what's "MetaFilter Matt" doing making ponies for Boing Boing

April 9, 2004 9:44 PM

I don't mean to be prick (okay, maybe, but a funny one), but what's "MetaFilter Matt" doing making ponies for Boing Boing, when we have a million things for him to do here?
posted by wendell to MetaFilter-Related at 9:44 PM (48 comments total)

I don't see a fucking wedding ring on your hand, mister man. Matt is free to see who he pleases.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 10:05 PM on April 9, 2004

Inter-Blog Politics and Diplomacy.
posted by anathema at 10:06 PM on April 9, 2004

...
posted by PrinceValium at 10:07 PM on April 9, 2004

Hey Wendell, I notice you've not posted an FPP every single day. What are you doing having other interests when you should be being a good MeFi user and fulfilling your duties to the community?
posted by Space Coyote at 10:13 PM on April 9, 2004

If it's better CSS compliance or Safari compatibility, then he probably just passed along a pony he made for us long ago.
posted by scarabic at 10:13 PM on April 9, 2004

I think in return we should use the defunct "general weblog-related" MetaTalk category to replace Boing Boing's missing QuickTopic threads.
posted by nicwolff at 10:18 PM on April 9, 2004

I think it's important we had this discussion.
posted by The God Complex at 10:38 PM on April 9, 2004

he probably just passed along a pony he made for us long ago.

Used ponies? Yuck.
posted by anastasiav at 10:44 PM on April 9, 2004

wendell, you prick.
posted by ashbury at 10:54 PM on April 9, 2004

Used ponies? Yuck.
Depends what they've been used for, I guess.
posted by dg at 10:55 PM on April 9, 2004

Get a job.
posted by crunchburger at 11:08 PM on April 9, 2004

How sharper than a serpent's tooth....
posted by taz at 12:05 AM on April 10, 2004

Hey, MetaFilter Matt, if you're looking for a new side project, I'd love it if you'd cook dinner for me. I hear you're a pretty kickin' cook. Oh, and my place could use some cleaning too. Whaddya say? Don't worry, I'll cover for you with wendell.
posted by epimorph at 12:12 AM on April 10, 2004

I told Cory last year I'd redo BoingBoing's awful layout if he ever wanted the help. When they moved over to a new server running MT, he mentioned that it'd be great if I gave it a go. That was about a month ago, and the other night I took a couple hours to hammer out a CSS layout for the site and then spent about 10 minutes fixing it today, that's all.

I'm going to go to sleep soon. Then tomorrow I have to do a crapload of work to get stuff ready for taxes. I think I'll have a bbq Saturday night with some friends, then more sleep. Sunday, I'm working on some leftover work projects from the week, and I'm starting a new side writing project, then sleep again, and Monday I'm back to work.

Any other questions Wendell? I'd be happy to maybe start a public iCal page if that'd help you cope.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 12:34 AM on April 10, 2004

It would take WAY too much of your time to start an iCal page. Just keep working on adding that voting system we agreed on.

(whip crack)
posted by Hildago at 1:45 AM on April 10, 2004

Well, as far as I can see, the pony ain't running anyway. There's he-yooge amounts of white space, and just one item on the bOIng bOIng front page.

Hmmm....
posted by dash_slot- at 2:25 AM on April 10, 2004

*pokes Wendell* Dude remember you said you'd ask him for his credit-card numbers, too? C'mon, don't pussy out on us when we've got him where we want him . . .
posted by Ryvar at 3:12 AM on April 10, 2004

What in the hell is Wendell doing looking at that slut, Boing Boing, anyway?!
posted by crunchland at 5:09 AM on April 10, 2004

I think sometimes people forget that matt is a real dude.

and by dude, I mean he goes muddin' on weekends.
posted by mcsweetie at 5:31 AM on April 10, 2004

stfu.
yes.
stfu.
seriously.
wend.
stfu.
posted by fishfucker at 6:16 AM on April 10, 2004

Refreshing has made the white space disappear!! yippeeeee!
posted by dash_slot- at 6:19 AM on April 10, 2004

Boy, I got out of your cult just in time.
*wipes brow*
posted by languagehat at 7:10 AM on April 10, 2004

ok, i don't agree with wendell's comment either, but it strikes me that there is also some benefit to matt in having "us" around. metafilter has made him fairly well known in the kind of circles that are likely to get him work and - more importantly - involved in interesting projects. it's not a one way street - so it's not completely unreasonable for wendell to expect something from matt (what, exactly, i don't know - maybe nothing more than that the place remains open (and i don't understand how the bandwidth gets paid for)). i have no exact moral calculus that tells me what the balance should be - only the claim that there is a balance; it's not pure charity on matt's part.

i've never noticed anyone make this point. maybe it's just generally assumed.

to rebalance my karma a little, i suspect there's also an annoying amount of drudge work in just keeping the place going, deleting stupid posts etc that i personally would hate to do. and despite finding this place annoying at times, it's one of the best places i've found on the net (so thanks, matt).

was that too pompous? sorry.
posted by andrew cooke at 7:33 AM on April 10, 2004

hmmph. maybe the feebs will get an anonymous tip and do some digging on some family property. that'll teach mister fancy-pants to pour the syrup of intellectual output onto some other site's pancakes. we ownz u. bitch.
posted by bargle at 9:21 AM on April 10, 2004

I don't think Matt owes us anything. If he's dedicated to this project, it's for his own reasons, not because it garners him resume points. He obviously gets something out of doing MetaFilter, otherwise he'd stop, but I suspect that "something" is more along the lines of the pride or satisfaction of creating something cool that other people will use and enjoy and perhaps even learn from.
posted by scarabic at 9:22 AM on April 10, 2004

you don't have to use the word "owes". just think of it as mutual pleasure -- matt gets something from this and so do the rest of us. either side can make requests - matt can ask us to shut up, post better links, whatever, while we can ask for ponies.

i'm arguing against the attitude "don't ask or say anything critical of matt because he's suffering for us" (which i admit is something of a charicature ), not that matt is under any moral obligation to do anything in particular.
posted by andrew cooke at 9:31 AM on April 10, 2004

rats. caricature.
posted by andrew cooke at 9:32 AM on April 10, 2004

Andrew, I hear what you're saying but really, spending a couple hours on boingboing's CSS is like helping my neighbor jump his car and get it started. That doesn't mean I ignore my own car, I just helped a friend out in need on night.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 11:04 AM on April 10, 2004

sure, i didn't agree with wendell's point, either (as i said, first sentence).
posted by andrew cooke at 11:14 AM on April 10, 2004

damn liberal commies. If people are giving away CSS help, how are we supposed to charge for it? mathowie, where would AAA be if you jumped everybody's car?
posted by namespan at 11:41 AM on April 10, 2004

I'm sorry, Matt. I must have dropped my [just kidding] tags; it was supposed to be an ironic observation of the high number of feature requests you've been receiving lately (which, if you'll check my posting history, I haven't been joining in on, although I think categorizing front-page posts would have a potentially positive effect...)

I obviously had a bad few hours last night (I'm not terribly proud of my last post on the blue either), and let me just declare emphatically that it was NOT caused by alcohol or non-prescription drugs... dammit.

I will now put the following quote on my user page:
"50% of what I say is totally frivolous, but that's just to get you to pay attention to the other 50%"
posted by wendell at 12:20 PM on April 10, 2004

I'm sorry, Matt. I must have dropped my [just kidding] tags; it was supposed to be an ironic observation of the high number of feature requests you've been receiving lately

You should resist the temptation to do these sorts of things because they rarely turn out well. Just the other day I almost started a metatalk linking to the "interesting organisms" thread where every mentioned they thought it said orgasm. Then I was going to link to another post wherein the same sexualization of not sexual words existed. Then I was going to say this:

It's well known around the blogging community that Metafilter boasts an overt sexuality amongst its members, even more prevalent than fark and leagues ahead of boing boing. Is it generally acceptable for members to post after they've gone a few rounds, or perhaps while they are going a few rounds? How honest are people about it?
Do you do it with european or american sensibilities--that is, how puritan are you?

I considered it for a few seconds and weighed the benefits (negligible) vs. the harsh criticism Stavros would level against me. When I realized it might also make Miguel cry I just couldn't do it.

I suggest you employ this method for future post-making in the grey, substituting different members in the "crying slot" and always keep thewonderchicken in the back of your mind.

Keep up the good work, wendell!
posted by The God Complex at 12:40 PM on April 10, 2004

Metafilter: Might Also Make Miguel Cry
posted by SpecialK at 1:29 PM on April 10, 2004

"50% of what I say is totally frivolous, but that's just to get you to pay attention to the other 50%"

Beware ye 100% dismissal.
posted by scarabic at 1:57 PM on April 10, 2004

But some of us like to make Miguel cry.
posted by languagehat at 2:12 PM on April 10, 2004

Probably including Miguel, sometimes.
posted by namespan at 2:47 PM on April 10, 2004

it strikes me that there is also some benefit to matt in having "us" around. metafilter has made him fairly well known in the kind of circles that are likely to get him work and - more importantly - involved in interesting projects. it's not a one way street - so it's not completely unreasonable for wendell to expect something from matt

No, I think you're right. That's the elephant in the corner. It seems obscene to just talk about it, but it is true. I mean, not in the specific case of Wendell asking something from Matt, but in a general sense.

Although, I guess in a strictly businesslike fashion, all you could say Matt owes us is the smallest amount he could give us that would keep people visiting the site. He could get rid of us (users 2-18,000), even, since there's a throng of thousands waiting to take our places, if we start getting uppity.

But taken as a group, the balance of power does rest with the audience/consumers, just like in 'real life'.

Hey, I wonder if there's ever been an online community that staged a coup d'etat? Just thinking out loud here.
posted by Hildago at 4:01 PM on April 10, 2004

*sniff*
posted by MiguelCardoso at 5:21 PM on April 10, 2004

*emails tissue to Miguel*
posted by wendell at 5:25 PM on April 10, 2004

Here's a shoulder to cry on, Miguel. No, not my shoulder, just a shoulder. Whose shoulder. Look, it's just a shoulder I found somewhere, Ok? You ask too many questions, you know that....
posted by jonmc at 6:06 PM on April 10, 2004

Where's my shoulder?
posted by wendell at 6:18 PM on April 10, 2004

the harsh criticism Stavros would level against me

You're lucky I'm in a good mood, there, bucko!
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 7:07 PM on April 10, 2004

wendell, that was one swell foop if i ever saw one.
posted by quonsar at 7:19 PM on April 10, 2004

I'm just trying to draw Miguel out of his shell in as disarming a way as possible.

You're lucky I'm in a good mood, there, bucko!

If anything it was a compliment. You're the conscience of metatalk!
posted by The God Complex at 10:18 PM on April 10, 2004

It's like Matt's made this beautiful park, opened it up to anyone to come and visit, let a few select salespeople stand outside the gate to sell their wares, and now some of the visitors - in addition to the free-flowing and (usually) intelligent discourse they get - want a funfair, ice cream, and pony rides. And Matt had better provide them before he helps out that guy with the bouncy castle fix a puncture...
posted by humuhumu at 2:45 AM on April 11, 2004

"mathowie's just zis guy you know..."
posted by kindall at 2:57 AM on April 11, 2004

Just funnin' with ya there, TGC.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 3:33 AM on April 11, 2004

Thank god--I thought you were getting ornery.
posted by The God Complex at 5:33 PM on April 11, 2004