Not Quite a Self-Link

February 25, 2005 5:47 PM

There are some interesting goings-on at my university that I'd like to post about. However, they regard a service which is currently under my jurisdiction on student council. My name might appear in some of the links, but none of them are BY me. I also don't intend to specify who exactly I am. Would that be considered a self-link?
posted by BuddhaInABucket to Etiquette/Policy at 5:47 PM (18 comments total)

I would consider that a self-link, BIAB. It sounds contradictory, but I think it would be worse if you didn't make who you are especially clear.
posted by Doug at 6:01 PM on February 25, 2005

odinsdream: long story short: campus tv station. taxpayer money. pornography. first ammendment rights. etc. etc. etc.
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 6:14 PM on February 25, 2005

Porn on TV?

*looks at Buddha's profile, sees "Currently in: San Diego."*

Dammit.
posted by Arch Stanton at 6:33 PM on February 25, 2005

campus tv station. taxpayer money. pornography. first ammendment rights.

Best of the web?
posted by mendel at 6:36 PM on February 25, 2005

I'd steer clear of it if I were you. Drop by #mefi and tell them all about it, if it's as interesting as you think someone's bound to post it.
posted by fvw at 6:57 PM on February 25, 2005

Buddha -- you got no email address, Buddha.

Does this have anything to do with Marie Waldron? If so, email me.

If not, email me.

I might be able to help you, independent of your Metafilter dilemma.
posted by mudpuppie at 7:01 PM on February 25, 2005

mudpuppie: e-mail sent.
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 7:47 PM on February 25, 2005

fvw: what exactly IS this #mefi of which you speak? IRC? I've never used it before. Is there a mac client that is any good?
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 7:50 PM on February 25, 2005

Using Firefox, Buddha? Chatzilla's easy to install and requires no configuration out of the box, provided you just follow this link to #mefi after install.
posted by DrJohnEvans at 8:12 PM on February 25, 2005

There are some interesting goings-on at my university that I'd like to post about.

I believe that the standard recommendation is to get a blog. Or find an existing blog that covers the matters of interest, and let them know. Or drop a line, anonymously, to your campus newspaper.

MetaFilter is intended for many things (well, actually, several things), but discussing interesting goings-on in one's life is not one of those things. Whether a self-link is involved or not is rather a secondary matter.
posted by WestCoaster at 10:00 PM on February 25, 2005

westcoaster- that it's an interesting going on in my life is merely why I wish to post about it. That it is national news is why I thought it might be actually worth posting.
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 10:21 PM on February 25, 2005

Buddha: There is a small precident for self-linking in these types of situations. I think the "spirit" of the self-linking rule is to eliminate self-promoting.

It is a grey area, but I would post it.
posted by Quartermass at 10:50 PM on February 25, 2005

No, the "spirit" of the no-self-linking rule is that you do not have a clear perspective on things you are personally involved in, and thus there's a good chance that though you may think it the best of the web (which is what we're doing here, for those of you who need reminding), it is in fact not (as determined by a panel of experts). And this leads to bad posts, which leads to suffering, which leads to anger, which leads to ugly MetaTalk threads, which leads to Matt closing ugly MetaTalk threads, which leads to new MetaTalk threads asking why the original MetaTalk thread was closed, which leads to Matt clubbing baby seals, etc, etc.
posted by fvw at 11:15 PM on February 25, 2005

I stand corrected. Didn't even think of that. Thanks fvw.

Buddha: Don't post it. Find someone to do it for you.
posted by Quartermass at 11:26 PM on February 25, 2005

fvw: which leads to Matt clubbing baby seals

Plan A for becoming Mefi overlords: Turn PETA loose on Matt.
posted by Gyan at 12:14 AM on February 26, 2005

The first rule of #mefi is you do not talk about #mefi!
posted by mek at 1:47 AM on February 26, 2005

I thought the first rule of #mefi was "You talk about #mefi all the time"?
posted by fvw at 2:03 AM on February 26, 2005

BuddhaInABucket: Since in my present home I don't have access to IRC (long story!) you should snag my address from my profile -- this might not be Blue material, but you've piqued my interest, at least, and I'd love to know more.

Anyway, fire away if you like.
posted by ChrisR at 3:25 PM on February 27, 2005