plastic - mefi exchange

July 15, 2002 9:09 PM

Haven't yet registered at that other site? Plastic.com's own Carl Steadman is running a special promotional offer for MeFi addicts: sign up with your MeFi username and receive, for the low-low price of free, 10 karma and 10 mod points.

Now the question remains: What can Matt offer Plastic.com users in return? Perhaps registration itself is enough of an incentive.
posted by nathan_teske to MetaFilter-related at 9:09 PM (49 comments total)

Plastic is rubbish. MetaFilter isn't. Plastic needs members. MetaFilter doesn't. Plastic tries to woo us(ers). MetaFilter treats us like dirt and we're grateful. Plastic wants more members. MetaFilter has trouble dealing with the ones it already has.

If you can imagine Matt hawking MetaFilter to Plastic users, by offering "karma" points (loud guffaw), then you are a very, very, intensely deluded person-man. ;)
posted by MiguelCardoso at 9:23 PM on July 15, 2002

nathan teske- I registered at that other site right around the same time I registered for MeFi. I was modded from "insightful" to "obnoxious" in the space of 15 minutes with out any actual response so screw 'em. When I dicourse I want verbal interaction not the cyber-equivalent of figure skating judges. And for some reason even though I registered at Fark, some browser bug keeps my comments from appearing on the screen, so I quit trying after awhile..I enjoyed Usenet back inna day, but MeFi and it's offshoots are the only web communities I've been succesfully involved with.

I can only conclude that my presence here has been ordained by God. Or Matt. Or whoever the hell controls these things.
posted by jonmc at 9:32 PM on July 15, 2002

Tried it, didn't like it - those who go to the trouble that it takes to gain entry to MeFi are not likely to want to play at plastic.com anyway [/snob filter]

Even if karma and mod points were worth their weight in gold, it still wouldn't be worth it.


Ummm, I guess they probably don't weigh much anyway ;-/
posted by dg at 9:33 PM on July 15, 2002

matt could offer a redirect to the fark url for any registered plastic users that register here.
posted by jcterminal at 9:35 PM on July 15, 2002

I registered with plastic a few months ago, and have yet to feel the desire to participate even slightly.
posted by dong_resin at 9:48 PM on July 15, 2002

Must have been a slow news day.







posted by mischief at 9:52 PM on July 15, 2002

I hope this offer is still valid.
posted by mathowie at 10:13 PM on July 15, 2002

I just went back to check out what the conditions of the offer were and found that I forgot to logout last time I visited there - by being logged in for so long, I was rewarded with karma and mod points. No need to be a traitor to MeFi to get points - just register and wait :-)

I feel sort of dirty now (not nice dirty either)
posted by dg at 10:14 PM on July 15, 2002

welcome, Miguel Cardoso... your karma is 1.

I stupidly clicked on Matt's link and, having registered at Plastic for holgate-reading purposes only, was greeted by the above statement. Having no non-religious notion of what karma is, I suppose 1 is the highest possible plane. [though it could also be the lowest].

Was clicking enough to set those tremendous benefits in motion? Amazing!
posted by MiguelCardoso at 10:21 PM on July 15, 2002

MetaFilet vs. Plastic, Plastic vs. Fark, Fark vs. MetaFilter... Can't we all just get along?!?

I know, let's all go beat up those kuro5hin guys!

On preview: I like "MetaFilet" so I'm leaving it.
posted by homunculus at 11:25 PM on July 15, 2002

Plastic's offer is worth it simply for this quote by Carl Steadman in the comments: "MetaFilter users have been working hard for their karma, too. It's just until now, no one's bothered to send any their way."
posted by rcade at 11:29 PM on July 15, 2002

Uh...I don't want karma; it's bad. As far as I understand it, there is no such thing as "good karma."
posted by Su at 12:17 AM on July 16, 2002

To quote Slashdot: "It's funny. Laugh."
posted by fraying at 12:32 AM on July 16, 2002

Maybe we could have an exchange program like the Soviets used to have with the US. We occassionally send posters over to plastic, while a few of theirs come over here. A cultural exchange program if you will.
posted by drezdn at 12:42 AM on July 16, 2002

I've actually (finally, after being registered there for 18 months) just read up on the way moderation is done at Plastic, and I kinda like it, in principle at least.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 2:09 AM on July 16, 2002

I know, let's all go beat up those kuro5hin guys!
Now that we've officially started the MefiHooligan program, do we get to follow Matt around and beat up anyone who may piss him off? And which women willl be our soccer fans?

Me-fi Me-fi Me-fi Hoy Hoy Hoy!
posted by owillis at 2:22 AM on July 16, 2002

The trouble is that moderation and ratings a la slashcode sounds okay in principle, but it's the practice that always lets it down. See this Design For Community article for a good summary of the problems with it.
posted by kerplunk at 2:52 AM on July 16, 2002

Yeah, but my metafilter username is already a Plastic username. So what now?
posted by Nothing at 3:13 AM on July 16, 2002

"MetaFilter's creator, Matt Haughey, jokes that the site works on a system of "public shaming." And he's right -- make a mistake once and you're unlikely to do it again. Instead of your errant post getting silently filtered away, it's up to the community to reinforce its own norms. It can be a brutal process, but not any more brutal that the accusations of karma whoring on Slashdot, and it comes with much less interface baggage."

That article is very much worth reading, kerplunk. Thanks for the link. Gaming the system, indeed.

Let it be said that I wasn't suggesting comment modding for MeFi. I just thought Carl's implementation at Plastic seemed pretty clever.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 3:24 AM on July 16, 2002

Signed up a few weeks ago, and made my first comment yesterday. Two, actually. But, now that the blue and grey are back, I am feeling no desire whatsoever to return.
posted by adampsyche at 4:10 AM on July 16, 2002

At Plastic:

raaka's member profile
member since: Fri 12 Jan 2001

YCDK's [aka Carl "The Steadman" Steadman] member profile
member since: Thu 18 Jan 2001

I 0wNz3r j00!!!1!
posted by raaka at 6:30 AM on July 16, 2002

Oh wait, Carl's got a bunch of accounts.

carl's member profile
member since: Thu 11 Jan 2001

So, I'll just never the hell mind.
posted by raaka at 6:34 AM on July 16, 2002

Ah never mind. I have no idea who YCDK is.
posted by raaka at 6:42 AM on July 16, 2002

I don't see whats wrong with plastic. It a nice enough site and it could use more participants or perhaps better participants.

Are people actually web branding themselves now? Like "I read Metafilter." Or. "I read Slashdot." Sounds a little too much like the OS wars for comfort.
posted by skallas at 7:11 AM on July 16, 2002

Yeah, someone already has my name.

Heh heh.. you said 'member'.

So, uh, what do I do? What *do* I do?
posted by rich at 7:15 AM on July 16, 2002

drezdn: Maybe we could have an exchange program

Many users have been posting to both Plastic and MeFi for quite a long time. In fact, some submit the same links to both sites fairly regularly.


posted by mischief at 7:31 AM on July 16, 2002

riffola
karma: 1
last visit: now
member since: Fri 9 Feb 2001
posted by riffola at 7:39 AM on July 16, 2002

I visit Plastic every two weeks, at best. I visit MetaFilter evert two hours.

What I enjoy is seeing things discussed here showing up there a couple days later. Nothing like being behind the ol' meme-curve!
posted by jazon at 7:45 AM on July 16, 2002

Hah!

jbou has 300+ karma. I think that says it all.
posted by mkelley at 7:47 AM on July 16, 2002

All those years spent on IRC, the never-ending juvenile rivalries...

I'm thinking channel raid. Who's with me?

ph3@r my m@d $/<i11z---P1@$+ic i 0\/\/N j00!!!!
posted by Sapphireblue at 7:54 AM on July 16, 2002

Sounds like what's needed is a community website softball (or kickball, or soccer) league... Teams for Mefi, Plastic, K5, Slashdot, Fark, etc.... Divisional play-- an NY version, a SF version, etc...
posted by andrewraff at 8:08 AM on July 16, 2002

Jonmc, since your Metafilter user number is 58, you must have registered here in early 1999. Plastic didn't start until January of 2001, if I remember correctly. So how could you have registered for both at about the same time? The committee demands an answer!

(or did you buy your Metafilter ID at auction?)
posted by Mo Nickels at 8:31 AM on July 16, 2002

jonmc is a faker.
posted by Marquis at 8:45 AM on July 16, 2002

I just knew there was something fishy about that guy!
posted by MiguelCardoso at 8:54 AM on July 16, 2002

fishy about that guy

No, these are the fishy guys.
posted by piskycritter at 9:37 AM on July 16, 2002

There's something fishy about Pisky Critter.... (",)




posted by dash_slot- at 10:25 AM on July 16, 2002

Conversation with a Plastic member:

[plastic member]: Well, we have an irc server, what about you guys?
RJReynoldsNYC: Umm, yeah we do! Nyah! I think.
[plastic member]: Also? Carl is better looking than Matt.
RJReynoldsNYC: YOU'RE INSULTING OUR CHIEF FOX MATT?
RJReynoldsNYC: Uh oh. I think the Metatalk tribunal just declared war.
[plastic member]: This is just like one of your stupid Israel/Palestine threads.
RJReynoldsNYC: Ouch. That was low. Truly, the only thing that will settle this is a speedo-clad pose-off between Matt and Carl!
[plastic member]: Click for Hot Steamy pics of Carl!
posted by RJ Reynolds at 10:36 AM on July 16, 2002

Just face it: the karma on the other side is just too obvious. But I've been holding onto my one single point just for the warm, tingling feeling it gives me.
posted by Quixoticlife at 10:56 AM on July 16, 2002

Many users have been posting to both Plastic and MeFi for quite a long time. In fact, some submit the same links to both sites fairly regularly.

Yeah, I know, I have a Plastic account too, But Metafilter and Plastic have such different vibes that it's easy to guess that there might not be much crossover. I hadn't checked Plastic in months, until mefi was being switched over to the new server. Why? Mainly because I don't like how comments are done on plastic, it's to hard to keep up with the discussion.
posted by drezdn at 1:54 PM on July 16, 2002

The committee demands an answer!

jonmc is a faker.

OK, once and for all, here's the story behind the User #, I registered for MeFi back in 1999, made one post that went uncommented on, and perverse weirdo that I am assumed I had done something wrong and lurked for roughly 2 years until I emerged again. So I should say that I registered at Plastic around the same time I began actively participating here at das Filter. What happened at Plastic is still true, though.
posted by jonmc at 6:09 PM on July 16, 2002 [1 favorite]

Having posted to both, and being more or less committed to plastic, I think it's great to have both of them up and active.

The richest thing about the Mefi thread at plastic was the number of FARKers who showed up trying to do their message board equivalent of setting fire to a paper bag of shit on plastic's front door, yelling "FIRE!"



posted by MAYORBOB at 6:12 PM on July 16, 2002

I can't believe I publicly raged on jbou writing like a 15 year old. Honestly, the post they linked in comments came as a surprise to me, i don't even remember writing it.
posted by mathowie at 6:25 PM on July 16, 2002

well, at least you don't hold a grudge.
posted by crunchland at 6:57 PM on July 16, 2002

jbou tried to get SportsFilter involved in this, too.
posted by rcade at 7:42 PM on July 16, 2002

I can't believe I publicly raged on jbou writing like a 15 year old.

Though, if you hadn't, we'd have missed briank's classic follow-up comment and his immortal Morrissey-like line:

I can give you his e-mail address if you change your mind, Marr.

[ posted by briank at 4:40 PM PST on September 21 ] ;)
posted by MiguelCardoso at 8:30 PM on July 16, 2002

For true aficionados: savour it once more, in its original context. :)
posted by MiguelCardoso at 8:37 PM on July 16, 2002

What jct said. Who wants a bunch of plasticites hanging around here, anyway?
posted by Lynsey at 8:54 PM on July 16, 2002

Did someone say Kickball? NY? SF?

Hmm...
posted by anildash at 9:27 PM on July 16, 2002

I can't believe I publicly raged on jbou writing like a 15 year old.

That was less of a 'public rage' and more of a tired stubbing of the foul-smelling cancer stick that is internet slang. Highly understandable!

Though it's a tad bit amusing how long the fellow's dwelled on this. Perhaps Plastic should offer karma to MeFi rejects for engaging in the holistically healthy process of "moving on."
posted by precocious at 10:13 PM on July 16, 2002