And I thought that was amazing May 1, 2011 12:28 PM   Subscribe

Have you ever made or seen a comment or an answer that you thought was particularly awesome but did not garner the attention you would have expected?

Perhaps it was a gem at the end of a long thread, or put there just before the end of the thirty days, but if it had been at the top would have made us all bask in the greatness. I'm curious about the hidden metafilter not picked up by the most-favorited-accumulators, the sidebar, or our meme culture.
posted by Blasdelb to MetaFilter-Related at 12:28 PM (55 comments total) 5 users marked this as a favorite

I still think this comment deserves way more than 3 favorites. Every time I have to do something I hate I laugh and say, "No thanks, I'll die."
posted by cjorgensen at 12:37 PM on May 1, 2011 [1 favorite]


All the time.
posted by Mngo at 12:37 PM on May 1, 2011


I'm never as awesome as I think I am...
posted by patheral at 12:45 PM on May 1, 2011 [1 favorite]


We had a fun thread like this earlier this year, with a link back to an earlier one by Greg Nog.
posted by Rhaomi at 12:48 PM on May 1, 2011 [2 favorites]


Yes. Every time I press the Post Comment button.
posted by crunchland at 1:00 PM on May 1, 2011 [11 favorites]


If you people were certified geniuses I'd definitely be getting more favourites, if that's what you're asking.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 1:19 PM on May 1, 2011 [1 favorite]


I don't mean to boast...but...

I think where we were having a discussion on the new game Scrolls from Minecraft developer Mojang, and how I was able to talk to Notch about it that same day. After talking with the devs I literally stepped aside and wrote that comment from the GDC floor on my phone. I mean, when are you gonna get that kind of 1st person reporting on a thread, from the people at the center of the issue? And only 5 favorites? C'mon y'all.

also, notch has the cutest little accent ever
posted by hellojed at 1:21 PM on May 1, 2011 [1 favorite]


Me, I keep getting favourites for comments I dash off distractedly while pooping, while the ones I truly labour over, all red face and forehead veins a-poppin', often receive far fewer strokes of the loving plus sign than I might expect. It is zen and the art of Metafiltering. With more poop references.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 1:36 PM on May 1, 2011 [9 favorites]


Even so, it's still less shitty than the other Zen and the Art...
posted by UbuRoivas at 1:41 PM on May 1, 2011 [1 favorite]


I've been posting a lot of pictures on my Flickr account, and some of them I think are really cool. You know which ones get looked at the most? Photos of McDonald's. Why? I don't know. The internet is funny like that.
posted by xingcat at 1:44 PM on May 1, 2011 [1 favorite]




Yeah, more than once; the flip side is some off-handed and indifferent remark that inexplicably has accrued 40 favourites the next time I log on. I have learned I am no judge of what mefites will appreciate.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 1:56 PM on May 1, 2011 [2 favorites]


It could be worse. My most-favorited comment is a Sarah Palin joke. The shame!
posted by enn at 2:15 PM on May 1, 2011


I allow myself a pun a decade. I find it's a good rule that should be made law. Life would be more civilized if this were the case.

MY post on all time favorite comments.
posted by cjorgensen at 2:15 PM on May 1, 2011 [1 favorite]


From this thread so far:

All the time.

Yes. Every time I press the Post Comment button.

Every single time.

If you people were certified geniuses I'd definitely be getting more favourites, if that's what you're asking.

I don't mean to boast...but...

HEY GUYS ALL MY COMMENTS YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?


But as for me, personally. NEVER. I find MetaFilter to be exactly in line with my sense of self-worth. It's uncanny actually.
posted by philip-random at 2:42 PM on May 1, 2011


... but that said, I must say that this particular comment deserves at least twice as many favorites.
posted by philip-random at 2:45 PM on May 1, 2011


the ones I truly labour over, all red face and forehead veins a-poppin', often receive far fewer strokes of the loving plus sign than I might expect. --- Maybe you should try a little more fiber. That, and turning off favorites would relieve that internal pressure.
posted by crunchland at 2:53 PM on May 1, 2011


It could be worse. My most-favorited comment is a Sarah Palin joke. The shame!

Heh. My second-most-favorited comment was a bit of snark that beat out five more or less identical comments by seconds. It makes me feel strangely unworthy every time I see it.
posted by GenjiandProust at 2:54 PM on May 1, 2011


All the time. Most every one of my comments deserves more recognition than they get for the naked brilliance shown therein.
posted by wierdo at 3:07 PM on May 1, 2011


[runs in panting] Waitwaitwait, has anyone made the "you should be favoriting more of my comments" joke yet?

Wow, that many?

OK, but has anyone made the blatantly ironical version, with the obligatory HAHA or whatever? Hm. Item's got that one covered.

But has anyone used the "I'VE BEEN SILENCED ALL MY LIFE" variant?

Phew, room for one more.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 3:17 PM on May 1, 2011


I will forever be proud of this comment.
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 3:19 PM on May 1, 2011


I find for me this happens more often on posts. So far one of my most popular posts ever was a single link I found and then posted offhand to MetaFilter, thinking "One or two people may find this useful." On the other hand, this lovingly crafted post on periodic element cupcakes garnered just 9 favorites and 18 comments. Sadly, that is just one of many posts I labored over with absolutely zero payoff.

I think it's my comeuppance for thinking I could ever be in the same league as zarq or Miko.
posted by Deathalicious at 3:36 PM on May 1, 2011


There's a user called Jorus? THERE'S A USER CALLED JORUS?

I invoke the Rite Of Similar-Usernames and challenge you to a deathmatch.

(If memory serves, this is how we lost Admirable Haddock, isn't it?)
posted by Jofus at 3:38 PM on May 1, 2011 [1 favorite]


I really liked ND(how do I type a cent symbol on a friggin' iPad!?)'s comment about how doesn't worry about favorites because his 'genius' doesn't exactly play well in Peoria.

Also, he hasn't been around lately. This saddens me. Baby stuff, maybe.
posted by misha at 3:55 PM on May 1, 2011


Of my own comments, this one is the one I thought was underappreciated.
posted by Wolfdog at 3:58 PM on May 1, 2011


Oh for... I mean this one. Never mind. I hate it, it was a stupid comment, hopefully mods will delete it now.
posted by Wolfdog at 3:59 PM on May 1, 2011


Every comment I make.
More seriously, I wonder why The Quidnuc Kid doesn't get as many favorites per post as Sonascope. same with most of Rory Manwhich's posts
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 4:40 PM on May 1, 2011




Orthogonality, I think maybe we don't favorite those for the same reason we don't rewatch Grave of the Fireflies. Favorites are for things we want to revisit, and you really don't have to revisit things that are fucking depressing as much as things that are hilarious.
posted by NoraReed at 5:24 PM on May 1, 2011 [2 favorites]


Um, that previous post should be read in a slightly cynical but playful tone. No hate implied toward you or the posters, ortho.
posted by NoraReed at 5:25 PM on May 1, 2011 [1 favorite]


Because the only way to know how much attention something gets is by scorecarding.

And the only currency that means anything anymore is attention.

Universal dismay.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 5:29 PM on May 1, 2011 [1 favorite]


There's not really any justice in favorites. I tried to come up with a rough guide to What Favorites Mean a while back; I just found it again and I don't think it's too far off.
posted by furiousthought at 5:35 PM on May 1, 2011


Here is what I have learned about how commenters are received on Metafilter, generally:

Negative evaluations:
  • If somebody calls you a dick, you might be a dick. Tone it down.
  • If several people call you a dick, you are probably a dick. Tone it down.
  • If nobody calls you a dick, but every contribution to the thread garners emotion-charged responses from at least one other person, you are being a dick. It doesn't matter who started it, it doesn't matter who's wrong; there might very well be more than one dick in the room, and one or more of the dicks might be factually correct. Tone it down.
Positive Evaluations:
  • If somebody favorites something you said, you either said something they agree with, or something they disagree with and want to return to.
  • If several people favorite something you said, you either shared information they found valuable, crystallized with wit something they hadn't found the words for, or they are bookmarking a trainwreck in progress to revisit later during the inevitable MetaTalk flameout.
  • If nobody favorites something you said, regardless of the reception you hoped your carefully-crafted comment would receive, You are neither a good person nor a bad person, neither scintillating nor boring; you are one of the majority of us. Hi!
posted by ardgedee at 6:25 PM on May 1, 2011 [2 favorites]


There's not really any justice in favorites.

NO JUSTICE!
NO FAVES!
NO JUSTICE!
NO FAVES!
posted by cashman at 6:32 PM on May 1, 2011 [1 favorite]


I'm with Ortho and Dubya on this subject. History will eventually prove we were right.
posted by crunchland at 6:33 PM on May 1, 2011


NO THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO ME
posted by aubilenon at 6:43 PM on May 1, 2011


I will never be as awesome as hellojed.
posted by whimsicalnymph at 6:47 PM on May 1, 2011


I'm going to get hate for this, but I come from Facebook where Likes are thrown about pretty casually. I Favorite pretty much everything good, with 'Fantastic comment' flags for better posts.
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 9:10 PM on May 1, 2011


Yeah, I've had a few that didn't go over quite as well as I thought they would, and a few that really went over much better than I expected.

I figured this comment might have had a few more with my experience on the matter. I'm pleased in any case because it managed to provide an informative answer with a good perspective.

Meanwhile, this comment went over better than I had imagined it would.

Tangentially related to previous, this one just over two weeks later seemed to go over surprisingly well too.

Most though? Pretty much what I'd expect. If it's something I've thought out and really put effort into writing, some people seem to like it and sometimes respond directly. At the same time, I've probably deleted more lengthy thinky comments than I have posted. This might be a good thing especially since they felt just a little "off" or not really contributing enough to be worth the words.

I don't really worry too much about favorites, but it can be nice to see a few on a comment that's thought out and not part of an argument. A confirmation that it's my head thinking and not my ass talking. That, or I just talk out of my ass really well some days, which really isn't so far-fetched.
posted by Saydur at 11:46 PM on May 1, 2011


I'm going to get hate for this, but I come from Facebook where Likes are thrown about pretty casually

No, I think you're right. I get, on average, over two favorites per comment; I imagine that's pretty standard.
posted by orthogonality at 12:23 AM on May 2, 2011


>There's a user called Jorus? THERE'S A USER CALLED JORUS?

I invoke the Rite Of Similar-Usernames and challenge you to a deathmatch.

(If memory serves, this is how we lost Admirable Haddock, isn't it?)
posted by Jofus at 6:38 PM on May 1 [+] [!]


I invoke my Perfect MeTa:
Pony granted by mathowie
Gently ribbed by cortex
Pony delivered by pb
Various people ridiculing my typos
Aaaaaaand....
Called a fucker by jessamyn

Your move.
posted by Jorus at 2:07 AM on May 2, 2011 [1 favorite]


ricochet biscuit writes "Yeah, more than once; the flip side is some off-handed and indifferent remark that inexplicably has accrued 40 favourites the next time I log on. I have learned I am no judge of what mefites will appreciate."

Proof that favourites shouldn't be taken as an indicator of quality either for or against.
posted by Mitheral at 7:15 AM on May 2, 2011


It could be worse. My most-favorited comment is a Sarah Palin joke. The shame!

Cheer up, enn. My most favorited comment is a pedophilia joke. Not sure if I'll ever recover from that.
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 12:58 PM on May 2, 2011


...followed by a joke about 9/11, on second look. I'm really on a roll here.
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 12:59 PM on May 2, 2011


So far this is my best comment, according to others.

It's not my favourite though. This one might be.
posted by bwg at 6:41 AM on May 3, 2011


There have been times when someone has asked a question that required a factual answer, rather than an opinion, and I've provided the correct answer, but it gets ignored and an incorrect answer gets favorited by misinformed people because they think that answer should be correct. But then in the middle of a fighty metatalk thread, I link to a picture of my kitten and the accolades come pouring in.

(Although to be fair, he did bear a remarkable resemblance to a koala bear when he was tiny.)
posted by MexicanYenta at 8:31 AM on May 3, 2011


I'm suddenly a lot less happy about that favorite I got from Lovecraft In Brooklyn. *sniff*
posted by maryr at 10:38 AM on May 3, 2011


Also, Mexican Yenta, I cannot find the aforementioned kitty pic in your favorited comments. Please to be reposting.
posted by maryr at 10:43 AM on May 3, 2011


Oh my lords and ladies, he looks *exactly* like a koala.
posted by maryr at 2:57 PM on May 3, 2011


Use of that kitty pic should be illegal.

*in puddle on floor*
posted by likeso at 3:14 PM on May 3, 2011


If it makes you feel better bwg, I thought both those comments were pretty lousy.

Now, on to me. I can't imagine how this comment didn't get more favorites as it was both (a) appropriate to the subject under discussion and (b) a MetaFilter catch-phrase.

Was it just because you couldn't handle the brilliance? Jealous?

Aw, hell (goes off to look at MexicanYenta's cat picture).
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 7:00 PM on May 3, 2011


Deathalicious: " I think it's my comeuppance for thinking I could ever be in the same league as zarq or Miko."

Ha! You do just fine. I like your posts. I also love miko's posts and comments. Flapjax @ midnight, Rhaomi and filthy light thief are just a few of my favorite posters around here.

The post I made last night has just three comments, and one of them is mine! Some posts get more comments or favorites than others, and that's okay. If a large number of people aren't constantly panning everything you post or demanding their deletion, you're doing okay. Gotta set the bar somewhere, right?
posted by zarq at 10:36 AM on May 5, 2011


Oops, sorry, I went missing for a few days and missed the request for the Henri pic. But to make it up to you guys, I've posted some more current pics of him. He's grown quite a bit since then, but he still excels at doing absolutely nothing.
posted by MexicanYenta at 11:22 PM on May 8, 2011


If a large number of people aren't constantly panning everything you post or demanding their deletion, you're doing okay.

If a small number of people aren't constantly panning everything you post or demanding their deletion, you're doing something wrong.
posted by philip-random at 12:44 AM on May 9, 2011


philip-random: " If a small number of people aren't constantly panning everything you post or demanding their deletion, you're doing something wrong."

Remind me to have that tattooed in teeny tiny letters on the back of my posting hand.
posted by zarq at 11:57 AM on May 9, 2011


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