Awesome Obit Post to the Blue

May 11, 2009 7:01 AM

I just want to say that this is one hell of a strong first-post that has really flown under the radar.

And I would like to thank Ranucci (flesh out your profile for us!) for a really nice Texas-themed post which is a very pleasant contrast to a couple of posts that have turned into bash-fests lately. It's gonna take me months to work through the links and books he's got there. This is how obit-filter can be done with style.

posted by Devils Rancher to MetaFilter-related at 7:01 AM (19 comments total)

Flying under the radar is not an easy thing to do. The pilot is to be congratulated for the skill and precision involved in the maneuver.
posted by Eideteker at 7:11 AM on May 11 [1 favorite]

It still hasn't scrolled off of the front page as of this comment...
posted by Burhanistan at 7:25 AM on May 11

Flying under the radar is not an easy thing to do. The pilot is to be congratulated for the skill and precision involved in the maneuver.

Yah but saying "This is one hell of a strong first-post that has really flown right into view and easily knocked out by Anti-Aircraft missiles" doesn't carry the same shade of meaning now does it?


Also, it is a really nice post.
posted by The Whelk at 7:37 AM on May 11

That post shows how critical it is where you put the "more inside" line. Because the post outside is pretty boring.
posted by smackfu at 7:46 AM on May 11 [4 favorites]

smackfu: That post shows how critical it is where you put the "more inside" line.

I'm not a big fan of "more inside" personally, and I rarely use it except when the post requires dumping a lot of text to explain what's going on (example) but it seems lamentably common to me that the most interesting bits of posts to the Blue are buried in the "more inside" like in the Bud Shrake post.
posted by Kattullus at 7:58 AM on May 11

Flying metaphors are not easily extended. The author is to be congratulated for the skill and precision involved in the oevre.
posted by Jofus at 8:06 AM on May 11

It still hasn't scrolled off of the front page as of this comment...

True -- it's still flying under the radar, as we speak. I shouldn't have phrased that in that past tense. And perhaps I should have used a sports metaphor instead of a flying metaphor. What's best here? Anyway, I thought the relative paucity of attention vs. the relative quality of the post made it talk-worthy. Awesomeness should be commended. I'll go flag it and move on, now.
posted by Devils Rancher at 8:17 AM on May 11

And, an obit thread without dots? I'm tingly.
posted by found missing at 8:45 AM on May 11

It was a nice first post by a longtime member. Agreed.
posted by jessamyn at 8:45 AM on May 11

I thought the relative paucity of attention vs. the relative quality of the post
How did you gauge this?
posted by tellurian at 8:46 AM on May 11

How did you gauge this?

I have a special ruler. Didn't you get yours from The Ca...

nevermind.
posted by Devils Rancher at 8:53 AM on May 11

Thanks, Devils Rancher (can't you please leave that poor rancher alone?); good work, Ranucci!
posted by jamjam at 10:59 AM on May 11

That post shows how critical it is where you put the "more inside" line. Because the post outside is pretty boring.

It takes one mouse click to go inside and see what's more, so I can't say the outer-dressing is all that critical to me.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 11:40 AM on May 11

Lower user #'s got something a bit more high tech.
posted by adamvasco at 11:42 AM on May 11

Marisa Stole the Precious Thing: It takes one mouse click to go inside and see what's more, so I can't say the outer-dressing is all that critical to me.

That is true, but not everyone looks at every thread. Personally I only have time usually to get deep into maybe four or five posts a day (not including AskMes and MeTa posts), if the post doesn't catch my attention it'll slip by me, then down-screen and eventually off the front page. It's really no big deal, I can't read everything, but it's nice to have the hook above the cut. It's kind of like a newspaper, usually I don't have time to check out every story, so I rely on headlines, ledes and pictures to tell me whether I should devote more time to reading the article. The same goes for MetaFilter posts.
posted by Kattullus at 1:01 PM on May 11

We've already established that FPP quality can be inversely proportionate to comments made, right?
posted by availablelight at 2:14 PM on May 11

That's clearly not true, so I'd rather just say there is no relation.
posted by smackfu at 2:35 PM on May 11

...note the "can be", not, "always is"....I have noticed that many well-crafted and researched, "meaty" FPPs will only get a dozen or so comments, while a SLYT ripped from fark or boing boing might get many more.
posted by availablelight at 6:45 PM on May 11 [1 favorite]

yep.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 6:51 PM on May 11