Wow, is the author a Mefite? You'd almost think so. If not, he's really done his research. Great article. posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 10:22 AM on July 9 [2 favorites]
That is an excellent description of the site. Well, mostly.
“MetaFilter has a very active immune system,” wrote Josh Millard, one of the site's moderators, when I e-mailed to ask how the site's civility had lasted a decade.
Nowadays, to post links and comments on the site, members have to pay a one-time $5 fee. (A fee, in the spirit of disclosure, that I've paid myself.) posted by languagehat at 10:38 AM on July 9
Wow, is the author a Mefite?
Yeah, I imagine he'll drop in. When he asked me if I had any other thoughts on what makes the site work, he probably didn't expect like a thousand words, but I'd had a lot of coffee that morning.
The site plays out like a never-ending editorial meeting, with members hashing out the relevance of each new story as it comes up.
Great description.
Yeah, I also thought that was one of the most apt summings-up of the site I'd ever seen.
Also, what a tagline mine:
MetaFilter: Held together by the sheer stubbornness of its culture
MetaFilter: sparing casual readers the endless self-examination
MetaFilter: It's not much, but a buy-in is a buy-in
MetaFilter: The old folks are good at explaining.
Very complimentary piece; I don't think I've seen the site so well or so succinctly described anywhere. Thanks for posting the link. posted by Miko at 10:41 AM on July 9 [2 favorites]
MetaFilter seems to be held together by the sheer stubbornness of its culture.
Indeed.
Beautifully written essay, Mr. Tossell. posted by zennie at 10:43 AM on July 9
A June challenge to cover Leonard Cohen led to the appearance of no fewer than 28 different recordings of Hallelujah; the best was recorded as ska dance.
Are you just going to sit there and take that, cortex? posted by ODiV at 10:45 AM on July 9
He wrote about MetaFilter previously (I remembered the name Ivor). Glad to see a more thourough writeup this time, he definitely captured the spirit of the site. posted by burnmp3s at 10:50 AM on July 9
Yeah ... great article. Props to Ivor! posted by ericb at 10:51 AM on July 9
Are you just going to sit there and take that, cortex?
The ska cover was really, really tight. I had a good time with my versions, but they were much more idea-hastily-realized affairs than solid production numbers, whereas Jon_Evil's was just fucking note-perfect.
Setting aside the fundamental question of how sane it is to argue musical top-1 lists in the first place, etc. posted by cortex at 10:53 AM on July 9 [1 favorite]
Ivor Tossell is Matthey Ingram 2.0!
2. The Toronto Globe and Mail?
Haw, haw, bowline's from Vancouver.
I know it seems like very Upper Canadian bowline, but the Glob of Mail is indeed a national newspaper. They even review a Vancouver restaurant once a month! If that's not national, what is? posted by GuyZero at 10:53 AM on July 9 [2 favorites]
So true: "Popular sites often wind up as fiefdoms run by the self-important, overrun by zealots, and prone to bring out the baboon within." posted by ericb at 10:53 AM on July 9 [2 favorites]
Great article, indeed.
Often when I read a newspaper article covering a subject I know something about, I shake my head about how completely wrong it is. But in this case, it seems pretty much right on. posted by FishBike at 10:56 AM on July 9
prone to bring out the baboon within
Globe and Mail comments section anyone? But hey, that's those Toronto people acting like baboons. posted by ssg at 10:56 AM on July 9
The ska cover was really, really tight.
Oh, I agree. I just thought it was funny how "best" was stated so matter-of-factly. posted by ODiV at 10:57 AM on July 9
Have you seen the rest of the internet? We might as well be wearing monocles and top-hats, jack. posted by boo_radley at 10:59 AM on July 9 [27 favorites]
Agreed, this is definitely the most accurate rendering of what Metafilter's like that I've read. And I'm not just saying that because I was excited to see the Road Runner debate get mentioned. posted by scody at 11:00 AM on July 9
Aw, it made me a little teary!
Not really, but still, a really nice piece. posted by rtha at 11:01 AM on July 9
Also, it looks like FishBike is coming as well. That's kind of strange.
When I first found out that I had picked a user name that was quite similar to someone else's, and then found out that person also lives in the Toronto area, I had a feeling it would all end in hilarity.1
And now the circle is complete.
(In the unlikely event that anyone is wondering, no, we aren't the same person. If we both end up at the meetup, I guess there will be a bunch of other MeFites who can verify that we have actually both been seen in the same place, at the same time.)
1: Actually, I was kind of disappointed because I thought I had been so original. posted by FishBike at 11:26 AM on July 9
What a nice piece, and to nth the others above who said it was the best explanation of metafilter I've seen. Well done! posted by gofargogo at 11:34 AM on July 9
"Velocipede Pike" and variants are still free. posted by steef at 11:37 AM on July 9
Have you seen the rest of the internet? We might as well be wearing monocles and top-hats, jack.
I specifically put on a bowler when visiting Metafilter, just to be in the right frame of mind. And nthing the wonderfulness of that piece. posted by Lemurrhea at 11:40 AM on July 9
Those who sailed in the longboat wear tiaras. posted by Cranberry at 11:43 AM on July 9
Like everybody else is saying, that was a good summation of this site. One small thing to fix though: "For new joiners, the in-joke's origins can be confusing, but they figure it out. The old folks are good at explaining mocking you mercilessly, chasing you off their lawns with pitchforks and if it gets bad enough, roasting marshmallows over your burning corpse." posted by marxchivist at 11:50 AM on July 9
Oh man did that put a smile on my face! The interview is also very good. posted by Kattullus at 12:11 PM on July 9
Yeah I actually thought twice about the "Toronto" Globe and Mail thing, but I thought it would be useful info for non-Canadians to know where the paper was based. My apologies to the Globe's marketing department. posted by bowline at 12:13 PM on July 9
So yeah, that's me who wrote it. I've been writing about the web for the Globe for a good four years now, and I couldn't put a number on how many ideas have come from MeFi, except to say 'many'. I figured this was a good opportunity to give the site some well-deserved spotlight.
Thanks all for the kind words. And thanks to mathowie and cortex for being so generous with their time! I really do find MeFi to be something of an enigma, wrapped in a mystery, buried in beans, and it a fun topic to poke at.
In response to a few points:
1. Is this in print?
After a long run in the print edition, my web columns are online-only at the moment.
2. The Toronto Globe and Mail?
You'd be amazed (or maybe not) at how often it gets referred to that way. If you hear it coming from an American, it's benign misunderstanding. If you hear it coming from a Canadian, it's disgruntlement.
(On preview: bowline, you're excepted.)
And fairly so, I suppose. One of the problems with Canada is the media concentration in Toronto, which leads to all manner of resentment elsewhere. Interestingly, the whole 'Canada's National Newspaper' thing was a fairly recent innovation in the Globe's history - a deliberate reinvention. At its inception, it really was the Toronto Globe and Mail.
Also, it looks like FishBike is coming as well. That's kind of strange.
The existence of FishBike kind of blew my mind when I discovered him a few weeks ago. Were we ever to find ourselves in the same room, I can only imagine we'd start pacing in circles, glaring at each other through squinty eyes. Only one can leave!
Alas, it won't be at the meetup: I'm out of town for a wedding in my immediate family. How poorly-timed was that? That kinda kills me. posted by bicyclefish at 12:20 PM on July 9 [10 favorites]
zennie: I'd love to work this into a toast for The Tenth.
May you scan cats for a 100 years, with one extra year to heal from the scratches.
We drink to your coffin. May it be built from the material of a hundred year old bean stalk that I shall plant tomorrow.
May God grant you many years to post, for sure he must be knowing, the earth has penchants (or is that pedants?) all too few and heaven is overflowing...
May the spammers never earn a pound out of you.
May the ban-hammer wielding mods take a liking to you... But not too soon!
May you die in bed at 95, shot by a jealous internet-spouse (or 20).
At its inception, it really was the Toronto Globe and Mail.
Well, if you want to split hairs, it was The Globe, The Toronto Mail and the Toronto Empire at inception. Mergers, etc. But according to the never-fallible Wiklipedia, the Globe had national distribution back as far as the 1850's. Last Spike, etc.
It was always mildly ironic that the Toronto edition was bigger with the local section while the non-Toronto editions cost more for less paper.
One of the problems with Canada is... all manner of resentment
Very nice piece. Congratulations, Number 1. And congratulations to us all. For all of the snarking and bitching that goes on around here, this is still the most civil place on the internet. I'm proud and happy to be a Mefite.
Fuck You very much. posted by JeffK at 12:52 PM on July 9
>We might as well be wearing monocles and top-hats
What do you mean? Aren't you wearing a monocle and top-hat? You're supposed to pick them up when you sign in. posted by languagehat at 1:02 PM on July 9 [1 favorite]
>We drink to your coffin. May it be built from the material of a hundred year old bean stalk that I shall plant tomorrow.
Hah! That's great. Yet I'm not sure it's imbued with enough tomfoolery for MeFi. posted by zennie at 1:10 PM on July 9
And thanks to all who joined in the Mefi Music Hallelujah challenge (which I only just learned about). Awesomeness all around for my playlist! posted by misha at 1:14 PM on July 9
Loved the article, but like most hardened MeFites, I thought it overplayed the relative civility of the site.
"mostly intelligent, mostly civil, and mostly functional"
Still, that is a perfect description of ME. Mostly.
I'm thinking "Recumbent Tuna" or "Tour de Turbot" or "Salmon Schwinn" or "two-wheeled land shark" or "Tenspeed Cod"... posted by wendell at 1:46 PM on July 9 [1 favorite]
Okay, where the hell am I going to get a monocle and a tophat in time for the meetup? posted by MrVisible at 1:48 PM on July 9
What do you mean? Aren't you wearing a monocle and top-hat? You're supposed to pick them up when you sign in.
I'm wearing two monocles and a top-hat, it's quite an exertion, also I suspect that my cravat is entirely too tight. posted by Divine_Wino at 2:01 PM on July 9 [1 favorite]
I'm wearing my ambassador's sash, no matter how hard cortex tries to deny it. posted by scody at 2:02 PM on July 9
Great work, Ivor, thanks. posted by bru at 2:09 PM on July 9
The old folks are good at explaining mocking you mercilessly, chasing you off their lawns with pitchforks and if it gets bad enough, roasting marshmallows over your burning corpse."
Yes, but we also explain as we mock, chase, and roast. Combining the explanation with a traumatic experience aids in recall the next time the in-joke comes up. posted by DevilsAdvocate at 2:35 PM on July 9
Matt's famous on the Internet in Canada! posted by theora55 at 2:39 PM on July 9
I'm usually wearing swim fins, leg warmers, a tutu, a gas mask and a shako. posted by longsleeves at 3:04 PM on July 9
"It's not just a good read, and it's not just popular and lively, but it actually makes one feel slightly better about being human."
Couldn't be more true, bicyclefish. Nearly daily, Metafilter affirms what I love most about people, that they are generous of heart and unfathomably weird and that both those things are beautiful. posted by donnagirl at 3:20 PM on July 9 [1 favorite]
I lie how the only comment on the article so far is:
redkristyspal
7/9/2009 2:41:21 PM
anyone know where the toronto party is being held? got myself a couple cats and a b&w scanner.
Black and white? As in police scanner? Ur doin it rong.
(Really, are there actually black and white photo-scanners? Maybe someone is thinking of a stand-alone photo-copier? Or maybe an old fax/printer?) posted by filthy light thief at 3:45 PM on July 9
I have to admit that I only skimmed the article to see if I was in it.
It's not just a good read, and it's not just popular and lively, but it actually makes one feel slightly better about being human. It might be the best site on the Internet.
Somebody buy the man a drink already! posted by snsranch at 4:18 PM on July 9
Already?!??
Do you know how much wining & dining it takes before a journo will give you a plug like that? posted by UbuRoivas at 4:38 PM on July 9
Gosh, you kids don't remember the time when color scanners cost a fortune? As a lower cost alternative they sold the monochrome hand scanner that you'd manually move over the item being scanned. posted by Rhomboid at 5:05 PM on July 9
Gosh, you kids don't remember the time when color scanners cost a fortune? As a lower cost alternative they sold the monochrome hand scanner that you'd manually move over the item being scanned.
Off to eBay, in search of old technology for new artwork (unless you have some of this old tech you'd like to off-load?)
I remember when flatbed scanners were slow and expensive in the mid 1990s, but even those created color facsimiles of items placed on the glass. posted by filthy light thief at 5:11 PM on July 9
If you want a starting point, try the Logitech Scanman. I see a handful of them on ebay, but I would be very surprised if you would be able to get one of these working in a contemporary PC, as it had its own dedicated hardware card and (Windows 3.x) driver. Here's a absolutely hilarious review of the Scanman/256 from 1991. If you want other model names to search for try here. posted by Rhomboid at 5:33 PM on July 9
I wish it had included a mention of the MeFi Detective Squad, because that shit is dope. posted by shakespeherian at 5:57 PM on July 9
You can all thank cjorgensen for wasting Matt's c-note on a bouncer to keep randoms out. posted by gman at 6:33 PM on July 9 [1 favorite]
Many of the special interface cards were dumbed down scsi and there were full scsi hand scanners around too so that might be your easiest route once you find one. The parallel port scanner I used was a sheet feed B&W bought apparently because B&W were several times fasterthan colour units. posted by Mitheral at 6:40 PM on July 9
gmanwrites"You can all thank cjorgensen for wasting Matt's c-note on a bouncer to keep randoms out."
Just charge a $5 instant sign up cover charge. posted by Mitheral at 6:41 PM on July 9
I used to have the Scanman 2000 hand scanner - it was colour, not b&w and had a parallel port interface. God, every once in a while I remember how annoying computers were 10 years ago -- parallel ports, interrupts, memory management, winsock -- and I blow a little kiss to progress. Oh, and on topic, sweet article! I will forward it to my friends when I explain where I'm going to be on the 18th. posted by sevenyearlurk at 6:44 PM on July 9
heh, from Rhomboid's scanner review:
A few factors to remember. The 1MB memory requirement allows the scanner to work, but I recommend at least 4MB--8MB for an active Windows user (aren't you glad that RAM prices have fallen to about $60 per megabyte?). posted by Rumple at 7:10 PM on July 9
I talked to Ivor on the phone for an hour and gave him additional insider lore. It appears this is my tenth anniversary on the site too. I don’t actually have a lot of complaints, but certainly a few. I gave him a whole discursion about the performance anxiety of a(n) FPP. posted by joeclark at 7:11 PM on July 9
Surely an iPhone can be used to scan a kitten! posted by lukemeister at 7:16 PM on July 9
aren't you glad that RAM prices have fallen to about $60 per megabyte?
More like $40 per gigabyte, AMIRITE? posted by grouse at 7:21 PM on July 9
I bought 4 gigs this morning for 79 bucks (Canadian). Mindboggling. posted by Rumple at 7:30 PM on July 9
lukemeister: Surely an iPhone can be used to scan a kitten!
Oh and on the subject of the annual July 14 birthday post... Could the admins please make a preemptive declaration that nobody is allowed to do it this year but mathowie? Every year it seems like a race to see who will be the first to make the cat-scan post and I know it will be especially bad this time around, so why not just spare all the deleted posts and stupid jockeying for position (and whinging about missing it by "that much") and just have matt officially do it? posted by Rhomboid at 8:27 PM on July 9 [8 favorites]
those Toronto people acting like baboons
They already smell like them, what's the difference?
You know, people on this site have cats, and they have scanners, and there's really only one way to finish this thought if we want to make this years ritual posting really meaningful. Get to it. posted by cortex at 9:25 PM on July 9 [11 favorites]
I don't have a cat but I have a dog, and I would run my scanman over his face but he ate the controller card a few days ago. All that was left was a couple of square inches of epoxy that read "Logitech." Now, I know pitbulls are tough but WTF DOG? posted by bunnytricks at 9:36 PM on July 9
cortex: You know, people on this site have cats, and they have scanners, and there's really only one way to finish this thought if we want to make this years ritual posting really meaningful. Get to it.
Goddamnit that's the best idea ever and I have a scanner at work and two count'em two cats at home but I can't bring the scanner from the office and I can't bring the cats to work (distracting to the seeing eye dogs) and for fuck's sake I'll spend most of Bastille Day on a plane anyway goddamn. posted by Kattullus at 9:48 PM on July 9
metafilter.com/catscans would be a suitable lasting monument to the first 10 years. posted by Rumple at 9:57 PM on July 9
No, we have to keep internal consistency for synergy. catscans.metafilter.com. posted by Phire at 10:30 PM on July 9 [1 favorite]
catscanhack: don't have a scanner where your cats are? Stick em on a glass end table and take a flash photograph from below! posted by cortex at 10:34 PM on July 9 [1 favorite]
You know, people on this site have cats, and they have scanners, and there's really only one way to finish this thought if we want to make this years ritual posting really meaningful. Get to it.
Are you saying you'll be activating the img tag for the anniversary thread? I have one of these, and though my cat is black and white, the pink nose should prove it's a colour image...(though there is a b/w mode). posted by birdsquared at 10:37 PM on July 9
I don't have a cat, can I scan my (8.5 month old) niece? posted by heeeraldo at 11:50 PM on July 9
I don't have a cat, can I scan my (8.5 month old) niece?
You could get one from an animal shelter, scan it, then "change your mind" and take it back.
hint: to avoid damaging the glass, it is best to declaw it before you put it on the scanner posted by Rumple at 12:20 AM on July 10
This really is a great article. I'm going to email it in future to anyone who asks me why I'm going out drinking with my internet friends. posted by Happy Dave at 2:47 AM on July 10
i have four cats. snarling beasts, all of them. well, all of them except for big boy, who is a gentle giant, and who looks rather like stimpy, but not quite so smart. hardly the types who would sit still for scanning, even if they were jammed in & pinned between the glass & the lid. so ... can we also get a side site & accompanying contest for things like 'most scratches,' 'deepest gouges,' 'longest hospital stay,' things like that? posted by msconduct at 2:58 AM on July 10 [2 favorites]
oh! and great article bicyclefish! posted by msconduct at 3:24 AM on July 10
meh.
I kid, pretty nice article. posted by Pollomacho at 7:25 AM on July 10
bicyclefish you did a great job of characterizing Metafilter. This is a pretty special place on the internet as you pointed out so well. As we grew in size I did fear that shear numbers would overwhelm the place, but it still works pretty well. Certain threads, like anything with Sarah Palin, blow up rather quickly and become almost impossible to follow, but that remains the exception rather than the rule. I think a lot of the success is due to Matt's personality which attracted a lot of like minded souls. posted by caddis at 9:16 AM on July 10
You know, people on this site have cats, and they have scanners, and there's really only one way to finish this thought if we want to make this years ritual posting really meaningful. Get to it.
cortex:"You know, people on this site have cats, and they have scanners, and there's really only one way to finish this thought if we want to make this years ritual posting really meaningful. Get to it."
I do believe that only one cat would consent to being scanned, but I could scan her on each scanner to make up for the fact that the other cat is psychotic. posted by grapefruitmoon at 8:42 AM on July 13 [1 favorite]
« Older I'm wondering how many Philade... | Dover Delaware Meetup for the ... Newer »
Subscribe
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 10:22 AM on July 9 [2 favorites]