No more PR I/P threads!

June 11, 2002 8:22 AM

is it possible that postroad could maybe not post a palestine thread once every couple of days or so? i realize that the odd controversial topic not directly related to israel and palestine is occasionally thrown in, but really.
posted by moz to etiquette/policy at 8:22 AM (16 comments total)

maybe i'm just being a big crank, but i think this is getting ridiculous.
posted by moz at 8:23 AM on June 11, 2002

I suspect the latest one won't have very long legs, metaphorically speaking.
posted by ljromanoff at 8:32 AM on June 11, 2002

Preface: people can do what they want, and I'm hardly qualified to be any sort of cop at all virtual or otherwise. But, what was the consensus on the whole "newsfilter" thing? I hate cnn and/or yahoo news links.

(Let's call "obitfilter" a stripe of a different color. At least there, someone has to die for each offense.)


posted by Wood at 8:34 AM on June 11, 2002

I don't mind links that are newsfilterish, generally, but I do think CNN/yahoo links are taking the easy road. Why not post links to analysis, insight, etc. that don't show up in headlines. Then we have something to debate, instead of argue whether or not the poster is a troll.
posted by PrinceValium at 8:38 AM on June 11, 2002

But, what was the consensus on the whole "newsfilter" thing? I hate cnn and/or yahoo news links.

I could do without the NYT links, mainly because I'm too lazy to get a username. Of course, the so-called "newsfilter" links aren't really "news" - people don't post them to inform but to support their own agendas. Which is fine if you're in the mood for a textual shouting match I suppose.
posted by ljromanoff at 8:39 AM on June 11, 2002

i think i personally resent that postroad is turning metafilter into his I/P laboratory. i appreciate the value of posting a topic that is near and dear to your heart, but a little diversity hurt no one. if postroad really just has to see all of these topics posted somewhere, he can do so on his own weblog.
posted by moz at 8:39 AM on June 11, 2002

I personally enjoy (or rather, have enjoyed some of) the I/P threads, but I agree with Moz that Postroad (one of my favorite posters) has done a little too much lately. I would say that at this stage in the conflict, with everyone on this board pretty much having their say for the past 8 months, it's time to wait for something truly new, interesting, or unique to discuss. Otherwise it's just SOS
posted by cell divide at 8:54 AM on June 11, 2002

I agree completely with moz. Postroad has his own site where he can talk all he wants about Israel/Palestine. He has created for himself a decidedly one dimensional MeFi persona...
posted by insomnyuk at 9:09 AM on June 11, 2002

I agree...I don't mind discussing the Israel/Palestine thing if it's something new...but these days, if one gets posted, it's almost a given that Postroad has been the one to put it up...and it will always be pro-Israel, pro-settlement, anti-Palestine...and an invitation to start a flame war. It's just gotten tired...imho. I generally skip any I/P thread that he's started just to avoid the inevitable fight.
posted by dejah420 at 9:27 AM on June 11, 2002

I don't mind discussing the Israel/Palestine thing if it's something new...but these days, if one gets posted, it's almost a given that Postroad has been the one to put it up...

And his domination of this topic probably stops other people from posting more interesting I/P links, since there's always a fairly dull Postroad Middle East post on the front page. Two Palestinian poll posts in 6 days?

Hey, Postroad, why not keep it to something like, say, one I/P post a week? That'd give you time to find more interesting links and maybe even combine a few into a longer post that actually raises a new question. Just a suggestion, honest; I know you'll wind up doing whatever you want but please at least think about a more thoughtful and less frequent approach.
posted by mediareport at 12:43 PM on June 11, 2002

I honestly don't think Postroad reads MetaTalk.

Ever.

In a change, his address is now visible in his profile.
posted by NortonDC at 1:03 PM on June 11, 2002

My pledge: no more posts of any kind dealing with I/P issue....we see things not as they are but as we are.

This was posted by Postroad at 9:37 AM PST on June 11. So I guess he doesn't need(or just pretends not) to read MetaTalk. I enjoy most of his posts and the resulting threads but I agree they would benefit from a bit more background.

It is an important issue though and, as rushmc recently said, I feel it's not really up to those who aren't interested to call for moratoria, when enough people are interested enough to comment in them, however passionately and uselessly.

So I for one, fwiw, hope Postroad reconsiders his pledge.
posted by MiguelCardoso at 2:08 PM on June 11, 2002

I for one, fwiw, hope Postroad reconsiders his pledge.


His pledge is an overreaction; there's an easy middle ground between posting a Middle East link every 2 days and a total self-ban. He knows that.
posted by mediareport at 3:07 PM on June 11, 2002

I stopped looking at I/P threads unless they really caught my attention quite a while back.. If Postroad's links are non-interesting, ignore them and don't bother to comment. If you have an link you find interesting and believe would be informative/covers something not already covered to death, feel free to post it..

I also wonder if Postroad looks at metatalk, sez in his profile 0 links/comments..
posted by Mossy at 4:12 PM on June 11, 2002

Good riddance.
posted by donkeyschlong at 3:24 AM on June 12, 2002

as rushmc recently said, I feel it's not really up to those who aren't interested to call for moratoria

Agree.
posted by semmi at 9:55 PM on June 13, 2002