MeFi user survey about MeTa topics?

October 8, 2002 9:29 AM

How about a MetaFilter user survey about some of the ideas that have been bandied about in MetaTalk lately: recommending or rating posts, enforced posting delays, giving better posters higher posting frequency, etc.
posted by timeistight to feature requests at 9:29 AM (24 comments total)

Recently Matt wrote:

I suggested the same thing about a month ago. Letting people only post once a week, letting others vote positively on posts they like, then giving people with lots of positive posts the chance to post more often.

The response I got?

"That's unfair"

My impression of the the response to Matt's original comment is very different. Either way, the response of a few of us MetaTalk junkies says very little about the opinion of the active MetaFilter membership. A survey would give much better information.
posted by timeistight at 9:31 AM on October 8, 2002

Sure. Set it up. I'll go take it. But know that unless Matt says otherwise, the results will mean as much as a Florida Election. Just because something is voted on/for doesn't make it policy in MeFi-land.
posted by Ufez Jones at 9:48 AM on October 8, 2002

Thanks Ufez, but I think it would be better if Matt set it up himself. He could put the page on MetaFilter and ask the questions he is interested in.

As you wrote, there's no point getting feedback about proposals that Matt has rejected.
posted by timeistight at 10:02 AM on October 8, 2002

I think it would be better if Matt set it up himself. He could put the page on MetaFilter and ask the questions he is interested in.

If I thought this was a pressing issue, I'd do it.

What was your reason for posting this?
posted by mathowie at 10:17 AM on October 8, 2002

I think only those who can actually donate funds to Matt to help him cover the costs of keeping MeFi operational should get a vote, and the rest of us should just shut the hell up. Myself included, of course. Granted, it's NO FUN to shut up, but the whole "put your money where your mouth is" does have its benefits. After all, isn't that how governments are run today? Corporate funding makes the real decisions. Well actually that's misleading, like saying Matt should only listen to people who buy his attention. That's not quite what I mean.

Matt should only listen to people who care enough about this place to invest a piece of themselves to it, just as he does. If they can't do the blood, sweat & tears thing, then money's a vaguely satisfactory substitute. However, THEN bozos like me would start complaining about Matt selling out, just as people started dissing Harry Knowles at Ain't It Cool News when the establishment actually started paying attention to him, and he to them.

There's just no pleasing some people.
posted by ZachsMind at 10:19 AM on October 8, 2002

There's just no pleasing some people.

If MetaTalk has taught me anything, it's this.
posted by mathowie at 10:40 AM on October 8, 2002

If I thought this was a pressing issue, I'd do it.

What was your reason for posting this?

My reason for posting this was because of your comment that I quoted above. You thought your proposal got a largely negative response; I didn't. Neither of us know what the membership as a whole thinks.

This isn't about a "vote" – just about gathering information. You don't have to share the results with anyone.

Of course, there's no point asking questions about things you've decided not to do or about things that you've decide to do, for that matter. But if you're holding back from instituting some new feature (like post recommendations, or poster rankings) because you're unsure what the membership thinks, why not ask them?
posted by timeistight at 10:47 AM on October 8, 2002

But if you're holding back from instituting some new feature (like post recommendations, or poster rankings) because you're unsure what the membership thinks, why not ask them?

I'm not holding back on new features due to this.

If I had more time to devote to the site (trying frantically to get a new site done and handle several freelance clients), I'd implement some features requested here as well as things no one has suggested yet, but I feel are important.

When I have free time to do them, I'll get them done.
posted by mathowie at 10:51 AM on October 8, 2002

Cool. I look forward to that.
posted by timeistight at 10:54 AM on October 8, 2002

Matt should only listen to people who care enough about this place to invest a piece of themselves to it, just as he does.

Yes, because money is the best measure of commitment.
posted by rushmc at 2:26 PM on October 8, 2002

There's just no pleasing some people.
If MetaTalk has taught me anything, it's this.

I think it would be better if Matt set it up himself. He could put the page on MetaFilter and ask the questions he is interested in.
If I thought this was a pressing issue, I'd do it.


I find it weird that people continue to try to put thoughts into mathowie's head, despite the clear evidence that new features are introduced on a timetable applicable to his priorities (as it should be). Mathowie is always very polite about it, but I would be getting a bit tired of people telling me how the site should be organised, particularly in the area of moderation/posting queues/ratings et al.

Why not accept the site for the great place that it is or, if you feel there is something that absolutely must be added, estimate how much time it would take and then ask mathowie if he would accept a donation at the appropriate rate to implement it? Money may not be the best measure of commitment, but it is a pretty good indicator of how much you want something - if you are not prepared to pay the cost, perhaps it isn't that important after all.
posted by dg at 4:04 PM on October 8, 2002

After posting it, I decided that comment may be a bit snarky - it wasn't meant to be:-)
posted by dg at 4:06 PM on October 8, 2002

Or what dg wrote could instead be:

"estimate how much time it would take and then ask mathowie if he would accept a donation at the appropriate rate to implement it read up on ColdFusion, create the feature, document it, then offer it to him for inclusion within the app"

posted by mathowie at 4:34 PM on October 8, 2002

Well, if you already have all the ideas you need, maybe you shouldn't ask for new ones.
posted by timeistight at 4:36 PM on October 8, 2002

There's just no pleasing some people.

If MetaTalk has taught me anything, it's this.

dg, how's that list of slogans coming along?

posted by Hildago at 4:44 PM on October 8, 2002

*scribbling furiously* - fine, thanks Hildago.
posted by dg at 4:52 PM on October 8, 2002

timeistight, dg went a little overboard in his "jamming thoughts into matt's head" line.

You're right, I frequently request input and opinions on how best to maintain, extend, and manage the site, it's one of the principal reasons I built MetaTalk. I guess if I sound off-putting anywhere in this thread, it's because this thread seems unnecessary to me, as it comes off as a "hey let's figure out what matt should do next for the site by telling him to make a survey and make everyone take it."

For what it's worth, I do like the "recommend this post" ideas and I've thought of novel ways to display the results of voting without adding any new elements to the interface. I'd like to get to them, but I have a full time job and multiple freelance clients on top of it. When I do get to implementing the ideas, I'll watch and see how the community reacts, and tweak accordingly.
posted by mathowie at 5:00 PM on October 8, 2002

I obviously wasn't clear in my proposal. I was suggesting that you could use a survey to ask your questions: the examples I gave were ideas that you had floated.

I certainly wasn't trying to find you more work; I've a pretty good idea how time consuming this site is for you.
posted by timeistight at 5:10 PM on October 8, 2002

Matt: creative commons is a great idea--I've seen the "copyleft" symbol around...are you doing the contributor application? and is it really legal or just a statement?


posted by amberglow at 5:38 PM on October 8, 2002

Thanks timesight my knowlege of future changes has grown. I would have to say I stretched my cash around here so I'm due.
posted by thomcatspike at 5:47 PM on October 8, 2002

Sorry if I went overboard, wasn't meaning to offend anyone.

Creative Commons looks like an incredibly interesting project and I am really jealous that everyone else seems to be having all the fun. Love the site design - very clean and easy on the eye.

thomcatspike - wtf?
posted by dg at 9:36 PM on October 8, 2002

DG, up above some talked about buying Matt's time. And as a user of this site, I'm prabably due for a donation to the site, again. Or are you refering to me thanking timeistight's post because of the informative info of some added features or changes to happen in the future.
PS, how's the list. ;P
posted by thomcatspike at 11:31 AM on October 10, 2002

dg, I'm not being snarkey, as I might have implied, maybe facetious and just following up with U
posted by thomcatspike at 11:39 AM on October 10, 2002

thomcatspike, I read your comment as saying you were due some "future changes" because you paid some cash. My mistake.
posted by dg at 3:14 PM on October 10, 2002