Advice for AskMe Annoyance

July 12, 2010 2:34 PM

How bad would it be if I get snippy in my own AskMe?

I just wrote and deleted an exasperated reply in this AskMe. I'm holding back because getting angry in that thread doesn't seem very courteous, yet I can't seem to make it clear to people that I don't want suggestions for British TV shows. About a third of the suggestions are for British TV shows, even while other commenters are pointing out that I don't want British TV suggestions.

Is it ever a good idea to get outraged? Does it work? My particular example is hardly earth-shattering, but I know that lots of people just don't answer the question that is posted, they answer the question that is in their head. What to do about it?

posted by Secret Life of Gravy to Etiquette/Policy at 2:34 PM (121 comments total)

I liked the first season of "Being Human."
posted by cjorgensen at 2:38 PM on July 12, 2010 [8 favorites]

You get what you pay for, I guess. If there's one flaw with AskMe it's that there's a strong tendency, just like on the blue, for the commenters to skip over reading crucial details in the original post, and answer the questions they think you're asking instead of answering the questions you're actually asking.
posted by crunchland at 2:39 PM on July 12, 2010 [5 favorites]

FIAMO applies as much to your own posts as to others'.
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 2:42 PM on July 12, 2010 [3 favorites]

Take this for what it's worth but the first time I read your question a few days back (or whenever it was new), I read it as

Looking for Non-American, British TV shows....

I realize reading the rest of your question that this is not what you meant, but to be absolutely clear your heading should have read "Looking for Non-American/Non-British"

Pedantic? Yes.

But is that really a bigger crime than being pissy with people who are giving you free (though not helpful) advice?
posted by MCMikeNamara at 2:42 PM on July 12, 2010 [21 favorites]

FIAMMM

Flag it and MeMail a Mod.
posted by soelo at 2:42 PM on July 12, 2010

It would be bad, because you'd be derailing your own thread and making yourself much less likely to get useful answers -- because even the nicest people lose patience when someone asking a question starts getting snippy and defensive.

Instead, take a deep breath, flag the offensive comments, trust everyone else to ignore the crappy answers, and if you feel a lot of folks are missing the point just say "Just in case I wasn't clear: [clarification]. Thanks very much to those leaving thoughtful answers so far."

Besides, if someone isn't answering the right question, odds are they wouldn't have a good answer for you if they did answer the right question. Think of it as them self-flagging their own answers as bad.
posted by davejay at 2:42 PM on July 12, 2010

You phrased your question poorly. "Non-American/British TV show recommendations" reads like "I am interested in recommendations for shows that are either British or Non-American" not "I am interested in recommendations for shows that are neither British nor American."

Yes, your [more inside] explains things a bit better, but it might have been better to be more explicit in your question. Maybe something like "English-language TV shows from countries other than Britain and America."
posted by jedicus at 2:43 PM on July 12, 2010 [5 favorites]

A few days back = today... Christ, it's been a long day.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 2:43 PM on July 12, 2010

Reading what MCMikeNamara said, and looking at your question -- he's right. You were unclear, and you should simply post a good-natured clarification in the thread, sooner better.
posted by davejay at 2:43 PM on July 12, 2010

How bad would it be compared to what? Worst case, your comment gets deleted. You can't make people read the question. If they didn't offer a non-British TV show then they probably don't have any other suggestions anyway, so just mentally delete their answers instead of trying to make them give you something they don't have.
posted by desjardins at 2:44 PM on July 12, 2010

Secret Life, I feel your frustration. Here is a skit that I think may cheer you up.
posted by Mister_A at 2:44 PM on July 12, 2010 [6 favorites]

It's probably only moderately useful to put down a list of non-answers, non-negotiable requirements, and things to avoid.

I assume I am going to get a certain amount of "You don't want to do that," some "Why do you want to do that?" and the occasional "It is dumb of you to want to do that" in addition to the usual, for any question on the Internet. That's just how the cookie crumbles.

Also, your operating system sucks and you should install something else. Like Gentoo.
posted by adipocere at 2:45 PM on July 12, 2010

Is it ever a good idea to get outraged? Does it work?

JESUS CHRIST ON a HOT AND BUTTERY BUN, WTF IS YOUR PROBLEM ASKING A QUESTION LIKE THAT?!


Oh.

No, it doesn't seem to work.
posted by new brand day at 2:46 PM on July 12, 2010 [6 favorites]

Yes, I realize that people tend not to read details, my question is what can I do about it. I very nearly wrote a reply to a particular individual pointing out their mistake, but that felt a bit ungracious.

Should I just be pleased that someone took the time to reply at all?
Should I smack them on the nose and say, "Bad puppy. No biscuit."?
Should I completely ignore the problem and embrace the good answers?
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 2:46 PM on July 12, 2010

Just skip the dumb answers. People won't read your follow-up comment any more than they read your original question, so it's entirely pointless.

Fun examples: Where was this plot structure from Battlestar Galactica also used? I know! In Battlestar Galactica!. Shit, I had no idea.
What are some films that have commentary tracks that talk about film making? LOL SPINAL TAP and Dodgeball is teh funnies too!. Yes, that will tell me a lot about the art of cinema.
posted by 0xFCAF at 2:47 PM on July 12, 2010

Outraged won't work. If people don't even read the whole question, why would you think they're reading the other answers?

Could you request that the moderators change the question to "Any suggestions of well written shows we must see from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, or South Africa?" As it is, I think (some) people may be parsing it as "non-American; that is, British" rather than "neither American nor British" and then not reading the rest of the question. Not reading the rest is a long standing problem and unfortunately we don't have an "illiterate" flag, but maybe if the first part of the question were changed it would cut down on it some.
posted by dilettante at 2:48 PM on July 12, 2010

I liked the part where Gortuk emphasized that "the OP is NOT looking for UK/US shows" and then someone recommends 3 British shows 5 comments later. A lot of people do not bother to read the answers already posted before posting their own but rarely is it so obvious as it was in this instance.
posted by mlis at 2:48 PM on July 12, 2010

> Should I just be pleased that someone took the time to reply at all?


This one.

> Should I completely ignore the problem and embrace the good answers?

And that one.
posted by Burhanistan at 2:48 PM on July 12, 2010 [9 favorites]

Yes, I realize that people tend not to read details, my question is what can I do about it.

Let it go, move it, do something you find enjoyable. Getting worked up about people suggesting the wrong tv shows to watch may indicate you're upset about something else and just lashing out.

Which is understandable, boy do I want to lash out at idiots, but ultimately it does no good and tends to make the problem worse.
posted by new brand day at 2:49 PM on July 12, 2010

Unlike in RelationshipFilter when a bad assumption can lead all the answers off on total tangents that have nothing to do with the question, all you need to do is mentally cross off the British TV shows people are mentioning and focus on the non-British ones, so I'd say just say other than the one clarifying comment you made early in the thread, ignore the answers you're not interested in and embrace the good.

The people who aren't reading your friendly clarification are posting without reading the thread so an even angrier clarification isn't going to make any difference to them. And they're trying to be helpful but getting caught up in your own ambiguous wording, so they especially don't deserve your ire.
posted by jacquilynne at 2:50 PM on July 12, 2010 [2 favorites]

I think you probably need to approach it as if you were approaching a troop of rabid, shit flinging monkeys. It only frustrates you, and annoys the monkeys.
posted by crunchland at 2:50 PM on July 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

I'm also sick of heavily UK-centric bias here at MetauFiltre.
posted by Abiezer at 2:51 PM on July 12, 2010 [12 favorites]

I'm not a monkey.
posted by new brand day at 2:51 PM on July 12, 2010

Should I completely ignore the problem and embrace the good answers?

That's probably for the best. I read the answers in that thread with some incredulity. WTF? Didn't people read the question? But with the significant number of British recs it seems plausible that it wasn't just a case of not reading the question but that the question itself was phrased in such a way that some people read it as only excluding American shows.
posted by 6550 at 2:52 PM on July 12, 2010

I've posted a few questions of the "I'm looking for X, but Y is not a solution" questions and there is always at least one guy who says "have you tried Y?" You basically have to shrug and move on.


Also, the correct answer to your query is "Slings and Arrows." Backstage at a Shakespeare festival, featuring yummy Paul Gross and his real life wife. If you know showfolk, or like the theatre, or just like good writing, you must not miss it. Great stuff.
posted by CunningLinguist at 2:52 PM on July 12, 2010 [2 favorites]

because i'm a stuid american means i can't tell the difference between british and autrailian and new zealand shows.
posted by lester at 2:52 PM on July 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

I do really wish we had a flag for "didn't read the question" in AskMe.
posted by trunk muffins at 2:54 PM on July 12, 2010 [48 favorites]

Don't be snippy. Do shrug and ignore recommendations for British shows. And most importantly, do listen to fearfulsymmetry.
posted by EvaDestruction at 2:55 PM on July 12, 2010

I realize reading the rest of your question that this is not what you meant, but to be absolutely clear your heading should have read "Looking for Non-American/Non-British"


If that wasn't clear enough, the second sentence on the inside reads: We've really enjoyed this past 18 months of British TV viewing but now we have a chance to watch TV shows from other English speaking countries. Also at least 4 times that point is repeated by myself and others.

You should simply post a good-natured clarification in the thread, sooner better.

I did: "Thanks. I figured I must have worded the question poorly since so many people have gotten it wrong; asking for non-American/British TV shows must make some people think that I want British TV show recommendations. Oh well, I'll be careful with my slashes next time."
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 2:56 PM on July 12, 2010

WE ARE ONLY TRYING TO HELP WHY DO YOU HAVE BE SO MEAN
posted by infinitywaltz at 2:58 PM on July 12, 2010 [2 favorites]

We should all remember that we have all, at one time or another, been that idiot, whether on MetaFilter or in real life. And we have all been guilty of, rather than conversing, waiting for our turn to talk, which is a lot of what you see in this kind of situation.
posted by Mister_A at 2:59 PM on July 12, 2010 [4 favorites]

I'll ask Meat Bomb to make a pass though and clean up the thread for you.
posted by cjorgensen at 3:01 PM on July 12, 2010

Yes, I realize that people tend not to read details, my question is what can I do about it.

Well, you can do what this person did, and write things in bold like I'm not interested in your opinions here.

I wouldn't suggest it though.
posted by smackfu at 3:02 PM on July 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

Oooh, you should try Father Ted! It's not British, it's Irish!

MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA
posted by jtron at 3:05 PM on July 12, 2010

Write to the mods and ask the to change your question to say: "Non-US and Non-UK" and then ignore the bum answers.

Actually you should ignore everything that annoys you on the internet, it really is quite freeing.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 3:05 PM on July 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

I think I'll go to the gym and run around for awhile. I have some irk I need to get rid of.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 3:06 PM on July 12, 2010

Also you should consider posting a kindly worded follow up clarifying your point aimed at no particular person. I'll take my answer while soaking in a hot tub full of electric eels thanks!
posted by Potomac Avenue at 3:07 PM on July 12, 2010

If that wasn't clear enough, the second sentence on the inside reads: We've really enjoyed this past 18 months of British TV viewing but now we have a chance to watch TV shows from other English speaking countries. Also at least 4 times that point is repeated by myself and others.

So at this point what are you looking for? We can't unmake what happened. You got some good answers, ignore the rest. And if you feel that through wording, mis-reading, or not-reading you didn't get as many good answers as was possible/reasonable/likely, ask it again next week.
posted by 6550 at 3:10 PM on July 12, 2010

Should I just be pleased that someone took the time to reply at all?
Should I smack them on the nose and say, "Bad puppy. No biscuit."?
Should I completely ignore the problem and embrace the good answers?

The last one, mostly. Flag the non-answers if you want—I don't know mod policy on this so I don't know if they'd be deleted, but it can feel good to flag them just the same. You certainly don't have to be pleased about the non-answers, but it's probably best to keep that to yourself.

Clarify/repeat the restriction if you want, but by all means do it politely. If I come into a thread prepared to give an answer and see that the OP has gotten snippy with some well-meaning-but-careless people who have already responded, there's a good chance that will turn me off and I won't bother answering.

I was going to say to put key restrictions above the fold, as people begin formulating responses as soon as they read that part, and may or may not refine them further on reading the "more inside." Which I still think is good as general advice, but in this particular case you did that already. (Although as others have noted, "Non-American/British" can be ambiguous; perhaps contact the mods and request an edit to "Non-American/Non-British"?)

Yes, it's a widespread problem. My particular favorite is the type "Recommend music/books/TV/movies/etc. that have qualities A, B, and C. [more inside] I really liked X, Y, and Z which had these qualities. What else is like these?" You can be almost certain that people will recommend X, Y, and Z in the thread.

And I don't exclude myself; though I like to think of myself as a conscientious reader, I've given non-answers like that twice that I know of (which means there's probably others I never became aware of). I'll ask the mods for deletion of my own comment if I've realized I've done this (granted once, denied once).
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 3:15 PM on July 12, 2010

Hyacinth Bucket would know the answer to this etiquette question. Perhaps you should watch "Keeping Up Appearances."
posted by greekphilosophy at 3:18 PM on July 12, 2010 [8 favorites]

I know that it's crystal clear to you because you wrote it, but when I saw that post pop up in my RSS earlier I had to read it over carefully several times. It was not at all clear what you were looking for on first glance which is how a lot of people scan AskMe for things to answer.
posted by Rhomboid at 3:22 PM on July 12, 2010

honestly, I think you should flip the fuck out.
posted by shmegegge at 3:25 PM on July 12, 2010 [32 favorites]

I do really wish we had a flag for "didn't read the question" in AskMe.

Oh so many times have I wanted this!
posted by missmagenta at 3:26 PM on July 12, 2010 [4 favorites]

If you ask "What are the best X" or "recommend me some X", people are going to jump straight in and suggest their favourite X. They might skip the More Inside, and they will almost certainly not read the rest of the answers, since they are there to tell you about their awesome favourite X, not read everyone else's lame suggestions. So any clarifications in the More Inside might get missed, but clarifications in subsequent posts will definitely get missed.

The moral of the story is phrase your questions more unambiguously and realise that people care more about recommending their favourite X than reading the question properly.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 3:28 PM on July 12, 2010

How bad would it be if I get snippy in my own AskMe?

It would be 2.5 times worse than the holocaust.
posted by atrazine at 3:29 PM on July 12, 2010 [4 favorites]

FIAHABAASDTBIH

Flag it and have another beer and a shot. Dude, the bartender is hot!
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 3:33 PM on July 12, 2010 [2 favorites]

I took the dog for a walk and then wrote to the mods. Now I really will go to the gym.

honestly, I think you should flip the fuck out.

Wheeeeee! Wouldn't that be fun!
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 3:36 PM on July 12, 2010

Personally, I think you should break them.
posted by ob at 3:40 PM on July 12, 2010

You know what would be a good show to watch; Mr. Bean.
posted by hal_c_on at 3:46 PM on July 12, 2010

Look, when you post a thread like this in MetaTalk you need to be ok with people fucking around and not addressing the purpose of the thread. It's sort of an open zone, fewer rules because we're makin' rules ya dig? So instead of heeding that nasty temptation to flame out and close your account forever you should stop a moment, thank your lucky stars that MeTa even exists for you to plop your weird behavioral pontification , maybe flag a few comments here and there, and then move down to the bottom of the thread and think about what to have for dinner tonight.
posted by carsonb at 3:58 PM on July 12, 2010

Just because you asked: I skimmed your question and got the impression that you wanted non-US [but yes] UK TV shows.

I know that doesn't help, and I know it isn't what you said, but if I had only skimmed your post and gone to reply, I would have felt UK shows were acceptable/the goal.

The fact that most of the page-space of your post is a list of TV shows you like, and almost all of them are US with a few UK adds to this easy, hasty misreading.

Sorry people aren't answering your question.
posted by paisley henosis at 4:01 PM on July 12, 2010

I agree that it sounds like people are interpreting "non-American/British" to mean "looking for non-American or British shows" rather than "looking for non-American, non-British shows". I would probably email a mod to change the wording of the question instead of getting snippy. At this point in a suggestion thread, I usually just skim to see what's been mentioned, rather than reading every post (and thus would probably miss the clarification provided, however so bold). Sorry dude!
posted by unknowncommand at 4:02 PM on July 12, 2010

I get really bummed by defensiveness and anger from the OP in askme threads. For the most part, people are doing their best to help. Sure they may mis-read the question, or get overly judgy at times, but how will it help to get mad?

People are trying to do you a favor when you ask an askme, so why get all agro at them?
posted by serazin at 4:07 PM on July 12, 2010

Mister_A: "Secret Life, I feel your frustration. Here is a skit that I think may cheer you up"

While you're at it, watch Mr. Show's pre taped call-in show. I feel your frustration, OP.
posted by yaymukund at 4:07 PM on July 12, 2010 [4 favorites]

ewer rules because we're makin' rules ya dig

Mmm, mmm there's a fresh batch of rules about to come outta the oven!
posted by new brand day at 4:09 PM on July 12, 2010

While it's probably too late for this, if you ever post something that didn't quite come out right, just ask a mod to help with an edit. Next time, you can head it off at the pass.
posted by snsranch at 4:14 PM on July 12, 2010

Or what unknowncommand just said. (Ah, skimming.)
posted by snsranch at 4:19 PM on July 12, 2010

there are no mods in this thread. NO MODS.


FREEDOM! HORRIBLE HORRIBLE FREEDOM
posted by The Whelk at 4:38 PM on July 12, 2010

Isn't this usually the traditional time for ASCII unicorns?
posted by elizardbits at 4:39 PM on July 12, 2010

vodka>gin
posted by snsranch at 4:39 PM on July 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

I have to say I saw your question and was confused as to whether you wanted British, as opposed to US, shows, or whether you wanted shows that were neither British nor American. And because it wasn't clear to me I skipped your question completely.

So if your are going to get outraged at anyone, look in the mirror first. But no need for that; just email a mod and ask for some hope.
posted by ambrosia at 4:53 PM on July 12, 2010

oh embarrassing typo ouch
posted by ambrosia at 4:54 PM on July 12, 2010

Is it ever a good idea to get outraged?

On the Internet? You bet!
posted by chairface at 5:04 PM on July 12, 2010

I don't want suggestions for British TV shows.

How 'bout going Canadian?
posted by ericb at 5:12 PM on July 12, 2010

When you say "snippy" that sounds like you're planning to say, "You idiots, I told you I wanted 'non-American/British'* TV shows, so stop suggesting British TV shows."

I don't recommend that.

What I do recommend in these situations is to make your point in a way that's just directly reiterating what you're looking for, e.g. "Just to be clear, I'd like to emphasize that I'm only looking for shows from countries other than the US and Britain." I reckon that's about the best you can do.

* Seconding that if you didn't want British TV show recommendations, you shouldn't have included the phrase "British TV show recommendations" in your first sentence with a slash before it.
posted by Jaltcoh at 5:21 PM on July 12, 2010

I think moderate moderation of your own post can be helpful, but I don't think rage works.

What AskMe allows you to do though, and what I have been trying to get better at, is to frame the same question repeatedly.

AskMe gives you 3 chances to ask the question: Question Title, The Lead, and More Inside. Phrase or Rephrase the same question in each section of your AskMe post. Skip prelude and narrative, get right to the point and eliminate as much noise as possible. There's no solution to poor reading comprehension, but I think it helps.
posted by MasonDixon at 5:37 PM on July 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

There are good times for an outrage and bad times for an outrage. There are some things that can never be unseen: British TV show recommendations are not one of them.
posted by Wuggie Norple at 5:39 PM on July 12, 2010

Well there is also another shot in a week.
posted by cjorgensen at 6:12 PM on July 12, 2010

Barn door after the cows are out and all, but I went ahead and tweaked the wording to make "non-British" explicit.

Fundamentally, not everybody is going to read the question carefully; the ambiguity in the phrasing on this one just sort of exacerbated the effect of that in a way that I'm sure was frustrating to behold, SLoG, but you're really best off just making a clarification or two in thread and hoping people catch it.

Stuff like "recommend me some media" tends to get folks' suggestion cranks turning in a way that I think makes over-eager answering more likely than in a baseline case.
posted by cortex (staff) at 6:27 PM on July 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

Oh, this reminds me of when someone asked about a great recipe for an ultimate chocolate cake for their birthday. I missed the chocolate part and gave them this because I was so excited that I had a great recipe!

It was a while before I even went back to the thread and saw that the poster wanted chocolate. So, they got a bonus.
posted by jgirl at 6:45 PM on July 12, 2010

snsranch: vodka>gin

I will cut you.
posted by paisley henosis at 6:45 PM on July 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

People just don't like reading. Nicholas Carr may be right.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 6:49 PM on July 12, 2010

Barn door after the cows are out and all, but I went ahead and tweaked the wording to make "non-British" explicit.

Thanks for that, Cortex. I got several good suggestions to follow up on and I learned a good lesson: people don't read the whole AskMe question. Got it.

Going to the gym was the right thing to do-- all the snippiness is out and I am completely mellow.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 7:29 PM on July 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

Nothing gets rid of the edge like irking off.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 9:14 PM on July 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

Warm piss > gin.
posted by shmegegge at 9:14 PM on July 12, 2010

there are no mods in this thread. NO MODS.

I don't know if I need to show up in a thread where the question is "should I flip out?" because my answer is always "of course not sweetie, have another rice krispie bar"
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 9:32 PM on July 12, 2010 [7 favorites]

It is resolved, then: I'll drink the gin, shmegegge can drink the warm piss.
posted by cortex (staff) at 9:40 PM on July 12, 2010

I don't know if I need to show up in a thread where the question is "should I flip out?" because my answer is always "of course not sweetie, have another rice krispie bar"

*perk*

We have rice krispie bars?
posted by zarq at 9:59 PM on July 12, 2010 [5 favorites]

How bad would it be if I get snippy in my own AskMe?

Last night I made a huge batch of taboule (from a box, sorry) with vine ripened tomatoes, lime juice and garnished with chunks of fresh avocado and feta which I then ate with hummus and toast.

So good on a hot summer night. There's still some in the fridge if you want some.
posted by loquacious at 10:05 PM on July 12, 2010 [2 favorites]

We have rice krispie bars?

The dented can store always has these Little Debbie snacks super cheap around this time. So, yeah.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 10:06 PM on July 12, 2010

shmegegge can drink the warm piss.

Wait, when did we start talking about British beer?
posted by UbuRoivas at 10:09 PM on July 12, 2010

> Last night I made a huge batch of taboule (from a box, sorry)

No need to apologize for box tabouleh. If it wasn't from a box it would've come from a bin, and it all came from the same suppliers. What counts is the fresh tomatoes, the precision chopping, and of course the love.
posted by Burhanistan at 10:15 PM on July 12, 2010

I think the principal problem you're running into is that there are no good Australian TV shows and won't be until I've finished working on the teleplays for this miniseries I've got stewing.
posted by turgid dahlia at 10:38 PM on July 12, 2010

Oh all right then. It's about this guy, see, and he's a Bondi cop, but he's also a callgirl. It's called Sally the Bondi Rozzer. It will be a romantic drama and eventually it turns out he's secretly fudging his stats buy turning tricks to buy drugs which he then pretends he secured as evidence from a bust, because he wants to climb the chain of command. Also he is an alcoholic, but a funny one.
posted by turgid dahlia at 10:42 PM on July 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

Warm piss > gin.

I'd take you outside for a few words if I wasn't so thoroughly drunk and depressed. Somebody please hold me OH GET AWAY FROM ME YOU BASTARD!
posted by turgid dahlia at 10:44 PM on July 12, 2010

Sally the Bondi Rozzer needs a drug-sniffing wombat as a sidekick. It'll be just like Inspector Rex, only with more comedy because the wombat is sex-crazed but also incontinent.
posted by UbuRoivas at 10:55 PM on July 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

The best thing about my show is that at the end of every episode he must prepare a special mystery dish from only a limited selection of ingredients!
posted by turgid dahlia at 10:59 PM on July 12, 2010 [2 favorites]

This show should come with a tie-in restaurant, where you can go & sample his creations while a wombat humps your leg.

For good PR points, the restaurant profits could go to an appropriate charity - like the Bindi Irwin TV Career Foundation, or the Campaign for the Enablement of Overprivileged Teenaged Prats Who Undertake Dangerous Adventures.
posted by UbuRoivas at 11:21 PM on July 12, 2010

What counts is the fresh tomatoes, the precision chopping, and of course the love.

Oh, totally. That's why I mix it up with my junk.
posted by loquacious at 12:32 AM on July 13, 2010 [3 favorites]

Write the question as if we were all morons. For some reason that seems to help.
posted by Phanx at 3:59 AM on July 13, 2010 [1 favorite]

Sally the Bondi Rozzer needs a drug-sniffing wombat as a sidekick.

Or a drug-snorting wallaby.
posted by Elmore at 4:54 AM on July 13, 2010 [1 favorite]

Really I can't tell you how much I love 7 Periods with Mr. Gormsby, it's like a big, fresh slap in the face. After we watched the first episode, my husband and I looked at each other and moaned, "Why is the U.S. so puritanical?" This show would never air on American commercial TV, that's for sure. Which leads me to ask what time slot did it air?

More than just funny, though, it was interesting to see the inside of a New Zealand classroom. Boy, those guys really love their artwork. And the color blue.

Which is just my long-winded way of saying: Bring on the International TV!
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 5:40 AM on July 13, 2010

I like to save my quota of getting righteously pissed off at things that really matter - namely, drivers who don't use turn signals and pedestrians who practically walk into my car. AskMe doesn't even rate, unless it too tries to walk into my car.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 5:49 AM on July 13, 2010

Get a bike grapefruitmoon!

/ire
posted by Mister_A at 6:03 AM on July 13, 2010

Does temperature really matter when it's piss? Would cold be better? Worse?
posted by SpiffyRob at 6:22 AM on July 13, 2010

With warm piss you can't help but be reminded that it just came out of somebody's body.
posted by Rhomboid at 6:28 AM on July 13, 2010

The dented can store always has these Little Debbie snacks super cheap around this time. So, yeah.

I have to get out to more meetups! :)
posted by zarq at 6:31 AM on July 13, 2010

I imagine there is an odor difference too.
posted by smackfu at 6:31 AM on July 13, 2010

I'll take my piss on the rocks, stirred.
posted by cj_ at 7:21 AM on July 13, 2010

I have in the past found myself in the situation of "here's an AskMe question for which it looks like I know the perfect answer, but I have to leave the computer right now." I have then occasionally decided "Hastily reading and writing an answer would be more helpful to the poster than letting it slip my mind and never answering at all." Sometimes this decision has turned out to be justified; in at least one instance it has not.

If it makes you feel any better, I have anecdotal evidence that some people who clutter up an AskMe post with unhelpful answers will eventually notice and feel like jerks about it...
posted by roystgnr at 7:33 AM on July 13, 2010 [1 favorite]

Just throwing out date point using this question from today. I read the outside part of that question and instantly thought of Amazon Prime. Nothing went off in my head about why that wouldn't work since I didn't read it. Opened up the thread and started writing my answer. I had it all done before I read the inside part of the question where the OP said that's what made them wonder in the first place. 2nd answer is someone suggesting that same thing.

I think "Suggest me X" threads tend to get a lot of people reading the outside question and forming an answer before they read the More Inside.
posted by theichibun at 7:46 AM on July 13, 2010

I deleted someoen else who said "Amazon Prime" in that thread and it took me a second to see why people were flagging it.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:48 AM on July 13, 2010

I can't decide if this conversation is a car made of skittles or not.
posted by The Whelk at 7:49 AM on July 13, 2010

I can't believe the official demonym for people in the UK is British. Great Britain is gone, folks. I suggest switching to Ukish (UCK-ish).
posted by adamdschneider at 8:03 AM on July 13, 2010

Just throwing out date point using this question from today. I read the outside part of that question and instantly thought of Amazon Prime

I think people use More Inside more than they need to, without realizing a lot of people don't read it. In this case, the whole question could be distilled down to two sentences if you wanted to include the stuff you knew about already, which could easily fit on the front page. And really, you could drop the whole more inside, leave it as-is, and just ignore the answers you already know about.
posted by smackfu at 8:07 AM on July 13, 2010 [1 favorite]

I can't believe the official demonym for people in the UK is British. Great Britain is gone, folks.

The citizens of The United Kingdom Of Great Britain And Northern Ireland respectfully disagree.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 8:21 AM on July 13, 2010

Oops, well, I guess what I meant was that it seems a bit unfair to the Northern Irish. Besides, Ukish is just fun to say.
posted by adamdschneider at 8:33 AM on July 13, 2010

Well, the problem seems to be that "British" seems to have two possible interpretations, but neither of them match up exactly with "denizens of the United Kingdom." If it refers to Great Britain only, then it excludes Northern Ireland. On the other hand, if it refers to the British Isles, then it includes the Republic of Ireland. Neither interpretation matches up with the UK.

Of course, there's always the descriptivist "people commonly use 'British' to refer to people and things associated with the UK, even if it doesn't make sense" argument, but try telling that to the "USian" contingent around here.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 8:45 AM on July 13, 2010

If it refers to Great Britain only, then it excludes Northern Ireland.

Technically, people from Northern Ireland are "Northern Irish".
posted by EndsOfInvention at 8:58 AM on July 13, 2010

Which does not prevent them from also being British, at least under the descriptivist argument.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 9:04 AM on July 13, 2010

I can't believe the official demonym for people in the UK is British. Great Britain is gone, folks. I suggest switching to Ukish (UCK-ish).

UKian?

Because it's a fantastic word, I think I might name the parakeets in my cage "demonym". Not a specific one, all of them. That way I can feel like a dork when I explain it to visitors.
posted by quin at 9:14 AM on July 13, 2010

I've seen this phenomenon in FPPs too. Somebody will make a comment about "oh hey, here's a related thing X!" when X was already in the FPP. Sometimes this is due to not clicking all the links and not realizing they were the same, but I've even seen cases where it was clear the whole FPP wasn't read at all.
posted by kmz at 10:33 AM on July 13, 2010

Secret Life, I feel your frustration. Here is a skit that I think may cheer you up.
posted by Mister_A at 2:44 PM on July 12 [6 favorites +] [!]

I see your SNL skit and raise you this skit from Mr. Show!
posted by joeyjoejoejr at 10:59 AM on July 13, 2010

Get a bike grapefruitmoon!

Yeah, because drivers who don't signal & pedestrians who step out from the kerb without looking are SO much better to deal with when you're on a bike.
posted by UbuRoivas at 12:18 PM on July 13, 2010

Yeah, because drivers who don't signal & pedestrians who step out from the kerb without looking are SO much better to deal with when you're on a bike.

Simple Solution: Sidemounted Shotguns
posted by zarq at 12:48 PM on July 13, 2010

Simple Solution: Sidemounted Shotguns

See, this is the real reason true road warriors ride flat bars. Shotgun shells fit nicely in the bar ends and you can hide the trigger and safety in the straight brake levers.

I once met a drop-bar rider who scoffed at the idea and said "I never get passed, so I put shells aiming backwards in the ends of my drop bars" but the very first time he fired 'em from his brifter levers he blow off both of his hips.

He's kind of ok with it, though, because it reduced his aerodynamic drag a couple of points and now he wears size 26 jeans.
posted by loquacious at 1:47 PM on July 13, 2010 [1 favorite]

I think people use More Inside more than they need to, without realizing a lot of people don't read it

This is the part that I don't understand. Why don't people read the "more inside"? Why bother to answer a question if you don't know what the question is completely? It's not like you are at work and there's a gigantic pile of AskMe questions in your in-box that you have to get through before lunch. If people are in such an all-fire hurry to answer they can't be bothered to read the question, then why not just not answer at all-- that would save even more time.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 6:41 PM on July 13, 2010

It's not like you are at work and there's a gigantic pile of AskMe questions in your in-box that you have to get through before lunch.

Speak for yourself.
posted by UbuRoivas at 9:14 PM on July 13, 2010

Why bother to answer a question if you don't know what the question is completely?

You're assuming that the answerer understands that, by not reading the question, they do not know what the question is. I think it's more like someone on a game show buzzing in early.

Someone reads "Recommend me some non-US BLAH BLAH BLAH" and thinks "Ooo I've really been enjoying this great BBC series you should totally watch that YES!"

Everyone gets a little thrill out of feeling useful. Some people I think get so jazzed by that thrill that they, you know. Comment prematurely.

(I'll cop to having accidentally overlooked some critical bit of information before answering, even though I do make the effort to read the whole question. Happens to the best of us.)
posted by ErikaB at 10:43 PM on July 13, 2010

that they, you know. Comment prematurely.

Don't they have pills for that now?
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 7:07 AM on July 14, 2010

Here's another example of where the way a person made their AskMe post pretty much derailed the whole question. The problem here is that the poster apparently didn't know the meaning of a particular hot-button word, and used it by mistake.
posted by crunchland at 4:08 AM on July 15, 2010