Thread closure timeliness November 4, 2002 8:43 AM Subscribe
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I've asked that same thing and I will always remember mathowie writing that Metafilter is like short attention span theater. I thought that a very clever way to put it.
posted by Wulfgar! at 9:03 AM on November 4, 2002
posted by Wulfgar! at 9:03 AM on November 4, 2002
I believe that stinglessbee is suggesting a change in that policy, riffloa.
posted by gleuschk at 10:06 AM on November 4, 2002
posted by gleuschk at 10:06 AM on November 4, 2002
I'd just like to say how nice a world this would be if we had stingless bees. It certainly would make running barefoot on the beach a lot more carefree. Someone get Genentech on the phone.
posted by Kafkaesque at 10:16 AM on November 4, 2002
posted by Kafkaesque at 10:16 AM on November 4, 2002
I wonder if anyone has thought of a secondary forum website on which to further carry on conversations about MeFi posts? I know there are sites out there "based" on MeFi (like webmutant's Remixed site). But nothing to extend comment range.
I think anything like this would require Matt's consent and input, so I'm not proposing this now. But sometimes I think it would be interesting to see what MetaFilter would look like structured as a Delphi forum, the main differences being:
1. Threads never expire.
2. An old thread can be "bumped" back up to the front when someone revives it with a comment or new info.
3. Because posts/comment threads do not expire, all threads/posts about a particular subject can be consolidated into one: For example, "The Sniper Thread"...
It's interesting to think about. I guess it would be a new "FilterFilter," like Remixed.
Wonder if, when he created MeFi, Matt ever imagined MeFi spawning children?
posted by Shane at 10:17 AM on November 4, 2002
I think anything like this would require Matt's consent and input, so I'm not proposing this now. But sometimes I think it would be interesting to see what MetaFilter would look like structured as a Delphi forum, the main differences being:
1. Threads never expire.
2. An old thread can be "bumped" back up to the front when someone revives it with a comment or new info.
3. Because posts/comment threads do not expire, all threads/posts about a particular subject can be consolidated into one: For example, "The Sniper Thread"...
It's interesting to think about. I guess it would be a new "FilterFilter," like Remixed.
Wonder if, when he created MeFi, Matt ever imagined MeFi spawning children?
posted by Shane at 10:17 AM on November 4, 2002
I'm not asking for ponies, just wondering if there are ways to keep a discussion going for four weeks instead of four days, and whether that's even desirable.
What's wrong with e-mail?
posted by oissubke at 10:19 AM on November 4, 2002
What's wrong with e-mail?
posted by oissubke at 10:19 AM on November 4, 2002
I wonder if anyone has thought of a secondary forum website on which to further carry on conversations about MeFi posts?
Matt has incorporated the trackback function on Moveable Type into Mefi, which works quite well. The drawback, of course, is that if you don't have MT you can't post the fact that you have commented on your own blog and are trying to continue the discussion. Unless somebody else with MT posts a trackback, you're SOL.
posted by ashbury at 10:38 AM on November 4, 2002
Matt has incorporated the trackback function on Moveable Type into Mefi, which works quite well. The drawback, of course, is that if you don't have MT you can't post the fact that you have commented on your own blog and are trying to continue the discussion. Unless somebody else with MT posts a trackback, you're SOL.
posted by ashbury at 10:38 AM on November 4, 2002
wondering if there are ways to keep a discussion going for four weeks
As has been quoted at me more times than I can count (and not that I agree with it), but:
Metafilter is NOT a discussion site!
You're welcome. ;-P
posted by mischief at 10:42 AM on November 4, 2002
As has been quoted at me more times than I can count (and not that I agree with it), but:
Metafilter is NOT a discussion site!
You're welcome. ;-P
posted by mischief at 10:42 AM on November 4, 2002
The drawback, of course, is that if you don't have MT you can't post the fact that you have commented on your own blog and are trying to continue the discussion.
MovableType's Trackback feature is available as a standalone application. So you don't need to be running MT.
posted by jpoulos at 11:00 AM on November 4, 2002
MovableType's Trackback feature is available as a standalone application. So you don't need to be running MT.
posted by jpoulos at 11:00 AM on November 4, 2002
Brief restatement: how can we encourage ongoing thread-based contributions of interesting new material, such as links and well informed perspective? Contrast this with its corollary and its evil twin, the MeTa classics [what makes a good post] and [this is bad, make it go away].
(snappy rejoinders follow)
~Thanks Wulfgar! I guessed this had been covered in some way before.
~riffola & gleuschk, I'm wondering why threads die with 90% of their lifespan ahead of them. Some deserve it (indeed I'm pro-choice on thread abortion), many don't, yet most suffer the same fate.
~Kafkaesque, they're out there! Found on five continents, stingless bees are the cute cousins of the honey bees we all know.
~Shane, check out the magazine proposal threads.
~oissubke, email is great, but it's private: I'm talking about the public forum.
~mischief, of course you're right: I carelessly used "discussion" (as in board) as a synonym of "conversation" (as in weblog). Apologies.
posted by stinglessbee at 11:27 AM on November 4, 2002
(snappy rejoinders follow)
~Thanks Wulfgar! I guessed this had been covered in some way before.
~riffola & gleuschk, I'm wondering why threads die with 90% of their lifespan ahead of them. Some deserve it (indeed I'm pro-choice on thread abortion), many don't, yet most suffer the same fate.
~Kafkaesque, they're out there! Found on five continents, stingless bees are the cute cousins of the honey bees we all know.
~Shane, check out the magazine proposal threads.
~oissubke, email is great, but it's private: I'm talking about the public forum.
~mischief, of course you're right: I carelessly used "discussion" (as in board) as a synonym of "conversation" (as in weblog). Apologies.
posted by stinglessbee at 11:27 AM on November 4, 2002
I agree with you stinglessbee. But how to accomplish a slowdown, wait for: holidays, vacation time and summer. The only patterns I've seen of slowness in Meta. Also has anyone notice the themed posts, one topic discussed then a similar one, and so forth...
posted by thomcatspike at 11:45 AM on November 4, 2002
posted by thomcatspike at 11:45 AM on November 4, 2002
1. Threads never expire.
This is how MeFi used to be.
2. An old thread can be "bumped" back up to the front when someone revives it with a comment or new info.
This is how MeFi used to be if you selected 'sort by recent comments'.
3. Because posts/comment threads do not expire, all threads/posts about a particular subject can be consolidated into one: For example, "The Sniper Thread"...
This is how MeFi never used to be, even when it was perfectly possible for people to do so. This and this is what happened instead.
posted by rory at 11:47 AM on November 4, 2002
This is how MeFi used to be.
2. An old thread can be "bumped" back up to the front when someone revives it with a comment or new info.
This is how MeFi used to be if you selected 'sort by recent comments'.
3. Because posts/comment threads do not expire, all threads/posts about a particular subject can be consolidated into one: For example, "The Sniper Thread"...
This is how MeFi never used to be, even when it was perfectly possible for people to do so. This and this is what happened instead.
posted by rory at 11:47 AM on November 4, 2002
"I'm wondering why threads die with 90% of their lifespan ahead of them."
Okay...... Hold it right there.
This is wrong. You want Metafilter to be Usenet. You want Metafilter to be a topic based discussion site. Please stop wanting that. Ick.
Threads here die with 0% of their lifespan ahead of them. This is why they die. People move on to something else. If you want an extended topic based discussion then go to a site that does that.
I understand that you don't like the "sound bite" nature of the discussions here, but that's what we do. Welcome to Metafilter. We do links here, not extended roundtable panels. Please speak in short sentences and bone up on all the "in" jokes.
posted by y6y6y6 at 12:35 PM on November 4, 2002
Okay...... Hold it right there.
This is wrong. You want Metafilter to be Usenet. You want Metafilter to be a topic based discussion site. Please stop wanting that. Ick.
Threads here die with 0% of their lifespan ahead of them. This is why they die. People move on to something else. If you want an extended topic based discussion then go to a site that does that.
I understand that you don't like the "sound bite" nature of the discussions here, but that's what we do. Welcome to Metafilter. We do links here, not extended roundtable panels. Please speak in short sentences and bone up on all the "in" jokes.
posted by y6y6y6 at 12:35 PM on November 4, 2002
In fact, threads die a slow enough death as it is. Even great discussions peter out after a day or two - which is as it should be. That's why it's billed as a conversation. That's how conversations happen in real life - in a real life with different timezones, of course. ;)
*Dantesque visions of everlasting threads: God; I/P;Bush; New Apple products; Chomsky (hey, wait a minute, it's been a long time since...)*
posted by MiguelCardoso at 12:56 PM on November 4, 2002
*Dantesque visions of everlasting threads: God; I/P;Bush; New Apple products; Chomsky (hey, wait a minute, it's been a long time since...)*
posted by MiguelCardoso at 12:56 PM on November 4, 2002
Please speak in short sentences and bone up on all the "in" jokes.
Can we put that on the guidelines page?
posted by timeistight at 1:31 PM on November 4, 2002
Can we put that on the guidelines page?
posted by timeistight at 1:31 PM on November 4, 2002
Threads are closed after 30 days not 3 days.
I believe stinglessbee is aware of this, but is pointing out that posts are often bumped off the front page after three days, effectively cutting off discussion. Which may or may not be a bad thing.
posted by hyperizer at 2:16 PM on November 4, 2002
I believe stinglessbee is aware of this, but is pointing out that posts are often bumped off the front page after three days, effectively cutting off discussion. Which may or may not be a bad thing.
posted by hyperizer at 2:16 PM on November 4, 2002
If some people want to continue a discussion on a thread that is older than three or four days they can continue to do so. The frontpage can display threads from more than three days too, else you can click through the archive for that month. You can pick "recent comments" from the drop down list to see which old threads are still active, or just select "my comments" to access threads you've commented on, sorted by activity of course.
There have been many threads that have had a decent discussion a few days in. There are many that die after the first twenty minutes. It all depends on the thread. The current 30 day archival system is just right. It allows anyone who doesn't log in often to add their thoughts to slightly old threads, and any active conversation enough time to die down.
posted by riffola at 2:56 PM on November 4, 2002
There have been many threads that have had a decent discussion a few days in. There are many that die after the first twenty minutes. It all depends on the thread. The current 30 day archival system is just right. It allows anyone who doesn't log in often to add their thoughts to slightly old threads, and any active conversation enough time to die down.
posted by riffola at 2:56 PM on November 4, 2002
It's nice to know that a discussion ends so I don't have to stop by to see if anyone has said anything further.
Rather than a 30 day expiry though, I'd like that threads require a post in the last 3 days to stay open, so that long discussions can stay open when there's need.
posted by holloway at 4:36 PM on November 4, 2002
Rather than a 30 day expiry though, I'd like that threads require a post in the last 3 days to stay open, so that long discussions can stay open when there's need.
posted by holloway at 4:36 PM on November 4, 2002
(failing to keep this to sound bites, trying to stop wanting Metafilter to be Usenet)
Miguel makes a reasonable comment on the ephemeral nature of conversation, though I think that agreeing the blue is a chat room is a bit of a rhetorical stretch. The impression I get is that people (stop commenting on/never even see) a worthy link because it falls off the front page radar so quickly, not because it's lost all interest five days later. Maybe that's a good de facto time-limit, though I'm not sure it's good that it gets that way from the sheer mass of posts. The 20 comment limit on "recent comments" effectively leaves it as an abridged and reordered version of the front page that often misses great links due to the disconnect between post quality and comment quantity.
Oh, and let me get this straight... these pancakes, they vibrate?!
On preview, great idea holloway.
posted by stinglessbee at 4:39 PM on November 4, 2002
Miguel makes a reasonable comment on the ephemeral nature of conversation, though I think that agreeing the blue is a chat room is a bit of a rhetorical stretch. The impression I get is that people (stop commenting on/never even see) a worthy link because it falls off the front page radar so quickly, not because it's lost all interest five days later. Maybe that's a good de facto time-limit, though I'm not sure it's good that it gets that way from the sheer mass of posts. The 20 comment limit on "recent comments" effectively leaves it as an abridged and reordered version of the front page that often misses great links due to the disconnect between post quality and comment quantity.
Oh, and let me get this straight... these pancakes, they vibrate?!
On preview, great idea holloway.
posted by stinglessbee at 4:39 PM on November 4, 2002
Matt mainly made the change because of the stress on the server. Loading pages - particularly some of the cult pages starting having more impact than it was worth. Plus the cult people upon learning that they were killing the server took most of it off-site anyway.
I've tracked a few threads a week or more after they've scrolled off the front page. If it's interesting I'll stick with it. Most of them die before they even archive off though.
MeFi is all about the next new thing. Nothing wrong with that.
posted by willnot at 5:04 PM on November 4, 2002
I've tracked a few threads a week or more after they've scrolled off the front page. If it's interesting I'll stick with it. Most of them die before they even archive off though.
MeFi is all about the next new thing. Nothing wrong with that.
posted by willnot at 5:04 PM on November 4, 2002
Sneaky: If you don't comment a lot, you also can drop an innocent and sincere "Good thread" marker into the threads you're interested in and then summon them up via "My comments". ;)
posted by Carlos Quevedo at 5:10 PM on November 4, 2002
posted by Carlos Quevedo at 5:10 PM on November 4, 2002
It would be nice if the page with all your posts on it could be sorted by threads with new comments. Or something. Matt, figure out what I mean and do it!
posted by Hildago at 6:25 PM on November 4, 2002
posted by Hildago at 6:25 PM on November 4, 2002
"Oh, and let me get this straight... these pancakes, they vibrate?!"
See? It's easy. You rock. And what willnot said. Love Metafilter for what it is. There are plenty of things it isn't. Right?
[or whatever - I'm just a drunk asshole]
posted by y6y6y6 at 8:20 PM on November 4, 2002
See? It's easy. You rock. And what willnot said. Love Metafilter for what it is. There are plenty of things it isn't. Right?
[or whatever - I'm just a drunk asshole]
posted by y6y6y6 at 8:20 PM on November 4, 2002
MetaFilter: I'm just a drunk asshole.
...one of my favorites so far.
posted by Shane at 8:28 AM on November 5, 2002
...one of my favorites so far.
posted by Shane at 8:28 AM on November 5, 2002
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posted by stinglessbee at 8:47 AM on November 4, 2002