the great day of deletions

August 20, 2012 9:31 AM

I notice that a few posts have been deleted already today (and yesterday there were seven!), so I was wondering if the mods have any stories about days where they had to delete an extreme number of posts from the blue?

I would guess that the most-deleted day would be some historic event where there were doubles out the wazoo.

posted by rebent to MetaFilter-Related at 9:31 AM (51 comments total)

James Brown and Michael Jackson's death come to mind, but I'm sure cortex can run the actual numbers...
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 9:32 AM on August 20, 2012

Yeah, tuple-post things are the only really memorable "boy we deleted a lot" situations I can think of. James Brown died a lot, that sort of thing.

Beyond actual events like that it's more just a natural variation with some days with none or almost none, most days with a small handful, and some days with a larger handful. Deletions per day probably fits a Poisson distribution pretty well if you look at the data historically.
posted by cortex (staff) at 9:34 AM on August 20, 2012 [1 favorite]

We're delivering fish now?
posted by The Whelk at 9:39 AM on August 20, 2012 [29 favorites]

Bulots à vendre! Bulots à vendre!
posted by zamboni at 9:50 AM on August 20, 2012

> James Brown died a lot, that sort of thing.

That's pretty hand-wavy. Frankly, from you I expect a chart showing the top twenty deleted-thread topics, in descending order of deletions.
posted by languagehat at 9:50 AM on August 20, 2012 [3 favorites]

Hey, I've wonked on this before, it's someone else's turn to pick up the old shovel.
posted by cortex (staff) at 9:55 AM on August 20, 2012 [2 favorites]

James Brown died a lot, that sort of thing.

And dig this: There was a prophecy. Just before his head died, his last words were, "Death is but a door. Time is but a window. I'll be back. HEEEY!" Then someone put a cape around him. Around his head, I mean.
posted by FAMOUS MONSTER at 9:55 AM on August 20, 2012 [6 favorites]

Can you undelete james brown please ? I need the godfather of soul back in my life.
posted by sgt.serenity at 9:55 AM on August 20, 2012 [8 favorites]

The dead cannot return, but I've been talking to the guys who own Chuck E. Cheese about maybe getting some recycled parts on the scene, like an animatronic Sex Machine.
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:00 AM on August 20, 2012 [19 favorites]

The most often dying man in show business.
posted by inturnaround at 10:00 AM on August 20, 2012 [2 favorites]

James Brown is dead?!
posted by chavenet at 10:00 AM on August 20, 2012 [7 favorites]

That's pretty hand-wavy. Frankly, from you I expect a chart showing the top twenty deleted-thread topics, in descending order of deletions.

Personally I would like to see video of Mathowie, Jessamyn, and Cortex in a bar knocking back pints and singing a version of "Those Were the Days".

Once upon a time there was a website
Where we used to post a link or two
Remember how we laughed away the hours
And dreamed of all the great posts we would do

Those were the days my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd post and snark forever and a day
We'd read the posts we choose
We'd fight and never lose
For we were young and sure to have our way.
La la la la...
Those were the days, oh yes those were the days
posted by orange swan at 10:00 AM on August 20, 2012 [2 favorites]

I was very relieved to discover this post wasn't a deletion complaint (or at least is subtle enough I haven't caught on).
posted by Horace Rumpole at 10:01 AM on August 20, 2012

...getting some recycled parts on the scene, like an animatronic Sex Machine.

Oh, man, it warms the cockles of my heart to know at least one person saw my industrial band play live.

If you're still interested, we're not Animatronic Sex Machine anymore. The new name is Anachronistic Enema Mix, and we've got a split 7" coming out with Hambarson.
posted by griphus at 10:09 AM on August 20, 2012 [2 favorites]

James Brown is dead?!

Doot, doot, doot, doot-doota-doot, doot, doot...
posted by bongo_x at 10:42 AM on August 20, 2012 [10 favorites]

Hey, did you guys hear about that vibrating Harry Potter broom?
posted by crunchland at 10:44 AM on August 20, 2012 [2 favorites]

If you're still interested, we're not Animatronic Sex Machine anymore.

We are on the verge of becoming Kathleen Turner Overdrive, but just for tonight, we are Barry Jive and his Uptown Five.
posted by BeeDo at 10:48 AM on August 20, 2012 [9 favorites]

James Brown is dead?!

He's not dead, he's just pining for the fjords.
posted by tilde at 10:48 AM on August 20, 2012 [2 favorites]

crunchland: "Hey, did you guys hear about that vibrating Harry Potter broom?"

What?? This broom you speak of. It.....vibrates?
posted by lazaruslong at 11:04 AM on August 20, 2012 [3 favorites]

Horace Rumpole: "I was very relieved to discover this post wasn't a deletion complaint (or at least is subtle enough I haven't caught on)."

No, i love deletions for the most part. The mods do a great job with them. I think it's very interesting. As a poster who posts not the best posts sometimes, I am kinda surprised that they have all (as far as I remember) made the cut of excellence.

Out of my 18 posts to the blue, ten of then were on topics i didn't really think MeFi would be interested in but damn it it's my blog too so I'm posting it. Of those, six were posts that probably could have been deleted for being thin, grar-filled attention hoggs. But I'm rather proud of the other eight.

So I don't think that deletions are a bad thing or "omg 100 deletions what a bunch of idiot posters we have here lol," but for me it's more an interest in the inner workings of our antibodies. I rather enjoy r/talesfromtechsupport, BOFH, etc, because it shows the nervous system of the living company. Fascinating, in my opinion.
posted by rebent at 11:05 AM on August 20, 2012

Hey, did you guys hear about that vibrating Harry Potter broom?

So where I work we did a photo shoot for Halloween when those first came out. The kids were shot against a white background and then a composite shot was made of these to look like they were flying through the air. I pointed out how these looked. At first no one could see the problem, then when it was pointed out no one could see them any other way. Looks of pure joy, each costumed kid clutching a little knob popping out from between their legs...it was not a fun day.

The whole photo shoot had to be redone.
posted by cjorgensen at 11:09 AM on August 20, 2012 [7 favorites]

Well, my band is the Eponystericals. Because Will Not Wendell got too many "which of you is Will" questions, some people took the band name Professional White Background as racist, The Schmoopys only got us gigs at children's birthday parties, The Special Snowflakes was too seasonal, Surely This had a trademark conflict with the band Don't Call Me Surely and Plate of Beans nobody could agree on a logo (too many kinds of beans). Still keeping Treaty of Westphalia as backup.
posted by oneswellfoop at 11:37 AM on August 20, 2012 [12 favorites]

I made the mistake of attending a This. show. Three guys in white outfits playing the same note on a moog for an hour.
posted by The Whelk at 11:42 AM on August 20, 2012 [2 favorites]

We should get the band back together, The Deerails combined disco and punk so well.
posted by The Whelk at 11:44 AM on August 20, 2012

Hey, I've wonked on this before, it's someone else's turn to pick up the old shovel.

This British guy is impressed and relieved that you type so accurately.
posted by MuffinMan at 12:10 PM on August 20, 2012 [2 favorites]

I made the mistake of attending a This. show. Three guys in white outfits playing the same note on a moog for an hour.

Stars of the Lid?
posted by shakespeherian at 12:19 PM on August 20, 2012

No, no. Stars of the Lid just hold their EBows for an hour.
posted by mykescipark at 12:45 PM on August 20, 2012

James Brown is dead?!

Also Francisco Franco.
posted by Jahaza at 1:20 PM on August 20, 2012 [1 favorite]

Man he was good in Freaks and Geeks.
posted by villanelles at dawn at 1:41 PM on August 20, 2012 [5 favorites]

Hey, did you guys hear about that vibrating Harry Potter broom?

yaaaaaaaaaaaay !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
posted by sgt.serenity at 1:58 PM on August 20, 2012 [1 favorite]

Top ten deletion dates for Mefi

(number of deletions, date)

9 2012-04-12
9 2012-07-02
10 2002-11-05
10 2002-11-06
10 2006-12-14
10 2011-10-21
11 2005-01-22
11 2012-07-16
12 2006-10-08
13 2009-08-06
posted by Meta Filter at 2:33 PM on August 20, 2012 [4 favorites]

2009-08-06 was the day John Hughes died, if you're wondering.
posted by Meta Filter at 2:39 PM on August 20, 2012

John Hughes is dead?
posted by HuronBob at 3:10 PM on August 20, 2012 [1 favorite]

What is the greatest number of consecutive posts deleted? Has three ever been topped?
posted by davidjmcgee at 3:19 PM on August 20, 2012

davidjmcgee: if four of us band together, We Can Make It Happen

(just kidding)
posted by rebent at 3:28 PM on August 20, 2012 [1 favorite]

April 1, 2013, Portland: The Community Blog "Meta Filter" shut down today as more than 9,000 users simultaneously posted the 6.5-year-old "news" that singer James Brown is dead.
posted by davidjmcgee at 3:33 PM on August 20, 2012 [2 favorites]

Here's the August 09 Deleted Threads blog* (I didn't see a way to link to one day) if you want to see the Great Hughesening. Funny how he's never replaced JB as our metaphor for doubles.

*/pours one out for Puke & Cry
posted by Horace Rumpole at 3:40 PM on August 20, 2012

I read that as John Holmes. Uh...
posted by zoinks at 4:09 PM on August 20, 2012

In honor of our departed friend Puke & Cry, my favorite band name is, was and always will be: Piss on Your Stereo, Couch and Wall.
posted by Divine_Wino at 4:10 PM on August 20, 2012

Also Francisco Franco.

Who?
posted by cjorgensen at 4:41 PM on August 20, 2012

I used to know someone who did just that, Divine_Wino. Also the VCR. I went round and it was outside in the sunshine, and I said "why is the vido player outside?" and they answered "Because Dave* pissed on it last night when he came home pissed. And all over the front room."

This is an interesting Mefi, I am kinda fascinated by Deleted Posts, for some strange reason. I also love reading the Deletion Reasons, which range from the blunt to the funny to the oblique to the whimsical. Thanks Mods, they entertain me and make me laugh.
posted by marienbad at 4:43 PM on August 20, 2012

April 1, 2013, Portland: The Community Blog "Meta Filter" shut down today as more than 9,000 users simultaneously posted the 6.5-year-old "news" that singer James Brown is dead.

If mathowie is reading this thread, I give it a 60-70% likelihood that next year's April Fool's Theme will be something like that.
posted by oneswellfoop at 4:57 PM on August 20, 2012

Matt will likely take 2 weeks off and put us all on hiatus. I predict that things will happen.
posted by arcticseal at 8:42 PM on August 20, 2012

I made the mistake of attending a This. show. Three guys in white outfits playing the same note on a moog for an hour.

These sound very much like my own band, Rick and his Fabulous Wakemen.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 12:53 AM on August 21, 2012

Okay, my MeFi claim to fame gets to be that I posted the John Hughes obit thread that lived! Sweet.
posted by crossoverman at 3:00 AM on August 21, 2012

I'm confused... why is this thread still open?
posted by infini at 3:31 AM on August 21, 2012

Can I just say that I really hope we end up getting a better version of the Saami post? That one was somewhat confused, but there was some good stuff in there, including some of the most measured and contentful discussion of cultural appropriation I've read in many years of reading outrageblogs about cultural appropriation.
posted by Acheman at 3:48 AM on August 21, 2012

Seconding that. There's been apologizing in the recent past in the Finnish press. I have a t-shirt with the changing population over time in the northern counties and only three have not been losing population migrating southwards.
posted by infini at 4:09 AM on August 21, 2012

Who? --- Generalissimo Francisco Franco.
posted by crunchland at 5:59 AM on August 21, 2012

Can I just say that I really hope we end up getting a better version of the Saami post?

Me too! I exchanged some nice mefimail with the poster, sounds like a new post is in the works.
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:13 AM on August 21, 2012

I have a friend who used to have a band called Foghat 3000. They would play nothing but "Slow Ride" for three hours straight.
posted by slogger at 1:30 PM on August 21, 2012