Comments on: In the beginning...

In the beginning...

griphus — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 12:08:28 -0800

What are the most frequent first words in an FPP/equivalent across all of MeFi? How about the most frequent first words of comments/answers?

By: cortex

cortex — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 12:10:27 -0800

I'd have to do a bit of scripting to put together an actual answer for this. Is there anything in particular you're thinking it might show, improbably likely phrases or such?

By: griphus

griphus — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 12:11:17 -0800

The genesis was realizing that I'm probably starting off every other comment with the word "also" and I wanted to see what the frequency of that word being the first word of comments generally would be before and after the edit window debut.

By: griphus

griphus — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 12:11:57 -0800

(Obviously, the "after the edit window" part would be done some time in the future.)

By: Curious Artificer

Curious Artificer — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 12:36:07 -0800

By: Grither

Grither — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 12:37:26 -0800

My votes are for:
Metafilter: "SLYT"
Ask.Meta: "SpecialSnowflakefilter:"
MetaTalk: "GRRARAGARHGAHKSGKAJSDG!!!!!!!!!!!!"

By: Slap*Happy

Slap*Happy — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 12:39:21 -0800

1) The
2) A

You're welcome.

By: Foci for Analysis

Foci for Analysis — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 12:39:22 -0800

Probably some stop word, right?

By: beryllium

beryllium — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 12:43:42 -0800

Regrettably, not hwæt.

By: Grither

Grither — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 12:44:01 -0800

Oooh neat, I just saw my edit window disappear before my very eyes!

Which is probably a good thing, since I was thinking about adding some 1's and maybe an eleventy to my string of !'s up above, and I'm pretty sure that wouldn't have counted as a typo.

By: mbrubeck

mbrubeck — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 12:44:09 -0800

Not surprisingly, the top first words of recent AskMe posts (just based on glancing down the front page) are Can, I, How, What, and What's.

By: griphus

griphus — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 12:45:12 -0800

Well, I don't think anyone is surprised that AskMe sounds like a confused drunk around sunrise.

By: Lynsey

Lynsey — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 12:47:08 -0800

"So...."

By: Cranberry

Cranberry — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 12:51:00 -0800

"...long, it's been good to know you". Frequently expressed in initials.

By: nathancaswell

nathancaswell — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 12:51:38 -0800

DTMFA, therapy

By: MCMikeNamara

MCMikeNamara — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 13:00:41 -0800

The genesis was realizing that I'm probably starting off every other comment with the word "also"

I noticed recently that I think I do this too; as if back-to-back-commenting -- or close to it -- is somehow absolutely forgiven by me pointing out that I'm aware of it.

By: MCMikeNamara

MCMikeNamara — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 13:06:00 -0800

Also I wonder how many times people try to come up with a joke example in Metatalk referencing their previous comment but can't come up with one before somebody else comments.

By: yellowbinder

yellowbinder — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 13:06:38 -0800

I do the "also" thing a lot these days. My brain often thinks of something else right away.

By: griphus

griphus — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 13:06:48 -0800

Actually, I'd like to think I don't require forgiveness because of how rarely I start a comment with the word "actually."

By: yellowbinder

yellowbinder — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 13:07:13 -0800

Also I find I comment best in short statements; if I try to express too much I get bogged down in phrasing and half the time abandon the comment altogether.

By: 4ster

4ster — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 13:10:39 -0800

"I"

By: herbplarfegan

herbplarfegan — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 13:14:34 -0800

what

By: Etrigan

Etrigan — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 13:14:36 -0800

Once you get past the first response in an AskMe thread, I'd wager that "Really?" and "Seriously?" are over-represented.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 13:16:40 -0800

"low-carb slow cooker meals"

By: arcticseal

arcticseal — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 13:22:09 -0800

MeTa: "Why...?" followed by GRAR making.

By: phunniemee

phunniemee — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 13:29:27 -0800

"I"

Yup, for me it's almost definitely I. When I'm writing multiple-paragraph comments/answers, I typically cringe at the fact that every paragraph starts with I. Sometimes I try to go back and retweak it so it's not all ME ME ME, but most of the time I just embrace my narcissism.

By: Wordshore

Wordshore — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 14:06:52 -0800

Enough, with, the, Gangnam

By: zarq

zarq — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 17:36:27 -0800

Enough, with, the, Gangnam

Oppan MeFi Style. ♫ MeFi Style. ♫

Sorry.

By: John Cohen

John Cohen — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 17:49:36 -0800

AskMetafilter posts: How, Where, What, Why, Can, I, My, Please, Recommend

By: John Cohen

John Cohen — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 17:51:28 -0800

And for Metafilter FPPs, I'm sure the answer is "The."

By: Joseph Gurl

Joseph Gurl — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 18:07:09 -0800

Im in gangnam right now

By: maryr

maryr — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 20:18:37 -0800

Are you drinking hot coffee?

By: maryr

maryr — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 20:19:04 -0800

(If so, call me, nudge nudge, wink wink, pelvic thrust.)

By: Kadin2048

Kadin2048 — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 22:35:24 -0800

"IANAL, but..."

By: Joseph Gurl

Joseph Gurl — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 23:15:19 -0800

I'm drinking cold coffee, maryr. But a couple hours ago, when you posted, it was hot, hot, hot.

I'm terribly ashamed to admit, however, that I did not drink it in one gulp. My "Gagnam style" is still rudimentary, it would appear.

By: MexicanYenta

MexicanYenta — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 08:57:39 -0800

Taters!

By: Marisa Stole the Precious Thing

Marisa Stole the Precious Thing — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 13:34:45 -0800

Not sure about openers, but way, way too many end with "that is all". What am I, your butler? "That is all"? I know that that's all, because that's where the post ended, isn't it? I'll be talking to my union about this.

By: maryr

maryr — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 08:07:30 -0800

John Hodgman's influence knows no bounds.

By: BlueHorse

BlueHorse — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 16:57:44 -0800

DTMFA, therapy
IANAL

IANAD, ER, CATS!

By: spitefulcrow

spitefulcrow — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 19:37:05 -0800

For posts to the blue I'm going with "The" and some variant of "as previously discussed on MetaFilter...". Also I'd like to see a count of "Previously" links.