Can I use strike in a headline? June 15, 2010 6:39 PM   Subscribe

Is it possible to use the strike tag in the headline of a post? I have a post I'm writing & would like to use this if it's available, but it's not showing up in Preview.
posted by scalefree to Feature Requests at 6:39 PM (75 comments total)

The headline shows up in the title of a page and I don't know what happens to HTML that is put there. I'm sure pb will be along promptly with a real answer.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 6:43 PM on June 15, 2010


HTML doesn't render in page titles (either in HTML titles nor in RSS titles). So I'd say skip it (or do that olde skool BBS thing of the ^H^H^H junk if you must to make a joke)
posted by mathowie (staff) at 6:51 PM on June 15, 2010


We strip HTML from titles, so no. I think it's ok to trust the preview. We've had bugs with not seeing what you get in the past, but we really do try to find and fix those as fast as we can. You should get a good sense of what you can and can't do by looking at the preview.
posted by pb (staff) at 6:53 PM on June 15, 2010


No; you can't. However, you CAN vote for anyone you want as astral mod. Remember that, when you go to the ballot, and ask yourself: where was cortex, when he was needed?
posted by yhbc at 6:58 PM on June 15, 2010 [5 favorites]


Yeah, fewer & fewer people know what ^H means every year. OK, I got my answer.
posted by scalefree at 7:04 PM on June 15, 2010


Yes No
posted by Horace Rumpole at 7:07 PM on June 15, 2010


If you use strike three times in a post, that's called a turkey.
posted by box at 7:21 PM on June 15, 2010 [3 favorites]


I wish it were impossible to use the strike tag anywhere on the site. FTFY is probably the bitchiest meme I've ever seen on a site like this.
posted by Afroblanco at 7:22 PM on June 15, 2010 [1 favorite]


What about the unicode strikethrough combining diacritics? (U+0336) & (U+0335)
ͣTͣEͣSͣT

Never mind.
posted by BrotherCaine at 7:26 PM on June 15, 2010


There are non-FTFY uses of strikethrough, but generally I agree with you about how annoying it is.
posted by BrotherCaine at 7:28 PM on June 15, 2010


Least favorite memes :

FTFY, USian, just sayin'

I'm sure there's some common thread that ties them all together. iamkimiam had some theory about that. I miss her.
posted by Afroblanco at 7:30 PM on June 15, 2010 [1 favorite]


Least favorite memes :

@Afroblanco

You forgot that one. ;)
posted by zarq at 7:32 PM on June 15, 2010


FTFY, USian, just sayin'

Apples, oranges, just sayin'. FTFY is altering someone's quote. USian may be a usage you dislike but it isn't taking a swipe at someone else's words. Different beast altogether.
posted by George_Spiggott at 7:34 PM on June 15, 2010


Oh, don't get me wrong, plenty of memes are merely annoying. But FTFY, USian, and just sayin' are straight up nuclear-toxic.
posted by Afroblanco at 7:35 PM on June 15, 2010


Afroblanco (not to be confused with @Afroblanco), you scared me. I thought you meant iamkimiam was gone from MeFi not just gone to another country. WHEW!
posted by pointystick at 7:36 PM on June 15, 2010


You know, I think I've figured out what it is I hate about FTFY. It reminds me of that thing that kids do, where they mimic whatever it is that you just said with a "mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi" voice. You know what I'm talking about.
posted by Afroblanco at 7:37 PM on June 15, 2010


JUSain'.
posted by gman at 7:42 PM on June 15, 2010 [2 favorites]


And why beholdest thou the mot that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the meme that is in thine own eye?
posted by George_Spiggott at 7:45 PM on June 15, 2010


Why on earth is USian nasty? it's simply a fact of geography.
posted by wilful at 7:46 PM on June 15, 2010


gman, I wish that I could flag you, as a person.
posted by Afroblanco at 7:46 PM on June 15, 2010 [1 favorite]


(but instead, I'll just move on)
posted by Afroblanco at 7:47 PM on June 15, 2010


where was cortex, when he was needed?

It was then that I retweeted you.
posted by cortex (staff) at 7:50 PM on June 15, 2010 [13 favorites]


Afroblanco FTFY
posted by HuronBob at 7:52 PM on June 15, 2010


sometimes making a post on metafilter is akin to painting a target on your forehead!
posted by HuronBob at 7:54 PM on June 15, 2010


FTFY is probably the bitchiest meme I've ever seen on a site like this.

honestly, dude, if you didn't write broken comments all the time, I wouldn't constantly need to be fixing them for you.
posted by shmegegge at 8:41 PM on June 15, 2010 [1 favorite]


Why on earth is USian nasty?

Lots of countries have states that are united. When Americans call themselves USian, they're implying that their country is the only "real" federal republic.
posted by mullacc at 9:01 PM on June 15, 2010 [6 favorites]


What? I though it was a weird retort for people calling themselves American since technically the term American means people from Canada and Mexico and even people from Central and South American if you're getting technical. Didn't we just have this fight, like recently?
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 9:04 PM on June 15, 2010 [2 favorites]


Yes - I don't know where mullacc has been, but NO resident of the U.S.A. (to avoid any ambiguity) would ever refer themselves as a "USian".

Unless, perhaps mullacc is being facetious, in which case disregard that previous sentence.
posted by yhbc at 9:08 PM on June 15, 2010


Oh that is a wicked tool.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 9:10 PM on June 15, 2010 [1 favorite]


Huh, I'd always assumed ^H^H^H represented someone loudly clearing their throat or something.
posted by rollick at 9:36 PM on June 15, 2010


NO CARRIER
posted by gac at 9:44 PM on June 15, 2010 [1 favorite]


If you use strike three times in a post, that's called a turkey.

I thought three strikes was an out!
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 9:58 PM on June 15, 2010


mullacc is being facetious to the max, or I'm not an American.
posted by ericost at 9:59 PM on June 15, 2010


honestly, dude, if you didn't write broken comments all the time, I wouldn't constantly need to be fixing them for you.

FTFY
posted by eddydamascene at 10:41 PM on June 15, 2010 [1 favorite]


NO resident of the U.S.A. (to avoid any ambiguity) would ever refer themselves as a "USian".

Some of my best friends are not true Scotsmen.

(stolen from cog_nate)
posted by George_Spiggott at 10:51 PM on June 15, 2010


I would've guessed USian or USAin are just there to avoid the pain of typing "American" or "resident of the United States of America". IMHO, that is... lol.
posted by scrowdid at 12:05 AM on June 16, 2010


Huh, I'd always assumed ^H^H^H represented someone loudly clearing their throat or something.

It's an artifact of Usenet days, comes from improper vt100 terminal emulation. Emulating a vt100 terminal was an early way of standardizing your display capabilities no matter what system you were using. Under Unix the translation definitions between your actual display & keyboard & the vt100 standard were stored in a file /etc/termcap (still are actually). Most systems did most things the same way but because some systems had one key for both backspace & delete while others had separate keys for them, choosing the proper keyboard mapping was a constant problem. The result was if you pick the wrong termcap settings for your display type, you'll get ^H instead of backspace (or delete, whichever you're using). So people started using it as a stand-in for strike-through. It was a common problem when most Internet access was through telnet (or its replacement ssh), where you could easily get a mismatch between the termcap settings of the local & remote systems; but now that most users rarely use even a local terminal, it's a joke that's lost its reference point.
posted by scalefree at 2:47 AM on June 16, 2010 [5 favorites]


Didn't we just have this fight, like recently

But this is important!!!!
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 3:30 AM on June 16, 2010


Least favorite memes :

FTFY, USian, just sayin'


But those are almost never used here; I think you are just seeing confirmation bias.
posted by TedW at 4:51 AM on June 16, 2010


Oh yay a USian conversation. I've been waiting for another one of these so I could post a link to this:

Usonian
posted by empath at 5:13 AM on June 16, 2010


I use USian in particular here because I know many people on the American continents are offended by the suggestion that only one nation's worth of people are "Americans." Their reasoning makes sense to me. I should probably be better about using it off-site...

Lots of countries have states that are united. When Americans call themselves USian, they're implying that their country is the only "real" federal republic.

This is an impossible trap. If I can't call myself American (for the previously stated reason), I can't call myself USian (for your reason), then by extension I can't call myself USAian (Mexico is a real federal republic with states, Canada is one with provinces). How do I distinguish my nationality?
posted by l33tpolicywonk at 6:42 AM on June 16, 2010


FTFY is probably the bitchiest meme I've ever seen on a site like this.

It took me a while to realize that FTFY did not mean "Fuck That and Fuck You." It just seemed to fit the tone of the thing....
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:52 AM on June 16, 2010 [2 favorites]


Really? Why do you care how how Asian-Americans self-identify?!?
posted by slogger at 6:53 AM on June 16, 2010


I use USian in particular here because I know many people on the American continents are offended by the suggestion that only one nation's worth of people are "Americans."

We're the only ones with it on our actual name. The rest are regions.

Lots of countries have states that are united

Is 'United States' part of their name?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 7:22 AM on June 16, 2010


If you use strike three times in a post, that's called a turkey.

I thought three strikes was an out!


It depends on the size of your balls.
posted by rocket88 at 7:27 AM on June 16, 2010


Can I triforce in a headline?
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 7:33 AM on June 16, 2010


It took me a while to realize that FTFY did not mean "Fuck That and Fuck You." It just seemed to fit the tone of the thing....

I read it this way whenever I see it. I find that it helps sustain my searing hatred of it.
posted by Babblesort at 8:22 AM on June 16, 2010 [2 favorites]


How do I distinguish my nationality?

LA<>NYian
TexasPlusMember
Unimerican
Obamite
50stater

I especially like 50stater because it could be read as 50s tater (and the 50's was a good time for soft core taters.)
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 8:29 AM on June 16, 2010


> I use USian in particular here because I know many people on the American continents are offended by the suggestion that only one nation's worth of people are "Americans."

Why is their offense more important than the offense of those who are offended by the artificial and stupid-sounding term "USian"? Why do you feel it important, or even sensible, to use a term almost no one uses except in mockery or to make political points? Who are these "many people" and how many are there? Have you done a poll? If "many people" tell you to jump off a bridge, will you do it?
posted by languagehat at 9:58 AM on June 16, 2010 [4 favorites]


You know, I regret bringing up the USian thing, but only because it's proving a distraction from the ultimate, unremitting evil of FTFY.

I've even thought about writing a greasemonkey script that instantly killfiles anybody who uses it.

Or maybe I'd give them three strikes.

(har har)
posted by Afroblanco at 10:17 AM on June 16, 2010


Is 'United States' part of their name?

The United Mexican States
posted by mullacc at 10:29 AM on June 16, 2010 [1 favorite]


languagehat: "Why do you feel it important, or even sensible, to use a term almost no one uses except in mockery or to make political points?"

For lack of something better, and for clarity. I'm obviously more tolerant of awkward phrasing online than off, which suggests why I've been less willing to use the term offline. In general, I'm not interested in offending anyone needlessly and, though I don't know which political points you're thinking of, I agree generally that persons from the nation-state known as the United States of America tend to unfairly take collective ownership of the culture of the continent.
posted by l33tpolicywonk at 10:29 AM on June 16, 2010


> agree generally that persons from the nation-state known as the United States of America tend to unfairly take collective ownership of the culture of the continent.

Really? What are Americans claiming credit for: poutine? ranchera music? the poetry of Pablo Neruda? the magic of Brazilian football? Sorry, I don't see it. I think it's pure political posturing. (Not on your part, you're just trying to do the right thing, but on the part of the people who have convinced you that the term "American" is somehow oppressing millions. I personally, incidentally, have never met a non-U.S. inhabitant of the Americas who has objected to it, but hey, that's just one man's experience.)
posted by languagehat at 10:32 AM on June 16, 2010


I think what languagehat is referring to is that a lot of people from the US have said that they find USian pejorative and would prefer people didn't use it and used something else. The "something else" is up to you, but it pretty much falls into the "this word will likely anger people so you should probably find another word to use if you're not, in fact, trying to anger people" category on MeFi now.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 10:33 AM on June 16, 2010 [2 favorites]


The United Mexican States

Huh, didn't know that was the official title, I stand corrected, thank you!

However, it doesn't diminish the point, particularly since The United States of America, existed first. If you say the United States, most people around the world probably associate it with America (that's right, I said it!).
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 11:01 AM on June 16, 2010


You people can use any excuse to argue about anything. Amazing.
posted by scalefree at 11:07 AM on June 16, 2010


What do you mean by "You people"?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 11:15 AM on June 16, 2010 [1 favorite]


jessamyn: "The "something else" is up to you, but it pretty much falls into the "this word will likely anger people so you should probably find another word to use if you're not, in fact, trying to anger people" category on MeFi now."

Noted and filed for reference. I'll go back to American until I can find something better.
posted by l33tpolicywonk at 11:22 AM on June 16, 2010


Least favorite memes : FTFY, USian, just sayin'

In Soviet Russia.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 11:23 AM on June 16, 2010


I think what languagehat is referring to is that a lot of people from the US have said that they find USian pejorative and would prefer people didn't use it and used something else.

That's why I posted the link to Usonian above. It sounds nicer :)
posted by empath at 12:10 PM on June 16, 2010


awww, kind words Afroblanco! Es igualmente.

I think the common thread between those three memes is that they are dismissive and othering. They build social hierarchy ("I'm more superior/I have more authority that you") by either editing, ostracizing, or expressing distance from the previous proposition presented by the other person. So each of them, in their own way, is dehumanizing in a petty, pedantic way, justified by a thin veil of clever language trickery (oh hey, it's an acronym/HTML/ironic-slang, so it's not that big of a deal, right?!)

It's shitty and unproductive. Like chipping away at something beautiful shared. Or littering cigarette butts. Or any number of careless things we do that slowly grate, especially on those days where we are sensitive to those things and the world can seem that much harsher by something so small.
posted by iamkimiam at 3:17 PM on June 16, 2010 [2 favorites]


The assumption that USian is used by people other than the inhabitants of the lower half of North America as some sort of takedown or pejorative against them doesn't bear much examination. My impression is that it's mostly USians themselves using the term, and a quick search of the comment history seems to bear that out. Of the first dozen I found by users who identified their location, all of them were Usonian, Unitedstatesofamericaian or whatever term you like. So I think we're down to people being offended more or less because they choose to be offended, not because any offense is intended.

Some people are offended by mentions of PETA, Apple products or Cory Doctorow. (In the latter case they'll bring him up themselves if he hasn't been mentioned in a while just so they can be offended by him on a sufficiently regular basis.) Should these things be discouraged as well? This would oblige them to find something new to be offended by, which does them as much of a disservice as it does the rest of us.
posted by George_Spiggott at 3:50 PM on June 16, 2010 [1 favorite]


Calling citizens of the USA "americans" is a synecdoche, and a particularly apt and appropriate one.
posted by Crabby Appleton at 4:51 PM on June 16, 2010


USian is like "Frisco."
posted by rhizome at 5:17 PM on June 16, 2010 [1 favorite]


My god Kim, way to go and make me miss you even more than I did before.

:)

But yes, correct on all counts.
posted by Afroblanco at 7:46 PM on June 16, 2010


Hmm, I came in here to ask how I was going to do my FPP about Heidegger if strikethroughs aren't allowed*, but the whole ethics and practice of the term 'USian' derail means that this thread is no longer the place for it. Never mind.

*This is the most obscure joke I've ever not been able to make.
posted by lapsangsouchong at 9:23 PM on June 16, 2010 [1 favorite]


So, apart from Afroblanco, who actually is offended by the use of the term USian?
posted by wilful at 7:53 PM on June 17, 2010


I don't think this was the thread that I'm remembering [I thought there was one that was much more recent] but this one does trot out some of the issues.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 8:04 PM on June 17, 2010


The more recent thread was late March, the USian-as-contentious-usage discussion in it was picking up some steam right around here.

There's also a bit of riffing on it in this older thread.
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:11 PM on June 17, 2010


So, apart from Afroblanco, who actually is offended by the use of the term USian?

Me, totally and completely, in all seriousness.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:38 AM on June 18, 2010


Yeah, I wouldn't use the word "offended" generally speaking but I find the usage pointlessly distracting at best (e.g. when it's being deployed by someone who just thinks it's a handy disambiguator but hasn't really considered whether they're in a situation where that disambiguation is remotely necessary and hasn't really considered the thorny question of unilaterally declining to use someone's preferred demonym), and find it genuinely obnoxious at worst (e.g. when it's being used by someone in part because they know it has an edge of mockery/manipulation/political-rhetoric to it, etc.).
posted by cortex (staff) at 7:18 AM on June 18, 2010 [1 favorite]


whether I get offended has everything to do with the usage. I don't think we're at a point yet where it's some kind of universal signifier for some kind of terrible thing representing americans (that's actually The President. if you want to offend an american, call him The President.), but when someone's just being a dick about it because they think (incorrectly) that America is a continent or collection of continents, then it's annoying. I've pretty much only seen this happen here. OTOH, if someone says it without meaning anything bad by it, then whatever.

which brings up another point. people don't tend to get "offended" by the term. just really annoyed by the smugness in the face of being factually incorrect.
posted by shmegegge at 8:04 AM on June 18, 2010 [1 favorite]


Nope, I'm totally offended by it. We've decided to call ourselves Americans, based on the name of our country, been doing it for centuries, could you please respect that? Thanks.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 11:30 AM on June 18, 2010 [1 favorite]


TITLE cannot contain markup and STRIKE hasn’t been “HTML” since 3.2 (you are to use DEL).

There is no magic thing MetaFilter could do to change either of these facts.
posted by joeclark at 9:25 AM on June 20, 2010 [1 favorite]


USIAN is a poor solution to a nonexistent problem, but I'm too arrogant about America to be offended by USIAN.
posted by BrotherCaine at 4:47 PM on June 20, 2010


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