MeFi in Guardian

August 26, 2004 2:37 AM

Fear the wrath of bloggers : The Guardian cites MetaFilter in a short piece on the Athens
2004 linking policy.
posted by punilux to MetaFilter-Related at 2:37 AM (25 comments total)

I'm still bemused by the whole tempest. Overly restrictive measures and obssessive micromanagement is utterly un-Greek. But this, on the other hand, is very Greek: "Here's what we have to do to cover our asses; now that we've told you our position, why don't you go ahead and do the obvious thing while we're busy with something else over here."

Anyway, my interpretation of the policy page is that they want to have recourse in the case of someone creating a framed site, with ads, let's say, and pulling in content from the original site, while masquerading (or "suggesting") that it is some sort of affiliated or official Olympics site. This is certainly the sort of thing they were really trying to protect against. I suppose they don't care if everyone and their brother links to the site (which is probably why they are conveniently giving all link urls plus link graphics, right there on the page, even before you receive your gold-plated official seal of approval), but if they needed to close down an imposter, they want to have something in black and white to back them up somehow. So they could try to imagine every single scenario in which somebody might pull a scam and then create exact terms for those hundreds of situations, or they make one statement saying that you have to have all links approved, and then completely ignore it.

This I understand. "Use the term ATHENS 2004 only" is just asshattery.

/completely biased
posted by taz at 3:53 AM on August 26, 2004

I assume 'use the term ATHENS 2004 only' is to prevent Google-bombing and having athens2004 come up as the I feel lucky for 'clueless asshats'.
posted by jacquilynne at 5:21 AM on August 26, 2004

It just worries me that journalists from the Guardian read Metafilter.

... imagines G2 article about MeFi & associated contributers along with florid prose comparing us to whatever obscure 17th century diarist the article writer currently considers part of the literary canon.

Don't get any ideas... you... you... sandal wearing motherfuckers.
posted by seanyboy at 5:30 AM on August 26, 2004

Its quite obvious that journos at the guardian have read MeFi for some time. Frequently stories that have been in here within a week turn up as filler in the guardian or observer, or sometimes as bigger stories. The worst offender IIRC is the Pendennis column in the observer, which one weekend had 4-5 stories in one column that had clearly been cribbed from MeFi.
posted by biffa at 6:08 AM on August 26, 2004

offender?
posted by mr.marx at 6:24 AM on August 26, 2004

Don't hate us because we're popular.

Hate us because we are, very occasionally, especially when not discussing politics or anything too USA-centric, really fucking smart.
posted by chicobangs at 7:22 AM on August 26, 2004

What's the problem? Newspapers are 80% stolen and 20% scoop. So you/we are a new source. It's better than the usual incest.
posted by bonaldi at 7:36 AM on August 26, 2004

When I worked there, one of the marketing presentations for ad clients included a section that had a slide about blogs. MeFi was on it.

So, you guys are well in the Guardian Radar.
posted by davehat at 7:47 AM on August 26, 2004

Well then, I'd just like to let the Guardian know I'm open to freelance assignments. My rates are reasonable and I promise not to use the word 'asshat' too much.
posted by Shane at 8:00 AM on August 26, 2004

I'd like to let them know that just because our spel-chekker is broked doesn't give them any leeway.

Love you guys!

p.s. make a small Guardian like the new Independent and I promise I will start reading again.

kthxbye!
posted by longbaugh at 8:27 AM on August 26, 2004

It just worries me that journalists from the Guardian read Metafilter.

it was inevitable. you damn commies link to their paper all the fucking time.
;)
posted by matteo at 8:52 AM on August 26, 2004

make a small Guardian like the new Independent and I promise I will start reading again

How small do you want it? It will never go full tabloid, though they plan on launching a mid-way (Berliner) size edition sometime soon. At the moment, its just a small matter of there not being any printer presses that make that size in the UK.

It'll cost millions or so to sort that out, I'd guess.

Ooooh. I'd been itching to let that out the bag, however, it must have gone public since I left the company in July because I just found an article about it in Media Week.
posted by davehat at 9:20 AM on August 26, 2004

Just so long as they don't fuck with the size of the Observer. The Independent is considering (is doing?) this - making their Sunday edition tabloid.

Sacrilege.
posted by Blue Stone at 9:50 AM on August 26, 2004

the tabloid size makes a great litter box liner tho', with side benefits - didn't like the depressing nature of the news, is bush/blair/hated politician on the front page...? s'ok, old pussums will soon be shitting on it.
posted by t r a c y at 10:24 AM on August 26, 2004

when is the Guardian coming here? i had read they were starting a US version.

... imagines G2 article about MeFi & associated contributers along with florid prose comparing us to whatever obscure 17th century diarist the article writer currently considers part of the literary canon.
I call Anais Nin. : >
posted by amberglow at 11:50 AM on August 26, 2004

The Guardian linked to my thread? That's... odd, but kinda neat.
posted by reklaw at 12:22 PM on August 26, 2004

Dammit, I have to read MeTa before posting to Mefi next time.

That, uh, wasn't me that posted the Guardian link to the Mefi thread. It was my dog.
posted by tracicle at 1:33 PM on August 26, 2004

tracicle, your dog ate my homework.
posted by wendell at 5:05 PM on August 26, 2004

I'm still bemused by the whole tempest. Overly restrictive measures and obssessive micromanagement is utterly un-Greek.

Aaahahaha. It's difficult to believe that this was said in regard to the country that banned all forms of electronic gaming(PC, GameBoy, cell phone, et al) and threatened prison time for their use, in an ill-guided attempt to curb illegal gambling.
posted by Danelope at 6:01 PM on August 26, 2004

Metafilter: It's better than the usual incest.
posted by Wet Spot at 6:13 PM on August 26, 2004

And smarter than the average bear.
posted by wendell at 6:21 PM on August 26, 2004

Danelope, that's exactly why I'm writing to you from prison. It's horrible here; the baklava has too much honey, and they force me to listen to that bloody bouzouki music every night. It's hell, I tell you... hell! Somebody, send in the marines!
posted by taz at 7:46 PM on August 26, 2004

We will liberate your backwards, olive-skinned people and uncover the massive stockpiles of tzatziki that the tyrannical Greek government has produced in violation of countless UN resolutions.

Zeus, your days are numbered. We will smoke you out of your mountain stronghold. Bring it on!

GOD BLESS AMERICA! MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
posted by Danelope at 10:32 PM on August 26, 2004

And what will the protestors chant? "No Blood For Olive Oil"?
posted by taz at 2:39 AM on August 27, 2004

when is the Guardian coming here? i had read they were starting a US version.

The Guardian has been available in an edited, weekly format in the US for decades (since 1919). It's called Guardian Weekly, though for many years it was called "The Manchester Guardian Weekly".

They have just re-launched and re-packaged it for the US market with a new format and a new 4 page US news section. I think it launched in June.

It now racks in the news stands next to the Economist with a wrap around cover, but is a tabloid format once you remove the cover. Its is only really available on news stands in Boston, New York, San Fransisco, Seattle and Washington. Frankly, demand elsewhere was, er how should I put this... non-existant.

However, it is available by subsription. I think they let you have a few issues for free as a starter. Details here. I think the free copy might be the non-US one though as orders are processed in the UK with the UK print-run. The US edition is only printed in Canada.
posted by davehat at 2:23 PM on August 27, 2004