Local News Links... why????

January 30, 2002 3:39 PM

I don't like the idea that Metafilter has turned into a news portal. But I'll learn to live with that, it seems to be what most people like. But now we're linking local news? Isn't there a better place for residents of Bradford to discuss pending bus stop proposals? In the name of God, why? Why why why?
posted by y6y6y6 to etiquette/policy at 3:39 PM (15 comments total)

And how easy is it to just pass it by, if it doesn't stimulate, provoke or intrigue?
posted by rushmc at 4:01 PM on January 30, 2002

Kind of like this one?
posted by insomnyuk at 4:04 PM on January 30, 2002

I thought it was kind of neat. If it had taken place in NY, it would have been OK...is that what you mean?

The post was about the design, but had a little "local flavor" to it, which may be what rubbed you the wrong way, y6,

This is a local thread for local people! There's nothing for you here!
posted by Kafkaesque at 4:10 PM on January 30, 2002

I dunno, I thought the idea of a musical bus stop was weird enough for the front page, but not in the pedestrian manner of being weird that Fark seems to traffic in.
posted by kindall at 4:39 PM on January 30, 2002

But now we're linking local news?

The Guardian is far from being a local newspaper though.
posted by davehat at 5:04 PM on January 30, 2002

The post is totally fine by me, it's not just about some new bus stops in some random city, it's about really bizzare bus stops - they play musical selections, select a poem to read based on the occupants clothing color...It;s more of a wierd story, than a local story, to me anyway.
posted by skwm at 5:13 PM on January 30, 2002

Metafilter: Not in the pedestrian manner of being weird
posted by rushmc at 5:21 PM on January 30, 2002

This is a local thread for local people! There's nothing for you here!

*wiping the coffee from my monitor*
posted by NsJen at 6:40 PM on January 30, 2002

Everything outside of the USA is local news.
posted by lagado at 7:49 PM on January 30, 2002

Kafkaesque makes a good point. Almost every news item is local. Why is it acceptable just because it's from New York, London, Seattle, et cetera?

I'll tell you why: The Metafilter urban elitist conspiracy is doing its sinister work!

Anyway, news items in general are getting a little annoying, but this one is not by definition any worse than others.
posted by Hildago at 8:40 PM on January 30, 2002

I think this is a worthwhile post because it highlights the creative bankruptcy of MY LOCAL public transit system, and most of those in the USA. We should have such things in Brooklyn.

Tangent: Anyone who has ever ridden the dedicated laned bus in the Val de Marne, please contact me.
posted by ParisParamus at 8:40 PM on January 30, 2002

Paris: Did you lose something on one?
posted by Doug at 3:16 AM on January 31, 2002

The press release linked to by eckeric translated the Guardian's whimsy for me.
posted by Carol Anne at 4:32 AM on January 31, 2002

not news
posted by ginz at 7:33 AM on January 31, 2002

I appreciate this kind of article more than your traditional news link. I manage to find time to read the Washington Post/NYT/CNN most days. Sometimes I squeeze in the CSMonitor, IHT, and a few others. If I determine the value of a thread based on the novelty of the FPP (as opposed to the quality/quantity of discussion) then local news links get more points than something I could have found on any of a number of Reuters/AP hosting sites.
posted by croutonsupafreak at 10:28 AM on January 31, 2002