The origin of tags on AskMetafilter

August 12, 2004 11:27 AM

SmallRequestFilter! The trend in Ask.Metafilter toward beginning posts with "XYZFilter!" is, I realized, an example of a feature added by users on their own. This way of starting posts is useful since it creates context immediately ("This post is about Cats!") and also self-categorizes. Why not formalize this so that when you create an ask.mefi post it asks you for a free-form category (e.g. cats). Then your post would look like this:

Cats: So, yesterday my cat fuzzy started doing something really strange....

And thus no more need for BlahBlahFilters.
posted by vacapinta to Feature Requests at 11:27 AM (28 comments total)

Is this really a filter that needs to be created and implemented? Can't you just throw some bold tags around the word "Cats" and be done with it?

I mean, how would the categories be handled? Would they be user created, or would Matt have to add a new topic to the database every time someone came up with a new category? If they're user created, then we're going to have 8 million "funny" categories in AskFi. And if we have categories in AskFi, people are going to want to search by category, which will be a nightmare with everyone inventing their own category names (Not to mention the problems regular MiFi search has....)

I don't know, I just don't think it's important enough to be a feature, and it would be a pain in the ass to deal with. Isn't this just another way to separate data via a useless metric?
posted by SweetJesus at 11:47 AM on August 12, 2004

Gotta admit that the persistence of ____filter! is the most annoying thing about ask.me.
posted by dobbs at 12:01 PM on August 12, 2004

____filter is the most irritating part about metafilter.
posted by angry modem at 12:16 PM on August 12, 2004

So is the incessant taglining of every stupid comment, dobbs, but it seems that lame jokes are here to stay.

I know. I know. Choo motherfucking choo!
posted by BlueTrain at 12:18 PM on August 12, 2004

(BTW, I wasn't suggesting that you taglined, but I was just referring my comment toward you, since you brought up annoying things)
posted by BlueTrain at 12:19 PM on August 12, 2004

TaglineFilter:

MetaFilter: it seems that lame jokes are here to stay.
posted by Shane at 12:29 PM on August 12, 2004

I'm with dobbs and angry. "Highlighter stuck in my ass and peanut butter smeared all over my hands-filter" pretty much negates the need for the question.
posted by Ufez Jones at 12:32 PM on August 12, 2004

Strangely, I find ___ filter to be annoying but people complaining about it to be even more annoying. I'd be annoyed by every post starting with a bold category in about ten seconds.
posted by The God Complex at 12:37 PM on August 12, 2004

Plus, I doubt that having an official category feature would really curtail the _____Filter issue all that much. Lame jokes have a staying power that lets them outlive all our desires to see them go.
posted by ChrisTN at 12:37 PM on August 12, 2004

I remember people complaining about AskMe posts that started with a categorization when it all started way back when.
posted by yerfatma at 12:51 PM on August 12, 2004

You'd end up with some strange categories.

Glass in Underwear: What's a good way to get shards of glass out of my underwear? (Yes, there is more inside)
posted by Shane at 12:56 PM on August 12, 2004

TheFirstParagraphOfMyReplyFilter: I think it's just an injokey kind of thing, and a lot of people (I am so not one of them) find it entertaining. When it first started I was kind of annoyed, but then realized how silly it was to be annoyed, and then became mildly amused. People take such delight in them, how could I not be amused?

TheSecondParagraphOfMyReplyInWhichIMakeASmallConfessionUsingTheSmallTagFilter: I did like the CoffeeFilterFilter one.
posted by iconomy at 1:01 PM on August 12, 2004

I think that would lead to so many broad and strange categories it would be pretty much useless, along with being a big hassle. besides, I kinda like ____filtering.
posted by bob sarabia at 1:07 PM on August 12, 2004

Katemonkey asks the best AskMe questions. Can anyone tell me who these people are? is my all-time favorite.
posted by iconomy at 1:08 PM on August 12, 2004

MetaFilter: ____Filter
posted by armoured-ant at 2:46 PM on August 12, 2004

I think it's funny.
filter.
posted by seanyboy at 3:34 PM on August 12, 2004

IrritationFilter.

Is the irritaiton really that bad? vacapinta describes how the data could actually be applied for something useful. But wherefore, this irritation? And wherehowbigafuckingdeal?
posted by scarabic at 4:40 PM on August 12, 2004

I'd much rather just have this.



Please please please?
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 6:17 PM on August 12, 2004

Fussfilter.

Dang, there's a war on, there are two hurricanes down South, and y'all just have to screech about -----filter?

Perspectivefilter. As in-get some.
posted by konolia at 7:01 PM on August 12, 2004

DamnStraightKonoliaRulesFilter.
posted by five fresh fish at 7:17 PM on August 12, 2004

StopSearchingForACancerCureCosTheresAWarOnFilter.

As in: the world won't stop when my anxieties prevail, so why should it when yours do?
posted by dash_slot- at 7:36 PM on August 12, 2004

Dang, there's a war on, there are two hurricanes down South, and y'all just have to screech about -----filter?

Well, damn, Annie. Get your gun, your boards, and get off the computer and on the front line.
posted by Ufez Jones at 9:45 PM on August 12, 2004

123456789FuckShitPissFilter.
posted by quonsar at 9:53 PM on August 12, 2004

I agree with dobbs. To be honest, I just like it when people pose their question as a question, briefly, but including all the salient points.
posted by nthdegx at 2:35 AM on August 13, 2004

Well, damn, Annie. Get your gun, your boards, and get off the computer and on the front line


How can I take a Britney fan seriously?
posted by konolia at 4:26 AM on August 13, 2004

You know what I hate? I hate when you're in line at the grocery store buying your Baked Lays and they give you change by pulling out the dollars first and then floating the coins on top of the paper currency, so that you have to surf the coins into your other hand, damn near spilling them every time, instead of handing you the bills while they gather your coins. It really really really makes me angry. So angry. Why doesn't the world work like I want it to?
posted by papercake at 7:35 AM on August 13, 2004

I just like it when people pose their question as a question,
Too much exposure to Ken Jennings will do that to you...

"You get a lot to like in a Marlboro, filter, flavor, pack or box"

Coming soon: NewsFilterflavorpackorbox
posted by wendell at 8:20 AM on August 13, 2004

So let me get this straight.

Cats: So, yesterday my cat fuzzy started doing something really strange.... :
GOOD.

CatFilter: So, yesterday my cat fuzzy started doing something really strange.... :
BAD.

Gosh, why didn't I see that before? It's all so clear when you point it out.
posted by languagehat at 1:35 PM on August 13, 2004