Lost & Found

March 20, 2005 9:48 AM

I'm confused by this Ask Mefi question and just as confused by the "best" answers. Although a question is asked in the first sentence, the focus of the post is to use Ask Mefi as some sort of artsy fartsy lost and found.
posted by furtive to Etiquette/Policy at 9:48 AM (33 comments total)

Specifically:

In the early 90's I created little magazines that I left in public places, sold quite cheaply, and traded for other magazines of the times. If you have one of my publications, I am calling them home. Please, send a copy of the magazine to me with some sort of snapshot (not necessarily a photograph) of your life as it exists at the point of reading this post, and a reason to not smoke cigarettes. If you know someone who collects these sorts of magazines and may have some, please, forward my request to them in hopes of completing this project. Thank you in advance for your effort.

Name: Mr. Mike

Magazines: Rump, Bulkhead, Popular Timebomb, Lucky, Bound to Fall Apart
posted by furtive at 9:49 AM on March 20, 2005

It is pretty pretensiously carried off. Someone suggested this would be a good candidate for MeFi Projects and the response is vomitously self-important:

Couldn't wait for the MeFi projects, sorry, art of this kind is powered by urgency.

[HUUUURL]

But whatever. I don't think AskMe will be an effective place to try to carry off such a mission, but as far as it will go, let it.
posted by scarabic at 9:55 AM on March 20, 2005

ifoughttheapemen : "what I'm asking for may be more elusive than the answer to a simple question."

Hey, if that's a valid excuse, I'm going to ask for love, happiness, and maybe eternal life.
posted by Bugbread at 10:12 AM on March 20, 2005

What I think deserves attention is the misuse of the "mark as best answer."

For the record they were:

I love home-made zines. I used to make my own as well, and put them in bookstores and libraries, as well as giving them to random people in ways they couldn't trace back to me. Ah, youth! So, uh, what is your question?
posted by squirrel at 9:44 PM PST on March 19 [marked as best answer] [!]

I'm really curious to find out how many copies get sent back to you and what you do with the results. Please don't forget to let us know...!
posted by sic at 3:49 AM PST on March 20 [marked as best answer] [!]

Seems a zine library has one of your titles.

I was surprised to learn just now that there are so many zine library collections.

Otherwise:
1. yes to wanting to create art.
2. no to having one of your zines.
3. writing this, importing a CD, waiting for mom to call, washing comforter
4. I think it's better to be free of addictions.
posted by xo at 9:23 AM PST on March 20 [marked as best answer] [!]




The last one comes the closest to a "best answer," but the other two? Not answers.
posted by Quartermass at 10:18 AM on March 20, 2005

I'm behind scarabic. This is totally nauseating, but harmless.

Luckily, there's no chance of this becoming a precedent. But not everyone will see it that way. At least one member here is going to whine, "Now everyone is going to ask for back issues of their zines! AskMe is going to explode!"
posted by painquale at 10:19 AM on March 20, 2005

I don't want my innocence back.
If you see it around, just leave it there.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 10:24 AM on March 20, 2005

Do you want to create a work of art that will be studied diligently, contemplated, and evoke a profound effect on someone's life? - As much as this is technically a question, I hope to God it's a rhetorical one.

It's people like this that give me the jibblies about calling myself an "artist." The jibbly-jibblies.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 10:28 AM on March 20, 2005

Ya know, we've spent so much time worrying about Metafilter turning into Fark that we completely missed it turning into Craigslist. Ah well.
posted by stet at 10:30 AM on March 20, 2005

The misuse of "best answer" was addressed in the thread:

Wait, seriously, those are the best answers? For real? Nothing against squirrel or sic, but "what is your question?" and "please keep us posted" are gonna somehow help you to find your long lost 'zines?
posted by fixedgear

For me these are the best answers as they they've shown genuine interest. they have been positive and are excited. These are the people who so far could potentially (I realize that it is a long shot) help me answer my questions.

Again, totally nauseating. PEE-YOOK! Is this person looking for support and encouragement, or old zines? That thread is looking more and more like an independent project that needs its own website. I dunno about deletion. But it's borderline.
posted by scarabic at 10:33 AM on March 20, 2005

that needs its own website

And a bucket.
posted by sebas at 10:44 AM on March 20, 2005

This thread typifies the problems with the new marking system. Instead of simply flagging the offending message for Matt to delete, some people are compelled to actually express their onomatopoeistic outrage, which the little [!] doesn't allow for.
posted by crunchland at 10:48 AM on March 20, 2005

crunch, you think if I had a free-form optional field, they'd get their say?
posted by mathowie (staff) at 10:54 AM on March 20, 2005

Oh I flagged it, no doubt about that. I also withheld commenting in the thread since it wouldn't contribute anything. And stet is right, I thought it was something you might see in the classified ads (holy crap, classifieds are ads!).

I just think this person wanted to stroke his ego with a bit of artistic affirmation, and should have chosen a better venue.

On preview: matthowie: as frustrating as it can be to the users, don't make the options free-form or else it will quickly devolve into no-form.
posted by furtive at 10:57 AM on March 20, 2005

Mathowie: I doubt it. Perhaps crunchland was saying "The new marking system won't really satisfy it's goal, as even with the system, instead of simply flagging the offending message for Matt to delete, some people are compelled to actually express their onomatopoeistic outrage"
posted by Bugbread at 10:57 AM on March 20, 2005

crunchland: borderline / interesting cases are worth discussing. I don't think this one was totally open and shut. And of course, complaining about people complaining is as pointless and self-contradictory as it ever was.

Matt: do you want us to just flag anything remotely questionable and leave it all up to you? Is there any reason to keep MeTa around?
posted by scarabic at 11:03 AM on March 20, 2005

While I don't think it would hurt, since Matt is the only one who would see the priceless prose of the offended, I think that adding a free form wouldn't help much I think the same people who must express the outrage must do it publicly.

Piling-on is a basic, monkey instinct.
posted by crunchland at 11:06 AM on March 20, 2005

crunchland : " Piling-on is a basic, monkey instinct."

Probably more ape than monkey.

Or, for the creationists, "piling on is a basic, mud instinct".
posted by Bugbread at 11:08 AM on March 20, 2005

I think piling on is a basic lizard instinct. Lizards are cold-blooded, so when there is an unruly lizard all the other lizards pile on top of him until he is stone-cold dead.

All this primal lizard behaviour is spilling onto the internet now. Just wait until the first people start to loose their tail.
posted by sebas at 11:12 AM on March 20, 2005

Incidentally, it's onomatopoetic. I always find the adjective form surprising and delightful, the way it incorporates the word "poetic." Nice.

While we're on the subject: please define "piling-on" as distinct from "self-policing." I think we're confused somewhere in the zone between ape-instincts and higher-functioning societal mechanisms.
posted by scarabic at 11:13 AM on March 20, 2005

Google:
Did you mean: onomatopoetic

Answers.com:
onomatopoetic

adjective

Imitating sounds: echoic, imitative, onomatopoeic. See same/different/compare, sounds/pleasant sounds/unpleasant sounds/neutral sounds or silence.
posted by Jim Jones at 11:13 AM on March 20, 2005

While we're on the subject: please define "piling-on" as distinct from "self-policing." I think we're confused somewhere in the zone between ape-instincts and higher-functioning societal mechanisms.

Scarabic, I'd like my copy of Pedantry for Dummies returned to me as soon as possible. Preferably with a snapshot of you in a compromising situation, wearing a smoking jacket and pinching an ivory cigarette holder between thumb and index finger. Thanks in advance for your effort.
posted by AlexReynolds at 11:42 AM on March 20, 2005

How is that question pedantic? Pedanticism is making a big deal over a difference that doesn't matter. However, Mefi takes pride in being "self-policing" (it's one of the official Mefi taglines), while Mathowie developed a whole "post closure and deletion" feature in order to stop "pile-ons". It would seem the difference is in fact extremely important, making it, by definition, not pedantic.
posted by Bugbread at 11:52 AM on March 20, 2005

Yeah, Jim Jones, apart from the issue of its construction, I'm not really sure how the word applies to MeTa callouts.

My point, for the satirically-retarded among us, is that "pile-on" makes a callout sound like a purely-destructive feeding-frenzy driven by malice. Not all callouts are like that. When the consensus is absolutely clear, yes, they can go on too long and get fucked up. I'm sure at least one person here knows what I mean.

But sometimes just flagging the post and waiting for deletion leaves something to be desired. Often there's some question to figure out or a larger issue to bring into view. We can continue flagging offending posts forever, but without a conversation now and then about what's acceptable, how will people even know how to apply the flag? And what about training people not to post crap in the first place? Deleted threads are out of sight out of mind, hard to learn anything from when you don't even know they were ever there.

A MeTa thread can actually surface useful thoughts about what to do and what not to do. This probability plots inversely to AlexReynolds' participation in a given thread. But still...
posted by scarabic at 11:59 AM on March 20, 2005

Scarabic, a thread was deleted, and yet you're still bitching well after the fact. Argue about the minutiae if you want but it ain't "self-policing" by any stretch of one's imagination.
posted by AlexReynolds at 12:20 PM on March 20, 2005

Scarabic's last post bitching about the AskMe was at 10:33. What time was the deletion?
posted by Bugbread at 12:34 PM on March 20, 2005

I saw this last night and was surprised it was still here this AM, then I see this thread and the post is gone ... self policing at work :)

What I really want to know is should start eating the chocolate bunny at the ears or the feet? Decisions decisions ...
posted by squeak at 12:38 PM on March 20, 2005

that needs its own website

And a bucket.
posted by sebas at 10:44 AM PST on March 20 [!]

Suck it!
posted by Mean Mr. Bucket at 12:59 PM on March 20, 2005

Squeak: The feet ... then he can't run away and you can finish him off at your leisure. :)
posted by aedra at 1:04 PM on March 20, 2005

apart from the issue of its construction, I'm not really sure how the word applies to MeTa callouts.

You're right, Scarabic. I made a generalization but now realize it's just you who was making the onomatopoetic exclamations. ("[HUUUURL]" "PEE-YOOK!")

I never implied that there was no use for metatalk. I was just pointing out the shortcomings of the flagging system. While I was satisfied to flag the target of this post by using the [!] last night when I saw it, using it wasn't enough for some of you, and that apparently you all require time and space to pour over the objects of your offense, along with your monkey (or lizard, if you prefer) friends, even after the object of your offense has been dispatched.
posted by crunchland at 1:38 PM on March 20, 2005

To: Anyone posting to MeTa.

Subject: The post you are asking about/complaining/calling out may disappear.

Suggested Action: Save a local copy before you post to MeTa.

Thanks.
posted by mlis at 1:43 PM on March 20, 2005

onomatopoetic exclamations. ("[HUUUURL]" "PEE-YOOK!")

Ah yes! Those! My duh.

While I was satisfied to flag the target of this post by using the [!] last night when I saw it, using it wasn't enough for some of you

Actually your point is totally well-taken. I'm just not yet in the habit of flagging everything that I object to. I'm still in the habit of calling stuff out, but only the stuff I really find glaringly bad. I will take both of our points to heart and make an effort not to call something out unless there's really something valuable to illustrate in the doing.

apparently you all require time and space to pour over the objects of your offense

In this case, it sounded to me like furtive (one of those username seredipities) really wasn't sure there was anything wrong with the AskMe post. Bringing it to MeTa was a way to inquire and find out. And for my part I basically said that it was annoying but I'd vote to let it live. Why insist on casting this as a gratuitous public disemboweling? It isn't one.

Scarabic, a thread was deleted, and yet you're still bitching well after the fact. Argue about the minutiae if you want but it ain't "self-policing" by any stretch of one's imagination.

AR - you can stretch your imagination any way you please - it's nothing to me.
posted by scarabic at 1:59 PM on March 20, 2005

Pedanticism

The word you want is "pedantry."
posted by anapestic at 2:07 PM on March 20, 2005

Thanks.
posted by Bugbread at 2:21 PM on March 20, 2005