Is MetaFilter better on the weekend?

November 5, 2002 9:14 AM

Is MetaFilter better on the weekend? [more inside]
posted by mcwetboy to MetaFilter-Related at 9:14 AM (29 comments total)

This past weekend I felt that the quality of the posts was pretty good overall, which made me feel good about the site. Then Monday came, and posts reverted to their, um, normal level. (Too lazy to quantify either.) That made me wonder whether posts were regularly better on the weekend.

After the newsfilter incident, some of us noted that the quality of the posts seemed to improve. But that too happened on a weekend: maybe it was that fact, rather than the effect of newsfilter callouts, that was the cause. (Stan Chin also noticed the relative peace of Sundays on MetaFilter.)

If the quality of the site goes up on the weekend, here are some possible reasons why:

• News organizations put out less content on the weekend: fewer newsfilter posts reflect the nature of the news cycle (reporters and columnists who don't work weekends). Feature articles in newspapers' weekend editions make better posts than breaking-news headlines.

• Fewer of us online over the weekend (read: fewer of us surfing from work): fewer posts and more exposure for each post, but a smaller audience. And, for those who are online on weekends, more time to craft a post.

• No company announces products over the weekend: no product announcement posts.

Thoughts?
posted by mcwetboy at 9:17 AM on November 5, 2002

I take full responsibility, since I stayed away from the computer pretty much all weekend.

I'd be willing to do the same this coming weekend for, say, fifty bucks.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 9:22 AM on November 5, 2002

Oh, you were serious.

In that case, my guess would be mostly bullet item 1, with a little bit of 2 thrown in.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 9:23 AM on November 5, 2002

It's less diluted by news/politics on the weekend. The average quality is better, I think, but the highs and lows stay more or less the same.
posted by Fabulon7 at 9:25 AM on November 5, 2002

Fabulon7: I meant average quality throughout, but bollixed that up when writing the post. Sorry.
posted by mcwetboy at 9:29 AM on November 5, 2002

Huh. Mischief must be away from his/her desk. Here, I'll fill in:

Thee's nothing wrong with so-called Newsfilter. the majority of user actually like newsfilter. If anything we should have more Newsfilter. blah blah blah blahblahblah. All done. You can skip this one, M.



posted by PinkStainlessTail at 9:35 AM on November 5, 2002

Well, today there are five links about American politics, and it's only noon where I sit. I realize there is some kind of election going on down there, but still...that does water down the interesting level somewhat, especially for us non-Americans.

posted by Fabulon7 at 9:36 AM on November 5, 2002

Actually, I hate Newfilter posts. I just wanted to steal Mischief's thunder for once.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 9:37 AM on November 5, 2002

OK, time to nick an idea from the French (again)...

Alternate posting days. Those with an even user no. post one day & odd no.s the next.

Ta-daa!
posted by i_cola at 9:42 AM on November 5, 2002

PinkStainlessTail: I got your sarcasm, sorry, preview thing--your comment wasn't there when I was writing mine--it wasn't aimed at you.
posted by Fabulon7 at 9:45 AM on November 5, 2002

I always thought metafilter on the weekend was better because of my own weekend mindset. I am more relaxed and it is more enjoyable to me. Durring the week I get on as a routine regaurdless of what I have to in a day. But on the weekend I only get on if I have practically nothing to do.
posted by Recockulous at 9:50 AM on November 5, 2002

Fewer of us online over the weekend (read: fewer of us surfing from work): fewer posts and more exposure for each post, but a smaller audience. And, for those who are online on weekends, more time to craft a post.

I always thought this was it. Fewer, more thoughtful posts and, especially, comments.
posted by mattpfeff at 10:22 AM on November 5, 2002

I always thought that it was from fewer people surfing at work. Those slack-assed bastards.
damn! did i say that out loud? why is everybody looking at me?
posted by ashbury at 10:36 AM on November 5, 2002

To have a perfect Meta-Filter you would have to know the future to curtail it before it happens. Then knowing the future would leaves nothing new to find. Finds are fun.

So what to do, be patient or lead by example. It's the theme of things in a community, No?

Weekends are better because it is a more relaxed internet all around. Thus the theme of things.

Side Note: I have felt a lot of the FPPs of late have been hastily put together. I sign of the haste is the fact that the theme posts are bunched together. Even if they're not a double post, the similar ideas back up to one another.

It's like all these conjoined twins in the news. Two idividuals with bodies connected but separated by their brains. Yet we view them by their connection.
posted by thomcatspike at 10:44 AM on November 5, 2002

nope, i always think it's worse on weekends. less links with (imho) the same proportion of good to bad.
posted by andrew cooke at 11:22 AM on November 5, 2002

Maybe only the hardcore users are here on weekends, hardcore being someone who isn't here just cuz they are bored at work.

Pinky: I work the graveyard shift and I was sleeping. ;-P

posted by mischief at 11:48 AM on November 5, 2002

IF MeFi is better in the weekend,

THEN a smaller number of users means more quality

CONCLUSION

17,000 users (about 6-7,000 must be active, I guess) is way too many to guarantee quality

SOLUTION

Let's ban a few thousands users.

posted by matteo at 11:51 AM on November 5, 2002

I volunteer to be banned. Then I will start a blogger blog called SUX0RF1LT3R and you will all be very sorry.
posted by Fabulon7 at 12:04 PM on November 5, 2002

matteo: Since Metafilter is better on weekdays, then a larger number of users means more quality. Conclusion: 7000 active users make this place great. Solution: Open the flood gates! ;-P

posted by mischief at 12:37 PM on November 5, 2002

Actually, I think the quality at Metafilter drops sharply after midnight because you're all drunk or hopped up on drugs or something. Even Matt's drunk-posted, as I recall. It was funnnny.

But seriously, all the late night rambling posts? And the "I'm too tired to look up a link for that" posts? Meta drunk tank.
posted by RJ Reynolds at 2:22 PM on November 5, 2002

Meta-Filter: Good to the last drop, for folks whom are in a think drunk tank.
posted by thomcatspike at 2:58 PM on November 5, 2002

I find the best day for MeFi is (my) Monday, being Sunday in the free world. I suspect that this is because many users access the site from work only, having real and exciting lives on the weekend. I don't think that the average quality is any better or worse, just that there is less chaff to sort through to find the wheat. The pace is not so frantic and there is time to take in the smaller number of threads and comments in the small bites that at-work surfing requires.

Perhaps it seems better because all the highest quality users are on a similar time/day cycle to me? Besides, I always assumed that all users at MeFi were drunk, as that is the only logical explanation.
posted by dg at 4:15 PM on November 5, 2002

The best besides weekends is when I'm on my early shift. Nothing like a nice cup of joe and some good posts to begin the day especially on Fridays at sunrise. Then my Monday will be early too and Meta-Talk fills in any drama missing from my weekend.

Meta-Talks and a cup of joe in the early mornings = coffee splatters all over my keys and screen for me.
posted by thomcatspike at 4:54 PM on November 5, 2002

I've always assumed that the improved quantity and quality of weekend posts reflected the fact that the at-work posters were much fewer in number.

So let's ban posting from work!
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 4:59 PM on November 5, 2002

So let's ban posting from work

Then what will we do all day?
posted by dg at 5:51 PM on November 5, 2002

I'm a student with no job other than the at home farm scene, so since I cant post while I shovel manure I am curious as to how much work gets done while logged into metafilter. I know that in my own free time I have trouble multi-tasking on the computer if I am participating here. And how can I go about getting one of these jobs that allows a person so much mefi time?
posted by Recockulous at 5:59 PM on November 5, 2002

You're shoveling it there and we're shoveling it here--at least there's that in common.
posted by y2karl at 9:32 PM on November 5, 2002

metafilter - shovels not supplied.
posted by johnnyboy at 3:50 AM on November 6, 2002

well its obvious -
on weekends, lonely metafilter geeks with nothing better to do with their lives craft lovingly thought through responses to each in other in the vain hope of finding a friend.
on weekdays caffeine frenzied zombies, pissed off with dead end jobs, bitching spouses and the thought of making mortgage payments for the next 20 years, vent their frustrations on meek weekend users in the vain hope of winning back some self respect.
posted by carfilhiot at 6:19 AM on November 6, 2002