spatch at 8:04 AM on December 2, 2008 [1 favorite]

I'm putting together a Space Hippies post, so you might as well just send the Touch to me. (and if I don't win, it proves you are all a bunch of Herberts!)
posted by vronsky at 8:05 AM on December 2, 2008

How about best comments?

The bar isn't very high for making a comment, so I don't want to set up a possible reward system for rampant commenting. It's tough to make a front page post, you only get one per 24 hours, and you get the scrutiny of everyone looking at it. With comments, you could be an obnoxious ass and spew all over the site fishing for a reward and as long as you have the occasional lucid story, you could be considered for some sort of comment contest, but I don't want to encourage that kind of behavior on the site.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 8:12 AM on December 2, 2008 [4 favorites]

Yay another opportunity to feel mediocre.
posted by Deathalicious at 8:35 AM on December 2, 2008 [2 favorites]

Argh all my posts suck and are often deleted! I am going to have to redouble my efforts. Twice as many deletions here I come. :>)
posted by Mastercheddaar at 8:44 AM on December 2, 2008

sorry, I have to

Metafilter: spew all over

Metafilter: the occasional lucid story
posted by never used baby shoes at 9:53 AM on December 2, 2008

...he could trust me to hand me the power to delete posts or comments that, left unattended, would turn into major headaches for them in the morning.

The real question is: Can I compete in this contest too? :)

Only if you agree to relinquish your powers for the month of December.
*if this occurs, all my contributions will be posted between, say, 3 and 5am EST.
posted by gman at 9:54 AM on December 2, 2008

If anyone can do this, so can I.
posted by Mister_A at 10:04 AM on December 2, 2008

This contest is over as soon as my first-week probation is up. Just warning y'all in advance.
posted by Joe Beese at 10:14 AM on December 2, 2008

They didn't tell you about the parole hearing, though.
posted by backseatpilot at 10:28 AM on December 2, 2008 [1 favorite]

CONTEST OVER.
posted by gman at 10:43 AM on December 2, 2008

an obnoxious ass... spew all over the site fishing for a reward... the occasional lucid story...

This is going in my profile! No wonder my ears were burning!
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 11:05 AM on December 2, 2008

I should dust off that underwater sex post of mine and give it a second try.

I hear opportunity knockin'; Ipod, here I come!
posted by jason's_planet at 11:17 AM on December 2, 2008

If this iPod's a-rockin',
Don't come a-knockin'
posted by lukemeister at 5:19 PM on December 2, 2008

If the iPod's a-dockin;,
Don't come a-disconnectin' it without first safely disconnecting the USB device
posted by cortex (staff) at 5:32 PM on December 2, 2008 [3 favorites]

Yeah, you don't want to mess up your dongle.
posted by lukemeister at 6:59 PM on December 2, 2008 [1 favorite]

Here this gets my vote. via flimsy.
posted by vronsky at 9:00 PM on December 2, 2008

If the iPod's a-dockin;,
Don't come a-disconnectin' it without first safely disconnecting the USB device

If I'd known mods get to learn how our first iPod was destroyed, I'd never have signed up!
posted by ersatz at 5:57 AM on December 3, 2008

With comments, you could be an obnoxious ass and spew all over the site fishing for a reward and as long as you have the occasional lucid story, you could be considered for some sort of comment contest, but I don't want to encourage that kind of behavior on the site.

What if you use this following rubrik: (number of favorites or overall awesomeness)/(number of total comments in December)^2?
posted by Deathalicious at 8:32 AM on December 3, 2008

never used baby shoes:
Metafilter: spew all over the occasional lucid story?
posted by bicyclefish at 8:57 AM on December 3, 2008

Okay, I threw my hat in.
posted by The Whelk at 9:25 AM on December 3, 2008

I nominate the metatalk civility thread.
posted by Artw at 9:29 AM on December 3, 2008

Well, as I undeniably suck at posts, I will kick back and watch the rest of the peons happily debase as they happily scrabble in the muck, backstabbing each other for the prize, while I watch from afar, chuckling deeply to myself at their desperate attempts for self validation, meanwhile realizing my position is hollow and meaningless, as I stopped posting long ago, due to my inability to make good posts...
posted by Samizdata at 9:57 AM on December 3, 2008

Scruffy seconds that nomination. Blurst of the web.
posted by SpiffyRob at 10:12 AM on December 3, 2008

Metafilter: spew all over the occasional lucid story?

I see that, and I'll raise you:

Metafilter: Lucid spew all over the occasional story.
posted by never used baby shoes at 10:23 AM on December 3, 2008

I'd like to learn lucid spewing. Can you recommend a blog?
posted by lukemeister at 5:51 PM on December 3, 2008

My post is floundering! floundering! Oh what a world what a world oooooohhh...
posted by The Whelk at 6:50 PM on December 3, 2008

The Whelk

Geez, throw us a buck or two. TANSTAAFL.
posted by lukemeister at 7:01 PM on December 3, 2008

All I have are shiny, shiny beads.
posted by The Whelk at 7:26 PM on December 3, 2008 [1 favorite]

4th place is the banhammer!
posted by not_on_display at 12:14 PM on December 9, 2008 [1 favorite]

Is this for posts made all year, or just for posts made in December?
posted by pxe2000 at 7:08 AM on December 12, 2008

Is this for posts made all year, or just for posts made in December?

All posts made from midnight December 1 to December 31 at midnight. It's why it's called the December post contest.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 3:58 PM on December 13, 2008 [1 favorite]

I wanted to thank metafilter for doing this contest because it helped inspire me to make my first post.

Hopefully many more to come...
posted by andoatnp at 12:59 PM on December 21, 2008

Seems done to me.
posted by zerobyproxy at 5:52 PM on December 30, 2008