Why is the no-TV blog question smelling so bad? June 15, 2010 5:04 PM Subscribe
Person asks specific question about finding postive reading to back up his media choices and the responders ask really pointed questions, snark, leave their google searches, ask more pointed questions... How does one request a cleanup pony?
I would worry that this is Yet another topic that Metafilter Dosen't Do Well, but people in the US generally suck at it.
Mods: Can we get some of this stuff dropped out? It's not even just noise, some of it's edging on hostile.
Posters: Seriously, nobody's going to sneak into your house and steal your glass idol if you don't drop trousers and leave a steamer in the thread - Just let it go.
I would worry that this is Yet another topic that Metafilter Dosen't Do Well, but people in the US generally suck at it.
Mods: Can we get some of this stuff dropped out? It's not even just noise, some of it's edging on hostile.
Posters: Seriously, nobody's going to sneak into your house and steal your glass idol if you don't drop trousers and leave a steamer in the thread - Just let it go.
Seriously, nobody's going to sneak into your house and steal your glass idol if you don't drop trousers and leave a steamer in the thread.
I just watched Raiders of the Lost Ark last night and now have an astoundingly conflicted mental image. Thanks.
posted by griphus at 5:09 PM on June 15, 2010 [9 favorites]
I just watched Raiders of the Lost Ark last night and now have an astoundingly conflicted mental image. Thanks.
posted by griphus at 5:09 PM on June 15, 2010 [9 favorites]
Sorry about the unwanted attention. I'm cool with nuking this, if you'd rather it not be here.
posted by Orb2069 at 5:10 PM on June 15, 2010
posted by Orb2069 at 5:10 PM on June 15, 2010
Orb2069: “Posters: Seriously, nobody's going to sneak into your house and steal your glass idol if you don't drop trousers and leave a steamer in the thread - Just let it go.”
Doesn't seem very hostile to me. The comment you linked as 'snark' has apparently since been deleted, but the other ones strike me as attempts to answer the question. I'm particularly baffled as to why posting google searches is verboten if it answers the question well; those three links that belau left seem perfectly good. What's wrong with using google? S/he wasn't being snarky in any way.
And there's nothing wrong with pointed questions. Again, they're helping to answer the question. bl1nk's answer in particular was a pretty good one – suggesting that it might help to align goals, figure out why you're doing it, etc – and it was specifically intended not to "poke holes." In fact, I have a hard time understanding why you thought that was a non-answer, unless the only two words of the answer you read were "poke holes."
posted by koeselitz at 5:11 PM on June 15, 2010
Doesn't seem very hostile to me. The comment you linked as 'snark' has apparently since been deleted, but the other ones strike me as attempts to answer the question. I'm particularly baffled as to why posting google searches is verboten if it answers the question well; those three links that belau left seem perfectly good. What's wrong with using google? S/he wasn't being snarky in any way.
And there's nothing wrong with pointed questions. Again, they're helping to answer the question. bl1nk's answer in particular was a pretty good one – suggesting that it might help to align goals, figure out why you're doing it, etc – and it was specifically intended not to "poke holes." In fact, I have a hard time understanding why you thought that was a non-answer, unless the only two words of the answer you read were "poke holes."
posted by koeselitz at 5:11 PM on June 15, 2010
I would worry that this is Yet another topic that Metafilter Dosen't Do Well
Oddly enough, I don't think there are any of these. Unless "doesn't do well" means "doesn't unanimously agree with me".
posted by Justinian at 5:15 PM on June 15, 2010 [4 favorites]
Oddly enough, I don't think there are any of these. Unless "doesn't do well" means "doesn't unanimously agree with me".
posted by Justinian at 5:15 PM on June 15, 2010 [4 favorites]
I also thought several of the answers are inappropriate.
It's one thing if a poster says, "I don't want to see a Doctor", and everyone says "You really need to." That seems an acceptable time to not answer a question.
When a poster goes "I want to read about people who do X topic" and everyone goes "but people who do X topic aren't totally right, you know?! It's not the best thing ever!!" -- it seems aggressive and unproductive.
posted by Solon and Thanks at 5:19 PM on June 15, 2010 [13 favorites]
It's one thing if a poster says, "I don't want to see a Doctor", and everyone says "You really need to." That seems an acceptable time to not answer a question.
When a poster goes "I want to read about people who do X topic" and everyone goes "but people who do X topic aren't totally right, you know?! It's not the best thing ever!!" -- it seems aggressive and unproductive.
posted by Solon and Thanks at 5:19 PM on June 15, 2010 [13 favorites]
well the second one has been nixed, which I guess was a pretty bad one.
but the other two are asking for clarification, it seems to me.
posted by shmegegge at 5:20 PM on June 15, 2010
but the other two are asking for clarification, it seems to me.
posted by shmegegge at 5:20 PM on June 15, 2010
I'm particularly baffled as to why posting google searches is verboten if it answers the question well; those three links that belau left seem perfectly good.
Yeah it's tricky. People link to JFGI sometimes or lmgtfy and that's annoying. I think it's safe to say that we see nearly as many people posting google searches to be snarky as ones who are trying to be helpful. And with this question it's hard to tell what exactly the poster os getting at or what she's already tried so I think people are at a bit of a loss.
And no Orb2069, this is fine, it's just that it's sometimes easier for us to go in and clean up if there's not a MeTa thread but it's fine to open one up.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 5:25 PM on June 15, 2010
Yeah it's tricky. People link to JFGI sometimes or lmgtfy and that's annoying. I think it's safe to say that we see nearly as many people posting google searches to be snarky as ones who are trying to be helpful. And with this question it's hard to tell what exactly the poster os getting at or what she's already tried so I think people are at a bit of a loss.
And no Orb2069, this is fine, it's just that it's sometimes easier for us to go in and clean up if there's not a MeTa thread but it's fine to open one up.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 5:25 PM on June 15, 2010
I'm getting a mighty strong self-link vibe from that question, FWIW. (Non-linkification notwithstanding.)
Granted, bad vibes aren't admissible in court. Still.
posted by Sys Rq at 5:25 PM on June 15, 2010
Granted, bad vibes aren't admissible in court. Still.
posted by Sys Rq at 5:25 PM on June 15, 2010
I'm certain it's not a self-link, if that's helpful.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 5:39 PM on June 15, 2010
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 5:39 PM on June 15, 2010
Sys Rq: "Granted, bad vibes aren't admissible in court. Still"
You can thanks State of Maryland vs. Groove-o-tron 3000 Funkafying Unit for THAT miscarriage of justice.
posted by ShawnStruck at 5:39 PM on June 15, 2010 [10 favorites]
You can thanks State of Maryland vs. Groove-o-tron 3000 Funkafying Unit for THAT miscarriage of justice.
posted by ShawnStruck at 5:39 PM on June 15, 2010 [10 favorites]
Granted, bad vibes aren't admissible in court.
No, but I once snuck a butt-plug into the jury box. HIYO.
posted by griphus at 5:42 PM on June 15, 2010
No, but I once snuck a butt-plug into the jury box. HIYO.
posted by griphus at 5:42 PM on June 15, 2010
leave their google searches
What's wrong with that comment? You asked for blogs about not watching TV, and the person linked to sites about not watching TV.
posted by Jaltcoh at 5:44 PM on June 15, 2010
What's wrong with that comment? You asked for blogs about not watching TV, and the person linked to sites about not watching TV.
posted by Jaltcoh at 5:44 PM on June 15, 2010
people reflexively feel that their own choices are being denigrated when someone else doesn't watch TV
Well the thing about not doing something is, all you have to do is not do it and be done with it. I don't punch Octopi. I don't tell people on the internet about it. I don't need anti-Octopi-punching blogs. If other people want to do it, fine, I personally just don't do it and call it a day.
That said, it is important to answer the question and not argue with the Asker.
posted by drjimmy11 at 5:51 PM on June 15, 2010 [2 favorites]
Well the thing about not doing something is, all you have to do is not do it and be done with it. I don't punch Octopi. I don't tell people on the internet about it. I don't need anti-Octopi-punching blogs. If other people want to do it, fine, I personally just don't do it and call it a day.
That said, it is important to answer the question and not argue with the Asker.
posted by drjimmy11 at 5:51 PM on June 15, 2010 [2 favorites]
Yeah, situations like this are why I stopped using AskMe a long time ago. It's simpler to find another way to answer the question than it is to separate the wheat from the chaff. I'm glad some folks manage to get some good out of it, but for me the signal to noise ratio is just too problematic.
I sorta think AskMe is best for compiling lists like this, but then, it sorta almost seems like that's what the poster here was trying to do. So I dunno where the difference lies.
Other things AskMe is good for: Saving friends from the Russian mob; recipes.
posted by hifiparasol at 5:53 PM on June 15, 2010 [3 favorites]
I sorta think AskMe is best for compiling lists like this, but then, it sorta almost seems like that's what the poster here was trying to do. So I dunno where the difference lies.
Other things AskMe is good for: Saving friends from the Russian mob; recipes.
posted by hifiparasol at 5:53 PM on June 15, 2010 [3 favorites]
I was also surprised by the answerers who seemed to be assuming that because the asked wanted to read about this, that meant the asked must absolutely want to do it, and there must be some sort of agenda behind their question. I read the question as someone just wanting to read about the no-TV/movies thing.
posted by rtha at 5:53 PM on June 15, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by rtha at 5:53 PM on June 15, 2010 [2 favorites]
I agree with Orb, a bunch of them are not answering the question. I don't think the question needs refining, it's pretty straight-forward. Those people who don't understand why someone would want to eliminate all video/screen entertainment can look it up for themselves.
That said, belau was one of the few providing helpful answers.
posted by Danila at 5:54 PM on June 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
That said, belau was one of the few providing helpful answers.
posted by Danila at 5:54 PM on June 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
not to clone the hungry Shetlands or anything but would it be possible/desirable to auto-reformat LMGTFY and JFGI links to regular Google searches?
or AltaVista, whatever
posted by jtron at 5:55 PM on June 15, 2010 [2 favorites]
or AltaVista, whatever
posted by jtron at 5:55 PM on June 15, 2010 [2 favorites]
drjimmy11, what do you have against octopi-punchers?
posted by desjardins at 6:03 PM on June 15, 2010
posted by desjardins at 6:03 PM on June 15, 2010
I'm done with tv forever. They are all dead? WTF! Done.
posted by cjorgensen at 6:28 PM on June 15, 2010
posted by cjorgensen at 6:28 PM on June 15, 2010
Oh, tv, I couldn't stay made at you. Sorry.
posted by cjorgensen at 6:29 PM on June 15, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by cjorgensen at 6:29 PM on June 15, 2010 [2 favorites]
What set off my snark reflex was the idea of entire blogs about not watching TV. I figured that wasn't what the OP was looking for, so I didn't end up commenting in the thread, but that was the first thing that jumped out at me, and the concept does make me snicker a bit. What would you write in it every day? Would it be mundane - "well, um, today I didn't watch any TV, again" - or sanctimonious - "My life is so much better without the idiot box! Nuts to your rotting brain and your Kardashians!" How much can you write about something you're not doing?
posted by Metroid Baby at 6:36 PM on June 15, 2010 [4 favorites]
posted by Metroid Baby at 6:36 PM on June 15, 2010 [4 favorites]
To be sure, you'll have a lot more time to read blogs if you don't watch TV.
posted by octobersurprise at 6:40 PM on June 15, 2010
posted by octobersurprise at 6:40 PM on June 15, 2010
the concept does make me snicker a bit. What would you write in it every day?
Bill McKibben wrote a whole book about it, sort of, and it's a good read. I think it really revolves around what you consider normative. So for people who spend money all the time, a book like this is fascinating, I mean you have to rejigger your entire LIFE. And people like me snigger at it. And then there are even more twee [to me] examples of the same thing, but you have to figure that these people are earnest and trying to maybe learn something about themselves, maybe? I'm one of those "don't have a tv" people, but I get lost pretty easily without the internet once I leave Vermont. And I might die if I stopped drinking coffee, I am pretty certain. Or I'd be curious enough about whether I would that I might start a blog....
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 6:42 PM on June 15, 2010 [6 favorites]
Bill McKibben wrote a whole book about it, sort of, and it's a good read. I think it really revolves around what you consider normative. So for people who spend money all the time, a book like this is fascinating, I mean you have to rejigger your entire LIFE. And people like me snigger at it. And then there are even more twee [to me] examples of the same thing, but you have to figure that these people are earnest and trying to maybe learn something about themselves, maybe? I'm one of those "don't have a tv" people, but I get lost pretty easily without the internet once I leave Vermont. And I might die if I stopped drinking coffee, I am pretty certain. Or I'd be curious enough about whether I would that I might start a blog....
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 6:42 PM on June 15, 2010 [6 favorites]
What would you write in it every day?
Well, a few possible topics I see:
- The difference between not having a TV and not watching video entertainment at all. Some people get rid of the TV and still keep watching video entertainment, some find they watch less and less video over time, and some people go completely no-video from the start.
- The experience of not owning a TV but still watching TV shows (for the people who do that), in a society where not owning a TV is considered bizarre and sanctimonious.
- The experience of not watching TV at all (for the people who do that), in a society where not owning a TV is considered bizarre and sanctimonious.
- For people who do still watch TV shows (via the web, Netflix, whatever), how do you learn about new shows? What does it take to prompt you to watch something new, when it's not just a matter of flipping the channel?
- And it would be nice to have somewhere to commiserate with people in the same situation about how weirdly people react when they find out you don't have a TV.
We live in a society where the statement "I don't have a TV" very frequently gets heard as "I don't have a TV and you're a mouth-breathing, knuckle-dragging idiot if you do." People who do watch TV often get really weird about the fact that somebody else doesn't. Just look at the responses in the linked thread for examples. It's like vegetarianism that way, I think — people who are making the mainstream, default choice often act as though somebody else making a different choice is a direct, personal rebuke.
posted by Lexica at 6:58 PM on June 15, 2010 [15 favorites]
Well, a few possible topics I see:
- The difference between not having a TV and not watching video entertainment at all. Some people get rid of the TV and still keep watching video entertainment, some find they watch less and less video over time, and some people go completely no-video from the start.
- The experience of not owning a TV but still watching TV shows (for the people who do that), in a society where not owning a TV is considered bizarre and sanctimonious.
- The experience of not watching TV at all (for the people who do that), in a society where not owning a TV is considered bizarre and sanctimonious.
- For people who do still watch TV shows (via the web, Netflix, whatever), how do you learn about new shows? What does it take to prompt you to watch something new, when it's not just a matter of flipping the channel?
- And it would be nice to have somewhere to commiserate with people in the same situation about how weirdly people react when they find out you don't have a TV.
We live in a society where the statement "I don't have a TV" very frequently gets heard as "I don't have a TV and you're a mouth-breathing, knuckle-dragging idiot if you do." People who do watch TV often get really weird about the fact that somebody else doesn't. Just look at the responses in the linked thread for examples. It's like vegetarianism that way, I think — people who are making the mainstream, default choice often act as though somebody else making a different choice is a direct, personal rebuke.
posted by Lexica at 6:58 PM on June 15, 2010 [15 favorites]
I'm looking for a blog about not snarking over AskMe, but I've searched the entire internet and haven't found exactly what I want.
The closest I've found so far is this picture of cats in a sauna, though it's not entirely about not snarking over AskMe. Please hope me!
posted by Admiral Haddock at 7:09 PM on June 15, 2010
The closest I've found so far is this picture of cats in a sauna, though it's not entirely about not snarking over AskMe. Please hope me!
posted by Admiral Haddock at 7:09 PM on June 15, 2010
I think the kinds of answers this question got and didn't get are dependent on nature of the question itself. Are there any blogs about not watching television? I don't watch television either, but I can't imagine blogging about it.
Hi! I'm nangar. I didn't watch television today. Just like yesterday! Plus, it's been kind of humid out lately...
There are plenty of blogs out there about other things you can do with your free time besides watching television - books, music, gardening, cooking, sex, gaming, meditating, woodworking, reading other blogs... Not watching television has to be right up there with not-jogging, not-meditating, not-being-a-carpenter and not-being-a-vegan as a popular blog topic, just because people usually write about things they're interested in, not things they don't do.
So there were a couple 'why don't you want watch television' answers, and somebody tried to find some stuff on Google, and that's about it - because that's all there is to get.
If the OP wants to stop watching television, I'm all for it, but I can't recommend any blogs because I don't know of any.
posted by nangar at 7:22 PM on June 15, 2010
Hi! I'm nangar. I didn't watch television today. Just like yesterday! Plus, it's been kind of humid out lately...
There are plenty of blogs out there about other things you can do with your free time besides watching television - books, music, gardening, cooking, sex, gaming, meditating, woodworking, reading other blogs... Not watching television has to be right up there with not-jogging, not-meditating, not-being-a-carpenter and not-being-a-vegan as a popular blog topic, just because people usually write about things they're interested in, not things they don't do.
So there were a couple 'why don't you want watch television' answers, and somebody tried to find some stuff on Google, and that's about it - because that's all there is to get.
If the OP wants to stop watching television, I'm all for it, but I can't recommend any blogs because I don't know of any.
posted by nangar at 7:22 PM on June 15, 2010
not to clone the hungry Shetlands or anything but would it be possible/desirable to auto-reformat LMGTFY and JFGI links to regular Google searches?
What would be really cool is if whenever someone linked a site like that a message popped up that said "Links to those sites are insulting, and not in the spirit of AskMetafilter. Please reconsider."
posted by The Devil Tesla at 7:23 PM on June 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
What would be really cool is if whenever someone linked a site like that a message popped up that said "Links to those sites are insulting, and not in the spirit of AskMetafilter. Please reconsider."
posted by The Devil Tesla at 7:23 PM on June 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
I just read through the askme thread. There was a lot of helpful shit going on, actually. It might have been cleaned up, but the guy using google was using the not always well known related pages feature, and was being clear that he didn't research it much, so yea. AskMe: Still Fucking Awesome.
posted by The Devil Tesla at 7:26 PM on June 15, 2010
posted by The Devil Tesla at 7:26 PM on June 15, 2010
My deleted "snark" comment was meant to express something along the lines of what nangar said and was not intended as snark.
posted by sanko at 7:39 PM on June 15, 2010
posted by sanko at 7:39 PM on June 15, 2010
People, you know this is LGBT Pride Month, and I know cross-dressers don't fit any of those letters necessarily, but I think all alternative gender expressions should be permitted under the rainbow. So couldn't we wait just a couple of weeks until this month is over before we do a thread bashing TVs?
posted by Some1 at 7:40 PM on June 15, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by Some1 at 7:40 PM on June 15, 2010 [3 favorites]
People can be interested in things that they don't do.
Exactly. Abstention is an act, and depending on the context it may be an act worth contemplating and documenting.
Whether any given blog about not-doing-x is interesting is as much a crapshoot as whether any given blog about anything is interesting—I presume the majority are crap—and so asking for recommendations makes sense.
That said, folks making a good faith effort to clarify the question so they or other mefites can provide a more specific or helpful answer is generally an okay thing. Sometimes it doesn't go perfectly, and sometimes people don't try hard enough to do so in good faith, but I think this is mostly going reasonably well.
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:29 PM on June 15, 2010
Exactly. Abstention is an act, and depending on the context it may be an act worth contemplating and documenting.
Whether any given blog about not-doing-x is interesting is as much a crapshoot as whether any given blog about anything is interesting—I presume the majority are crap—and so asking for recommendations makes sense.
That said, folks making a good faith effort to clarify the question so they or other mefites can provide a more specific or helpful answer is generally an okay thing. Sometimes it doesn't go perfectly, and sometimes people don't try hard enough to do so in good faith, but I think this is mostly going reasonably well.
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:29 PM on June 15, 2010
Whether any given blog about not-doing-x is interesting is as much a crapshoot as whether any given blog about anything is interesting—I presume the majority are crap
having read them all: you presume correctly.
posted by shmegegge at 8:30 PM on June 15, 2010
having read them all: you presume correctly.
posted by shmegegge at 8:30 PM on June 15, 2010
jesus gandhi so you're not going to eat, fucking alright already. write a blog about it.
posted by grobstein at 8:46 PM on June 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by grobstein at 8:46 PM on June 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
Other things AskMe is good for: Saving friends from the Russian mob; recipes.
Hardly. And I can prove it using SCIENCE!
posted by Floydd at 8:50 PM on June 15, 2010
Hardly. And I can prove it using SCIENCE!
posted by Floydd at 8:50 PM on June 15, 2010
not to clone the hungry Shetlands or anything but would it be possible/desirable to auto-reformat LMGTFY and JFGI links to regular Google searches?
I'm fine with getting rid of JFGI links. But there's no reason to throw our opprobrium on links to helpful Google searches.
posted by Jaltcoh at 9:05 PM on June 15, 2010
I'm fine with getting rid of JFGI links. But there's no reason to throw our opprobrium on links to helpful Google searches.
posted by Jaltcoh at 9:05 PM on June 15, 2010
"I think part of the problem is that people reflexively feel that their own choices are being denigrated when someone else doesn't watch TV which I find strange, but I've seen it happen a lot."
It comes down to tone. I have plenty of friends who don't have or watch TV. We talk about other stuff. But there are plenty of other folks I know who don't watch TV or eat animal products or believe in God or support civil rights or any number of things who manage to be total sanctimonious dicks about it, and the internet is hard to read for tone. I try to assume the best, but clueless plus earnest is fine soil for sanctimony.
posted by klangklangston at 9:57 PM on June 15, 2010
It comes down to tone. I have plenty of friends who don't have or watch TV. We talk about other stuff. But there are plenty of other folks I know who don't watch TV or eat animal products or believe in God or support civil rights or any number of things who manage to be total sanctimonious dicks about it, and the internet is hard to read for tone. I try to assume the best, but clueless plus earnest is fine soil for sanctimony.
posted by klangklangston at 9:57 PM on June 15, 2010
The battle for the mind of North America will be fought in the video arena
posted by philip-random at 11:08 PM on June 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by philip-random at 11:08 PM on June 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
Ah, television, the drug of the nation.
posted by SyntacticSugar at 12:15 AM on June 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by SyntacticSugar at 12:15 AM on June 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
I think it would be somewhat interesting to read a blog about not having a TV. I know it's interesting when I talk to friends of mine who don't have a TV. One used to not watch any video entertainment at all, but now watches movies and downloaded TV shows. There's still a fairly significant gap in the contextual pop culture knowledge without our conversations though. Admittedly not so much since I stopped watching a lot of TV (realising your infant is now watching Dr Phil with you will do that).
So yeah, I was a little taken aback by the tone of some of the 'answers'. I try and answer questions in good faith, not attempting to start a fight.
posted by geek anachronism at 3:30 AM on June 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
So yeah, I was a little taken aback by the tone of some of the 'answers'. I try and answer questions in good faith, not attempting to start a fight.
posted by geek anachronism at 3:30 AM on June 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
If the OP wants to stop watching television, I'm all for it, but I can't recommend any blogs because I don't know of any.
well then, don't comment in the thread - this is the same reason those google answers ("I'm not familiar with these sites but") are annoying as well
it seems very simple to me: if i don't have an actual answer to a question in AskMe, then i just move on
posted by jammy at 4:43 AM on June 16, 2010 [5 favorites]
well then, don't comment in the thread - this is the same reason those google answers ("I'm not familiar with these sites but") are annoying as well
it seems very simple to me: if i don't have an actual answer to a question in AskMe, then i just move on
posted by jammy at 4:43 AM on June 16, 2010 [5 favorites]
I didn't watch television today. Just like yesterday! Plus, it's been kind of humid out lately...
Hey, look at you. You just invented Facebook!
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 6:03 AM on June 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
Hey, look at you. You just invented Facebook!
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 6:03 AM on June 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
I try to avoid broadcast television in case something like this happens again. Freaks me right the fuck out.
I still watch plenty of TV-on-DVD and -streaming, though.
posted by owtytrof at 7:34 AM on June 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
I still watch plenty of TV-on-DVD and -streaming, though.
posted by owtytrof at 7:34 AM on June 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
I try to avoid broadcast television in case something like this happens again.
If the gods of TV could guarantee me DADA such as this on a more or less regular (yet completely unpredictable) basis, I'd reinstall my TV in a second.
In the meantime, listening to records, reading books, surfing internets, going to (and downloading, and even sometimes renting) movies shall have to suffice.
It's a tough life but it makes me a better pilgrim.
posted by philip-random at 7:45 AM on June 16, 2010
If the gods of TV could guarantee me DADA such as this on a more or less regular (yet completely unpredictable) basis, I'd reinstall my TV in a second.
In the meantime, listening to records, reading books, surfing internets, going to (and downloading, and even sometimes renting) movies shall have to suffice.
It's a tough life but it makes me a better pilgrim.
posted by philip-random at 7:45 AM on June 16, 2010
I'm pretty sure that there are lots of people blogging about not-eating-meat, not-having-children, and not-being-religious.
Not to mention not-drinking, not-overeating, not-shooting-heroin, etc.
I'm really surprised that the first comment was allowed to stand. Pointed questions are fine if its in the interest of getting an answer, but there's nothing in the tone of that comment suggests if the poster answered the questions, l33t would then provide links to the right blogs.
posted by Bookhouse at 7:51 AM on June 16, 2010
Not to mention not-drinking, not-overeating, not-shooting-heroin, etc.
I'm really surprised that the first comment was allowed to stand. Pointed questions are fine if its in the interest of getting an answer, but there's nothing in the tone of that comment suggests if the poster answered the questions, l33t would then provide links to the right blogs.
posted by Bookhouse at 7:51 AM on June 16, 2010
Okay, "really surprised" is overstating it a little. Or a lot. It's early on the West Coast.
posted by Bookhouse at 7:53 AM on June 16, 2010
posted by Bookhouse at 7:53 AM on June 16, 2010
Every morning I try to watch a little bit of TV before work ever since 9/11 when I lallygagged around my room and then moseyed over to return a VHS to Blockbuster. I think often about that hour or so, totally unaware of the first tower falling a few miles away.
But most days are more like this morning, when the Today show segued into commercial with, "Coming up ahead: Tori Spelling talks about her husband and rumors about her weight."
posted by yeti at 7:54 AM on June 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
But most days are more like this morning, when the Today show segued into commercial with, "Coming up ahead: Tori Spelling talks about her husband and rumors about her weight."
posted by yeti at 7:54 AM on June 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
Wow. My very first activity on Metafilter and it leads to a callout. In some ways I feel kind of proud, in other ways I sort of feel like you feel when you accidently knock over a display in the department store with a loud crash.
I thought I got a lot of helpful answers, frankly. As I said, this is not something I have a position on, just an area of concern I want to read about. Perhaps it would have been better if I'd left out the word "blogs," because some people seemed to fixate on that, but suggesting google searches was great, because the ones I tried weren't working.
I didn't see the answers that were removed; probably just as well, although I did read the site for many months before I joined, so I knew ahead of time that AskMe can be a tough room. Anyway, I was pleased with the outcome in the question, would ask again, A+++.
posted by IKnittedThisSockPuppetMyself at 8:12 AM on June 16, 2010 [3 favorites]
I thought I got a lot of helpful answers, frankly. As I said, this is not something I have a position on, just an area of concern I want to read about. Perhaps it would have been better if I'd left out the word "blogs," because some people seemed to fixate on that, but suggesting google searches was great, because the ones I tried weren't working.
I didn't see the answers that were removed; probably just as well, although I did read the site for many months before I joined, so I knew ahead of time that AskMe can be a tough room. Anyway, I was pleased with the outcome in the question, would ask again, A+++.
posted by IKnittedThisSockPuppetMyself at 8:12 AM on June 16, 2010 [3 favorites]
Every morning I try to watch a little bit of TV before work ever since 9/11
I imagine that listening to the radio or surfing the net would also have sufficed in terms of alerting you to the fact that something extraordinary was going down.
I also missed the NEWS of 911 for an hour or so (albeit from more than 3000 miles away), but this is not an hour or so of my life I regret. Far from it. I was actually writing at the time, being creative, as opposed to the 48 hours or so after I heard the news, which I generally spent within the electromagnetic thrall of various cathode ray emitting devices, FEEDING them my dreams, my thoughts, my imagination. HAVING MY BRAINS EATEN.
Or as a wise HEAD once observed. It's not what gets radiated out of a TV set that we should worry about, it's what it sucks back inside.
This, of course, had more poetic relevance when TVs were VACUUM tubes. Correct me if I'm wrong but the science of LCD and Plasma screens is a little less ... ummm, implosive?
posted by philip-random at 8:17 AM on June 16, 2010
I imagine that listening to the radio or surfing the net would also have sufficed in terms of alerting you to the fact that something extraordinary was going down.
I also missed the NEWS of 911 for an hour or so (albeit from more than 3000 miles away), but this is not an hour or so of my life I regret. Far from it. I was actually writing at the time, being creative, as opposed to the 48 hours or so after I heard the news, which I generally spent within the electromagnetic thrall of various cathode ray emitting devices, FEEDING them my dreams, my thoughts, my imagination. HAVING MY BRAINS EATEN.
Or as a wise HEAD once observed. It's not what gets radiated out of a TV set that we should worry about, it's what it sucks back inside.
This, of course, had more poetic relevance when TVs were VACUUM tubes. Correct me if I'm wrong but the science of LCD and Plasma screens is a little less ... ummm, implosive?
posted by philip-random at 8:17 AM on June 16, 2010
I think part of the problem is that people reflexively feel that their own choices are being denigrated when someone else doesn't watch TV which I find strange, but I've seen it happen a lot.
The same thing happens when you mention that you're vegetarian: Frequently, hostile interrogation, and attempts to catch you in hypocrisy or contradiction. Leave me alone, I just don't eat meat, golly.
posted by shakespeherian at 8:52 AM on June 16, 2010 [2 favorites]
The same thing happens when you mention that you're vegetarian: Frequently, hostile interrogation, and attempts to catch you in hypocrisy or contradiction. Leave me alone, I just don't eat meat, golly.
posted by shakespeherian at 8:52 AM on June 16, 2010 [2 favorites]
The same thing happens when you mention that you're vegetarian: Frequently, hostile interrogation, and attempts to catch you in hypocrisy or contradiction.
Yep ... and then they'll ask why vegetarians are always getting in their face and being so judgmental.
posted by Jaltcoh at 9:02 AM on June 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
Yep ... and then they'll ask why vegetarians are always getting in their face and being so judgmental.
posted by Jaltcoh at 9:02 AM on June 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
Oh yeah? Well carrots are living things, why aren't you concerned about eating them?!
posted by shakespeherian at 9:07 AM on June 16, 2010
posted by shakespeherian at 9:07 AM on June 16, 2010
jammy sums it up perfectly for me. The other day I was reading about the 1000/1000/1000 members and realized with some effort I could get 1000 MetaTalk comments to go with my 1000 MeFi comments but it'll take me 2 years or more to post another 511 comments to AskMe. Most days I can only answer a question or two.
In regards to TV: For people who do still watch TV shows (via the web, Netflix, whatever), how do you learn about new shows? What does it take to prompt you to watch something new, when it's not just a matter of flipping the channel?
The only regular TV show I still watch after 18 months or so without a signal is The Daily Show on line and even that is hit or miss-- sometimes I can't be bothered and I only ever watch the first segment. As to new shows, I just don't have any idea of what's out there. I might try a show my daughter is watching now (Project Runway-type show but with artists) if it ever becomes available through Netflix and the same with the new David Simon show, Treme.
Most days my husband and I watch 30 to 40 minutes of TV at lunch which is usually either an old show (we recently rewatched Deadwood) or a a British Show like QI. Today we'll probably carry on watching Yes, Minister. At night when he has gone to work, if I watch anything it will probably be NF such as Sister Wendy or some other art history doc. however, the last two weeks it's been Springwatch which I think is a brilliant idea and I wish there was something similiar for American families to watch together.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 9:09 AM on June 16, 2010
In regards to TV: For people who do still watch TV shows (via the web, Netflix, whatever), how do you learn about new shows? What does it take to prompt you to watch something new, when it's not just a matter of flipping the channel?
The only regular TV show I still watch after 18 months or so without a signal is The Daily Show on line and even that is hit or miss-- sometimes I can't be bothered and I only ever watch the first segment. As to new shows, I just don't have any idea of what's out there. I might try a show my daughter is watching now (Project Runway-type show but with artists) if it ever becomes available through Netflix and the same with the new David Simon show, Treme.
Most days my husband and I watch 30 to 40 minutes of TV at lunch which is usually either an old show (we recently rewatched Deadwood) or a a British Show like QI. Today we'll probably carry on watching Yes, Minister. At night when he has gone to work, if I watch anything it will probably be NF such as Sister Wendy or some other art history doc. however, the last two weeks it's been Springwatch which I think is a brilliant idea and I wish there was something similiar for American families to watch together.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 9:09 AM on June 16, 2010
The other day I was reading about the 1000/1000/1000 members
Where was this?
posted by Jaltcoh at 9:12 AM on June 16, 2010
Where was this?
posted by Jaltcoh at 9:12 AM on June 16, 2010
Wow. That's interesting, cortex; I hadn't seen that before.
I've got 4939/2160/2230. I always thought my amount of commenting was modest compared to some. I had no idea that there were only 50 people who'd broken 1000/1000/1000.
Somehow now I want to see a list of these fabled 50 people.
posted by koeselitz at 9:38 AM on June 16, 2010
I've got 4939/2160/2230. I always thought my amount of commenting was modest compared to some. I had no idea that there were only 50 people who'd broken 1000/1000/1000.
Somehow now I want to see a list of these fabled 50 people.
posted by koeselitz at 9:38 AM on June 16, 2010
Holy shit. I'm on the list. 1984/1118/3436.
I'm going outside now.
posted by desjardins at 10:09 AM on June 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
I'm going outside now.
posted by desjardins at 10:09 AM on June 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
I've got just 98 AskMe answers to go and I've only been here for two-and-a-half years.
(Just 50 on the list? Really? Y'all are slackers! Well, except maybe at your actual jobs and stuff. But still!)
posted by Sys Rq at 1:57 PM on June 16, 2010
(Just 50 on the list? Really? Y'all are slackers! Well, except maybe at your actual jobs and stuff. But still!)
posted by Sys Rq at 1:57 PM on June 16, 2010
It's like vegetarianism that way, I think — people who are making the mainstream, default choice often act as though somebody else making a different choice is a direct, personal rebuke.
This still motivates a lot of anti-gay behavior, as well.
I once told someone I was gay, and their response was something like "Gay? That's idiotic. How do you think we're supposed to make babies?"
"Uh, I don't care how you make babies. I'm not talking about you or babies."
posted by General Tonic at 2:06 PM on June 16, 2010
This still motivates a lot of anti-gay behavior, as well.
I once told someone I was gay, and their response was something like "Gay? That's idiotic. How do you think we're supposed to make babies?"
"Uh, I don't care how you make babies. I'm not talking about you or babies."
posted by General Tonic at 2:06 PM on June 16, 2010
I once told someone I was gay, and their response was something like "Gay? That's idiotic. How do you think we're supposed to make babies?"
For future reference, the answer is Outsourcing! (You could also try Go fuck yourself!, but the offender would probably mistake the brilliant comebackery for a confirmation of his assumptions.)
posted by Sys Rq at 2:18 PM on June 16, 2010
For future reference, the answer is Outsourcing! (You could also try Go fuck yourself!, but the offender would probably mistake the brilliant comebackery for a confirmation of his assumptions.)
posted by Sys Rq at 2:18 PM on June 16, 2010
How do you think we're supposed to make babies?
'You mean you don't know?'
posted by shakespeherian at 2:20 PM on June 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
'You mean you don't know?'
posted by shakespeherian at 2:20 PM on June 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
I can only watch PBS because on any other channel, the odds are too high that I'll have to see one of those Six Flags commercials with the creepy dancing old man baby guy.
posted by ishotjr at 2:28 PM on June 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by ishotjr at 2:28 PM on June 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
"Yep ... and then they'll ask why vegetarians are always getting in their face and being so judgmental."
Yeah, but on the other hand, one of my coworkers started talking about how he likes to make vomiting noises whenever he sees friends eating meat, and ask questions like, How much rotting flesh do you have in your colon?
"I like to really piss off meat eaters," he said, and I thought, Oh, God, you're that one vegan asshole I keep hearing about from EVERYBODY.
posted by klangklangston at 6:55 PM on June 16, 2010 [2 favorites]
Yeah, but on the other hand, one of my coworkers started talking about how he likes to make vomiting noises whenever he sees friends eating meat, and ask questions like, How much rotting flesh do you have in your colon?
"I like to really piss off meat eaters," he said, and I thought, Oh, God, you're that one vegan asshole I keep hearing about from EVERYBODY.
posted by klangklangston at 6:55 PM on June 16, 2010 [2 favorites]
one of those Six Flags commercials with the creepy dancing old man baby guy.
posted by ishotjr at 5:28 PM on June 16 [+] [!]
OMGTHANKYOU.
I've been trying to remember where I saw that for like two years so that's one itching worm out of my brain.
posted by toodleydoodley at 8:43 PM on June 16, 2010
posted by ishotjr at 5:28 PM on June 16 [+] [!]
OMGTHANKYOU.
I've been trying to remember where I saw that for like two years so that's one itching worm out of my brain.
posted by toodleydoodley at 8:43 PM on June 16, 2010
yeah because the last time I saw tv was oh never mind
posted by toodleydoodley at 8:44 PM on June 16, 2010
posted by toodleydoodley at 8:44 PM on June 16, 2010
philip-random: I imagine that listening to the radio or surfing the net would also have sufficed in terms of alerting you to the fact that something extraordinary was going down.
When it happened I was actually browsing news sites. Nothing interesting came up so I went to bed (Australian). I woke up to find out that the hour or so I spent noodling about reading bullshit was the first hour after the 9/11.
Online news wasn't always as responsive as it is now. There had been breaking news segments on TV but online, I found nothing.
The friends of mine who don't have TV find out about new shows from us (mostly) or from the internet.
posted by geek anachronism at 8:47 PM on June 16, 2010
When it happened I was actually browsing news sites. Nothing interesting came up so I went to bed (Australian). I woke up to find out that the hour or so I spent noodling about reading bullshit was the first hour after the 9/11.
Online news wasn't always as responsive as it is now. There had been breaking news segments on TV but online, I found nothing.
The friends of mine who don't have TV find out about new shows from us (mostly) or from the internet.
posted by geek anachronism at 8:47 PM on June 16, 2010
The other day I was reading about the 1000/1000/1000 members
Two out of three for me. If only I'd been more diligent about keeping up my end of The Verbose Surrealist's 7,483 Things to Do with a Lobster and a Lightly Soiled Pair of Lederhosen I'd be there by now, but it turns out surrealism is harder than it looks.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 9:50 PM on June 16, 2010
Two out of three for me. If only I'd been more diligent about keeping up my end of The Verbose Surrealist's 7,483 Things to Do with a Lobster and a Lightly Soiled Pair of Lederhosen I'd be there by now, but it turns out surrealism is harder than it looks.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 9:50 PM on June 16, 2010
Wow. 2938/2034/1034
I had no idea I was in the triple thousand club or that there was even a club. Is this like the Mile High Club? And when is my Cabal Membership paperwork going to b...
This commenter was executed for the following reason: SAID TOO MUCH.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 4:11 AM on June 17, 2010
I had no idea I was in the triple thousand club or that there was even a club. Is this like the Mile High Club? And when is my Cabal Membership paperwork going to b...
This commenter was executed for the following reason: SAID TOO MUCH.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 4:11 AM on June 17, 2010
Only 50 people?
I'll bet the main thing is that there aren't many people with 1,000 MeTa comments. I wonder how many people have 1000/1000 in Mefi/AskMe.
posted by Jaltcoh at 4:38 AM on June 17, 2010
I'll bet the main thing is that there aren't many people with 1,000 MeTa comments. I wonder how many people have 1000/1000 in Mefi/AskMe.
posted by Jaltcoh at 4:38 AM on June 17, 2010
I'm in the 100/100/100 club.
posted by fantabulous timewaster at 4:43 AM on June 17, 2010
posted by fantabulous timewaster at 4:43 AM on June 17, 2010
I'm in the 100/100/100 club.
posted by fantabulous timewaster
Epony-youneedtoworkharder?
posted by grapefruitmoon at 4:52 AM on June 17, 2010
posted by fantabulous timewaster
Epony-youneedtoworkharder?
posted by grapefruitmoon at 4:52 AM on June 17, 2010
I'll bet the main thing is that there aren't many people with 1,000 MeTa comments.
Seems like a safe bet, yeah. This is all calculable with the Infodump if anybody wants to give it another go; lends itself to a nice Venn diagram even (number of users with 1000 in each subsite, each pair, and all three).
For my part, I'm not that far over the 1K line for askme and a fair bulk of that, if not the solid majority, is administrative comments. The question of whether I'd have spent more time actually answering questions in the green in the last three years if I wasn't working here is probably unanswerable.
posted by cortex (staff) at 7:18 AM on June 17, 2010
Seems like a safe bet, yeah. This is all calculable with the Infodump if anybody wants to give it another go; lends itself to a nice Venn diagram even (number of users with 1000 in each subsite, each pair, and all three).
For my part, I'm not that far over the 1K line for askme and a fair bulk of that, if not the solid majority, is administrative comments. The question of whether I'd have spent more time actually answering questions in the green in the last three years if I wasn't working here is probably unanswerable.
posted by cortex (staff) at 7:18 AM on June 17, 2010
No, actually it's not: you would have spent 17% more time answering questions in the green. Don't you have AlternaUnivCabal access yet?
posted by languagehat at 9:59 AM on June 17, 2010
posted by languagehat at 9:59 AM on June 17, 2010
This is all calculable with the Infodump if anybody wants to give it another go; lends itself to a nice Venn diagram even (number of users with 1000 in each subsite, each pair, and all three).
Sorry for being a couple of days late with the numbers. The FishBike Signal must be broken or something.
Anyway, the member counts of the 1000+ comment clubs are, as of this morning's Infodump:
6 other combinations of sub-sites (two double-1000's, three triple-1000's, and the quadruple-1000) involving Music are not shown. Each of these has one member, and they're all cortex.
posted by FishBike at 2:16 PM on June 19, 2010 [2 favorites]
Sorry for being a couple of days late with the numbers. The FishBike Signal must be broken or something.
Anyway, the member counts of the 1000+ comment clubs are, as of this morning's Infodump:
AskMe: 337Then if we look at the 1000/1000 clubs, the membership numbers look like this:
MeFi: 684
MeTa: 124
Music: 3
AskMe and MeFi: 163Finally, the triple-1000 club (AskMe, MeFi, and MeTa) has 52 members, so it's gone up a bit since the last time we looked at this.
AskMe and MeTa: 53
MeFi and MeTa: 118
MeFi and Music: 2
6 other combinations of sub-sites (two double-1000's, three triple-1000's, and the quadruple-1000) involving Music are not shown. Each of these has one member, and they're all cortex.
posted by FishBike at 2:16 PM on June 19, 2010 [2 favorites]
Thanks, FishBike, those are some interesting numbers. The MeFi and Music Club is particularly exclusive. And Cortex is in his own, special club.
I've been a member 8 years (2906/638/494) and its clear I've been SILENCED ALL MY LIFE. Or relatively quiet. I wish I knew more shit, as I am clearly falling down on the job AskMe-wise. Quick, someone ask about the history of the world in 400 A.D. Aren't you dying to know about reign of Guanggaeto in the kingdom of Goguryeo?
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 6:49 AM on June 20, 2010
I've been a member 8 years (2906/638/494) and its clear I've been SILENCED ALL MY LIFE. Or relatively quiet. I wish I knew more shit, as I am clearly falling down on the job AskMe-wise. Quick, someone ask about the history of the world in 400 A.D. Aren't you dying to know about reign of Guanggaeto in the kingdom of Goguryeo?
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 6:49 AM on June 20, 2010
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posted by jessamyn (staff) at 5:07 PM on June 15, 2010