Don't take this the wrong way, jessamyn... February 25, 2010 1:58 PM Subscribe
Lacking confidence, I will not call this a pony. It's just a suggestion: how about setting that optionally removes moderators from the "contact activity" sidebar? I adore jessamyn, and many of her answers deserve to be favorites/best answers, but due to her high-profile here, my list has become a digest of jessamyn's activity, which crowds out all my other contacts. (This only affects people who have moderators as contacts.)
Couldn't you just remove the moderators from your contacts? It's unlikely that they would even notice.
posted by special-k at 2:00 PM on February 25, 2010
posted by special-k at 2:00 PM on February 25, 2010
Or just follow some people that are more clever.
posted by cjorgensen at 2:01 PM on February 25, 2010
posted by cjorgensen at 2:01 PM on February 25, 2010
That sounded bad. I just meant get some other people on the list to crowd her out. Man, I am giving up while I am behind.
posted by cjorgensen at 2:02 PM on February 25, 2010
posted by cjorgensen at 2:02 PM on February 25, 2010
When there are big threads that have a lot of mod commentary in them then yeah this sort of thing can be annoying. Happens to me with cortex and mathowie sometimes. I certainly don't mind if you remove me from your contacts.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 2:02 PM on February 25, 2010
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 2:02 PM on February 25, 2010
Yes, I can. But I don't keep people as contacts to please them. Contacts help me jump to profiles l look at frequently.
It's like I subscribe to a news feed of when friends of mine happen to be mentioned by the media. I want to know when friend A has a baby announcement in the paper and when friend B writes a letter to the editor. But friend C just happens to be Barack Obama, and the feed only displays 10 items...
posted by grumblebee at 2:03 PM on February 25, 2010
It's like I subscribe to a news feed of when friends of mine happen to be mentioned by the media. I want to know when friend A has a baby announcement in the paper and when friend B writes a letter to the editor. But friend C just happens to be Barack Obama, and the feed only displays 10 items...
posted by grumblebee at 2:03 PM on February 25, 2010
I'm offended that you would even consider removing jessamyn from your contacts as a matter of convenience. Shame on you.
posted by jabberjaw at 2:04 PM on February 25, 2010
posted by jabberjaw at 2:04 PM on February 25, 2010
jabberjaw, don't you think I more than make up for it with the jessamyn shrine in my closet and my five kids named jessamyn?
posted by grumblebee at 2:06 PM on February 25, 2010 [12 favorites]
posted by grumblebee at 2:06 PM on February 25, 2010 [12 favorites]
but, grumblebee - what of the people who have jessamyn on their contacts so she does show up in the sidebar? doesn't your pony kill another? why not just bookmark her profile if that's what you're looking for?
posted by nadawi at 2:06 PM on February 25, 2010
posted by nadawi at 2:06 PM on February 25, 2010
Yes, I can. But I don't keep people as contacts to please them. Contacts help me jump to profiles l look at frequently.
You could just bookmark this in a mefi contact folder.
posted by special-k at 2:07 PM on February 25, 2010
You could just bookmark this in a mefi contact folder.
posted by special-k at 2:07 PM on February 25, 2010
I remove good friends that tweet too much/take too many boring photos/post too many boring links to their blog all the time.
*checks to make sure mathowie hasn't deleted me on Flickr*
Whew.
posted by ColdChef at 2:09 PM on February 25, 2010 [5 favorites]
*checks to make sure mathowie hasn't deleted me on Flickr*
Whew.
posted by ColdChef at 2:09 PM on February 25, 2010 [5 favorites]
Isn't there a bit of a disconnect between jessamyn-has-too-much-activity and I-can't-find-jessamyn's-profile-easily?
More helpfully, maybe you could memorize her usernumber. It's a palindrome.
posted by box at 2:09 PM on February 25, 2010
More helpfully, maybe you could memorize her usernumber. It's a palindrome.
posted by box at 2:09 PM on February 25, 2010
I'm holding on to my mod contacts. Someday they may be worth something!
posted by Mister_A at 2:13 PM on February 25, 2010
posted by Mister_A at 2:13 PM on February 25, 2010
A good de-spousing would solve all your problems.
posted by blue_beetle at 2:16 PM on February 25, 2010
posted by blue_beetle at 2:16 PM on February 25, 2010
what of the people who have jessamyn on their contacts so she does show up in the sidebar? doesn't your pony kill another?
Which is why I said it should be an optional setting.
posted by grumblebee at 2:21 PM on February 25, 2010
Which is why I said it should be an optional setting.
posted by grumblebee at 2:21 PM on February 25, 2010
Isn't there a bit of a disconnect between jessamyn-has-too-much-activity and I-can't-find-jessamyn's-profile-easily?
I'm guessing this isn't going to be a popular pony, but I don't think there's a disconnect. Just because I want easy access to someone's info, that doesn't mean I want their info to crowd out everyone else's info.
posted by grumblebee at 2:22 PM on February 25, 2010
Would you consider asking jessamyn to shut the hell up already?
posted by Mister_A at 2:25 PM on February 25, 2010 [5 favorites]
posted by Mister_A at 2:25 PM on February 25, 2010 [5 favorites]
I won't!
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 2:25 PM on February 25, 2010 [30 favorites]
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 2:25 PM on February 25, 2010 [30 favorites]
When you have a problem that is extremely limited in the number of people affected and has a preexisting (even if suboptimal) solution, it's a pretty safe bet you aren't getting that pony. The return on investment is too poor, and the more options get crammed into the options page the more unusable it becomes for everyone.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 2:27 PM on February 25, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by Horace Rumpole at 2:27 PM on February 25, 2010 [2 favorites]
Geez, Mister_A, she's standing RIGHT THERE.
posted by ocherdraco at 2:28 PM on February 25, 2010 [6 favorites]
posted by ocherdraco at 2:28 PM on February 25, 2010 [6 favorites]
Oh, so *that's* who's behind the baby jessamyn sockpuppet!
posted by iamkimiam at 2:41 PM on February 25, 2010
posted by iamkimiam at 2:41 PM on February 25, 2010
When you have a problem that is extremely limited in the number of people affected and has a preexisting (even if suboptimal) solution, it's a pretty safe bet you aren't getting that pony.
Agreed. Thought I'd ask, though. You never know until you do. Maybe more people are affected by it. Probably not.
posted by grumblebee at 2:46 PM on February 25, 2010
Agreed. Thought I'd ask, though. You never know until you do. Maybe more people are affected by it. Probably not.
posted by grumblebee at 2:46 PM on February 25, 2010
I have jessamyn as a contact and right now, she's only taking up one spot on my activity sidebar. I think it's because so many of my other contacts are motormouths.
So there's your solution right there - just make a lot of super-active mefites your contacts, and then jessamyn will hardly ever take up your whole sidebar!
posted by rtha at 2:54 PM on February 25, 2010
So there's your solution right there - just make a lot of super-active mefites your contacts, and then jessamyn will hardly ever take up your whole sidebar!
posted by rtha at 2:54 PM on February 25, 2010
My suggestion is to go ahead and link to baby_jessamyn. She only links to her sibling who doesn't cry as much as her, and it only adds two extra clicks to get to jessamyn's profile. So there you go.
posted by P.o.B. at 2:54 PM on February 25, 2010
posted by P.o.B. at 2:54 PM on February 25, 2010
"Jessamyn", sung to the tune of "Yesterday":
Jessamyn
She is crowding out my other friends
There she is on the sidebar again
I don't believe in Jessamyn
Suddenly
Her 'faved' comments number fifty three
They keep adding up as you can see
Oh her comments,
Come constantly
Why... she's... so well loved
Hey it's just cause she's a mod
Sure... I... like her too
But it just seems somewhat odd
Odd odd odd
Jessamyn
On the sidebar's where she's always been
I believe I'll de-contact her then
I don't believe in Jessamyn
mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm Jehhh-saaa-myyyyyn
posted by flapjax at midnite at 2:56 PM on February 25, 2010 [33 favorites]
Jessamyn
She is crowding out my other friends
There she is on the sidebar again
I don't believe in Jessamyn
Suddenly
Her 'faved' comments number fifty three
They keep adding up as you can see
Oh her comments,
Come constantly
Why... she's... so well loved
Hey it's just cause she's a mod
Sure... I... like her too
But it just seems somewhat odd
Odd odd odd
Jessamyn
On the sidebar's where she's always been
I believe I'll de-contact her then
I don't believe in Jessamyn
mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm Jehhh-saaa-myyyyyn
posted by flapjax at midnite at 2:56 PM on February 25, 2010 [33 favorites]
Contacts' Recent Activity is not only a sidebar - which I rarely use, for a couple of reasons - but also a page that holds many more entries at once. You might try using that instead.
posted by Pronoiac at 2:59 PM on February 25, 2010
posted by Pronoiac at 2:59 PM on February 25, 2010
Would you consider asking jessamyn to shut the hell up already?
posted by Mister_A at 2:25 PM on February 25
I won't!
posted by jessamyn at 2:25 PM on February 25
I favorited jessamyn's comment with the hopes that she'd have another notable comment, by way of favorites count. Yes, I am a jerk.
posted by filthy light thief at 3:13 PM on February 25, 2010
posted by Mister_A at 2:25 PM on February 25
I won't!
posted by jessamyn at 2:25 PM on February 25
I favorited jessamyn's comment with the hopes that she'd have another notable comment, by way of favorites count. Yes, I am a jerk.
posted by filthy light thief at 3:13 PM on February 25, 2010
That reminds me: Is there a way to get Foursquare and Facebook updates from my contacts? There are days where my Twitter feed will go for almost an hour without somebody's announcement via 4sq.com, and it makes me concerned that somebody might have stopped to molt or something.
If you can have them totally overlay the mefi content, so that they obscure the posts and comments here, that would be keen. While you're working on that, I'll be talking to the auto dealership up the street here to see if they'd be willing to make regular updates to the message sign next to the sidewalk. Thanks!
posted by ardgedee at 3:25 PM on February 25, 2010
If you can have them totally overlay the mefi content, so that they obscure the posts and comments here, that would be keen. While you're working on that, I'll be talking to the auto dealership up the street here to see if they'd be willing to make regular updates to the message sign next to the sidewalk. Thanks!
posted by ardgedee at 3:25 PM on February 25, 2010
"my list has become a digest of jessamyn's activity"
It's obvious you don't have 12+ favorite comment machine Horace Rumpole as a contact.
Damn him and his quick wit!
Not that I'm gonna remove him, how else can I keep track of all the funny things he says?
posted by Kattullus at 3:26 PM on February 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
It's obvious you don't have 12+ favorite comment machine Horace Rumpole as a contact.
Damn him and his quick wit!
Not that I'm gonna remove him, how else can I keep track of all the funny things he says?
posted by Kattullus at 3:26 PM on February 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
Yes, defriending Jessamyn is a low-risk proposition. What you risk missing out on is posting to a secret surprise birthday thread that is only sent to people who have friended her. :P
If you have her marked as a friend and are using Mark Contact Contributions to see her replies, there's another fix: Using Mefi Navigator highlights mods' responses.
posted by IndigoRain at 3:30 PM on February 25, 2010
If you have her marked as a friend and are using Mark Contact Contributions to see her replies, there's another fix: Using Mefi Navigator highlights mods' responses.
posted by IndigoRain at 3:30 PM on February 25, 2010
just make a lot of super-active mefites your contacts
I think we can do this if we work together as a team: everyone should just link to me, and then whenever I make a comment, everyone can favorite that, and slowly I'll take up the sidebar pushing others off more quickly.
I realize that I'm taking the bullet here, but I really care about this community, and I think I can suffer through this one if it makes your guy's lives easier.
posted by quin at 3:36 PM on February 25, 2010 [2 favorites]
I think we can do this if we work together as a team: everyone should just link to me, and then whenever I make a comment, everyone can favorite that, and slowly I'll take up the sidebar pushing others off more quickly.
I realize that I'm taking the bullet here, but I really care about this community, and I think I can suffer through this one if it makes your guy's lives easier.
posted by quin at 3:36 PM on February 25, 2010 [2 favorites]
I think the problem here is that your other contacts just aren't awesome enough. Between robocop is bleeding, anastasiav, Kattullus, grapefruitmoon, and a half a dozenish others (not to mention cortex and mathowie), jessamyn's activity fades into the background noise.
I suggest you meet cooler people.
posted by Plutor at 3:38 PM on February 25, 2010
I suggest you meet cooler people.
posted by Plutor at 3:38 PM on February 25, 2010
Here is your greasepony. Don't ride it inside the house.
posted by zamboni at 3:58 PM on February 25, 2010 [9 favorites]
posted by zamboni at 3:58 PM on February 25, 2010 [9 favorites]
There is a general problem to be solved here, I think, of weighting and feed preferences. It's a non-trivial problem so I don't begrudge mathowie or anybody who chooses the economical route of deciding this is one of the things that "unfollow" is for, but that's sortof kool-aid for a cola craving: not really what you want.
On the other hand, it's better than the Facebook route of just having an invisible algorithm with no public documentation pick things out of the feed for you.
posted by weston at 4:03 PM on February 25, 2010
On the other hand, it's better than the Facebook route of just having an invisible algorithm with no public documentation pick things out of the feed for you.
posted by weston at 4:03 PM on February 25, 2010
It's obvious you don't have 12+ favorite comment machine Horace Rumpole as a contact.
Funny you should say that, since my sidebar looks like:
Kattullus has added yet another brilliant post
Kattullus's brilliant post has 53 favorites
[repeat]
Man, somebody needs to open a window and let some of the schmoopy out of this thread.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 4:03 PM on February 25, 2010 [3 favorites]
Funny you should say that, since my sidebar looks like:
Kattullus has added yet another brilliant post
Kattullus's brilliant post has 53 favorites
[repeat]
Man, somebody needs to open a window and let some of the schmoopy out of this thread.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 4:03 PM on February 25, 2010 [3 favorites]
Here is your greasepony. Don't ride it inside the house.
and its named Jessamynimizer. best script name evar.
posted by ish__ at 4:04 PM on February 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
and its named Jessamynimizer. best script name evar.
posted by ish__ at 4:04 PM on February 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
This would all be solved if mods used their special "mod hat" when making use of their modal infallibility.
Disclaimer: I don't know *how* it would be solved. Ask a mod.
posted by qvantamon at 4:25 PM on February 25, 2010
Disclaimer: I don't know *how* it would be solved. Ask a mod.
posted by qvantamon at 4:25 PM on February 25, 2010
flapjax you are like a walking (typing?) embodiment of those Mad Magazine "sung to the tune of" song parodies I used to turn the pages past to get to the Fold-In or Spy vs. Spy.
That was damn funny.
Blechh!
posted by chococat at 4:41 PM on February 25, 2010 [2 favorites]
That was damn funny.
Blechh!
posted by chococat at 4:41 PM on February 25, 2010 [2 favorites]
I really hate these GRAR SMART PEOPLE ARE MAKING TOO MANY GOOD COMMENTS threads.
posted by DU at 4:42 PM on February 25, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by DU at 4:42 PM on February 25, 2010 [2 favorites]
zamboni: Here is your greasepony. Don't ride it inside the house.
I am completely and totally riding this pony. I love it. I mean, I love Jessamyn too, but yes: that sidebar was getting a little crowded.
posted by DarlingBri at 5:00 PM on February 25, 2010
I am completely and totally riding this pony. I love it. I mean, I love Jessamyn too, but yes: that sidebar was getting a little crowded.
posted by DarlingBri at 5:00 PM on February 25, 2010
rtha writes "I have jessamyn as a contact and right now, she's only taking up one spot on my activity sidebar. I think it's because so many of my other contacts are motormouths. "
I love when Jessamyn goes to a meetup; the side bar becomes all Jessamyn all the time as she adds everyone at the meetup to her contact list.
posted by Mitheral at 5:04 PM on February 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
I love when Jessamyn goes to a meetup; the side bar becomes all Jessamyn all the time as she adds everyone at the meetup to her contact list.
posted by Mitheral at 5:04 PM on February 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
I'll take your extra Jessamyn if you're not gonna have it. Mmm, I love the stuff. {BURP}
posted by not_on_display at 5:47 PM on February 25, 2010
posted by not_on_display at 5:47 PM on February 25, 2010
I like metafilter people they are smart and funny.
posted by The Whelk at 5:51 PM on February 25, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 5:51 PM on February 25, 2010 [2 favorites]
You know, The Whelk, I'm not doing this to impress you.
posted by deliquescent at 6:17 PM on February 25, 2010
posted by deliquescent at 6:17 PM on February 25, 2010
I thought you where doing it to entertain and inform me. Being impressed is a nice side effect.
NOTE: I am often impressed.
posted by The Whelk at 6:21 PM on February 25, 2010
NOTE: I am often impressed.
posted by The Whelk at 6:21 PM on February 25, 2010
<jazz></jazz>
posted by deliquescent at 6:22 PM on February 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by deliquescent at 6:22 PM on February 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
More helpfully, maybe you could memorize her usernumber. It's a palindrome.
You don't even have to do that. All you have to remember is /username/jessamyn.
posted by Rhomboid at 6:23 PM on February 25, 2010
You don't even have to do that. All you have to remember is /username/jessamyn.
posted by Rhomboid at 6:23 PM on February 25, 2010
I like the previous one. It is like a koan. When is a comment not a comment?
posted by The Whelk at 6:24 PM on February 25, 2010
posted by The Whelk at 6:24 PM on February 25, 2010
Cool, zamboni! Thanks.
posted by grumblebee at 7:23 PM on February 25, 2010
posted by grumblebee at 7:23 PM on February 25, 2010
<jazz></jazz>
Thanks to whoever cleaned that up, but it was supposed to read "jazz hands!"
This is very important, and makes the joke 5000% funnier. Ask anyone. 5000%.
Thank you, and good night.
posted by deliquescent at 7:56 PM on February 25, 2010
Thanks to whoever cleaned that up, but it was supposed to read "jazz hands!"
This is very important, and makes the joke 5000% funnier. Ask anyone. 5000%.
Thank you, and good night.
posted by deliquescent at 7:56 PM on February 25, 2010
but it was supposed to read "jazz hands!"
Seriously? The HTML parser takes big ugly bites out of things. My apologies.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 8:19 PM on February 25, 2010
Seriously? The HTML parser takes big ugly bites out of things. My apologies.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 8:19 PM on February 25, 2010
Jessamyn, Jessaman (for the boy), Jessamynster Abbey, Jessamon (this one wears dreadlocks), and Jessaramalamaramalamadingdong.
I think you forgot Jessamajesty Jackson.
posted by sallybrown at 8:21 PM on February 25, 2010
I think you forgot Jessamajesty Jackson.
posted by sallybrown at 8:21 PM on February 25, 2010
Jessamynute, I'm thinkin' of a funny name...
I got nothin'.
posted by hangashore at 8:41 PM on February 25, 2010
I got nothin'.
posted by hangashore at 8:41 PM on February 25, 2010
Who is baby_jessamyn? sorry to be a turd, but I don't understand that joke. Would someone please enlighten me?
posted by cranberrymonger at 9:06 PM on February 25, 2010
posted by cranberrymonger at 9:06 PM on February 25, 2010
Actually shouldn't it be <hands type="jazz">...<hands>
posted by Rhomboid at 9:07 PM on February 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Rhomboid at 9:07 PM on February 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
Back in the hippie days when accounts were free and we all had a lot of them, there was some talk about "saying suchandsuch makes the baby jesus cry" and then there was a baby jesus account [I think?] and it would show up and cry. So I set up the baby_jessamyn account and would occasionally cry and people would say "now look what you've done" or whatever.
And Greg Nog made that icon and I basically never use the account but keep it around in case I need to see what the site looks like to a non-mod.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 9:09 PM on February 25, 2010
And Greg Nog made that icon and I basically never use the account but keep it around in case I need to see what the site looks like to a non-mod.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 9:09 PM on February 25, 2010
Much obliged! :)
posted by cranberrymonger at 9:12 PM on February 25, 2010
posted by cranberrymonger at 9:12 PM on February 25, 2010
Baby Jesus joined just after I did. He, like many other long dormant old-timers, showed up to remember Brad.
posted by donnagirl at 10:41 PM on February 25, 2010
posted by donnagirl at 10:41 PM on February 25, 2010
NO ONE PUTS BABY JESSAMYN IN THE CORNER!
Because she's like the wind, and shit, y'know?
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:46 PM on February 25, 2010
Because she's like the wind, and shit, y'know?
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:46 PM on February 25, 2010
grumblebee: jabberjaw, don't you think I more than make up for it with the jessamyn shrine in my closet and my five kids named jessamyn?
What a coincidence I named my indoor electric grill after her.
Actually, I've only contacted people I've met in person (when I remember their ids), which maybe I should stop doing and instead focus on people I want to follow since I feel like I know some of the people on here "better" than some of the others I've just managed a few sentences with at a Meetup.
That said, on a related note, I listened to the podcast for the first time over lunch this week, and it felt like I was having lunch with new friends, where I didn't have anything to say but was so interested in what they were saying that it didn't matter. It felt weird, but weirdly wonderful.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 8:27 AM on February 26, 2010
What a coincidence I named my indoor electric grill after her.
Actually, I've only contacted people I've met in person (when I remember their ids), which maybe I should stop doing and instead focus on people I want to follow since I feel like I know some of the people on here "better" than some of the others I've just managed a few sentences with at a Meetup.
That said, on a related note, I listened to the podcast for the first time over lunch this week, and it felt like I was having lunch with new friends, where I didn't have anything to say but was so interested in what they were saying that it didn't matter. It felt weird, but weirdly wonderful.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 8:27 AM on February 26, 2010
Actually shouldn't it be <>...<>
Would a nerd correct ironic fakey HTML?
aw shit, wrong MeTA
posted by shiu mai baby at 9:47 AM on February 26, 2010
Would a nerd correct ironic fakey HTML?
aw shit, wrong MeTA
posted by shiu mai baby at 9:47 AM on February 26, 2010
On a related note, you know what would rule?
[Pausing for you to guess.]
If the activity page included the full text of your contacts' activities rather than a summary of them. It'd be like a MeFi "news feed" or "friends page."
posted by ignignokt at 12:55 PM on February 26, 2010
[Pausing for you to guess.]
If the activity page included the full text of your contacts' activities rather than a summary of them. It'd be like a MeFi "news feed" or "friends page."
posted by ignignokt at 12:55 PM on February 26, 2010
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posted by mathowie (staff) at 1:59 PM on February 25, 2010 [2 favorites]