Gap between posts? April 26, 2010 3:12 PM Subscribe
What's the longest gap we've ever had between MeFi posts? AskMes? MetaTalk posts?
I'm wondering because, surely, I'm not the only who's hit refresh, only to find that nothing new has happened and then slowly retreat back into the lonely darkness.
I'm wondering because, surely, I'm not the only who's hit refresh, only to find that nothing new has happened and then slowly retreat back into the lonely darkness.
I think "what is the shortest life of a front page post" just got a new record set.
posted by Wolfdog at 3:21 PM on April 26, 2010
posted by Wolfdog at 3:21 PM on April 26, 2010
I, too, want to know why cortex is so obsessed with this "meta-filter". Get over it, it's just a website!
posted by filthy light thief at 3:44 PM on April 26, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by filthy light thief at 3:44 PM on April 26, 2010 [1 favorite]
Dammit, why can't we favorite deleted posts?
posted by Doofus Magoo at 3:46 PM on April 26, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Doofus Magoo at 3:46 PM on April 26, 2010 [1 favorite]
MeFi: 354.3 hours ending on Aug 20, 2001
AskMe: 148.4 hours ending on Feb 16, 2004
MeTa: 369.1 hours ending on Aug 21, 2001
This is with deleted posts included. Given that these are multi-day gaps during periods when there are otherwise several posts per day, and that two of them are essentially the same gap (prior to AskMe's existence), these have got to have a technical explanation.
posted by FishBike at 3:48 PM on April 26, 2010 [2 favorites]
AskMe: 148.4 hours ending on Feb 16, 2004
MeTa: 369.1 hours ending on Aug 21, 2001
This is with deleted posts included. Given that these are multi-day gaps during periods when there are otherwise several posts per day, and that two of them are essentially the same gap (prior to AskMe's existence), these have got to have a technical explanation.
posted by FishBike at 3:48 PM on April 26, 2010 [2 favorites]
Yeah, I think the August 2001 thing was Matt going on vacation and making the site read only for a couple weeks. 2004 askme may have been a rebuild/broken thing, can't recall offhand. Probably a few other outliers like that in the dataset too, like around the Great Hackening in Jan. 09.
posted by cortex (staff) at 3:54 PM on April 26, 2010
posted by cortex (staff) at 3:54 PM on April 26, 2010
I went through about the top 8 gaps in Ask MetaFilter and they're all tech stuff (server outages, migrations, site shutdowns, and so forth) with a MetaTalk thread to prove it. The gaps rounding out the top 10 look suspiciously like overnight server downtime incidents or something like that, because they're still 16 hour gaps when a gap of 3 hours is otherwise unusual.
posted by FishBike at 3:59 PM on April 26, 2010
posted by FishBike at 3:59 PM on April 26, 2010
if a post went up and then got nixed between your visits, did it happen or not?
Perhaps this is the philosophical riddle to replace the tree in the forest.
My other conundrum: what does Count Mutsu Munemitsu have to do with inverted qualia?
posted by filthy light thief at 4:20 PM on April 26, 2010
Perhaps this is the philosophical riddle to replace the tree in the forest.
My other conundrum: what does Count Mutsu Munemitsu have to do with inverted qualia?
posted by filthy light thief at 4:20 PM on April 26, 2010
I propose we create a Dead MeFi Storage section of MetaFilter, where we can favorite and comment on the threads that should not be. Also, it could have a bucket full of deleted comments, seperated from all context.
posted by mccarty.tim at 4:53 PM on April 26, 2010
posted by mccarty.tim at 4:53 PM on April 26, 2010
cortex has a new extremely insane fan. or something.
Whoa. That's just...
I have no response to that.
posted by Nothing... and like it at 4:53 PM on April 26, 2010
Whoa. That's just...
I have no response to that.
posted by Nothing... and like it at 4:53 PM on April 26, 2010
I have no response to that.
After a couple minutes of digging, it looks for all the world like an old grudge delivered by proxy or something very close to that, but, yeah, very weird.
posted by cortex (staff) at 4:57 PM on April 26, 2010
After a couple minutes of digging, it looks for all the world like an old grudge delivered by proxy or something very close to that, but, yeah, very weird.
posted by cortex (staff) at 4:57 PM on April 26, 2010
I have to admit, Cortex is no Jonathan Coulton.
I don't much like Coulton's music outside of "Still Alive." However, I kinda dig Cortex's stuff. ;)
posted by eyeballkid at 4:58 PM on April 26, 2010
I don't much like Coulton's music outside of "Still Alive." However, I kinda dig Cortex's stuff. ;)
posted by eyeballkid at 4:58 PM on April 26, 2010
What's the longest gap between questions about iTunes/iPhone/iPod/iPad?
posted by birdherder at 4:58 PM on April 26, 2010
posted by birdherder at 4:58 PM on April 26, 2010
What's the longest gap between questions about iTunes/iPhone/iPod/iPad?
919.3 hours, between questions 6751 and 7629, is the largest gap I can find between questions with any of the tags: itunes, iphone, ipod, ipad.
posted by FishBike at 5:25 PM on April 26, 2010
919.3 hours, between questions 6751 and 7629, is the largest gap I can find between questions with any of the tags: itunes, iphone, ipod, ipad.
posted by FishBike at 5:25 PM on April 26, 2010
Honestly cortex, you seem nice enough to me. I even named my firstborn son after you. (not really)
posted by TooFewShoes at 5:28 PM on April 26, 2010
posted by TooFewShoes at 5:28 PM on April 26, 2010
mccarty.tim: "I propose we create a Dead MeFi Storage section of MetaFilter, where we can favorite and comment on the threads that should not be. Also, it could have a bucket full of deleted comments, seperated from all context."
So, which one of the mods gets to be the Wolf?
posted by khaibit at 5:32 PM on April 26, 2010
So, which one of the mods gets to be the Wolf?
posted by khaibit at 5:32 PM on April 26, 2010
So, which one of the mods gets to be the Wolf?
I vote for pb, on the basis of regularly fixing fuckups in record time.
posted by FishBike at 5:35 PM on April 26, 2010 [2 favorites]
I vote for pb, on the basis of regularly fixing fuckups in record time.
posted by FishBike at 5:35 PM on April 26, 2010 [2 favorites]
After a couple minutes of digging, it looks for all the world like an old grudge delivered by proxy or something very close to that, but, yeah, very weird.
Yeah, when I saw that post it made me drag out my Gene Wilder voice: Wow!
It's actually kind of charming in a way. I mean, at least you know someone cares.
posted by JHarris at 5:42 PM on April 26, 2010
Yeah, when I saw that post it made me drag out my Gene Wilder voice: Wow!
It's actually kind of charming in a way. I mean, at least you know someone cares.
posted by JHarris at 5:42 PM on April 26, 2010
The gaps are all from cortex's suppression of posts about Israel.
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 6:06 PM on April 26, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 6:06 PM on April 26, 2010 [3 favorites]
It's actually kind of charming in a way. I mean, at least you know someone cares.
For me, having been an unregistered reader for many years and just now strapped on a user number, my response was "who is Josh Millard and am I truly in his fan club?". After a certain amount of research, I've determined that Josh Millard is an interesting dude, but I'm on the fence about the fan club (my stint in the Wilson Phillips fan club didn't turn out well).
It raises the question, though: what's the longest time between deleted posts? I.e. what's the longest possible bender that cortex and jessamyn could have ever gone on before we get goatse and long butthurt rambling on the front page?
posted by Valet at 6:11 PM on April 26, 2010
For me, having been an unregistered reader for many years and just now strapped on a user number, my response was "who is Josh Millard and am I truly in his fan club?". After a certain amount of research, I've determined that Josh Millard is an interesting dude, but I'm on the fence about the fan club (my stint in the Wilson Phillips fan club didn't turn out well).
It raises the question, though: what's the longest time between deleted posts? I.e. what's the longest possible bender that cortex and jessamyn could have ever gone on before we get goatse and long butthurt rambling on the front page?
posted by Valet at 6:11 PM on April 26, 2010
Wait, wait... forget 'gaps between posts' for a second. We're missing something terribly IMPORTANT here.
If we'd just offer Harold D. some cogent and believable criticism of his post, he says maybe HE'LL post again. And again. And again. Gap problems - SOLVED.
I'm sure we can ALL agree that getting Harold posting again is something to look forward to. With relish.
And hamburger
posted by Hardcore Poser at 6:23 PM on April 26, 2010
If we'd just offer Harold D. some cogent and believable criticism of his post, he says maybe HE'LL post again. And again. And again. Gap problems - SOLVED.
I'm sure we can ALL agree that getting Harold posting again is something to look forward to. With relish.
And hamburger
posted by Hardcore Poser at 6:23 PM on April 26, 2010
what's the longest time between deleted posts?
The two longest gaps between timestamps on deleted posts are so long that I think they're from before deleted posts were kept at all, and represent deletions long after the post was made. So the first "real" gap might be the 266-hour one in 2004, between July 15th and July 26th.
But that pre-dates jessamyn and cortex becoming moderators, I think. So if I just look for gaps after Feb 28th, 2007, the longest interval between deleted posts is 54.46 hours, from Oct 26, 2007 to Oct 28th.
Then there's a 49.7 hour gap between deleted posts starting Aug 1, 2008, which would be the biggest gap after vacapinta became the midnight moderator.
posted by FishBike at 6:24 PM on April 26, 2010 [1 favorite]
The two longest gaps between timestamps on deleted posts are so long that I think they're from before deleted posts were kept at all, and represent deletions long after the post was made. So the first "real" gap might be the 266-hour one in 2004, between July 15th and July 26th.
But that pre-dates jessamyn and cortex becoming moderators, I think. So if I just look for gaps after Feb 28th, 2007, the longest interval between deleted posts is 54.46 hours, from Oct 26, 2007 to Oct 28th.
Then there's a 49.7 hour gap between deleted posts starting Aug 1, 2008, which would be the biggest gap after vacapinta became the midnight moderator.
posted by FishBike at 6:24 PM on April 26, 2010 [1 favorite]
Ever since I joined the gap in activity can be counted in microseconds.
I really need more hobbies
posted by The Whelk at 6:28 PM on April 26, 2010
I really need more hobbies
posted by The Whelk at 6:28 PM on April 26, 2010
After reading that deleted grudge post, I think Matt should print up some new T-shirts for the MetaFilter store:
"I kissed cortex's ass and all I got was this stupid Josh Millard Fan Club shirt"
posted by amyms at 6:34 PM on April 26, 2010 [2 favorites]
"I kissed cortex's ass and all I got was this stupid Josh Millard Fan Club shirt"
posted by amyms at 6:34 PM on April 26, 2010 [2 favorites]
I had some t-shirt ideas. I like the first one a lot.
posted by The Whelk at 6:38 PM on April 26, 2010 [4 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 6:38 PM on April 26, 2010 [4 favorites]
Ever since I joined the gap in activity can be counted in microseconds.
There's probably a way to use this to conclusively establish time periods when the site was down, so these can be excluded from the kinds of gap analysis of interest here.
Apparently, I also really need more hobbies.
posted by FishBike at 6:44 PM on April 26, 2010
There's probably a way to use this to conclusively establish time periods when the site was down, so these can be excluded from the kinds of gap analysis of interest here.
Apparently, I also really need more hobbies.
posted by FishBike at 6:44 PM on April 26, 2010
cortex: "if a post went up and then got nixed between your visits, did it happen or not?"
If a tree falls in the forest and there's no one around to hear it...
Can something exist without being perceived?
Can we assume the unobserved world functions the same as the observed world?
/MetaPhilosophy
posted by IndigoRain at 7:11 PM on April 26, 2010
If a tree falls in the forest and there's no one around to hear it...
Can something exist without being perceived?
Can we assume the unobserved world functions the same as the observed world?
/MetaPhilosophy
posted by IndigoRain at 7:11 PM on April 26, 2010
Can something exist without being perceived?
I hope so, or there'd be nothing left to discover.
Can we assume the unobserved world functions the same as the observed world?
No.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 8:39 PM on April 26, 2010 [1 favorite]
I hope so, or there'd be nothing left to discover.
Can we assume the unobserved world functions the same as the observed world?
No.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 8:39 PM on April 26, 2010 [1 favorite]
"I had some t-shirt ideas. I like the first one a lot."
I want the first one.
posted by HopperFan at 9:05 PM on April 26, 2010
I want the first one.
posted by HopperFan at 9:05 PM on April 26, 2010
Hey cortex, vrak here.
I know you are a zen kinda dude, but if you want me to find and destroy that asshole, I can do it.
I know that kind of thing is discouraged here, and is beneath us, and is a bad idea,
but I can do it.
I know it does not bother you, and I know your musics are groovy and awesome, and I know it is not really important. But if you want that fucker's bones in a porridge, I can do it.
Hehe. Bone porridge, that's the name of my new band.
posted by vrakatar at 9:58 PM on April 26, 2010
I know you are a zen kinda dude, but if you want me to find and destroy that asshole, I can do it.
I know that kind of thing is discouraged here, and is beneath us, and is a bad idea,
but I can do it.
I know it does not bother you, and I know your musics are groovy and awesome, and I know it is not really important. But if you want that fucker's bones in a porridge, I can do it.
Hehe. Bone porridge, that's the name of my new band.
posted by vrakatar at 9:58 PM on April 26, 2010
Ohdamn. Wrong thread and old news. Happy Birthday then, and I'll go back to the lab now.
posted by vrakatar at 10:01 PM on April 26, 2010
posted by vrakatar at 10:01 PM on April 26, 2010
Oh hey, I was just writing a stupid and rambly email to the mods, but this MeTa allows me to work in my preferred medium of stupid and rambly comment on the Grey.
According to my extensive research, it is 96% likely that the proprietor of the ShitPlanet blog is MeFi's Own this guy. It's not beyond the realm of possibility that harold_dumbacher could be a nom de shithead, though confirming that is beyond my abilities.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:47 PM on April 26, 2010 [1 favorite]
According to my extensive research, it is 96% likely that the proprietor of the ShitPlanet blog is MeFi's Own this guy. It's not beyond the realm of possibility that harold_dumbacher could be a nom de shithead, though confirming that is beyond my abilities.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:47 PM on April 26, 2010 [1 favorite]
Sorry, I mean that the angry blogger is definitely the Mefite. My suspicions of malicious sock-puppetry and self-linking are unconfirmed.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:56 PM on April 26, 2010
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:56 PM on April 26, 2010
I wonder if I might be allowed to use this thread to note that I am very happy that this site has diligent administrators, whose difficult task is (in my very humble opinion) carried out with skill and care? I also believe that these administrators are sensible and professional people, who require neither arse-kissing nor any form of "protection" from criticism - as they are not so brittle or hypersensitive to mere words on a screen.
I also very much enjoy the fact that many MeFi users have secondary interests which they invite passing strangers to view, listen to, look at or otherwise engage in on their own websites, and I have seen many delightful wonders created from their talents. I enjoy coming to metafilter very much for that reason, and of course for the pleasure of interacting with users who have a range of insights on a variety of topics.
posted by the quidnunc kid at 11:15 PM on April 26, 2010
I also very much enjoy the fact that many MeFi users have secondary interests which they invite passing strangers to view, listen to, look at or otherwise engage in on their own websites, and I have seen many delightful wonders created from their talents. I enjoy coming to metafilter very much for that reason, and of course for the pleasure of interacting with users who have a range of insights on a variety of topics.
posted by the quidnunc kid at 11:15 PM on April 26, 2010
OK now I'm more creeped out than amused. I mean, I'm still amused. But kinda creeped out.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 12:29 AM on April 27, 2010
posted by BitterOldPunk at 12:29 AM on April 27, 2010
Look, the guy's just some dick. He's a kinda angry or grindy nut or whatever, but that's his problem and if he wants to spend the next however many years nursing his rage over having had a couple posts deleted that's his prerogative. The post yesterday was weird but killed quickly and I think it's a safe bet that that's all we're gonna see of it. Let it be.
posted by cortex (staff) at 6:56 AM on April 27, 2010
posted by cortex (staff) at 6:56 AM on April 27, 2010
When I find myself in times of trouble Jesus Shatner comes to me
Speaking words of MeTa, Let It Be
And in my hour of greyness he is moderating over me
Filling gaps in posting, Let It Be
Let it be, Harold D, so angry, or just grindy
Had some posts deleted, Let It Be
And when the brokenhearted users, livid at a post agree
There will be a callout, Let It Be
For thought they post half-hearted, there is still a chance for jokes funny
There will be a derail, Let It Be
Let it be, get a T, from the Whelk, real name Johnny
Wear it at the meetup, Let It Be
And when this thread is closed up there is still a GRAR that burns in thee
Refresh 'till tomorrow, Let It Be
I wake up to the sound of music, no more FPPs to see
Damn those gaps in posting, Let It Be
Let it be, let it be,
Retreat back to darkness, Let It Be
posted by Hardcore Poser at 9:50 AM on April 27, 2010 [5 favorites]
Speaking words of MeTa, Let It Be
And in my hour of greyness he is moderating over me
Filling gaps in posting, Let It Be
Let it be, Harold D, so angry, or just grindy
Had some posts deleted, Let It Be
And when the brokenhearted users, livid at a post agree
There will be a callout, Let It Be
For thought they post half-hearted, there is still a chance for jokes funny
There will be a derail, Let It Be
Let it be, get a T, from the Whelk, real name Johnny
Wear it at the meetup, Let It Be
And when this thread is closed up there is still a GRAR that burns in thee
Refresh 'till tomorrow, Let It Be
I wake up to the sound of music, no more FPPs to see
Damn those gaps in posting, Let It Be
Let it be, let it be,
Retreat back to darkness, Let It Be
posted by Hardcore Poser at 9:50 AM on April 27, 2010 [5 favorites]
*lighter*
posted by The Whelk at 11:06 AM on April 27, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by The Whelk at 11:06 AM on April 27, 2010 [1 favorite]
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
The question is complicated a little by the question of whether or not deleted posts count as having happened—if a post went up and then got nixed between your visits, did it happen or not?
posted by cortex (staff) at 3:15 PM on April 26, 2010