Where do I find the things I'm not allowed to straight ask for?

June 26, 2009 5:15 PM

Is it really appropriate to ask "where to find people" to work for you on ask.mefi?

Is this not exactly like asking "where can i find resources on making meth" in that it's not asking how to do something illegal, but for help in doing just that? Also, is this not what jobs is for?

I have no qualms with general networking questions, but questions like this really seem out of place to me.

posted by shownomercy to etiquette/policy at 5:15 PM (29 comments total)

It seems fair enough to ask for places where specific professionals can be found. I sort of assumed jobs is for finding mefites to work for you.

Then again, I'm just this guy, you know.
posted by lucidium at 5:39 PM on June 26

How is this any different then "Where can I find a good plumber in Chicago?" or "Please tell me how you found the right interior decorator for your remodel?". If they were asking for illegal services it would be completely different, but they aren't. You're just a weirdo, get over it.
posted by doctor_negative at 5:45 PM on June 26

I'm assuming it's the "Also, if there's anyone interested here, let me know" at the end that is making the question seem like it may belong in jobs. However, the question itself does not seem, to me, to be geared towards hiring someone from MetaFilter as much as finding a place online where the type of employee for which he is looking is likely to hang out. It is similar to asking "I've got an X I don't need anymore, where can I find someone who wants it?"
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 5:55 PM on June 26

I think the "where do good programmers hang out" is ok, since it's much like a "how do I find a plumber in Pacoima" kind of question, but the founder seeking a coder to build stuff for equity does seem less like a question and more like a job posting (and a slightly shady one for that, since there is no pay upfront). I deleted it.
posted by mathowie at 6:08 PM on June 26

jackson5 disabled their account.
posted by jerseygirl at 6:19 PM on June 26

(jackson5 was banned for unrelated spamming)
posted by mathowie at 6:20 PM on June 26

only if they charge the same as in town.
posted by UbuRoivas at 6:23 PM on June 26

Is this not exactly like asking "where can i find resources on making meth"

No, it's not exactly like that. It's not even remotely like that. What a bizarre comparison.
posted by orange swan at 6:23 PM on June 26 [7 favorites]

Just dropping in to agree that you're a weirdo.
posted by grobstein at 6:24 PM on June 26

Is this not exactly like asking "where can i find resources on making meth" in that it's not asking how to do something illegal, but for help in doing just that?

Is it actually illegal to offer equity as payment?

Possibly shady, or probably an unwise agreement for the worker, sure. But on par with meth-cookery?
posted by CKmtl at 6:26 PM on June 26 [1 favorite]

Wait, you want me to cook you meth for equity?
posted by klangklangston at 6:44 PM on June 26 [1 favorite]

jackson5 disabled their account.

As a gesture of respect, presumably.
posted by game warden to the events rhino at 7:06 PM on June 26

I don't think there's anything wrong with the first post. If you're looking for resources and genuinely unaware of where to find them, metafilter is a pretty good place to ask. It's no different than asking for help locating any other resource (plumber, line dancing club in spain, best online dating site to meet geeks, etc.). The asker didn't turn it into a "by the way, if this matches any of your backgrounds, let me know" situation.

The second link was questionable, especially because the asker asked almost the same question 11 days ago, and it seems like both were designed to drive more traffic to the website in question (probably through a link in their profile). If they did find the programmer/info they were looking for, that was just a bonus. However, at face value, it's still a reasonable question for askme. I'm assuming the asker didn't know about the jobs section and included the "apply within" to the end out of ignorance not laziness.
posted by necessitas at 7:16 PM on June 26

Is this not exactly like asking "where can i find resources on making meth" in that it's not asking how to do something illegal, but for help in doing just that?

It's funny you bring this up, because I would actually like to be put in contact with local drug dealers. Please feel free to MeMail me if you know any!
posted by Greg Nog at 8:05 PM on June 26

It's no use, Greg. Every time someone has memailed me to say they could get me acid or research chemicals, they've totally flaked.

(Though psst my birthday is Wednesday.)
posted by klangklangston at 8:18 PM on June 26 [1 favorite]

I would actually like to be put in contact with local drug dealers.

Local to you or local to me? I just mailed a MeFite some kava kava yesterday. It's weak sauce drugwise, but at least it's still legal.
posted by jessamyn at 8:37 PM on June 26

DoseMe: the newest subsite.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 9:27 PM on June 26

See, I ordered some pot seeds from Amsterdam this week Just kidding (not really kidding, my Dad's just started undergoing chemotherapy for melanoma and I ordered six "northern lights" seeds that are supposed to be probably female)
posted by longsleeves at 9:36 PM on June 26

Local to you or local to me? I just mailed a MeFite some kava kava yesterday.

Local to me, though I appreciate the offer! I actually have a bag of kava already, but I rarely drink it, as I'm not a big fan of the mouthfeel.
posted by Greg Nog at 9:38 PM on June 26

Looking for someone to take an equity deal on a business that does not yet have a revenue stream and cooking methamphetamine are not "just like" each other. Let's review how an equity deal differs from cooking methamphetamine:

• Health Effects:
• Accepting an equity deal does not cause your teeth to rot or fall out
• Equity deals are not addictive
• An equity deal will not burn your house down with you in it
• Legal Ramifications:


• Offering or accepting an equity deal is not illegal
• Societal Impact:


• Partners in an equity deal do not generally engage in petty theft to support their equity partnership addiction

Now let's review the similarities:

• Both are for suckers who think that they can beat the odds

Next time, please consider using a comparison to gambling.

Weirdo.
posted by double block and bleed at 10:34 PM on June 26 [2 favorites]

Where can i find resources on making meth?

Just get a chemistry degree like the rest of us.

Isn't it funny that Walmart would sell me 10 g of Sudafed but they'll sell me 10 quarts of toluene?
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 10:41 PM on June 26

> Is this not exactly like asking "where can i find resources on making meth" in that it's not asking how to do something illegal, but for help in doing just that?

Making meth is illegal. Both those questions are fishy, but this is a poor analogy.
posted by cj_ at 12:28 AM on June 27

# “I sort of assumed jobs is for finding mefites to work for you.”

I found a very good programmer who responded to a jobs.mefi posting but had no idea what MetaFilter was.
posted by ijoshua at 7:06 AM on June 27 [1 favorite]

(jackson5 was banned for unrelated spamming)

For some reason, I disliked him as soon as I saw the phrase "take it to the next level." Looks like that was justified.
posted by grouse at 8:04 AM on June 27

He probably wants to "leverage synergies" and "synergize leverages" plus other business power phrases that make me want to get up and punch someone in the face during meetings.
posted by jerseygirl at 9:08 AM on June 27

He was actually a really bad spammer, too. Like, he dropped a dumb (and "sly", non-disclosing) plug for his site into a like two-week-old metatalk thread asking about a specific old bit of mefiana.

As if, of all places, that was a spot where "oh, no, you should check out http://carbullshitawesome.com/ they have teh best service" was gonna just flow naturally with the conversation, ten days after the last comment.

Spammers: I both appreciate and hold in contempt their lack of style, because it makes my job easier but makes me kind of sad for the internet at the same time.
posted by cortex at 9:45 AM on June 27

It is sort of like asking for resources on how to make meth, except instead of making meth it's doing something completely legitimate. So ... what's the problem?
posted by Jaltcoh at 2:20 PM on June 27

klangklangston +
posted by Meatbomb at 4:14 PM on June 27

I ordered six "northern lights" seeds that are supposed to be probably female

Does anyone have any experience of these 'probably female' seeds? Do they really come out all females?
posted by PeterMcDermott at 9:24 AM on June 28