Chatfilter deletion why?

May 9, 2009 4:53 AM

Question deleted...not sure why?

Hi there. Just got an askme question deleted and not entirely clear why.

I promise I'm not spitting my dummy out as I know you have reasons for moderating things.

I reviewed the faq on chatfilter ""...if your motivation for asking the question is 'I would like to participate in a discussion about X,' then you shouldn't be doing it in AskMe. If your motivation is 'I would like others to explain X to me,' then you're probably OK."

I feel that it is the latter - I said I was interested in answers from people who'd done either or both things, and there are some good answers there. My reason for posting was to help set my own goals.

It was definitely subjective but doesn't seem too different from other stuff on the askme page -

"memories of this one girl I knew way back when are bringing this on. Should I get in touch with her, despite the fact I now live thousands of miles away? "

"Should marriage even be a hard question? Are there people for whom it was who end up very happy together?"

"A friend of mine constantly texts and checks email on her phone when we're out together, which I find irksome. Am I right to think this is discourteous? "

posted by Not Supplied to etiquette/policy at 4:53 AM (230 comments total)

Now you're being driven.. how does it feel? You'll probably also get to test how hard it is being chilled out when a bunch of snarking mefites get onboard any moment.
posted by a non e mouse at 5:07 AM on May 9 [4 favorites]

I hardly ever make comments on MetaTalk, but maybe that means it's my turn as a MeFi citizen to say:

The appropriate way to deal with this -- as is stated on the FAQ and repeated countless times in similar threads -- is to contact the moderators. Jessamyn, Cortex, or Matt can answer your question quickly and effectively. Unless you're appealing to the Metafilter public for support -- which you're not going to get -- posting this thread is pointless and just creates more hassle for the mods.
posted by foxy_hedgehog at 5:15 AM on May 9

The problem with your question (as I see it), is that there can't really be either a definitive or a consensus answer to your question. To at least some degree, the chilled-out-ness of a person is fixed through genetics and their formative years. I will never be a Type A personality, and I think that's great, and to some degree I get annoyed by the extreme examples of that type. But my evil twin would say the exact opposite, and would be just as correct, because it's just how we are. It's not a failing of the person to be the other type.

Look at the questions you mention.
Should I get in touch with her? The consensus could easily go to a yes or a no. They should or shouldn't get in touch with her.
Should marriage be hard? Maybe a little bit chatty, but they are looking for anecdotes of people who weren't sure about marriage but ended up great. I'm sure those people exist on AskMe.
Is checking email discourteous? Again, there's a definite possible of a consensus. No definite answer, unless of course Emily Post happens to be a Mefite, but consensus is enough.

Could we have had that in your question?
posted by Lemurrhea at 5:18 AM on May 9 [1 favorite]

No, not looking for support. I thought things like this got discussed on metatalk...if not, then my mistake.
posted by Not Supplied at 5:18 AM on May 9

Not_Supplied, it's not entirely obvious, I wouldn't self-flagellate :)
posted by onalark at 5:24 AM on May 9

Please don't compare your AskMe to others.
posted by graventy at 5:27 AM on May 9 [1 favorite]

Don't self-flagellate when you can get others to do it for you.
posted by tepidmonkey at 5:38 AM on May 9 [3 favorites]

But if you do self-flagellate, please post videos to this thread. (Note: The front page of MetaFilter would not be appropriate, for it would constitute self-linking.)
posted by languagehat at 5:46 AM on May 9

Hi, gang! Is this the flagellation thread?
posted by yhbc at 6:01 AM on May 9

Projects would probably be an acceptable place to post your self-flagellation videos if you also made a really nice website on which to display them. Need people to make the website for you? Try posting to Jobs. If you're more of an aural flagellator, you could post some nice self-flagellation remixes on Music.

Now, I don't want to force you into anything you'd be uncomfortable with, but if you're thinking about moving into the realm of having others flagellate you in person, large groups of us will be getting together for the 10th Anniversary Meetups in July. I'm certain you could find someone in your area who'd be more than happy to flagellate the bejesus out of you.
posted by SpiffyRob at 6:17 AM on May 9 [2 favorites]

the way this works is that you raise an issue here and then everyone else spits their dummies out
posted by pyramid termite at 6:31 AM on May 9 [4 favorites]

It's the weekend for fucks sake. You just don't do this at the weekend; all the class A snarkers are away, hungover, spaced out, not in the office. Save it for Monday next time.
posted by adamvasco at 6:36 AM on May 9 [1 favorite]

It's chilled isn't it? No wait, fuck, driven, it's driven.
posted by mattoxic at 6:49 AM on May 9 [2 favorites]

Yeah, it would have been better to email a mod, but to answer your question here...no, there really isn't a real quantifiable litmus test for why certain questions get the axe and others, which are just as chatfiltery, do not. It is a judgement call on the part of the mods which is why you should email them as they are the only people that know why your question got axed.
posted by schyler523 at 7:03 AM on May 9

Wow, maybe I should have some coffee. Run-on sentence party right there. *sigh*
posted by schyler523 at 7:04 AM on May 9

I agree with you, NotSupplied. I think the FAQ's explanation of chatfilter represents the spirit of the law but not its letter. The old (unspoken) rule used to be that you could get away with chatfilter as long as you end your question by stating, "I need to know this for a book I'm writing," provided your question was just specific enough to make that plausible. One of the threads you point out indicates another exception: "I am in $difficult_situation, and am looking for help in how to proceed."

It sounds like that's what you were going for. If you had been a little more explicit about saying so, you'd be good. I think it's the difference between, "Let's talk about X" versus "I am in circumstance Y, and it would help to hear some opinions about X."

Probably the mods will let you rephrase and restore your post, or else repost next week. They'll be along to answer. In the meantime: While it's often silly to open a MeTa asking about deletion rather than emailing the mods (since they're the only ones who can answer; why poll members?), there are exceptions and I think you hit one. Chatfilter is a weird, ill-defined (in practice) rule with an important goal. It's worth talking about from time to time.
posted by cribcage at 7:10 AM on May 9 [3 favorites]

I have it on good authority that the mods just don't like you.
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 7:14 AM on May 9

The mods were being totally unfair. That question would never have been deleted on Yahoo! Answers.
posted by KokuRyu at 7:21 AM on May 9 [2 favorites]

Chatfilter deletion why?

Chatfilter deletion: why no?
posted by solipsophistocracy at 7:54 AM on May 9

With chatfilter we typically delete things 1) that aren't solving a problem, 2) where every answer is as valid as any other answer (no one is correct or wrong) and 3) feature the question asker saying "I'll go first" with their answer.

Now, it's not black and white where borderline questions lie and you dug up a bunch of other borderline questions that could have been deleted but for one reason or another they had enough of a slight problem to be solved for someone that they were kept around.

Know that your question had a shitload of flags in a very short period of time, which tells us mods how the community is voting on a question, so if it appears borderline and 30-40 people think it should be deleted within minutes of it going up, we tend to remove them. That doesn't mean it's mob rule around here and 30-40 people are out to get you, it means that we've set some precedence in asking that people post questions that are answerable and we want to get away from the kind of thing you'd see at Yahoo Answers that I like to call "idle curiosities" where you can find hundreds of people polling the audience on "how many is in a few?" and similar questions with no real answer.
posted by mathowie at 7:59 AM on May 9 [5 favorites]

Chill out.
posted by Eideteker at 8:15 AM on May 9 [1 favorite]

There are 3 in a few.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 8:20 AM on May 9 [2 favorites]

No, "a few" is two and only two, interchangeable with "a couple". If you have 3 things you can refer to them as "two to three", but "a few" is always two; unless you're talking about monetary units, in which case "a few" is more than two but less than five.
posted by Science! at 8:38 AM on May 9

no, no, no - if you want it, but don't have much of it, you have a few - if you don't want it, and have a lot of it, you have a few - if you haven't done much of it, but wanted to, you did a few - if you've done a lot of it, but don't want to admit it, you've done a few

i hope this clears things up
posted by pyramid termite at 8:58 AM on May 9

What Matt said, Not Supplied. I'll add that there's a distinction between questions that contain an element of subjectivity (which can be hard to avoid even in perfectly well-constructed questions with a human bent—not everything is "how do I flash my EPROM" or whatever), and questions that are basically subjectivity writ large.

It's the latter stuff that tends to fall much more often under the chatfilter axe, and the latter sort is what I (and apparently a whole lot of users during its brief life) saw as going in with your question. When you're polling the audience on a very hazily defined false dichotomy, askme's ability to be anything other than a structureless bull session pretty much goes out the window. And as much as I like to sit around and bullshit with people, it's not really what AskMe's intended to be for.

If there is some way to tighten the question up such that it has e.g. much clearer terms put into stronger context and a more concrete "this is what I'm trying to accomplish/understand and why" thesis, it might work okay as a question next week. If you want to try that, I'd say drop me a line with your new draft and I'll try to hash it out with you that way so you don't feel like the rug gets pulled out from under you a second time.
posted by cortex at 9:02 AM on May 9

Better to be driven or to be chill? Questions for My Mother The Car and a Haunted Refrigerator (My Father The Icebox).
posted by klangklangston at 9:18 AM on May 9

"how do I flash my EPROM"

hello? "nsfw" tag, please!
posted by small_ruminant at 9:18 AM on May 9

There used to be pills you could take to enhance your chill, but I think they stopped making them sometime in the early 90s.
posted by dirigibleman at 9:20 AM on May 9

I'm driven to chill. But, y'know, I kinda half-ass it.
posted by box at 9:30 AM on May 9 [2 favorites]

No, "a few" is two and only two, interchangeable with "a couple".

This is exactly wrong.

If you have 3 things you can refer to them as "two to three"

Oh now that is just silly.
posted by Sys Rq at 9:34 AM on May 9

Don't judge my little quirks that make me special.
posted by Science! at 10:14 AM on May 9

Well, here it is folks.
posted by josher71 at 10:17 AM on May 9 [5 favorites]

I'm a lazy slob and I managed to end up with a good job, nice big house, and lovely wife. If I tried to be "driven" I would just have gotten in my own way.
posted by Burhanistan at 10:30 AM on May 9

Unless it's this one.
posted by box at 10:44 AM on May 9

The cabal is out to get you.

Wait, that can't be right. There is no cabal.
posted by killdevil at 10:46 AM on May 9

But if there were, we they would certainly be out to get you.
posted by dersins at 10:50 AM on May 9

Discussion topics are not questions.
posted by buzzman at 10:57 AM on May 9

Q:How many legs does a tripod have?

A: Two to three.
posted by Lemurrhea at 11:10 AM on May 9 [3 favorites]

How long is a piece of string?
posted by Rumple at 11:31 AM on May 9

Is it possible to dig half of a hole?
posted by ericb at 11:39 AM on May 9

Just as long as you mean digg, not dig. And don't let this degenerate into an alphabet thread!!
posted by Rumple at 11:47 AM on May 9

Ketches have a few masts, if a few means a couple.
posted by found missing at 11:51 AM on May 9

What's the deal with airline food?
posted by Item at 11:51 AM on May 9

I mean it. Six bucks for crackers and pretzels?
posted by Item at 11:52 AM on May 9

Looks like Item doesn't care for alphabet threads.
posted by ericb at 11:52 AM on May 9

Must be a Texas thing.
posted by ericb at 11:53 AM on May 9

Not sure why?
posted by ericb at 11:53 AM on May 9

Ontology recapitulates phylogeny. Discuss.
posted by killdevil at 11:56 AM on May 9 [1 favorite]

Pyhlogeny? Surely not?
posted by knapah at 11:58 AM on May 9

Item knows not proper alphabet.
posted by Item at 11:58 AM on May 9

Octopi is the plural of octopus, right?
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 11:59 AM on May 9

Quick Google search on "English alphabet" should help you, Item.
posted by ericb at 12:01 PM on May 9

Right here, as a matter of fact
posted by ericb at 12:01 PM on May 9

Simple enough, huh?
posted by ericb at 12:02 PM on May 9

1. One
2. A couple
3. A few
4. Several
5. A handful
6. Half a dozen
7. A bunch
8. I forget
9. Lots
10. Too many
11. Not enough
posted by ook at 12:03 PM on May 9

Tangelo. How do you pronounce that? I've got a bit of a crush on a girl in the produce section.
posted by box at 12:03 PM on May 9

Uh, like "Angelo" only with a "T" at the beginning?
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 12:03 PM on May 9

Ugh. I still don't get it.
posted by Item at 12:04 PM on May 9 [1 favorite]

Verily.
posted by Skorgu at 12:04 PM on May 9

Is it Ghostbusters 2?

(I think I need another meme.)
posted by ob at 12:04 PM on May 9

Very insightful, MSTP.
posted by ericb at 12:04 PM on May 9

What other meme?
posted by ericb at 12:05 PM on May 9

Why, thank you!
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 12:05 PM on May 9

X already?
posted by Kattullus at 12:06 PM on May 9 [1 favorite]

YouTube as a comment?
posted by ericb at 12:07 PM on May 9

Yup.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 12:07 PM on May 9

Zounds, ericb. You sure type quickly.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 12:07 PM on May 9

Try harder next time!
posted by The Light Fantastic at 12:07 PM on May 9

Zamboni is pronounced "Jam on It", and vice versa.
posted by Burhanistan at 12:08 PM on May 9 [1 favorite]

As long as we don't start another one, that's fine.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 12:09 PM on May 9

Ah, screw it all. Alphabet threads deserve a punch in the gut.
posted by Burhanistan at 12:09 PM on May 9

Burhanistan seems a bit punchy today.
posted by ericb at 12:10 PM on May 9

cock punches were done as music, but where can i find the link?
posted by Rumple at 12:12 PM on May 9

Dunno, try googling?
posted by Skorgu at 12:12 PM on May 9

ericb does my googling for me
posted by Rumple at 12:16 PM on May 9

Fair enough.
posted by box at 12:19 PM on May 9

George Kranz (this is an old school thread)
posted by Burhanistan at 12:19 PM on May 9

Hip House.
posted by box at 12:23 PM on May 9

Ice T - 6 in the mornin'
posted by Burhanistan at 12:24 PM on May 9

Jam On It/Zamboni (live)
posted by Burhanistan at 12:27 PM on May 9

Jungle Brothers - Because I Got It Like That
posted by box at 12:27 PM on May 9

King Tee - Act a Fool
posted by box at 12:28 PM on May 9

K-Rob
posted by Burhanistan at 12:29 PM on May 9

LL Cool J - I Can't Live Without my Radio
posted by Burhanistan at 12:31 PM on May 9

Maestro Fresh Wes
posted by gman at 12:31 PM on May 9

Midnight Star "Freak-a-zoid"
posted by Burhanistan at 12:32 PM on May 9

Nas - It Ain't Hard to Tell
posted by box at 12:33 PM on May 9

Oran 'Juice' Jones - The Rain
posted by box at 12:34 PM on May 9 [2 favorites]

Planet Rock - Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 12:34 PM on May 9

Nairobi/Awesome Foursome - Funky Soul Makossa
posted by Burhanistan at 12:34 PM on May 9

NAS ain't old school.
posted by Burhanistan at 12:34 PM on May 9

Quadrant Six - Body Mechanic
posted by Burhanistan at 12:35 PM on May 9

PSK - Schoolly D
posted by box at 12:35 PM on May 9

Q-tip just dropped a new joint.
posted by batmonkey at 12:36 PM on May 9

Rock Master Scott and the Dinamic three - The Roof Is On Fire
posted by Burhanistan at 12:37 PM on May 9

Roxanne, Roxanne - UTFO.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 12:38 PM on May 9

Sir Mix-A-Lot - Posse on Broadway
posted by box at 12:39 PM on May 9

Twilight 22 - Electric Kingdom
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 12:40 PM on May 9

Sapo - Been Had
posted by Burhanistan at 12:41 PM on May 9

Ultimate Force - I'm Not Playin'
posted by box at 12:42 PM on May 9

Vexatious! Deletions are vexatious.
posted by Cranberry at 12:44 PM on May 9

Word of Mouth f. DJ Cheese - King Kut
posted by gman at 12:44 PM on May 9

yew
posted by localhuman at 12:45 PM on May 9

X Japan!
posted by Kattullus at 12:46 PM on May 9

Zealot. localhuman called me a yew.
posted by gman at 12:54 PM on May 9

Art of Noise: Beat Box
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 12:56 PM on May 9

Boring.
posted by killdevil at 1:02 PM on May 9

Can't post something better? What's the matter, are you scared?
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 1:02 PM on May 9

Buffalo Gals
posted by Burhanistan at 1:03 PM on May 9 [1 favorite]

Cybotron- Clear
posted by Burhanistan at 1:04 PM on May 9

Cool C - Glamorous Life
posted by box at 1:04 PM on May 9

Dana Dane - Nightmares
posted by box at 1:06 PM on May 9

Eric B. [Hey!] & Rakim - Paid In Full.
posted by ericb at 1:06 PM on May 9

Funky Drummer (bringin' it waaayyy back, y'all)
posted by Burhanistan at 1:09 PM on May 9

Gotta Learn How to Dance - Fatback Band (as sampled in G. Rap's 'Streets of New York')
posted by box at 1:12 PM on May 9

Here We Go Again - Def Jef
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 1:14 PM on May 9

I Get the Job Done - Big Daddy Kane
posted by box at 1:18 PM on May 9

I Go To Work - Kool Moe Dee
posted by box at 1:20 PM on May 9

Jonzun Crew - Space Cowboy
posted by Burhanistan at 1:21 PM on May 9

Kris Kross say Jump Jump
posted by zenon at 1:22 PM on May 9

King of Rock - Run DMC
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 1:22 PM on May 9

Kraftwerk - Tour De France.
posted by Burhanistan at 1:22 PM on May 9

(Jump Jump flagged as SHIT)
posted by Burhanistan at 1:23 PM on May 9 [2 favorites]

LL Cool J - Go Cut Creator Go
posted by box at 1:23 PM on May 9

Mantronix - Bassline
posted by box at 1:24 PM on May 9

Alphabet threads are strictly forbidden. You've been told this on a number of occasions by myself, cortex, jessamyn and the other ancillary staff here. There will be permabannings if this does not end immediately.
posted by Meatbomb at 1:29 PM on May 9

OK, killdevil, Item, see you in another life. Any more want me to push the button?
posted by Meatbomb at 1:31 PM on May 9

Blow it Out your ass.
posted by Science! at 1:31 PM on May 9

...aaand buh-bye ericb, thanks for playing. Any more? We are dead serious this time.
posted by Meatbomb at 1:32 PM on May 9

What's an alphabet thread?
posted by box at 1:33 PM on May 9

Best you don't know, box, please just move along. I think I got this one contained.
posted by Meatbomb at 1:35 PM on May 9

Negativeland - Gimme the ... wait ... is it over?
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 1:35 PM on May 9 [1 favorite]

I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt, Mulp, but please see the above comments. Yes, it is very much over.
posted by Meatbomb at 1:39 PM on May 9

Oran "Juice" Jones - The Rain
posted by Sys Rq at 1:40 PM on May 9

This thread is not an alphabet thread, move along.
posted by Meatbomb at 1:43 PM on May 9

dammit box
posted by Sys Rq at 1:46 PM on May 9

Alphabet threads confound Meatbomb.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 1:49 PM on May 9

Best to ignore him, methinks.
posted by Sys Rq at 1:50 PM on May 9

Could be.
posted by box at 1:53 PM on May 9

@Sys Rq: tell that to the killdevil, Item, and ericb. Do you feel lucky?
posted by Meatbomb at 1:57 PM on May 9

Ah, and now it is clear that box was just pulling the MetaFilter staff's collective chain. Banned.
posted by Meatbomb at 1:59 PM on May 9

Don't ban me, Meatbomb!
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 2:02 PM on May 9

EVERYBODY IS BANNED
posted by Sys Rq at 2:02 PM on May 9

Even in your dreams, don't.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 2:03 PM on May 9

For feck's sake ...
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 2:03 PM on May 9 [1 favorite]

For real, yo.
posted by box at 2:03 PM on May 9

Greek to me this all is.
posted by Dumsnill at 2:05 PM on May 9

Hurray! Alphabet thread lives!
posted by Kattullus at 2:05 PM on May 9

If you teach Meatbomb how to play, he'll stop telling.
posted by gman at 2:07 PM on May 9

Just-Ice - Latoya
posted by box at 2:08 PM on May 9

Kool Keith - Plastic World
posted by Sys Rq at 2:13 PM on May 9

box what the "F" are you doing here I just banned you? If I say "you're banned" it means you must log out and stop posting.
posted by Meatbomb at 2:14 PM on May 9 [3 favorites]

The following posters are also banned: Marisa Stole the Precious Thing, Sys Rq, gman (it pains me, bro, sorry), Kattallus, Dumsnill. That should put this waste of resources to an end once and for all.
posted by Meatbomb at 2:16 PM on May 9

Log out? I just figured it was one of those things that would take effect on the next business day.
posted by box at 2:17 PM on May 9

Jeeves and Wooster - Minnie the Moocher
posted by Dumsnill at 2:17 PM on May 9 [1 favorite]

Oh no! I am banned now. Minnie always goes first.
posted by Dumsnill at 2:19 PM on May 9

Man, and I even asked you not to ban me. That's it - remember how I said I was going to stop at the Dairy Queen on the way back from the Ice Capades? Well, you forget about that now, mister.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 2:26 PM on May 9

I wish keyboard cat would show up and play you all off.
posted by Justinian at 2:26 PM on May 9

Marisa, I gave you ample warning and opportunity to stop your illegal behaviour. I am very sorry that you made me take this drastic action.
posted by Meatbomb at 2:34 PM on May 9

Never give meatbomb the raw meat of the bombhammer
posted by Rumple at 2:35 PM on May 9

O NOES! Meatbomb had me ban-hammered!
posted by ericb at 2:37 PM on May 9

Pretty pathetic, actually?
posted by ericb at 2:37 PM on May 9

Rutger Hauer's script lines in Blade Runner were an inspiration for Meatbomb's blog!
posted by ericb at 2:40 PM on May 9

ericb, even if alphabet threads were completely legal, everyone knows that posting sequentially, in order to try to gain some sort of momentum, is completely declasse.
posted by Meatbomb at 2:41 PM on May 9 [1 favorite]

Sofia, Bulgaria weather: currently 55°F | Clear | Wind: SE at 4 mph | Humidity: 77%.
posted by ericb at 2:42 PM on May 9

You missed Q? So I guess technically you are not only banned but are also a traitor to your alphabetizing comrades. Shame on you ericb.
posted by Meatbomb at 2:42 PM on May 9

To you, it may be declasse. To others, it's déclassé.
posted by ericb at 2:42 PM on May 9 [2 favorites]

Q doesn't exist in my alphabet, just like the 13^th floor doesn't exist in my building.
posted by ericb at 2:43 PM on May 9

Q-Unique - Me That's Who
posted by box at 2:43 PM on May 9

Quasimoto - Bullyshit
posted by box at 2:45 PM on May 9

Q-bert - Wave Twisters
posted by box at 2:45 PM on May 9

Unless u have something to add Meatbomb, I suggest u ban-hammer u-self.
posted by ericb at 2:46 PM on May 9

Very often I consider the letters Q and X to be of the lesser ones in our alphabet.
posted by ericb at 2:53 PM on May 9

WTF, Meatbomb. You are now the head of déclassé, young man.
posted by cortex at 3:10 PM on May 9 [1 favorite]

Head of the Class premiered when I was in about the fifth or sixth grade--when I finally got to high school, let's just say I was disappointed.
posted by box at 3:17 PM on May 9

X - I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts
posted by dunkadunc at 3:17 PM on May 9 [1 favorite]

Yum Yum (let's stay focused on old school people, or else we'll break your fingers)
posted by Burhanistan at 3:21 PM on May 9

Zapp - Computer Love
posted by box at 3:22 PM on May 9

Zamboni.
posted by UbuRoivas at 3:23 PM on May 9

Æ e trønder æ - Åge Alexandersen
posted by Dumsnill at 3:25 PM on May 9 [1 favorite]

Øl - Jokke og Valentinerne
posted by Dumsnill at 3:27 PM on May 9 [1 favorite]

Å eg veit meg eit land - Elias Blix
posted by Dumsnill at 3:32 PM on May 9 [1 favorite]

Þeyr - Killer Boogie
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 3:41 PM on May 9 [1 favorite]

The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel

Yes, I am doing it wrong. We moved on from old school to alphabets while I was googling a link to the song, and I am not going to abandon the old school now just because of you kids and your new-fangled alphabet madness.
posted by winna at 3:47 PM on May 9

But it is you who is new-fangled - our alphabets are older.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 3:54 PM on May 9

Cool it, guys. Just cool it.
posted by The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew at 4:04 PM on May 9

"Diggedy dang di-dang diggedy dang di-dang.

"Don't do it!"
posted by Pronoiac at 4:38 PM on May 9

Ed, Special - The Mission
posted by box at 5:25 PM on May 9

We Didn't Start the Fire - Billy Joel
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 5:25 PM on May 9

Stiletto - Billy Joel

Road to the Riches - Kool G Rap & DJ Polo
posted by box at 5:40 PM on May 9

So this has gone from an alphabet/Old School thread to a Billy Joel's Shittiest Songs thread?

So be it.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 5:48 PM on May 9

Worst Comes To Worst.
posted by gman at 5:50 PM on May 9

Jeez, Marisa--if 'Stiletto' and 'Pressure' are Joel's shittiest songs, what are his best?
posted by box at 5:54 PM on May 9

Jeez, Marisa--if 'Stiletto' and 'Pressure' are Joel's shittiest songs, what are his best?

Is this a trick question, like "What kind of nude massage would you like John McCain to give you"?
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 6:01 PM on May 9 [11 favorites]

William Bell - I Forgot to Be Your Lover

Killah Priest - One Step

Dilated Peoples - Worst Comes to Worst
posted by box at 6:04 PM on May 9

Anything off of The Stranger is awesome, dammit.
posted by sara is disenchanted at 6:06 PM on May 9 [1 favorite]

'Only the Good Die Young'?
posted by box at 6:11 PM on May 9

Alright, I do like the intro to Angry Young Man. Forgot about that one. Hard for me to believe this is the same guy who did Uptown Girl and Matter of Trust.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 6:11 PM on May 9

Freestyle Fellowship - For No Reason
posted by box at 6:18 PM on May 9

Shouldn't it be, "How many are a few?"

That would make a a good AskMe actually...
posted by Mister_A at 6:23 PM on May 9

Play us off, you're the keyboard cat
Play us off tonight
Well, we're all in the mood for ending this madness
And you've got us feelin' alright
posted by found missing at 6:41 PM on May 9

Well Jess in Vermont is a friend of mine
She answers my AskMes for free
And she's MeMailin' cortex, and he's wearin' Gore-Tex
And eating a donut or three
posted by box at 6:56 PM on May 9 [3 favorites]

I'm not sure what letter we're on so I'll just leave this here.
posted by Sailormom at 7:23 PM on May 9

. . .

If it's gonna be that kinda party.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 7:32 PM on May 9

I can't help it.
posted by gnomeloaf at 7:58 PM on May 9

MSTPT: that, was the single most horrible thing I have ever experienced.

I have no other words.
posted by sara is disenchanted at 8:20 PM on May 9

Alpinestars
posted by zinfandel at 8:27 PM on May 9

"What kind of nude massage would you like John McCain to give you"
rough, like a draft or justice.
posted by the aloha at 8:39 PM on May 9

Since you ask, the canonical form is:

one (a stentorian), two (a couple), three (a few), four (a quaternion), five (a hamiltonian), six (two few), seven (the 'gateaux'), eight (el arana), nine (a stentorian octopus) and ten (une metrique).

I didn't know this was controversial.
posted by ~ at 8:47 PM on May 9 [2 favorites]

I know we're done, but somehow this thread won't be complete without

Biz Markie - T.S.R. (Toilet Stool Rap)
posted by Item at 9:02 PM on May 9

MSTPT: that, was the single most horrible thing I have ever experienced.

I have no other words.

I'm so sorry that this is the first time you've experienced the glory that is Arcadia. For all their faults, though, they were upfront about their pomposity - even the singer called their first and only release "the most pretentious album ever made".
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 9:09 PM on May 9

Someone needs to get all these links into a playlist.

And never do this ever again.
posted by Burhanistan at 9:37 PM on May 9 [1 favorite]

I would never sing again if someone referred to my voice as a 'hog-calling tenor'. Simon Le Bon is a brave man.
posted by winna at 9:40 PM on May 9 [2 favorites]

Man, I am so glad that you guys don't know about that time when I was in high school and I talked a couple of my friends into doing a lip sync contest as Arcadia. I got to be John because I always wanted to pretend that I played bass. We even threw roses out to the girls.
posted by Sailormom at 9:52 PM on May 9 [1 favorite]

JohnnyGunn: There are 3 in a few.

Science!: No, "a few" is two and only two, interchangeable with "a couple". If you have 3 things you can refer to them as "two to three", but "a few" is always two; unless you're talking about monetary units, in which case "a few" is more than two but less than five.

I know this matters to very few people, but can I just say that the silly, silly theories people seem to have developed around the word 'few' are ridiculous?

'Few' is a adjective which modifies quantity by emphasizing diminutiveness. It is the opposite of 'many,' an adjective which modifies quantity by emphasizing augmentativeness. I think people commonly misunderstand the meaning of 'few' but not 'many' because 'fewness' is limited, whereas 'manyness' is (apparently) not; one can have no smaller quantity than one, although there is a larger quantity than any given number of items. They also get tripped up because the adjective is in common use attached to a plurality, by which I mean 'a few pickles' or 'a few snarks.' This leads people to believe that some multiplicity is implied, and that therefore there is some system for determining them.

The truth is that, as I said, 'few' just means 'a quantity which is relatively small.' One is a quantity, and it could be very small if you were counting planets; so it would be correct to say 'there are few planets in this solar system that are called Earth.' Ten million could be very small if you were counting helium particles; so that if a helium balloon filled with ten thousand trillion particles in it got a hole and ten million particles leaked out, you could correctly say 'few particles leaked out.'

There is no system for determining which word to use; nor, for anyone who's wondering, is there a system for whether to use the word 'bathroom' or 'toilet' by computing the hex code of the color of the tile and putting it in a ratio with the length of the shag on the mat multiplied by the pound-feet of pressure exerted on your back by the shower head. We've got enough silly rules without people making up new ones.
posted by koeselitz at 12:55 AM on May 10 [6 favorites]

Ok it's a fair cop guv. No need to repost it, clear now about what you're getting at. Cheers.
posted by Not Supplied at 3:16 AM on May 10

"Few" can obviously mean more than two. When I was still drinking, and I only had a few beers left, I meant somewhere between 6 and 8. Of course, I was drunk.
posted by milarepa at 3:29 AM on May 10 [3 favorites]

The good of the may outweighs the good of the few two.
posted by minifigs at 3:50 AM on May 10

Cheers, Not Supplied.
posted by cortex at 7:29 AM on May 10

I am currently reading this awesome book called Bad Apple, about a goth-like girl who is obsessed with Grimm's fairy tales. One of the chapter titles is "Silence is golden, duct tape is silver," and another one is "Squirrels can't be trusted." I'm a big fan of good chapter titles. Sadly, you can't find this book in stores yet -- it won't be on the shelves until October.

Also, I don't understand why people are always posting Zamboni videos, but never links to The Zambonis, a quirky cool band whose members dress up in hockey gear and sing about ... hockey. Maybe I do understand. But see, it's a really cool band, and one of the members started another band called The Leevees. They only sing about Channukah, so they're not relevant for most of the year, but they really do kick ass.

I used to have a Type A personality, but then I discovered it didn't help me accomplish anything.

In my opinion, folks should be required to post a chatfilter question and then a deletion question in order to achieve the rank of MeFite, First Class. It's a rite of passage, is what it is.

Last night I had a dream that I wrote a really amazing novel, but then my boyfriend came and woke me up, and I couldn't remember what I had written. Here's the weird part: I was still dreaming. Not only did I not write the Most Amazing Novel Ever, but my boyfriend didn't wake me up.

Does anyone read the posts down here?
posted by brina at 8:04 AM on May 10

In my opinion, folks should be required to post a chatfilter question and then a deletion question in order to achieve the rank of MeFite, First Class. It's a rite of passage, is what it is.

No.
posted by Sys Rq at 8:32 AM on May 10

Cheers, Not Supplied.

I read this and forgot that Not Supplied was the OP. I thought you were telling someone that you were not offering them cheers, which is a pretty rat-bastard thing to do.
posted by Bookhouse at 8:44 AM on May 10

> Last night I had a dream that I wrote a really amazing novel, but then my boyfriend came and woke me up, and I couldn't remember what I had written.

I have good news and bad news, brina. The good news is that I read your novel and it is indeed amazing. The bad news is that it's Slaughterhouse Five. Try to be more original next time.
posted by languagehat at 9:33 AM on May 10 [1 favorite]

If it's gonna be that kinda party.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing

These eyes, and these ears -- I've removed them. I have no more use for them. Take them from my hands so I can create the bloody stumps.
posted by Devils Rancher at 9:41 AM on May 10 [1 favorite]

This thread did serve a purpose, though.

I learned what the heck spitting my dummy meant. I guess if an Australian person just said 'losing my temper in a childish fashion' the poisonous sheep would know the person was upset and use the momentary inattention to lay in wait to kill.

Those pacifier things have more names than Chevy Chase's character in Fletch.
posted by winna at 11:47 AM on May 10

Oh man, fucking mother's day: I'm missing all the absurdity. I love my mom, ftr.
posted by barrett caulk at 4:59 PM on May 10

I've seen enough.
posted by nola at 5:07 PM on May 10

Languagehat, I think you meant Slaughterhouse Hamiltonian.
posted by ~ at 7:46 PM on May 10

"I am in circumstance Y, and it would help to hear some opinions about X."

...And two days later, here's a case in point.
posted by cribcage at 8:28 AM on May 11

That was a mediocre post and you are a mediocre person and you should feel mediocre.
posted by GuyZero at 10:32 AM on May 11