What amounts to self-linking?

March 9, 2005 10:04 PM

Is it considered self-linking when a tech professional makes an announcement on MeFi? I suppose Anil Dash is the best example (only an example; I'm not accusing him of this).

Dash seems to be the highest-profile MeFi commenter. Have there been others in the past?
posted by NickDouglas to MetaFilter-Related at 10:04 PM (67 comments total)

anil, kottke, waxy, etc. they aren't around anymore are they? I know girlie has an account, although she doesn't use it that much.
posted by puke & cry at 10:07 PM on March 9, 2005

I'm puzzled by the question. It's a self-link when you make a post linking to your website or something you are involved in. Your "tech professional" status is irrelevant.
posted by Galvatron at 10:17 PM on March 9, 2005

oh, there was an actual question up there. I missed. The answer is: yes.
posted by puke & cry at 10:26 PM on March 9, 2005

Yes, self-linking is self-linking. If they are high-profile enough, someone random will do it for them. Mr. Google doesn't need to post every new feature on here, nor does Steve Jobs need to post ever hiccup that comes out of Apple.

AnnounceFilter should fix the self-linking problem, even though there really isn't much of one.
posted by Arch Stanton at 10:26 PM on March 9, 2005

I haven't noticed Anil self-linking before, but from time to time I might see him answer a blog question in ask metafilter. Linking to your own stuff in a comment that is on topic and adds to the discussion is fine and allowed.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 10:59 PM on March 9, 2005

*scratches head*

Isn't there supposed to be a once-a-week limit on posting to MeTa? If so, how did Nick post on the 5th and 9th? Is it a fixed "week," then, regardless of when during the week you made your first post, or a rolling 7 days since your last post that Nick somehow got around?

*scratches other head, wonders if Nick has metachat miguelitis, goes to bed*
posted by mediareport at 11:12 PM on March 9, 2005

It's not a week anymore, I tuned it down to I think 3 or 4 days, mostly at your request.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 11:20 PM on March 9, 2005

Er, I don't recall ever asking for lessening the MeTa posting limit (and can't quickly find any MeTa thread I've recently participated in that seems a likely place to have done so). If I did, I was high. I *like* the MeTa posting limit.
posted by mediareport at 11:29 PM on March 9, 2005

well, hey. matt may just be able to do things that are good for metafiltler, and not just things that are requested of him!!!

still think he's your evil internet OVERLOAD?!?!?!??!?!?!
posted by puke & cry at 11:59 PM on March 9, 2005

I think owillis, kk, rcb, mathowie, etc who have been on TV as experts more than Anil Dash have a higher profile.
posted by riffola at 12:08 AM on March 10, 2005

if you're an A-lister you just have one of your pals make a FPP about your website for you. (hay guys im my pal's blogging for dollars!!1!1one)
posted by keswick at 12:10 AM on March 10, 2005

It's not a week anymore, I tuned it down to I think 3 or 4 days, mostly at your request.

I think that was me3dia that made the initial request.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 8:47 AM on March 10, 2005

Yep, it was me. We media types all look the same.
posted by me3dia at 9:02 AM on March 10, 2005

I'm gonna make an FPP for my friend, who just returned to blogging from a nine day hiatus. She's got a killer post up about what her cat looks like. Her current mood: curious!
posted by Hildago at 9:12 AM on March 10, 2005

I suppose Anil Dash is the best example (only an example; I'm not accusing him of this).

How can someone be at once a best example, without you actually saying he ever did it?

Am I the best example of a world record pole vaulter, even though I've never tried it before? Nick, I know you've been making little jokes about Anil supposedly posting about six apart at every opportunity here (a certain comic comes to mind), but I haven't seen actual evidence and I'm very atuned to people shilling for their company. This thread looks like a veiled attempt to make that point again, without admitting to it or pointing out any examples.

If you think Anil is shilling for 6A, show me.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 9:22 AM on March 10, 2005

Move it back to a week for Nick Douglas alone.
posted by soyjoy at 9:28 AM on March 10, 2005

While we are changing things about MetaTalk, can we put the MetaTalk link back up on the Blue?

How about combining the About and Etc. topic headings, thereby allowing a MeTa and a AskMeFi link.
posted by dios at 9:55 AM on March 10, 2005

yeah, good thinking
posted by mathowie (staff) at 10:03 AM on March 10, 2005

Wow. That was fast Matt. You know, it's wrong what they say about you!
posted by dios at 10:07 AM on March 10, 2005

Another thought: you could keep About and Etc. separate by eliminating the "Home" subheading. It is redundant because you can click on the Metafilter logo and that takes one to "Home."
posted by dios at 10:11 AM on March 10, 2005

Jesus. This is the dumbest question I've ever read. Can you not read what it says on the 'Post' page? For fuck's sake, man. I don't care if you're Bill Gates, or George W. You don't post your own shit. If it really is that cool, someone else will post it.

mathowie: He was insinuating that Anil Dash was the most famous MeFi-er, I think, not that he was posting about 6A.
posted by graventy at 11:29 AM on March 10, 2005

rusty has gotta be more famous than Anil Dash.
posted by sonofsamiam at 11:33 AM on March 10, 2005

I'm very popular in Papua New Guinea, myself. "You're our David Hasselhoff," they tell me, though I can barely hear them over the excited shouts of the gathered crowd.
posted by cortex at 12:06 PM on March 10, 2005

Nick's got an Anil fetish.
posted by quonsar at 12:35 PM on March 10, 2005

HA!

quonsar wins. at life.

Maybe Nick is just going through that Anil stage that Freud was talking about...
posted by dios at 12:54 PM on March 10, 2005

Who the shit is Anil Dash and why should anyone care?
posted by cmonkey at 12:58 PM on March 10, 2005

anil, kottke, waxy, etc. they aren't around anymore are they?

Oh yes they are. Talk shit about one of their gang and they'll be on your ass like bees on honey.

They're out there....watching....and waiting.
posted by justgary at 1:07 PM on March 10, 2005

I remember when Zeldman showed up. Good times, good times.
posted by timeistight at 1:17 PM on March 10, 2005

He was insinuating that Anil Dash was the most famous MeFi-er

Excuse me, but have you never heard of the world-renowned literary icon and global bon vivant by the name of Miguel Cardoso???
posted by soyjoy at 1:34 PM on March 10, 2005

I smell a cyberstalker.
posted by crunchland at 2:00 PM on March 10, 2005

There three possible explanations for Douglas' pathetic Anil-envy act...

(1) Dash stole Douglas' girlfriend.

(2) It's a viral pre-release campaign for Douglas' own version of blogging software.

(3) "NickDouglas" is Mr. Dash's sock puppet account.
posted by wendell at 2:54 PM on March 10, 2005

>Talk shit about one of their gang and they'll be on your ass like bees on honey

Or, like flies on shit.
posted by gsb at 2:56 PM on March 10, 2005

In contrast: an actually funny and well drawn Anil Dash comic.
posted by norm at 3:29 PM on March 10, 2005

Nick, I know you've been making little jokes

I never did. I hardly know Anil Dash, and what little I do know, I respect and admire. That was some ghost guy, who made a comic that included one of my posts and a fictional Anil Dash response.

Anil Dash has since commented on my blog, and he and I had a pleasant exchange.

Also, Dash is a good example because, yes, he's the most famous MeFier that I know, and I had seen him comment recently (and his comments were good).

Again: I like Anil Dash, I have never said I disliked Anil Dash, and I have only a coincidental link to Anil Dash.

But I use WordPress.
posted by NickDouglas at 3:31 PM on March 10, 2005

But I use WordPress.

Then shouldn't you be stalking Matt Mullenweg?
posted by timeistight at 3:37 PM on March 10, 2005

Two or three blog comments is stalking? I'm not the one who turned him into a webcomic.
posted by NickDouglas at 3:39 PM on March 10, 2005

Two or three blog comments is stalking? I'm not the one who turned him into a webcomic.

Ok. Then I still barely grasp the point of this post. Some members of metafilter are famous to 15 people on earth. Anil is one of them.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 3:55 PM on March 10, 2005

Nick, you brought the webcomic to our attention here and then came up with this MeTa post, repeating dreamghost's unsubstantiated accusation without providing any real examples of Viral Anil. Makes you look suspicious to the already paranoid around here (which is at least 32% of the membership).

Let me repeat what I told EBligh last year. You're trying too hard. Ease off. Fine line between "high-profile MeFite" and "MeFi laughingstock". I know. I crossed that line in 2000 and never looked back.
posted by wendell at 4:06 PM on March 10, 2005

I'm not laughing at you, wndell; I'm laughing with you.
posted by timeistight at 4:18 PM on March 10, 2005

wendell, not wndell
posted by timeistight at 4:19 PM on March 10, 2005

I am famous to 16 people and therefore: I win!
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 4:30 PM on March 10, 2005

Squareroot! You're down to four!

Pray I don't squareroot the deal any further.
posted by cortex at 5:13 PM on March 10, 2005

It's OK, timeistight, I'm laughing at wndell myself.

And my youthful radio antics made me famous to a total of 36 people (Arbitron ratings, L.A. Metro, Fall 1977), but due to the older demographic of the station where I worked, I think they're down to 19.
posted by wendell at 5:24 PM on March 10, 2005

Ok. Then I still barely grasp the point of this post.

It's obvious, isn't it? Nick's got a big crush on Anil, and is trying to woo him through the attention. I hate to break it to you, Nick, but last I heard, Anil's both straight and taken. I hear Kottke's still single, though.
posted by anapestic at 5:31 PM on March 10, 2005

Hey, don't worry wendell, I'm still laughing at you.
posted by graventy at 5:35 PM on March 10, 2005

I still barely grasp the point of this post.

Nick's in the throes of new-useritis; he's not half as interesting as he thinks he is but is really enjoying feeling out the bounds of his power to affect MeFi. [shrug] It'll probably pass, and he'll probably become a decent member, but right now commenting in threads isn't enough for his ego, so he'll be posting to the front pages of the blue/gray/green as often as he's allowed. Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything.

Nick, it's great that you're excited to be here and all, but please stop wasting folks' time with chatty posts like this in MeTa. It sets a horrible example (cf. the examples you saw that made you think this kind of post was desirable) and reduces the effectiveness of MeTa in clarifying issues related to MeFi.
posted by mediareport at 5:49 PM on March 10, 2005

besides which, he's not even that cute.
posted by crunchland at 6:02 PM on March 10, 2005

Nick Douglas is trying to become famous. I can't blame him, though it isn't exactly a novel undertaking.

And as far as high-profile MeFites go, I mean, *scoff*, duh. *points at self*
posted by Baby_Balrog at 6:10 PM on March 10, 2005

I'm fucking cute.
posted by anildash at 6:11 PM on March 10, 2005

See, this note on Metafilter Wiki confused me:

That's not to say that nobody ever gets away with a front-page self-link. In the history of MetaFilter, a few people have.

By the way, I'm not trying to become famous through MeFi, I'm just posting a lot because I have nothing better to do. But yeah, I've been fronting too much, so I'll back off, sorry. I have a bad habit of plunging in on forums etc.

And my only man-crush is on Jude Law, who unfortunately doesn't blog.
posted by NickDouglas at 6:22 PM on March 10, 2005

I find it funny that i showed this comic to like 5 people. I wonder how little nicky even discovered it?

The comic was an extreme characterization of something a couple of us noted on irc. I had been fucking around with Stripcreator.com and whipped it up in like two minutes.

BTW who ever drew that lame comic strip on flickr really has a anil fetish... Even moreso then nickdouglas.

Bat Anil Blargh...

This is Matt's site and if he is ok with his pal's shilling there products that's ok with me. But it is a tad bit funny how these same people only pop back up to pipe in on the ol' metafilter when they got a new product announcement or to comment on a product that there affiliated with. But then they vanish totaly from the site or make back handed comments about the community until there next post/advertisement.

But Whatever I really dont care.
posted by Dreamghost at 6:37 PM on March 10, 2005

I discovered it because you also made a clumsy joke about Danah Boyd, one of my favorite bloggers.

I think Anil has sufficiently disproven your case about shilling, both here and on my site.
posted by NickDouglas at 6:41 PM on March 10, 2005

By the way, dreamghost, I like thirteen's Anil comic more than yours.

Now pardon me, I have to go wank to a photo of Anil--I mean make sweet heterosexual love to a consenting woman of significant sexual prowess.
posted by NickDouglas at 6:44 PM on March 10, 2005

I thought Bat Anil was funny. If that is a fetish, so be it, I have no shame.
posted by thirteen at 7:10 PM on March 10, 2005

I'm suffering through new user-itis, and the only way I'm trying to become FAMOUS IS BY USING ALL CAPS IN A WAY THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE TONGUE-IN-CHEEK!!! And annoying.

One day people will refer to "allcaps" moments by saying "You just Kleptophoria!ed that shit!"

And then I'll make millions through micropayments.

On preview: Yeah, this was a really bizarre thread.
posted by Kleptophoria! at 7:15 PM on March 10, 2005

By the way, dreamghost, I like thirteen's Anil comic more than yours.

I'm brokenhearted...
posted by Dreamghost at 7:19 PM on March 10, 2005

I thought Bat Anil was funny. If that is a fetish, so be it, I have no shame.

But does Anil know the Bat-tusi?
posted by Dreamghost at 7:20 PM on March 10, 2005

I just wanted to say 'Dash' is a pretty cool last name. I'd never let people use my first name and would make everybody call me 'Mr. Dash'. I'd also wear a tie with lots of swoosh signs and lightning bolts.


I'd also try to fight crime Tues-Thurs.
posted by nixerman at 7:53 PM on March 10, 2005

I know a guy named Cole Stryker. The universe has balanced out this awesome name by giving him the middle name "Allison."
posted by NickDouglas at 7:58 PM on March 10, 2005

Some members of metafilter are famous to 15 people on earth.

So, what's better - being famous to "15 people on earth" or being famous for 15 minutes?
posted by ericb at 8:05 PM on March 10, 2005

I thought everybody who joined MeFi had to sign a pledge NEVER to do the Bat-tusi. At least that's the way it was back when me and the Dasher and thirtoon signed up.

Anyway, my apologies to NickD, I now realize that it's spacedreamghost with the Anil-envy, and it's obviously reason #1. So, nightmareghoul, when are you going to make a comic strip ridiculing ME? I've even found several good Wendell-avatars on stripceator:

Bring it on!
this may also be relevent to the MeTa thread about "what we look like"
posted by wendell at 8:42 PM on March 10, 2005

I think the figure on the left most captures your essence, only he should be smiling very nicely.
posted by jb at 11:25 PM on March 10, 2005

I vote paperclip, because then you could be friendly and helpful to children writing school projects!
posted by Kleptophoria! at 12:03 AM on March 11, 2005

>I'm just posting a lot because I have nothing better to do.

Try wanking a fair bit, a sofa-surfer told me it slowed down his "look at me la-de-da attitude."
posted by gsb at 12:28 AM on March 11, 2005

But it is a tad bit funny how these same people only pop back up to pipe in on the ol' metafilter when they got a new product announcement or to comment on a product that there affiliated with. But then they vanish totaly from the site or make back handed comments about the community until there next post/advertisement.

I'm pretty comfortable with my posting record being fairly varied, but I do know a lot about blogs, so I answer questions about them on AskMe. That's what you're supposed to do. I've never made backhanded comments about MeFi; I direct any feedback I have about the site to Matt.
posted by anildash at 12:30 AM on March 11, 2005

and you're cute!
posted by Tarrama at 5:37 AM on March 11, 2005

anil dash is much more fun on irc than on a weblog
posted by angry modem at 10:26 PM on April 3, 2005