we rehash the same things over and over and over and...

August 30, 2002 8:44 AM

One annoying feature of Meta: we rehash the same things over and over and over and...well, you get the point. And we say essentially the same things. Here's the idea: a Meta sidebar that includes common topics, with links to where they've been discussed. There aren't that many, and it would prevent this kind of post unless we come to some new situation where it's really needed.
posted by frykitty to feature requests at 8:44 AM (15 comments total)

On second look, that may not be the best example; it's only been discussed a few times, and I think many of those discussions occurred within threads rather than being the thread topic itself.

In any case, I'll have to hope you get my drift.

Such a sidebar could also be a valuable resource when assessing the ongoing needs of the site. As in: maybe we didn't need foo then, but we sure need it now.
posted by frykitty at 8:56 AM on August 30, 2002

Excellent idea. There needs to be a "metablog" for MetaTalk, because the same damn ideas keep popping up. There are probably 5-10 things that have been brought up at least thrice.
posted by cell divide at 9:04 AM on August 30, 2002

Yes, frykitty, rich's post is actually innovative but your point stands. It would save a lot of trouble and repetition as it's difficult to single out the search items for an efficient MeTa search.

You made me wonder why there isn't really the "double post" culture on MeTa as there is over on the blue.
posted by MiguelCardoso at 9:05 AM on August 30, 2002

Miguel - I've wondered that myself for a while now.
posted by willnot at 10:28 AM on August 30, 2002

All Matt needs to do add to the category list. How about:

Hey. What are all these boxes/question marks in my post?

New users: threat or menace?

What's so bad about NewsFilter anyway?

Why is everybody pickin' on me?

posted by timeistight at 10:47 AM on August 30, 2002

It's ok, frykitty.. I know you just wanted to beat up on me.. the whole '4 digit' having 3 digit envy thing.

The only problem would be having the classification system, though.. are people going to be trusted to put it in the right catergory? And what about new categories?

It may be more of a management issue for Matt than he'd like to take on..

Wow.. Miguel called me innovative. (blush)
posted by rich at 12:50 PM on August 30, 2002

If we do it for MeTa, can we do it for MeFi proper as well?
posted by anildash at 1:42 PM on August 30, 2002

(We = Matt, of course.)
posted by anildash at 1:42 PM on August 30, 2002

timeistight, you forgot my favorite categories:

Everyone else here is noble and intelligent, but THIS GUY SUCKS!

Liberals Rule! dontcha think?

Can you all please pay attention to me now?

The elitist A-list cabal, why they don't exist but we hate them anyway.

Fat, fate or lazy?

Spelling, compass of moral character...

It seems to me that far too often we end up rehashing the same topics over and over, that don't have anything to do with the real MetaTalk posted topic. There's few of the repeated posts that couldn't be covered by a well announced FAQ. The real hash-it-out topics tend to occur inside the threads, and beneath the surface.

posted by Wulfgar! at 2:13 PM on August 30, 2002

You made me wonder why there isn't really the "double post" culture on MeTa as there is over on the blue.

*already terrified of the double-posting police on the blue page, cries*
posted by redshoes3 at 4:05 PM on August 30, 2002

MetaMetaTalk: for those etiquette issues about the etiquette page....
posted by redshoes3 at 4:05 PM on August 30, 2002

redshoes3...

(best Pinhead voice) We have such sights to show you! (/voice)
posted by Wulfgar! at 4:07 PM on August 30, 2002

Believe me, I've seen some of them, yet I went ahead and paid the $5 anyway....
posted by redshoes3 at 4:14 PM on August 30, 2002

as an aside: Whats really awful is that I have the Clive Barker "Pinhead" voice.
posted by Wulfgar! at 4:18 PM on August 30, 2002

Matt, can we have voice-enabled chat, after the ponies?
posted by redshoes3 at 4:44 PM on August 30, 2002