Why the @#$%^ is this in metatalk!?!?

October 6, 2009 11:00 AM

What is the threshold of importance for something to become a metatalk post?

I have seen multiple posts on metatalk where someone is complaining about something that bothers them in another thread or threads, and they get some grief for it because it's seen as a minor issue.

My understanding is that posts with minor complaints/issues are fine, as long as they are applicable to the community as a whole and not just the individual poster. For example:


Okay: It bothers me when people use acronyms that the Ask poster will need to look up. It smacks of in-joke-ism and is totally suck-tastic.

Use MeMail: Why did you delete this comment: "DTMFA GDIAF SCUBA"??!?!?!?!?


What are your thoughts? Does a complaint have to have a certain amount of importance or significance to be worth a MetaTalk post? Or does it just need to be MetaFilter-related and general enough to be of interest to the entire community?

posted by kathrineg to Etiquette/Policy at 11:00 AM (119 comments total)

GDIAF

Get down, I am Falcor?
posted by adamdschneider at 11:01 AM on October 6, 2009 [17 favorites]

A complaint needs to rate at least 16.2 on the MCGI to be significant enough to post to Metatalk. HTH. HAND.
posted by dersins at 11:02 AM on October 6, 2009 [3 favorites]

Please delete and repost in MetaMetaTalk.
posted by chinston at 11:09 AM on October 6, 2009 [13 favorites]

[some comments removed, if you can't comment without acronymicalisms, you need to take this to to CB radio]
posted by kathrineg at 11:10 AM on October 6, 2009 [10 favorites]

IYHTAYNK.
posted by Pax at 11:10 AM on October 6, 2009

I think the threshold is:

Best addressed/solved by simple use of contact forms < ----- > Public debate already taking place/needs to be debated in public

And to me, this one falls pretty squarely on the left side of the continuum.
posted by mudpuppie at 11:11 AM on October 6, 2009

God Damn, I Am Fabulous.
posted by katillathehun at 11:11 AM on October 6, 2009 [3 favorites]

I think it's largely self-correcting. If someone bitches in MeTa about something which is too "tiny" to be worthwhile, they will get enough grief that they will likely not do it again. Likewise, if it's a legitimate call-out, it will get the attention it deserves and the community will reach some kind of odd consensus about how to proceed in the future.

At least, that's what I've observed...
posted by hippybear at 11:11 AM on October 6, 2009 [1 favorite]

A minor issue is something that annoys you. A Metatalk-worthy issue is something that annoys me.
posted by bondcliff at 11:12 AM on October 6, 2009 [40 favorites]

Usually twenty-five beans, but it depends on the size of your plate.
posted by rocket88 at 11:12 AM on October 6, 2009 [3 favorites]

The threshold of importance for something to become a metatalk post is one importance unit greater than the importance value of this post.
posted by Reverend John at 11:13 AM on October 6, 2009

If someone bitches in MeTa about something which is of tremendous importance, they will also get enough grief that they will likely not do it again.
posted by nowonmai at 11:14 AM on October 6, 2009 [4 favorites]

Does a complaint have to have a certain amount of importance or significance to be worth a MetaTalk post?

Depends how much snark you're looking for, honey.
posted by gman at 11:15 AM on October 6, 2009 [4 favorites]

Here is a good rule of thumb: if you think something is worth posting to metatalk you should post it, if on the other hand you do not think something is worth posting to metatalk then no post is required.
posted by pwally at 11:15 AM on October 6, 2009

What is the threshold of importance for something to become a metatalk post?

What the threshold should be is high enough to look like you're gonna trip over it and that makes you think twice about stepping over it.

IYKWIMAITYD
posted by deborah at 11:20 AM on October 6, 2009 [1 favorite]

You just BLEW MY MIND. Next you're going to tell me everything you say is a lie.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 11:20 AM on October 6, 2009

Z̶ALG҉Ó!

Doe̴s̢n'҉t̢ ̢a̵pp̡r͢ove҉ ͡of͟ pèt͟t͏y̢ ̸met͝aţàlk̵ ͟p͠os̛ts
̸
H̸e is ͢the ͜e҉ater͞ ̡o͞f ̕so̶uls
posted by jannw at 11:20 AM on October 6, 2009 [3 favorites]

Lotsa times people post MeTa threads because they want to publicly harass the mods, and because the mods are overly nice, they put up with it.

Personally, I would never take that crap, but that's why I will never be a moderator of a site like Metafilter.

But yeah, I wish people would take their inane policy questions and "HEY MOD, WHY DID YOU DELETE MY [X]" questions to email or memail or hell or wherever.
posted by Afroblanco at 11:21 AM on October 6, 2009 [3 favorites]

What is the threshold of importance for something to become a metatalk post?

Two-fifty, same as down the block.
posted by Sidhedevil at 11:23 AM on October 6, 2009

We have a problem here in that people complain in threads to degrees that fuck up threads. They have a few possible avenues that are okay... taking stuff to email, taking stuff to Meta, getting over it. Usually I'm okay with anyone taking anything to MeTa as long as they can be reasonable about it and sort of show up with an open mind, more or less. Good MeTa threads are usually along the lines of "hey this thing has been bothering me, is it bothering anyone else? If so what do we need to do about it, do you think?" Bad MeTa threads are along the lines of "this thing makes me so goddamned angry I want to punch people in the face so could stupid fuckers who do these things please stop immediately?"

There is, of course, a grey area between these two extremes. It would be nice if people didn't castigate MeTa posters quite so much because in many cases

1. a mod told them to come here in the first place, or would have
2. increased GRAR levels harsh my general lifebuzz, and I am likely not alone in this
3. this sort of nonsense keeps people from using what is supposed to be a community resource in the first place and one that is set up to be used.

Sometimes the response people get is some variety of "hey I think it's just you, might be time to develop coping strategies to handle the fact that this bothers you" but it would be nice if that were explained in a decent manner.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 11:25 AM on October 6, 2009 [33 favorites]

increased GRAR levels harsh my general lifebuzz

As always: I love you, jessamyn.
posted by scody at 11:28 AM on October 6, 2009 [13 favorites]

I think that an appropriate metatalk is any that results in a massive post count with tons of drama that results in a vengeful flameout, which I will follow eagerly throughout the course of the workday.
posted by Think_Long at 11:29 AM on October 6, 2009 [2 favorites]

increased GRAR levels harsh my general lifebuzz

Awesome. This should be on a t-shirt.
posted by bondcliff at 11:33 AM on October 6, 2009 [9 favorites]

increased GRAR levels harsh my general lifebuzz

T-shirt, plz.
posted by cairnish at 11:35 AM on October 6, 2009 [6 favorites]

Would Matt and the Mods just declare this post to represent the Absolute Minimum Quality for MetaTalk so we can move on?
posted by wendell at 11:35 AM on October 6, 2009

GRAR!
posted by cairnish at 11:35 AM on October 6, 2009 [2 favorites]

Hopefully the threshold of importance will never be recalibrated in line with the threshold of mockery.
posted by Artw at 11:38 AM on October 6, 2009

Increased NARF levels seem quite popular though, based on the number of favorites Astro Zombie 3 gets every time he says it.
posted by Astro Zombie at 11:45 AM on October 6, 2009

NARF!
posted by Astro Zombie 3 at 11:46 AM on October 6, 2009 [4 favorites]

It looks like you are Venting. Would you like some help with that? [paperclip dance]
posted by iamkimiam at 11:48 AM on October 6, 2009 [13 favorites]

I liked this one best: "It seems that drawing attention to someones rather prissy nonstandard capitalization makes people mock it in thread, can I repeat the experience on MetaTalk?"
posted by Artw at 11:50 AM on October 6, 2009 [1 favorite]

increased GRAR levels harsh my general lifebuzz

nthing this on a t-shirt.
posted by Lutoslawski at 12:02 PM on October 6, 2009 [2 favorites]

God Damn, I Am Fabulous.

Yes you are, honey. Yes you are.
posted by ericb at 12:03 PM on October 6, 2009 [1 favorite]

katillathehun : God Damn, I Am Fabulous.

Interesting. I saw it and assumed it meant "God Damnit, It's All Fucked."

So yeah, I guess that is the glass half empty vs glass half full perspectives of the site encapsulated in one acronym.
posted by quin at 12:09 PM on October 6, 2009 [1 favorite]

If this post serves no other purpose, I hope it makes GRAR into an Official MetaFilter InJoke (with NARF its official antonym, because Pinky the LabRat coined it years before AZ3).

And the top Google results for GRAR are the Grand Rapids Association of Realtors and the Greater Rochester Association of Realtors. You can always count on Realtors to increase the hilarity value (before they flip the thread).
posted by wendell at 12:10 PM on October 6, 2009 [1 favorite]

Grand Rapids Association of Realtors? What an odd thing to want on a T shirt.
posted by Cranberry at 12:11 PM on October 6, 2009

GRAR! is what i will say when i take off your t-shirt with my teeth, dear mefi reader.
posted by the aloha at 12:18 PM on October 6, 2009

I had to look up NARF. I though maybe it was something you did to a particularly tasty snack food.
posted by marxchivist at 12:18 PM on October 6, 2009

increased GRAR levels harsh my general lifebuzz

Surgeon General's warning: Increased GWAR levels can lead to the slavery of human scum living on this toilet "Earth."
posted by ignignokt at 12:23 PM on October 6, 2009 [4 favorites]

If something, someone or some thread bothers me in the sense I think it's bad for the site, I note it and then leave it alone for a while. If it still bothers me after a few hours and no one else has made a MetaTalk thread about it, then I'll post something.

Too many MetaTalk threads posted in the heat of the moment seem to go hell. This bothers me a lot and I'm considering making a MetaTalk post about it.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 12:23 PM on October 6, 2009

I do have better things to do, but I felt compelled to make this.
posted by wendell at 12:26 PM on October 6, 2009 [27 favorites]

Surgeon General's warning: Increased GWAR levels can lead to the slavery of human scum living on this toilet "Earth."

Also, stained pink skin and hair for a few days after the show.
posted by quin at 12:30 PM on October 6, 2009

I am honestly amazed that people make metatalk posts. I have a lowly 46k user number, and whenever I am peeved about something I think 'Well, I am not an official low-number mefite, so I will let the big people do the fighting.' It just seems impudent to march in and demand things when I have only been here a little while.

That does not appear to stop anyone else from making metatalk posts about how someone's failure to put the ® after LEGO is a crime against humanity or similar high importance issues. I suppose I am insufficiently full of entitlement.
posted by winna at 12:33 PM on October 6, 2009 [1 favorite]

There is no discrete gradient. But there might be a tri-axial grid of probability.
posted by Burhanistan at 12:38 PM on October 6, 2009

I think we need a metametatalk to complain about metatalk threads.
posted by empath at 12:46 PM on October 6, 2009

'Well, I am not an official low-number mefite, so I will let the big people do the fighting.'

Pffft, just go ahead and jump right in the deep end.
posted by empath at 12:49 PM on October 6, 2009

The level of importance seems to be how strongly you feel about it. If you are willing to go through the tunnel of spanking that MeTa can be then it is important enough. This has pros and cons. Pro: it limits frivolous posts, Con: it can be a real impediment to community communication.
posted by edgeways at 12:56 PM on October 6, 2009

I'm not sure if Metafilter is capable of over-thinking a single bean, but I would guess we are up to it.
posted by StickyCarpet at 12:56 PM on October 6, 2009

What kind of bean are you talking about?
posted by marxchivist at 12:59 PM on October 6, 2009 [2 favorites]

*reaches out with cold dead arms and drags winna into and underneath the deep end*

Now you're one of us... forever.
posted by quin at 1:07 PM on October 6, 2009

katillathehun : God Damn, I Am Fabulous.

Interesting. I saw it and assumed it meant "God Damnit, It's All Fucked."

So yeah, I guess that is the glass half empty vs glass half full perspectives of the site encapsulated in one acronym.

For the longest time, I thought "QFT" stood for "quit fucking talking". Seeing the number of insightful, polite comments repeated with "QFT" after them, I started to despair for mankind a little bit.

So yeah, I guess I'm in the glass-half-empty camp.
posted by homuncula at 1:14 PM on October 6, 2009 [1 favorite]

It just seems impudent to march in and demand things when I have only been here a little while.

If you're marching or demanding, yeah, maybe you're doing something wrong, but making a post doesn't necessarily include those things.
posted by kathrineg at 1:18 PM on October 6, 2009

GDIAF is presumably an (oddly, to my eyes) "Go"-prefixed variant of Die In A Fire.
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:19 PM on October 6, 2009

Sorta Crapped Up Bigtime, Asshole
posted by Sys Rq at 1:19 PM on October 6, 2009

I suppose I am insufficiently full of entitlement.

...or insufficiently blessed with free time and cursed with boredom.

dangit, I DO have better things to do...
posted by wendell at 1:21 PM on October 6, 2009

How about we implement the same sort of "related questions" feature that askme has, during the preview phase? I think alot of the talk-snark comes from having hashed over some questions a dozen times already.
posted by nomisxid at 1:23 PM on October 6, 2009 [1 favorite]

AskMetaFilter: my guitar keeps losing its sync to the USB dongle.
posted by netbros at 1:23 PM on October 6, 2009

GDIAF

Get down, I am Falcor?

"God damnit, I AM Falcor!"

Say it with confidence, old buddy. Just because Never Ending Story III was a mockery of your character, you're still a beautiful, sapient, flying dog-thing. Take pride in who you are! Plus, you can fly up there yourself, no need to ask for someone to get down. Unless they're riding on you and demand you take them out for pizza. We all remember the last time you got pizza sauce and pepperonis tangled in your fur, and that was a tragedy only second to NESIII. That lazy jerk should just get the pizza delivered this time. Really, it's only an extra 15 minutes, and a few extra bucks for tip.
posted by filthy light thief at 1:27 PM on October 6, 2009 [2 favorites]

GDIAF is presumably an (oddly, to my eyes) "Go"-prefixed variant of Die In A Fire.

If your eyes spent more time on LiveJournal, it would not seem at all odd to them. HTH, HAND, AYBABTU.
posted by Sidhedevil at 1:28 PM on October 6, 2009

GDIAF, ATREYU.
posted by Sys Rq at 1:33 PM on October 6, 2009 [4 favorites]

FOOLS! I HAVE BUILT AN ENGINE THAT IS POWERED BY POINTLESS METAFILTER ARGUMENTS! AT THIS RATE I'LL HAVE MORE ENERGY THAT A MILLION SUNS AND ALL SHALL TREMBLE BEFORE ME AND BEG FOR MERCY!
posted by The Whelk at 1:44 PM on October 6, 2009 [1 favorite]

POTRZEBIE
posted by everichon at 1:44 PM on October 6, 2009 [5 favorites]

I have been known to peruse livejournal occasionally, hence the GDIAF, which one time someone in some trans wank took as a death threat and reported it to the FBI
posted by kathrineg at 1:45 PM on October 6, 2009

I think we're all forgetting the TrueTest™ for MetaTalk posts:

If there is a good chance that, after posting to MetaTalk, you will totally freak out on anyone who disagrees with you and then flameout in a spectacular fashion to the delight of all who are reading, then, by all means, post the thread. Hell, post it twice. There's nothing better than a good old fashioned, over the top, popcorn poppin', torch and pitchfork peasant weildin', mod-pouncing, limb decapitating while burning someone in their tank, CAPS LOVING, honest to god flameout.

Because if you're going to push the big red button, at least leave 'em laughing.

hey dersins, is MCGI the Miguel Cardoso Groove Index?
posted by eyeballkid at 1:46 PM on October 6, 2009 [5 favorites]

Où sont les flameouts d'antan?
posted by everichon at 1:57 PM on October 6, 2009 [2 favorites]

The threshold is simple: Would your complaint make a good song or T-shirt? No? Run along, now.

MF:TTMMSGAIWTPPITFSCSFWDTTPSI*






*MetaFilter: this thing makes me so goddamned angry I want to punch people in the face so could stupid fuckers who do these things please stop immediately
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 1:59 PM on October 6, 2009 [1 favorite]

Get Down, I Am Falco.
posted by pompomtom at 2:05 PM on October 6, 2009

tl;dr - threshold low; didn't rant
posted by cairnish at 2:05 PM on October 6, 2009 [3 favorites]

hey dersins, is MCGI the Miguel Cardoso Groove Index?

I was thinking "Metatalk Complaint Gravity Index", but I like your idea better.
posted by dersins at 2:08 PM on October 6, 2009

* Pulls pin from BIKE-HELMETED GYPSY grenade, flings it into thread *
posted by everichon at 2:13 PM on October 6, 2009

What is BEAN an acronym for again?
posted by Artw at 2:17 PM on October 6, 2009

*counters everichon's grenade with the THREE MOON KEYBOARD CAT DECLAWING grenade*
posted by ocherdraco at 2:18 PM on October 6, 2009

Bavarian-English Alcoholic Ninjas
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 2:19 PM on October 6, 2009

Pls stop GRAR-ing; my lifebuzz has been pretty well harshed today already, thanx.
posted by Lynsey at 2:22 PM on October 6, 2009

GDIAF is presumably an (oddly, to my eyes) "Go"-prefixed variant of Die In A Fire.

Probably the same people who played hide-and-go-seek when they were kids.
posted by Combustible Edison Lighthouse at 2:24 PM on October 6, 2009 [2 favorites]

increased GRAR levels harsh my general lifebuzz

T-shirt, plz.

And the picture has to be a bear scooping out a honeycomb, surrounded by a swarm of bees.
posted by the littlest brussels sprout at 2:25 PM on October 6, 2009 [1 favorite]

increased GRAR levels harsh my general lifebuzz

Fuck you, hippie.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 2:35 PM on October 6, 2009 [8 favorites]

I pee on my keyboard, If a big blue plus comes up on the screen, I make a metatalk post.
posted by electroboy at 2:35 PM on October 6, 2009 [5 favorites]

GRAR is a great acronym because it perfectly condenses what it stands for:

Grar Rar Ar R!
posted by ActingTheGoat at 2:40 PM on October 6, 2009 [1 favorite]

Fuck you, hippie.

Fuck you grandpa!
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 2:42 PM on October 6, 2009 [10 favorites]

Grar Rar Ar R!

*shoots ActingTheGoat in the head*

*looks around*

What? Those were clearly manifesting zombie symptoms. You all should thank me.
posted by quin at 2:46 PM on October 6, 2009

Some people are like chimpanzees; some people are like bonobos.
posted by Burhanistan at 2:48 PM on October 6, 2009

If your eyes spent more time on LiveJournal, it would not seem at all odd to them.

That'd do it, I guess. It feels like it loses a little it of its punch with the G added on; the notion of someone going willingly forth and immolating, the notion of that immediate agency or something like that that the "go" drags into it, makes it seem more absurdist and less nasty than the broader DIAF directive. Or something.

See also "get cancer", which I think of as being a good sister exhortation to DIAF. A "go" in either case feels like it's a suggestion rather than a curse, like telling someone to go play in traffic.

I haven't really thought through any of this in detail, and I think I'm running a mild fever, so there you go!

Probably the same people who played hide-and-go-seek when they were kids.

That's a variant I wouldn't mind seeing explored. I wonder if it's significantly regional? I feel like I played both the +go and -go versions as a kid.
posted by cortex (staff) at 2:50 PM on October 6, 2009

Metafilter: Fuck you, hippie. Fuck you grandpa!
posted by The Whelk at 2:52 PM on October 6, 2009 [1 favorite]

FUCK YOU ALL, HIPSTERS!
posted by Artw at 2:56 PM on October 6, 2009

I'm a yuppie so eat me.
posted by Burhanistan at 3:00 PM on October 6, 2009

EAT THE RICH
posted by dersins at 3:03 PM on October 6, 2009

Oh bonobo you didn't!
posted by the littlest brussels sprout at 3:14 PM on October 6, 2009 [1 favorite]

* Pulls pin from BIKE-HELMETED GYPSY grenade, flings it into thread *

"Bike-helmeted gypsy" goes beautifully to the tune of "Sweet Rosie O'Grady."

You are all welcome for the earworm.
posted by Sidhedevil at 3:26 PM on October 6, 2009

Bike-helmeted gypsy
Getting kitties declawed
Posting on MetaFilter
Perpetrating a fraud

Getting babies de-foreskinned
Asserting her right to be plump
Voting for Sarah Palin--
It's a MeFi's Worst Nightmare meme dump!
posted by Sidhedevil at 3:28 PM on October 6, 2009 [1 favorite]

If you are off your meds, feel that your perspective is the only moral absolute and your happiness is dependent on controlling the behavior of others post away.
posted by Iron Rat at 3:40 PM on October 6, 2009

I'm not sure if Metafilter is capable of over-thinking a single bean, but I would guess we are up to it.

I'm not sure. What do you mean by that?
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 3:42 PM on October 6, 2009

Some people are like chimpanzees; some people are like bonobos.

The world would do well with more Bonobo.
posted by filthy light thief at 4:17 PM on October 6, 2009 [1 favorite]

bondcliff: "increased GRAR levels harsh my general lifebuzz

Awesome. This should be on a t-shirt."

Yes please!
posted by IndigoRain at 5:12 PM on October 6, 2009

i kinda think of metatalk as being similar to one of those runaway truck ramps.
posted by lester's sock puppet at 5:19 PM on October 6, 2009 [3 favorites]

Would it make sense to have an automatic weekly "feedback" thread, where comments or ideas (or callouts) that maybe wouldn't have merited an entire MeTa post can be aired? Perhaps with stricter and more focused discussion standards a la AskMe (whether done on the honor system or by moderation).

That might enhance the "release valve" nature of MeTa without subjecting people so much to the community pressure and scrutiny associated with making a full-fledged post.
posted by Riki tiki at 5:53 PM on October 6, 2009

I was gonna get all snarky, like, c'mon, read the multitude of archives of MeTa, plus there's been some pro-am offense taking in MeTa lately, but the Tigers are playing the Twins in a one game tie-breaker and the Twins just tied it up in the 10th at 5-5 on a gapper single and my head is kinda exploding.
posted by klangklangston at 5:57 PM on October 6, 2009

This is actually kind of a non-problem, kathrineg. All MetaTalk posts are put into the vetting queue and I measure them carefully for their level of importance, modified for GRAR levels, and then apply a number of more complicated filters and heuristics that are probably a little too inside baseball to go into here.

The simple answer is that if it ends up here on the MetaTalk page, it meets out criteria for an important / acceptable post.
posted by Meatbomb at 6:03 PM on October 6, 2009

SNAPE FLIES OUT DUMBLEDORE
posted by cortex (staff) at 6:03 PM on October 6, 2009 [2 favorites]

It looks like you are Venting. Would you like some help with that? [paperclip dance]

Clippy Must Die
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 6:05 PM on October 6, 2009

People argue here whether they should or not. Grow a thick skin and post what you like within reason.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 6:06 PM on October 6, 2009

Harumph!
posted by Burhanistan at 6:43 PM on October 6, 2009

Bavarian-English Alcoholic Ninjas

Was someone looking for me?
posted by zinfandel at 6:50 PM on October 6, 2009

I guess that means I get to make a MetaTalk post before you do, winna.

Who's the big winna now?!
posted by juliplease at 7:00 PM on October 6, 2009

You post about improper punctuation/link formatting and then I will do the next NO MORE @ SIGN NOTATION post!
posted by winna at 7:57 PM on October 6, 2009

@winna: it's^ a deal!
posted by juliplease at 8:10 PM on October 6, 2009

When I was a kid, we played hide-and-go-die-in-a-fire. I always won.
posted by Sys Rq at 8:10 PM on October 6, 2009 [3 favorites]

My Friend Get down, I am Falcor? Why no?
posted by Damn That Television at 9:05 PM on October 6, 2009

I would have thought that the antonym of GRAR is schmoopy...
posted by birdsquared at 9:37 PM on October 6, 2009

Naw, I'm just as likely to tell you to shove it as the next user.
posted by Schmoopy at 9:40 PM on October 6, 2009

As long as we end up with a "increased GRAR levels harsh my general lifebuzz" t-shirt, it's all good.
posted by Space Kitty at 11:43 PM on October 6, 2009 [2 favorites]

I suppose I am insufficiently full of entitlement.
That's never stopped the rest of us.
posted by dg at 5:21 AM on October 7, 2009

Metafilter: Fuck you, hippie. Fuck you grandpa!
Go home, Dad, you're drunk.
posted by Karmakaze at 6:14 AM on October 7, 2009

Well I've certainly learned some new jargon or two today. But can anybody help me with "trans wank"?
posted by and hosted from Uranus at 7:28 AM on October 7, 2009

But can anybody help me with "trans wank"?

If it's the kerfuffle (incident) I'm thinking of, it was wank (drama, flameage, GRAR, whatever) regarding transsexuals.
posted by Karmakaze at 7:40 AM on October 7, 2009

That'd do it, I guess. It feels like it loses a little it of its punch with the G added on; the notion of someone going willingly forth and immolating, the notion of that immediate agency or something like that that the "go" drags into it, makes it seem more absurdist and less nasty than the broader DIAF directive. Or something.

I see it more of "Go away and die in a fire; don't do it here, I already have dry skin." You know, like, I'd prefer it if you died horribly but not in such a way that I'd have to see it or moisturize again today.
posted by kittyprecious at 7:46 AM on October 7, 2009

When I was a kid, we played hide-and-go-die-in-a-fire. I always won.

Did you win by dying or not dying in a fire? Because if you didn't die, it would seem to me that you kinda sucked at it.
posted by electroboy at 9:03 AM on October 7, 2009

and hosted from Uranus: "Well I've certainly learned some new jargon or two today. But can anybody help me with "trans wank"?"

Wank is an LJ (and elsewhere) term for an internet argument. See Fandom Wank. The specific incident in question was this, I misremembered and there was no GDIAF involved. It's also minimizing to call it "wank", sorry.
posted by kathrineg at 9:38 AM on October 7, 2009

Did you win by dying or not dying in a fire? Because if you didn't die, it would seem to me that you kinda sucked at it.

No, you don't understand the rules. See, a bunch of us would hide while the kid who was "it" would go die in a fire. Having gone and died in a fire, the "it" would never find the hiders, and therefore all the hiders always won.

Of course, now that I think about it, we may have been playing it wrong. Seems like we were always hiding after the "it" went and died in a fire.

Huh.

Well, anyway, it's been nice reminiscing, but now I really have to get back to this game of Satan Says.
posted by Sys Rq at 11:06 PM on October 7, 2009