I put a spell on you December 7, 2008 2:17 AM Subscribe
Isn't it mildly (or greatly) annoying when a commenter makes a second comment in order to correct some small spelling error? How about we refrain from joining joke pile-ons focused on those errors? Sometimes they're funny, for a limited time. Often, they start as or quickly become noise. I think they are a reason for people's nervously jumping back in to add the missing f onto that 'of,' which act is itself noise.
This comment (which was apparently a double whose error-free brother was deleted) begat this joke, and this one, and this one, and this one and this one, and maybe others. It wasn't funny the first time, or the second, or the third ...
I understand the urge to make fun of some misspelling that strikes you funny, which may have been compounded by Caduceus's plaint about deleting the wrong one, but sometimes enough is enough. In this case, I lean towards even the first joke being a waste.
I am not making a request for deletions or reprimands or policy here, or saying that anyone should feel bad, just asking for a little more restraint.
This comment (which was apparently a double whose error-free brother was deleted) begat this joke, and this one, and this one, and this one and this one, and maybe others. It wasn't funny the first time, or the second, or the third ...
I understand the urge to make fun of some misspelling that strikes you funny, which may have been compounded by Caduceus's plaint about deleting the wrong one, but sometimes enough is enough. In this case, I lean towards even the first joke being a waste.
I am not making a request for deletions or reprimands or policy here, or saying that anyone should feel bad, just asking for a little more restraint.
heh. I actually just made a typo in a comment... and deeply long for a 30-to-60 second "fix window" since I am apparently totally incapable of seeing my own typos in either live preview or regular preview.
posted by taz at 2:44 AM on December 7, 2008
posted by taz at 2:44 AM on December 7, 2008
Yeah, I really haet that.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 2:50 AM on December 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 2:50 AM on December 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
Eh, really, they're one-liners. Just skip 'em, don't try to make your personal taste a general rule.
To each his own, de gustibus non est disputandum and all that. Judging by the favorites, some people liked those jokes.
T-shirts with slogans, hipsters, frat boys, steampunk, and people who talk annoy and disappoint me, but hey, I suck it up and politely and silently and unobtrusively just die a little bit more inside. Never complain, never explain.
posted by orthogonality at 2:56 AM on December 7, 2008
To each his own, de gustibus non est disputandum and all that. Judging by the favorites, some people liked those jokes.
T-shirts with slogans, hipsters, frat boys, steampunk, and people who talk annoy and disappoint me, but hey, I suck it up and politely and silently and unobtrusively just die a little bit more inside. Never complain, never explain.
posted by orthogonality at 2:56 AM on December 7, 2008
Can we refrain from things that mildly annoy me, too?
posted by cillit bang at 3:04 AM on December 7, 2008 [7 favorites]
posted by cillit bang at 3:04 AM on December 7, 2008 [7 favorites]
damn it just STOP with the in jokes! I haven't been around much lately so when I do see them I feel all excluded... and all.
posted by edgeways at 3:24 AM on December 7, 2008
posted by edgeways at 3:24 AM on December 7, 2008
Internet: Seroius Business.
posted by Science! at 3:33 AM on December 7, 2008 [5 favorites]
posted by Science! at 3:33 AM on December 7, 2008 [5 favorites]
Dammit.
posted by Science! at 3:34 AM on December 7, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by Science! at 3:34 AM on December 7, 2008 [2 favorites]
don't try to make your personal taste a general rule.
I explicitly said that's not what I'm trying to do. And favorites may (or may not) mean that some people liked the jokes, but that doesn't alter their being noise and a derail.
Also - "people who talk annoy and disappoint me" - really? Why haven't you built a Cone of Silence?
posted by Kirth Gerson at 3:46 AM on December 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
I explicitly said that's not what I'm trying to do. And favorites may (or may not) mean that some people liked the jokes, but that doesn't alter their being noise and a derail.
Also - "people who talk annoy and disappoint me" - really? Why haven't you built a Cone of Silence?
posted by Kirth Gerson at 3:46 AM on December 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
I share Taz's malady and plead for a limited time edit window.
posted by reflecked at 4:26 AM on December 7, 2008
posted by reflecked at 4:26 AM on December 7, 2008
Proofread is a pretty cool guy. Eh catches mistakes and doesn't afraid of anything.
Those comments are pretty funny, though. I hope some mod doesn't accidentally all of them.
posted by Eideteker at 4:26 AM on December 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
Those comments are pretty funny, though. I hope some mod doesn't accidentally all of them.
posted by Eideteker at 4:26 AM on December 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
It wasn't funny the first time, or the second, or the third ...
Yes it was. And don't try to make your personal taste a general rule. Also, you've been around long enough to know that these "I hate this, can people not do it?" MeTa threads 1) annoy people and 2) don't accomplish anything. In fact, we had this exact discussion five or six years ago; I'll let you look it up if you're so inclined.
posted by languagehat at 4:44 AM on December 7, 2008
Yes it was. And don't try to make your personal taste a general rule. Also, you've been around long enough to know that these "I hate this, can people not do it?" MeTa threads 1) annoy people and 2) don't accomplish anything. In fact, we had this exact discussion five or six years ago; I'll let you look it up if you're so inclined.
posted by languagehat at 4:44 AM on December 7, 2008
And on non-preview, I see telstar found it, it wasn't as long ago as I thought, and at that point I was pretty wrought up by spelling corrections. I've gotten over it, and I suggest you do as well.
posted by languagehat at 4:46 AM on December 7, 2008
posted by languagehat at 4:46 AM on December 7, 2008
I share Taz's malady and plead for a limited time edit window.
Somewhere, Matt mentioned that this would be implemented in time.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:22 AM on December 7, 2008
Somewhere, Matt mentioned that this would be implemented in time.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:22 AM on December 7, 2008
But Kirth, this is how memes are born!
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 5:38 AM on December 7, 2008
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 5:38 AM on December 7, 2008
You know who else Kirth Gerson found mildly annoying?
posted by grouse at 5:48 AM on December 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by grouse at 5:48 AM on December 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
Dear Fellow Mefites,
That joke I didn't get? Please don't do it anymore, I don't like it.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:06 AM on December 7, 2008
That joke I didn't get? Please don't do it anymore, I don't like it.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:06 AM on December 7, 2008
Chuck Norris does not use spell check. If he happens to misspell a word, Oxford will simply change the actual spelling of it.
The impressive part is when Chuck Norris invents the uses of the word going back to the Venerable Bede in the OED.
posted by lukemeister at 6:16 AM on December 7, 2008
The impressive part is when Chuck Norris invents the uses of the word going back to the Venerable Bede in the OED.
posted by lukemeister at 6:16 AM on December 7, 2008
I think they are a reason for people's nervously jumping back in to add the missing f onto that 'of,' which act is itself noise.
I do this, but it's not usually to avoid being joked about. I do it to correct mistakes, to note that I know the difference and just screwed up, and because I appreciate the level of writing skill here - it's something that makes MetaFilter absolutely stand out from other sites.
And as someone who likes writing and words, I actually really enjoy the one-liners based on typos. They rarely interfere with the progress of a thread.
posted by Miko at 6:41 AM on December 7, 2008 [5 favorites]
I do this, but it's not usually to avoid being joked about. I do it to correct mistakes, to note that I know the difference and just screwed up, and because I appreciate the level of writing skill here - it's something that makes MetaFilter absolutely stand out from other sites.
And as someone who likes writing and words, I actually really enjoy the one-liners based on typos. They rarely interfere with the progress of a thread.
posted by Miko at 6:41 AM on December 7, 2008 [5 favorites]
I do it to correct mistakes, to note that I know the difference and just screwed up
Yeah, but we know that about your typos already. In fact, it's a great bet that every typo anyone's ever gonna see at Metafilter is from someone who "knows the difference and just screwed up."
Letting go of the need to correct yourself for minor typos is the same thing as trusting your fellow members to grok what a typo is. It's liberating.
posted by mediareport at 7:03 AM on December 7, 2008 [4 favorites]
Yeah, but we know that about your typos already. In fact, it's a great bet that every typo anyone's ever gonna see at Metafilter is from someone who "knows the difference and just screwed up."
Letting go of the need to correct yourself for minor typos is the same thing as trusting your fellow members to grok what a typo is. It's liberating.
posted by mediareport at 7:03 AM on December 7, 2008 [4 favorites]
I try to fix dumb little typos if I see them if someone's jumped in to correct themselves. I feel like people need to use a little judgment to see if they're hassling someone who may be new and take it as a little more harassing then your average old times here.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:04 AM on December 7, 2008
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:04 AM on December 7, 2008
But Kirth, this is how memes are born!
that's very true. it's a little-known fact that the first ever lolcat used to say "my word, that cheeseburger looks splendidly delicious. might i partake of some?" until typos and a kind of chinese whispers worked their magic.
posted by UbuRoivas at 7:20 AM on December 7, 2008 [3 favorites]
that's very true. it's a little-known fact that the first ever lolcat used to say "my word, that cheeseburger looks splendidly delicious. might i partake of some?" until typos and a kind of chinese whispers worked their magic.
posted by UbuRoivas at 7:20 AM on December 7, 2008 [3 favorites]
me so holny.
posted by gman at 7:34 AM on December 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by gman at 7:34 AM on December 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
No way! This would mean we'd lose the hilarious self-correction fail.
"Blah blah sayd"
"Oops I ment, 'said'"
"Fuck!"
posted by fleacircus at 7:41 AM on December 7, 2008 [4 favorites]
"Blah blah sayd"
"Oops I ment, 'said'"
"Fuck!"
posted by fleacircus at 7:41 AM on December 7, 2008 [4 favorites]
First they came for the typos, because why fix them, everyone knows they're typos.
Then they came for the rephrasings, because everyone knew what you meant, right
Then they came for the corrections because we all have Google anyway.
Then they came for me, but I was already away makin LOL YouTube comments.
Fuck a slippery slope, but standards matter
posted by bonaldi at 7:48 AM on December 7, 2008 [3 favorites]
Then they came for the rephrasings, because everyone knew what you meant, right
Then they came for the corrections because we all have Google anyway.
Then they came for me, but I was already away makin LOL YouTube comments.
Fuck a slippery slope, but standards matter
posted by bonaldi at 7:48 AM on December 7, 2008 [3 favorites]
languagehat: I was pretty wrought up by spelling corrections. I've gotten over it, and I suggest you do as well.
NEVAR!!!
I don't mind self-corrections and I like it when people turn funny typos into jokes but it strikes me as supremely rude to make a comment that corrects someone else's grammar or spelling (and often enough the correction itself is wrong or misinformed).
posted by Kattullus at 7:50 AM on December 7, 2008
NEVAR!!!
I don't mind self-corrections and I like it when people turn funny typos into jokes but it strikes me as supremely rude to make a comment that corrects someone else's grammar or spelling (and often enough the correction itself is wrong or misinformed).
posted by Kattullus at 7:50 AM on December 7, 2008
keith, misspellings and those who make jokes about them just aren't a big deal
posted by pyramid termite at 7:55 AM on December 7, 2008
posted by pyramid termite at 7:55 AM on December 7, 2008
MAYBE YOU SHULD JUST LEARN TO SPELL BAD SPELER
posted by kittens for breakfast at 8:00 AM on December 7, 2008
posted by kittens for breakfast at 8:00 AM on December 7, 2008
that's very true. it's a little-known fact that the first ever lolcat used to say "my word, that cheeseburger looks splendidly delicious. might i partake of some?" until typos and a kind of chinese whispers worked their magic.
Weirdly, you're not far off. Oldest lolcat found.
posted by piratebowling at 8:03 AM on December 7, 2008 [11 favorites]
Weirdly, you're not far off. Oldest lolcat found.
posted by piratebowling at 8:03 AM on December 7, 2008 [11 favorites]
And on non-preview, I see telstar found it
No, he found a discussion about typo corrections. This one is about the repeated ho-hos that some people make of others' spelling errors, not about error corrections. Perhaps I was not clear. Those jokes may be funny the first time. By the fourth or fifth time, they're more like a kid practicing belching. In the case at hand, even the first one wasn't much.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 8:09 AM on December 7, 2008
No, he found a discussion about typo corrections. This one is about the repeated ho-hos that some people make of others' spelling errors, not about error corrections. Perhaps I was not clear. Those jokes may be funny the first time. By the fourth or fifth time, they're more like a kid practicing belching. In the case at hand, even the first one wasn't much.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 8:09 AM on December 7, 2008
Kirth, man, in that thread, which may or may not contain the most subtly effective troll-job of all time, the caduceus pile-on is like comic relief. It's funny, at least to a lot of us. Let it be.
(and of course, all in good fun, caduceus)
posted by Navelgazer at 8:11 AM on December 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
(and of course, all in good fun, caduceus)
posted by Navelgazer at 8:11 AM on December 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
Oldest lolcat found.
Thousands of years earlier....
posted by lukemeister at 8:32 AM on December 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
Thousands of years earlier....
posted by lukemeister at 8:32 AM on December 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
I laughed.
posted by timeistight at 8:33 AM on December 7, 2008
posted by timeistight at 8:33 AM on December 7, 2008
What's delaying my dinner? - har, good one old chap.
Bye the bye, is the execrable abomination "there, fixed it for you" still afoot?
posted by scheptech at 8:35 AM on December 7, 2008
Bye the bye, is the execrable abomination "there, fixed it for you" still afoot?
posted by scheptech at 8:35 AM on December 7, 2008
Fixed that for you.
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 8:41 AM on December 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
I definitely recall another typo-correction-moratorium-MeTa that's more recent than the one that telstar linked to. This is fairly common.
posted by Phire at 8:43 AM on December 7, 2008
posted by Phire at 8:43 AM on December 7, 2008
Honestly, while I think people could probably manage to correct themselves less often and the site would be no worse for it (i.e. if your meaning isn't obscured, you probably don't need to correct yourself), I also don't think it causes any real problems when it happens either and isn't so epidemic that it's a significant source of noise.
I'll often clean up a correction and a one-response mention of it—this is more common with accidental double comments, really—but for the most part it's pretty much shruggo territory.
This particular example, though, had me laughing my ass off and I wouldn't dream of touching it. This is one of those things I like about metafilter.
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:47 AM on December 7, 2008 [4 favorites]
I'll often clean up a correction and a one-response mention of it—this is more common with accidental double comments, really—but for the most part it's pretty much shruggo territory.
This particular example, though, had me laughing my ass off and I wouldn't dream of touching it. This is one of those things I like about metafilter.
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:47 AM on December 7, 2008 [4 favorites]
It's really all over the damn map, btb.
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:49 AM on December 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
Obviously the solution is a greasemonkey filter which hides all posts/comments with misspellings. Of course this post would fail, because I can see it doesn't recognize Grease Monkey as a single word. Yay paradox!
posted by waraw at 9:17 AM on December 7, 2008
posted by waraw at 9:17 AM on December 7, 2008
No, that would be awesome. A greasemonkey script that deletes any reference to itself. We'll all want it, but no one could talk about it.
posted by Science! at 9:23 AM on December 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Science! at 9:23 AM on December 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
in that thread, which may or may not contain the most subtly effective troll-job of all time
Nah. As you pointed out with a nice piece of introspection, that thread is powered by the supercharged flux capacitor that is an ignorant person convinced they are right.
posted by Bookhouse at 9:33 AM on December 7, 2008
Nah. As you pointed out with a nice piece of introspection, that thread is powered by the supercharged flux capacitor that is an ignorant person convinced they are right.
posted by Bookhouse at 9:33 AM on December 7, 2008
It's nice to see that you're only sweating the big stuff, Kirth.
posted by Plutor at 9:38 AM on December 7, 2008
posted by Plutor at 9:38 AM on December 7, 2008
In jokes? I never get them.
Oh, and:
The.
posted by Astro Zombie at 10:00 AM on December 7, 2008 [6 favorites]
Oh, and:
The.
posted by Astro Zombie at 10:00 AM on December 7, 2008 [6 favorites]
Elephant.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 10:20 AM on December 7, 2008
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 10:20 AM on December 7, 2008
I am forced to agree, Kirth, since I am averaging about 0.9 such errors per comment.
By the way (bye? really?), I've been meaning to ask, are you Kirth instead of Kerth as the result of that kind of mishap, or as a deliberate choice?
posted by jamjam at 10:38 AM on December 7, 2008
By the way (bye? really?), I've been meaning to ask, are you Kirth instead of Kerth as the result of that kind of mishap, or as a deliberate choice?
posted by jamjam at 10:38 AM on December 7, 2008
Heh... I like it best double-translated through Japanese.
"I saw this on Bad Astronomy the other day and liked it a lot. Ebert's a pretty smart dude."
becomes:
"私は他の日に悪い天文学でこれを見て、とてもそれが好きでした。 エーベルトはかなり賢い気取り屋です。"
becomes:
"I see this with bad astronomy in other days and that likes very much. エーベルト is a fairly wise dandy."
Metafilter: FAIRLY WISE DANDIES
posted by Rhaomi at 10:53 AM on December 7, 2008 [2 favorites]
"I saw this on Bad Astronomy the other day and liked it a lot. Ebert's a pretty smart dude."
becomes:
"私は他の日に悪い天文学でこれを見て、とてもそれが好きでした。 エーベルトはかなり賢い気取り屋です。"
becomes:
"I see this with bad astronomy in other days and that likes very much. エーベルト is a fairly wise dandy."
Metafilter: FAIRLY WISE DANDIES
posted by Rhaomi at 10:53 AM on December 7, 2008 [2 favorites]
I don't mind self-corrections and I like it when people turn funny typos into jokes but it strikes me as supremely rude to make a comment that corrects someone else's grammar or spelling (and often enough the correction itself is wrong or misinformed).
I was talking about self-corrections in that comment, and I had assumed that's what Kirth meant by "Isn't it mildly (or greatly) annoying when a commenter makes a second comment in order to correct some small spelling error?" If he was only talking about mocking other people's errors, then I sort of agree, but my point about the uselessness of the callout still stands. People are going to keep doing whatever they do; all we can do is mock them savagely and pelt them with stale muffins. (I guess, though, this thread could be considered a stale muffin, in which case it passes muster.)
posted by languagehat at 10:54 AM on December 7, 2008
I was talking about self-corrections in that comment, and I had assumed that's what Kirth meant by "Isn't it mildly (or greatly) annoying when a commenter makes a second comment in order to correct some small spelling error?" If he was only talking about mocking other people's errors, then I sort of agree, but my point about the uselessness of the callout still stands. People are going to keep doing whatever they do; all we can do is mock them savagely and pelt them with stale muffins. (I guess, though, this thread could be considered a stale muffin, in which case it passes muster.)
posted by languagehat at 10:54 AM on December 7, 2008
Bye By the bye
It's really all over the damn map, btb.
For what it's worth, Merriam-Webster prefers 'by the by' or 'by the bye.' Anyone have OED access? I'm curious now.
posted by Caduceus at 11:07 AM on December 7, 2008
It's really all over the damn map, btb.
For what it's worth, Merriam-Webster prefers 'by the by' or 'by the bye.' Anyone have OED access? I'm curious now.
posted by Caduceus at 11:07 AM on December 7, 2008
Every time I read the name "Kirth Gerson" I think to myself 'Aha! A witty spoonerism!', but after a moment's contemplation I'm invariably disappointed.
posted by nowonmai at 11:09 AM on December 7, 2008 [3 favorites]
posted by nowonmai at 11:09 AM on December 7, 2008 [3 favorites]
Spoonerism should of been capitalized, of course.
posted by nowonmai at 11:10 AM on December 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by nowonmai at 11:10 AM on December 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
... should HAVE been capitalized.
posted by nowonmai at 11:10 AM on December 7, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by nowonmai at 11:10 AM on December 7, 2008 [2 favorites]
Oh, and the pile-on doesn't really bother me in-and-of itself. What bothers me is that it was such a supremely pointless comment in the first place. If I'd been more than half awake I wouldn't have even bothered to post it.
posted by Caduceus at 11:10 AM on December 7, 2008
posted by Caduceus at 11:10 AM on December 7, 2008
capitaliSed. What am I, turning American?
posted by nowonmai at 11:10 AM on December 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by nowonmai at 11:10 AM on December 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
Now that this issue has been forever put to rest, where are those Maharishi Mahesh Yogi updates we were recently promised?
posted by Meatbomb at 11:30 AM on December 7, 2008
posted by Meatbomb at 11:30 AM on December 7, 2008
"Please pass the muster."
"A potted marinate in my dildo?"
posted by GuyZero at 11:36 AM on December 7, 2008
"A potted marinate in my dildo?"
posted by GuyZero at 11:36 AM on December 7, 2008
Anyone have OED access? I'm curious now.
Oh, good call. So:
And in the entry for prepositional by:
It also has a whole separate entry for by-and-by:
posted by cortex (staff) at 11:47 AM on December 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
Oh, good call. So:
by-the-way
An incidental remark.
1896 Punch 1 Feb. 52/1, I think I may indulge myself with a short by-the-way on the subject of hampers. 1907 Daily Chron. 2 Oct. 3/3 Here are two ‘by-the-ways’ from her pages of observation.
And in the entry for prepositional by:
12. a. In passing along: said of incidents happening on a journey, etc.; chiefly in phr. by the way.
c1000 ÆLFRIC Gen. xlv. 24 Ne forlæte {asg}e nan {th}ing be we{asg}e. c1340 Cursor M. 18378 (Trin.) Amen alleluya son~gen {th}ei And honoured him euer bi {th}e wey. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 5b, But the sayd rychesse holpe them well by the waye. 1530 TINDALE Exp. (1849) 330 If a woman should find a man-child by the streets. 1611 SHAKES. Wint. T. IV. iii. 253, I was cozen'd by the way, and lost all my money. 1760 GOLDSM. Cit. W. xcix, They always grow young by the way. Mod. And by the way I dropped it.
b. Hence fig. by the way, by the by: (a) in passing, incidentally, as a chance idea in speech or writing; (b) ellipt., omitting words like ‘it may be remarked’. See BY n.2, WAY.
(a) 1548 LATIMER Serm. Ploughers (Arb.) 21 Here haue I an occasion by the way somwhat to say vnto you. 1642 FULLER Holy & Prof. St. V. 377 They had something..in the favour of Friers, though brought in only by the by. 1677 MOXON Mech. Exerc. (1703) 202 And by the way you may take notice, that, etc. 1830 Blackw. Mag. XXVIII. 247 All this is by the way. 1832 J. C. HARE Philol. Museum I. 254 This question..merely came in by the by.
(b) 1574 tr. Marlorat's Apocalyps 41 By the waye, thys place teacheth vs, that, etc. 1631 GOUGE God's Arrows IV. xv. 396 Here by the way, the Providence of God..is remarkable. 1711 STEELE Spect. No. 32 {page}3 One of the Seniors (whom by the by Mr. President had taken all this Pains to bring over) sat still. 1818 BYRON Juan I. lvi, Her blood was not all Spanish, by the by. 1882 Knowledge No. 39. 144 Artificial irrigation, which, by-the-way, is now being extensively developed in Australia, etc.
It also has a whole separate entry for by-and-by:
1. Of a succession of (persons or things): One by one, one after another, in order: a. in place.
1330 R. BRUNNE Chron. 267 He slouh tuenti, {Th}er hedes quyte & clene, he laid {th}am bi & bi. c1385 CHAUCER L.G.W. 304 Ffyrst sat the god of loue..And sithyn al the remenant by and by As they were of degre. c1440 Partonope 1929 Wyth Rybyes and Saphires by and by. c1485 in E.E. Misc. (1855) 4 The towres shal be of every [= ivory] Clene corvene by and by.
{dag}b. in order or succession. Obs.
c1330 Assump. Virg. (1866) 85 Vp ros oure swete ladi And kist {th}e apostles bi & bi. 1330 R. BRUNNE Chron. 73 Whan William..had taken homage of barons bi & bi. c1400 Rom. Rose 4581 These were his wordis by and by [mot à mot]. c1485 Digby Myst. (1882) III. 1911, I have gon {th}e stacyounes by and by.
{dag}2. On and on, continuously. Obs.
c1314 Guy Warw. (A.) 4828 Gij..sou{ygh}t {th}at maiden bi & bi: Op and doun he {ygh}ede hir secheinde. c1340 Cursor M. 15194 (Fairf.) Folowes for{th} {th}at ilk man al-way bi & by. c1430 Syr Gener. 4836 The knightes..So thei bare hem by and by That the host without began to fleen. c1620 Z. BOYD Zion's Flowers (1855) 83 The Ivie bush the Oak claspes by and by.
3. Of sequence of events: {dag}a. Straightway, immediately, directly, at once. Obs.
1407 W. of Thorpe's Exam. in Arb. Garner VI. 110 Some counselled the Archbishop to burn me by and by. 1526 TINDALE Mark i. 31 By and by [COVERDALE, immediatly] the fever left her. 1586 COGAN Haven Health ccxiv. (1636) 224 Ill seeds..shew not themselves by and by, but yet in processe of time they bud forth. 1611 BIBLE Luke xxi. 9 The end is not by and by. 1690 W. WALKER Idiom. Anglo-Lat. 390 They say he will be here by and by (even now).
4. [With the same development of sense as in anon, presently, and F. bientôt]: Before long, presently, soon, shortly. (The usual current sense; in U.S. vulgarly by'm-by.)
1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 164 Innocentius counseyleth us to say it by & by. 1549 OLDE Erasm. Par. Thess. ii. 15 To haue slayne the Prophetes before, and byanby Christ after the Prophetes. 1596 SHAKES. 1 Hen. IV, V. iv. 109 Imbowell'd will I see thee by and by, Till then, in blood, by Noble Percie lye. 1627 SANDERSON 12 Serm. (1637) 554 Restraining Grace may tie us now, and bye and by unloose us. 1711 STEELE Spect. No. 132 {page}4 Thee and I are to part by and by. 1825 Bro. Jonathan I. 106 Bym by, naiteral enough, there they go! 1862 HUXLEY Lect. Wrkg. Men 93 You may by-and-by convert single flowers into double flowers. 1884 Harper's Mag. Feb. 410/2 Byme-by he..gave up goin' to see the..girls.
{dag}5. Of logical sequence: For that reason, therefore, as a consequence; = L. continuo. Obs.
1565-73 COOPER Thesaur. s.v. Continuo, If he did speake foolishly, will you by and by doe more foolishly? 1581 J. BELL Haddon's Answ. Osor. 263b, As though yt whatsoever were unlike unto Ciceroes phrase, were by & by barbarous. 1621-31 LAUD Sev. Serm. (1847) 96 All ‘heats’ are not by and by a furnace.
B. Used as n.
1. a. Procrastination; b. Time coming.
1591 FLORIO Sec. Fruites 95 Neuer giue credite..to the by and by of England, nor to the warrant you of Scotland. 1719 OZELL tr. Misson's Mem. 120 Negligences (the French call them by and by's). 1792 ROBERTS Looker-on No. 1 Husbanding up wise resolutions to be executed by and by. This by-and-by is a sort of phantom which seduces us on till we drop into old age. 1869 Daily News 4 Feb., By the road of Bye-and-bye one arrives at the town of Never. 18.. S. F. BENNETT, ‘There's a land that is fairer than day’, In the sweet by-and-by We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
2. The name by which cannon were known to some African peoples.
1857 J. SHOOTER Kafirs of Natal 112 They believe that the fearful by-and-bye eats up everything. 1893 B. MITFORD Gun-Runner xxiv, We laugh at their baï-nbaï. What are guns, big or small, against the broad shields and devouring spears of the ever-conquering Amazulu? 1894 C. H. W. DONOVAN With Wilson in Matabeleland x. 234 They used to call common shells ‘by-and-byes’, because they could see the smoke, and by and by a shell would explode in their midst.
posted by cortex (staff) at 11:47 AM on December 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
Christ, it vibrates.
posted by Smart Dalek at 11:51 AM on December 7, 2008
posted by Smart Dalek at 11:51 AM on December 7, 2008
nah, it's all in your cortex.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 11:52 AM on December 7, 2008
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 11:52 AM on December 7, 2008
I thought the "I saw this on Bad Astronomy" jokes were the best part of that thread. Shows how much I know, I guess...
posted by gemmy at 12:02 PM on December 7, 2008
posted by gemmy at 12:02 PM on December 7, 2008
I'm no expert on two-letter words containing the letter "i" but doesn't "bi" meant something else?
posted by scheptech at 12:19 PM on December 7, 2008
posted by scheptech at 12:19 PM on December 7, 2008
I'm no expert on two-letter words containing the letter "i" but doesn't "bi" meant something else?
It's someone who believes in God and evolution.
Hee~
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 12:26 PM on December 7, 2008
It's someone who believes in God and evolution.
Hee~
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 12:26 PM on December 7, 2008
For every typo I make, I give myself a small cut.
I should die of blood loss in about 3 days.
posted by The Whelk at 12:34 PM on December 7, 2008
I should die of blood loss in about 3 days.
posted by The Whelk at 12:34 PM on December 7, 2008
cortex' OED entry is summarized at dictionary.com:
Originally an adverbial particle of place, in which sense it is retained in place names (Whitby, Grimsby, etc.). Elliptical use for "secondary course" (opposed to main) was in O.E. This also is the sense of the second by in the phrase by the by (1615).
I'm pretty sure "by the by" uses two different meanings of the word "by" - the second is a noun; the first is not. Since the noun "by" means a lesser-used road, "by the by" pretty clearly means "via the lesser road," "we're now taking the secondary road" or "this part of the conversation is off the main road."
"By the bye" only makes sense if you're using an archaic spelling of the noun "by."
"Bye the bye" only makes sense if you're using archaic spellings of both uses of the word.
I'm pretty sure...
posted by mediareport at 12:38 PM on December 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
Originally an adverbial particle of place, in which sense it is retained in place names (Whitby, Grimsby, etc.). Elliptical use for "secondary course" (opposed to main) was in O.E. This also is the sense of the second by in the phrase by the by (1615).
I'm pretty sure "by the by" uses two different meanings of the word "by" - the second is a noun; the first is not. Since the noun "by" means a lesser-used road, "by the by" pretty clearly means "via the lesser road," "we're now taking the secondary road" or "this part of the conversation is off the main road."
"By the bye" only makes sense if you're using an archaic spelling of the noun "by."
"Bye the bye" only makes sense if you're using archaic spellings of both uses of the word.
I'm pretty sure...
posted by mediareport at 12:38 PM on December 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
Actually, I'm sorry, it looks from that page that both "bye" and "by" are correct variants for the noun form.
posted by mediareport at 12:41 PM on December 7, 2008
posted by mediareport at 12:41 PM on December 7, 2008
jamjam, see my profile.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 1:34 PM on December 7, 2008
posted by Kirth Gerson at 1:34 PM on December 7, 2008
Is that the same profile where we can find your interpretation of individuals' political views from six months ago?
posted by Science! at 1:45 PM on December 7, 2008
posted by Science! at 1:45 PM on December 7, 2008
Burhanistan, I am deeply sorry for having caused you harm.
posted by netbros at 1:53 PM on December 7, 2008
posted by netbros at 1:53 PM on December 7, 2008
I did, Kirth. Vance named his hero "Kerth."
The Demon Princes series was (and is) one my favorite works (though it did take a second reading to appreciate The Book of Dreams). When I first saw your name-- years ago, now-- I knew the reference instantly, and I was delighted to think that someone around here might like it as much as or more than I did, but I wondered if the variation in spelling had some special significance.
If it was in fact a simple mistake, well... you and I have even more in common than I realized!
posted by jamjam at 1:59 PM on December 7, 2008
The Demon Princes series was (and is) one my favorite works (though it did take a second reading to appreciate The Book of Dreams). When I first saw your name-- years ago, now-- I knew the reference instantly, and I was delighted to think that someone around here might like it as much as or more than I did, but I wondered if the variation in spelling had some special significance.
If it was in fact a simple mistake, well... you and I have even more in common than I realized!
posted by jamjam at 1:59 PM on December 7, 2008
Hey, wait a minute... In that profile page, I'm listed as someone who's for the impeachment of Bush?
All I said in that thread is that it felt good to see it happen. That doesn't imply that I think it is a good move, overall, for Bush to be impeached. It seems like shoddy reporting, Kirth Gerson, to move from the one to the other.
Of course, what I have said here also does not imply that I don't approve of Bush being impeached.
If we're going to keep a record, let's make it exact.
posted by Ms. Saint at 3:10 PM on December 7, 2008
All I said in that thread is that it felt good to see it happen. That doesn't imply that I think it is a good move, overall, for Bush to be impeached. It seems like shoddy reporting, Kirth Gerson, to move from the one to the other.
Of course, what I have said here also does not imply that I don't approve of Bush being impeached.
If we're going to keep a record, let's make it exact.
posted by Ms. Saint at 3:10 PM on December 7, 2008
I did, Kirth. Vance named his hero "Kerth."
You are joking, aren't you?
posted by Kirth Gerson at 3:41 PM on December 7, 2008
You are joking, aren't you?
posted by Kirth Gerson at 3:41 PM on December 7, 2008
I does look by those links like he named him "Gersen", though.
*continues to really, really not have dog in this race*
posted by cortex (staff) at 3:46 PM on December 7, 2008
*continues to really, really not have dog in this race*
posted by cortex (staff) at 3:46 PM on December 7, 2008
As I explained in another thread a couple of years ago, I spelled it differently because I didn't want to be what people searching for Vance information found. Or because I misspelled it. Take your choice.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 3:49 PM on December 7, 2008
posted by Kirth Gerson at 3:49 PM on December 7, 2008
BTW, that dog you don't have looks to have fleas.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 3:50 PM on December 7, 2008
posted by Kirth Gerson at 3:50 PM on December 7, 2008
That's why I'm planning on leaving him at a hospital in Nebraska.
posted by cortex (staff) at 4:15 PM on December 7, 2008
posted by cortex (staff) at 4:15 PM on December 7, 2008
When a squid makes typos, it gets favourited A LOT. Dubble standard.
posted by gman at 4:19 PM on December 7, 2008
posted by gman at 4:19 PM on December 7, 2008
Before I made that comment, I did a search to be sure I hadn't gotten it twisted around in memory. It's hard for me to believe how many people are spelling it Kerth, just as I would have said with ringing confidence (and did) that Vance had. Kirth still looks wrong to me.
You are a better man than I am, Kirth Gerson.
posted by jamjam at 4:39 PM on December 7, 2008
You are a better man than I am, Kirth Gerson.
posted by jamjam at 4:39 PM on December 7, 2008
We'd get it right first time, or proof-read better, if we had our druthers.
The only consolation is- some typos are much funnier than others.
p.s. LOLsquid is awesome.
posted by Coaticass at 5:45 PM on December 7, 2008
The only consolation is- some typos are much funnier than others.
p.s. LOLsquid is awesome.
posted by Coaticass at 5:45 PM on December 7, 2008
Haro! Haro! Haro! À l'aide, mon Prince, on me fait tort.
posted by tellurian at 6:13 PM on December 7, 2008
posted by tellurian at 6:13 PM on December 7, 2008
Notre Père, qui es aux cieux,
Que ton nom soit sanctifié,
Que ton règne vienne,
Que ta volonté soit faite sur la terre comme au ciel.
Donne-nous aujourd'hui notre pain de ce jour.
Pardonne-nous nos offences
Comme nous pardonnons aussi à ceux qui nous ont offensés.
Et ne nous soumets pas à la tentation,
mais délivre-nous du mal,
car c'est à toi qu'appartiennent le règne,
la puissance et la gloire, aux siècles des siècles.
Amen.
posted by tellurian at 6:15 PM on December 7, 2008
Que ton nom soit sanctifié,
Que ton règne vienne,
Que ta volonté soit faite sur la terre comme au ciel.
Donne-nous aujourd'hui notre pain de ce jour.
Pardonne-nous nos offences
Comme nous pardonnons aussi à ceux qui nous ont offensés.
Et ne nous soumets pas à la tentation,
mais délivre-nous du mal,
car c'est à toi qu'appartiennent le règne,
la puissance et la gloire, aux siècles des siècles.
Amen.
posted by tellurian at 6:15 PM on December 7, 2008
That's a heckuva profile page... very... informative?
I am not making a request for deletions or reprimands or policy here, or saying that anyone should feel bad, just asking for a little more restraint
Fair enough.
Sometimes they're funny, for a limited time.
So, what sort of window are you giving us to work with here? Can we call you at work for rulings on gray areas, or should we stick to MeMail?
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 9:22 PM on December 7, 2008
I am not making a request for deletions or reprimands or policy here, or saying that anyone should feel bad, just asking for a little more restraint
Fair enough.
Sometimes they're funny, for a limited time.
So, what sort of window are you giving us to work with here? Can we call you at work for rulings on gray areas, or should we stick to MeMail?
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 9:22 PM on December 7, 2008
When someone corrects your spelling or grammar the proper response is to thank them for taking the time to teach you something.
posted by LarryC at 11:32 PM on December 7, 2008
posted by LarryC at 11:32 PM on December 7, 2008
I don't never thank nobody fer nothing and I don't learns no lessons about spelin or gramer and I do jes fine.
posted by Astro Zombie at 11:48 PM on December 7, 2008
posted by Astro Zombie at 11:48 PM on December 7, 2008
When someone corrects your spelling or grammar throws a wasp nest at you the proper response is to thank them for taking the time to teach you something shriek, flap your hands and run away.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 12:39 AM on December 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 12:39 AM on December 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
jamjam, I eventually learned that if there was any smallest shred of doubt about a thing I wanted to state as fact here, I'd better look it up first. By 'learned' I mean 'usually remember' - I still put forget it sometimes.
If those clowns with time machines would quit going back and changing the stuff I remember as fact, it would make things easier.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 4:01 AM on December 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
If those clowns with time machines would quit going back and changing the stuff I remember as fact, it would make things easier.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 4:01 AM on December 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
hehe - i just went back in time & changed your comment so it now reads "I still put forget it sometimes"
posted by UbuRoivas at 4:05 AM on December 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by UbuRoivas at 4:05 AM on December 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
When someone corrects your spelling or grammar, the proper response is usually to fisk their comment to point out the errors it itself inevitably contains.
posted by cortex (staff) at 6:52 AM on December 8, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by cortex (staff) at 6:52 AM on December 8, 2008 [2 favorites]
hehe - i just went back in time & changed your comment so it now reads "I still put forget it sometimes"
You blarfgap!
posted by Kirth Gerson at 7:18 AM on December 8, 2008
You blarfgap!
posted by Kirth Gerson at 7:18 AM on December 8, 2008
So, Ms. Saint, do you approve of Bush being impeached? MetaFilter demands to know!
posted by languagehat at 8:47 AM on December 8, 2008
posted by languagehat at 8:47 AM on December 8, 2008
Man, I just don't know if it'd actually be a good thing for Bush to be impeached.
So it was kind of a shock to find out, through browsing through someone else's profile page, that I do approve of Bush's impeachment. That's got to be one of the worst ways to discover self-knowledge.
posted by Ms. Saint at 11:14 AM on December 8, 2008
So it was kind of a shock to find out, through browsing through someone else's profile page, that I do approve of Bush's impeachment. That's got to be one of the worst ways to discover self-knowledge.
posted by Ms. Saint at 11:14 AM on December 8, 2008
OK, that thread was about Kucinich's 35 articles of impeachment. Here's what Ms. Saint wrote:
I know it probably won't get anything real accomplished, I know it's useless... But, dang it felt good to see it happen.
Was I wrong to interpret that as being in favor of W's impeachment? If she says she wasn't, I'll take her name off the list. So far, she hasn't said so.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 12:43 PM on December 8, 2008
I know it probably won't get anything real accomplished, I know it's useless... But, dang it felt good to see it happen.
Was I wrong to interpret that as being in favor of W's impeachment? If she says she wasn't, I'll take her name off the list. So far, she hasn't said so.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 12:43 PM on December 8, 2008
I'd say that there's a reasonable interpretive gap between being pleased to see someone willing to go out there and talk impeachment and being specifically in favor of actual impeachment itself, if we're going to look hard at it. That, paired with Ms. Saint's failure to endorse your interpretation put us I think fairly into "she's not on the record as being in favor of impeachment" territory, yeah.
By way of awkward analogy, I don't want to see anyone, even an asshole, get beat up in a bar, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't feel good for me to see some drunken bully have the fear of god put into him by someone willing to make it clear that things could indeed go in that direction.
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:01 PM on December 8, 2008
By way of awkward analogy, I don't want to see anyone, even an asshole, get beat up in a bar, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't feel good for me to see some drunken bully have the fear of god put into him by someone willing to make it clear that things could indeed go in that direction.
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:01 PM on December 8, 2008
Why's there a list in the first place? Why the heck are you keeping that record? I posted that comment mostly to just get the thread into my Recent Activity page, and I never meant to present an opinion thought-out enough to deserve to be part of a record!
My post made it clear that I find it pleasing to see articles of impeachment brought against Bush, and in many situations I'd probably say, all else being equal, a world in which Bush is impeached is a better world than one in which he isn't.. But, at the same time, if we're going to be drawing lines in the sand, where you're either in complete approval of an impeachment or in complete disapproval, I'm really not comfortable being on either, given all of the practical implications of an impeachment. But then again, I also wouldn't say that I'm bored/amused with the idea. Don't you see!? Your list offers no place for me!
We're in plate-of-beans land, here, and I've gotten wedged in between the Bean of False Dichotomies and the Bean of Personal Politics.
posted by Ms. Saint at 1:05 PM on December 8, 2008
My post made it clear that I find it pleasing to see articles of impeachment brought against Bush, and in many situations I'd probably say, all else being equal, a world in which Bush is impeached is a better world than one in which he isn't.. But, at the same time, if we're going to be drawing lines in the sand, where you're either in complete approval of an impeachment or in complete disapproval, I'm really not comfortable being on either, given all of the practical implications of an impeachment. But then again, I also wouldn't say that I'm bored/amused with the idea. Don't you see!? Your list offers no place for me!
We're in plate-of-beans land, here, and I've gotten wedged in between the Bean of False Dichotomies and the Bean of Personal Politics.
posted by Ms. Saint at 1:05 PM on December 8, 2008
I'd add that if you really want to keep a list of For/Against Impeachment, you could more accurately memail everyone you want to include and straight-up ask them. For variety's sake, maybe even include Other Options, such as "Tried for Warcrimes before the World Court", "Sent to Gitmo" or "Thrown to the Pit Witch Armed with Only a Chainsaw".
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 1:10 PM on December 8, 2008
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 1:10 PM on December 8, 2008
Jesus, Kirth, dump the stupid list already.
posted by mediareport at 2:50 PM on December 8, 2008
posted by mediareport at 2:50 PM on December 8, 2008
Nope. It's for me, not for you. It tells me how a bunch of people seemed to express themselves on an issue that's important to me. I said at the top of that list "apologies if I'm mistaken." I'll go one step further: Anyone who's on that list as being for, against, or meh, and feels they're in the wrong part, tell me, and I will move your name. I am not going to spend time memailing people who've already expressed an opinion. If my interpretation of that opinion is wrong, I'll be glad to be told.
As for this: I never meant to present an opinion thought-out enough to deserve to be part of a record! What do you think happens to all the opinions people present here? So I made a list. It doesn't make that thread and your comment any more or any less on-the-record.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 3:21 PM on December 8, 2008
As for this: I never meant to present an opinion thought-out enough to deserve to be part of a record! What do you think happens to all the opinions people present here? So I made a list. It doesn't make that thread and your comment any more or any less on-the-record.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 3:21 PM on December 8, 2008
Hey, remember that guy who had like an enemies list or something like that in his profile... or a list of MeFites to watch out for... there was a big MeTa brouhaha about it.
posted by Kattullus at 3:30 PM on December 8, 2008
posted by Kattullus at 3:30 PM on December 8, 2008
That was supposed to be a query as to whether anyone could find it but I seemed to have omitted that from the comment. Can anyone find that MeTa thread?
posted by Kattullus at 3:40 PM on December 8, 2008
posted by Kattullus at 3:40 PM on December 8, 2008
There is talk of dios and an enemies list in this thread but you are probably thinking of the list that jonson kept.
posted by tellurian at 8:17 PM on December 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by tellurian at 8:17 PM on December 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
So I made a list.
And I'm saying it's a stupid list - one that makes some of your fellow members uncomfortable. Given that it's time-sensitive anyway, and it's clear you'll be removing it sometime in the next year, well, why the fuck wait? Just delete it already.
posted by mediareport at 9:25 PM on December 8, 2008
And I'm saying it's a stupid list - one that makes some of your fellow members uncomfortable. Given that it's time-sensitive anyway, and it's clear you'll be removing it sometime in the next year, well, why the fuck wait? Just delete it already.
posted by mediareport at 9:25 PM on December 8, 2008
Sorry, I meant to say I hate that.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 9:50 PM on December 8, 2008
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 9:50 PM on December 8, 2008
It tells me how a bunch of people seemed to express themselves on an issue that's important to me.
Hunh, most people are capable of remembering the shit that's actually important to them. Clearly, it's an issue close to your heart.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 11:05 PM on December 8, 2008
Hunh, most people are capable of remembering the shit that's actually important to them. Clearly, it's an issue close to your heart.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 11:05 PM on December 8, 2008
Hunh, most people are capable of remembering the shit that's actually important to them. Clearly, it's an issue close to your heart.
Right, and why have this little list up for public view, anyway? If it's for "personal use" or whatever, what's wrong with a desktop document?
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 2:37 AM on December 9, 2008
Right, and why have this little list up for public view, anyway? If it's for "personal use" or whatever, what's wrong with a desktop document?
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 2:37 AM on December 9, 2008
It tells me how a bunch of people seemed to express themselves on an issue that's important to me.
That may be what its purpose is. However from the outside, it seem to be a weird reckoning of "people with me or against me on touchy issue X" and has a sort of squicky read to it. I don't know the backstory of the list at all, but now that you know a bunch of people find it weird and off putting -- and that at least one person feels their views were misrepresented -- continuing to keep it there seems sort of fighty.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 5:02 AM on December 9, 2008
That may be what its purpose is. However from the outside, it seem to be a weird reckoning of "people with me or against me on touchy issue X" and has a sort of squicky read to it. I don't know the backstory of the list at all, but now that you know a bunch of people find it weird and off putting -- and that at least one person feels their views were misrepresented -- continuing to keep it there seems sort of fighty.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 5:02 AM on December 9, 2008
Thanks, tellurian, the jonson listmania was indeed the historical ClustMeFuck I was thinking of.
posted by Kattullus at 9:32 PM on December 9, 2008
posted by Kattullus at 9:32 PM on December 9, 2008
Kirth Gerson, may I be on your new list?
Kirth & JamJam--I'm super-intrigued by this "slip of paper with a list of five names written on it", but I'm also wary of sci-fi from so long ago--does it truly hold up? I know a lot of Tor book are available for free, do you know if Star Kings is one of them?
posted by Squid Voltaire at 1:29 PM on December 10, 2008
Kirth & JamJam--I'm super-intrigued by this "slip of paper with a list of five names written on it", but I'm also wary of sci-fi from so long ago--does it truly hold up? I know a lot of Tor book are available for free, do you know if Star Kings is one of them?
posted by Squid Voltaire at 1:29 PM on December 10, 2008
I would like my name on the list, but only if it has an asterisk next to it that is resolved below the list by a deceptive footnote of some sort.
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:42 PM on December 10, 2008
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:42 PM on December 10, 2008
Ooh, you know, I'm all for being on a list with no significance whatsoever.
Even though I kind of led to you removing your previous list from your profile, can I be on this one?
posted by Ms. Saint at 2:26 PM on December 10, 2008
Even though I kind of led to you removing your previous list from your profile, can I be on this one?
posted by Ms. Saint at 2:26 PM on December 10, 2008
Can you put me on the list of people who don't want to be on a list?
posted by grouse at 2:33 PM on December 10, 2008
posted by grouse at 2:33 PM on December 10, 2008
Squid Voltaire, cortex, Ms. Saint - your requests have been fulfilled.
grouse, that function is disabled. Take it up with the site administrators.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 4:18 AM on December 11, 2008
grouse, that function is disabled. Take it up with the site administrators.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 4:18 AM on December 11, 2008
Oh man! I can have my name on a list? Sign me up!
I've always wanted to have my name on a list, preferably one waived about angrily in some sort of official court, parliament or homosexual discotheque, but Kirth's list will do nicely.
Could you add a footnote that says: "This user wanted a footnote and now he has one. No, you can't have it, get your own!"
posted by Kattullus at 5:32 AM on December 11, 2008
I've always wanted to have my name on a list, preferably one waived about angrily in some sort of official court, parliament or homosexual discotheque, but Kirth's list will do nicely.
Could you add a footnote that says: "This user wanted a footnote and now he has one. No, you can't have it, get your own!"
posted by Kattullus at 5:32 AM on December 11, 2008
I had a list, but then I rearranged my cargo. My back feels much better.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 8:34 AM on December 11, 2008
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 8:34 AM on December 11, 2008
I'd like to state for the record that unlike Kattullus' proposed footnote, mine is available for sharing with other potential listees.
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:55 AM on December 11, 2008
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:55 AM on December 11, 2008
I'd like to state for the record that unlike cortex's proposed footnote, mine1 is available freely as open source to anybody who wishes to use or modify it.
--------
1 this is a footnote.
posted by UbuRoivas at 9:43 AM on December 11, 2008
--------
1 this is a footnote.
posted by UbuRoivas at 9:43 AM on December 11, 2008
Oooh. I totally missed the part where Kirth got rid of his old list and started a new list. Can I be on the new list? I'm never on any lists.
posted by Phire at 3:20 PM on December 11, 2008
posted by Phire at 3:20 PM on December 11, 2008
Sure. Do you want cortex's footnote, too? I understand he's offering it free, at least for now.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 4:20 PM on December 11, 2008
posted by Kirth Gerson at 4:20 PM on December 11, 2008
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posted by netbros at 2:21 AM on December 7, 2008 [1 favorite]