Comments on: NewsFilter NewsFilter NewsFilter NewsFilter.

NewsFilter NewsFilter NewsFilter NewsFilter.

Captaintripps — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 18:44:42 -0800

Can we get more NewsFilter? Please? I really think it's the best of the web.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and on...

By: Mayor Curley

Mayor Curley — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 18:49:06 -0800

Your sarcasm's AWESOME!

I just made a newsfilter post for you because you love them so much.

By: Balisong

Balisong — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 19:02:13 -0800

You know what they say...

A penny saved is a penny earned.
No, wait, A stich in nine, saves time.
Oh, wait, I got it. Shit rolls downhill.

By: keswick

keswick — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 19:03:25 -0800

This will end well.

By: XQUZYPHYR

XQUZYPHYR — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 19:04:01 -0800

Hey, how many M&Ms do you think you could fit in your mouth at once? I say about 530. What do you think?

By: Mayor Curley

Mayor Curley — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 19:05:34 -0800

Plain M&Ms?

By: kenko

kenko — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 19:06:08 -0800

I think that's way too many. I can't even fit that many Thin Mints in my mouth.

By: XQUZYPHYR

XQUZYPHYR — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 19:10:38 -0800

Of course, plain. Let's not be silly, here.

By: daninnj

daninnj — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 19:10:59 -0800

Link 9 is newsfilter?

By: dg

dg — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 19:15:44 -0800

I don't understand. Surely we have quite enough NewsFilter already? Why on earth would you want more?

By: mystyk

mystyk — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 19:18:07 -0800

More important, how many M&Ms could some famous stars hold? Angelina Jolie? How about Alyssa Milano?

By: odinsdream

odinsdream — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 19:23:18 -0800

I can say with absolute confidence that Angelina Jolie can hold exactly 78 M&M's in her mouth at once.

By: Rothko

Rothko — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 19:24:00 -0800

This post is getting flagged since many of these were already complained about.

By: Jimbob

Jimbob — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 19:27:37 -0800

I can say with absolute confidence that Angelina Jolie can hold exactly 78 M&M's in her mouth at once.

That's not all she can hold in her mouth AM I RIGHT FELLAS?

By: Mayor Curley

Mayor Curley — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 19:31:05 -0800

We only had Skittles, but they're close to the size of M&Ms. I counted out 100 and put them in my mouth and it was a lot of Skittles. But I didn't want to swallow them, so I was just going to spit them out. But then I thought it would be fun to spit them like watermelon seeds. So I tried that, but there were too many in my mouth a bunch would come out every time I tried to spit just one. And my SO got mad because she said that dampened Skittles would stick to stuff and wouldn't come up with the vacuum easily. And the rabbit would eat them too and sugar's bad for her and makes her crazy. So I spat the rest of them in the garbage disposal.

Anyway, there's no way you could get 530 M&Ms into your mouth unless you are a pelican or Jabba the Hutt.

By: Jimbob

Jimbob — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 19:34:27 -0800

Nah, you know sometimes when you get a packet of M&Ms and there are like, tiny, aborted deformed M&Ms that are all candy and no chocolate? I reckon if you collected up a pile of those you could get 530 in your mouth. That is, if you consider those M&Ms. Technically, it might be an issue.

By: yhbc

yhbc — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 19:36:44 -0800

What colors are we talking about, here?

I don't think you want too many browns in the mix. They always seem to be on the largish side.

By: XQUZYPHYR

XQUZYPHYR — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 19:37:09 -0800

What about 500 M&M minis?

By: dersins

dersins — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 19:38:09 -0800

I'm not disagreeing that there seem to have been a lot of newsfiltery posts recently, but how is a link to a Christian dating service newsfilter?

Personally, it's not the NewsFilter per se that bothers me, anyway, it's the threads that cross from news into PoliticsFilter that I find endlessly boring and predictable. But I just don't read 'em. It's a pretty easy solution.

Also, I could certainly fit 530-odd M&M's minis into my mouth. Full size M&M's, not so much.

Or many, even.

By: yhbc

yhbc — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 19:40:17 -0800

You mean you don't have to read every thread?

Oh, this is really going to free up my schedule.

By: scarabic

scarabic — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 19:56:20 -0800

Don't mind Mayor McCheese.

As one who's griped bitterly about Newsfilter since before you were even a gleam in mathowie's eye, I wish you luck. You're never, ever going to stem the tide. While your callout is well-constructed, you've got 15 posts over 7 days. That's 2 posts a day. The average day sees 15-25 posts. This is actually a good ratio, historically.

At this point, I think Newsfilter has been unseated as our #1 content problem by just plain boring ass shit, ill-pressented.

By: shepd

shepd — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 20:05:58 -0800

HOT SARCASM ON SARCASM ACTION!!!

By: nixerman

nixerman — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 20:22:50 -0800

CaptainTripps, not sure exactly what you're trying to prove but I'm thinking you've failed miserably. #15 is from a week ago and, considering the sheer volume of posts each day, the fact that you had to go back a week to scrounge up newsfilter posts suggest the problem is in your head. And post #9 for example, could hardly be considered news filter unless you stretch the phrase to the point of meaninglessness. I'd tell you not to give up and keep trying but this bitchy, overly sarcastic posts to the gray don't help anybody.

On preview: what scarabic said.

By: Captaintripps

Captaintripps — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 20:33:43 -0800

scarabic: Maybe a fifth of just this day's posts are NewsFilter, but those are entirely not the "best of the web." It's not anything web-related that's going to stand the test of time.

Most of those links I linked to were web versions of newspapers that will not be viewable in a week or can't be viewed after that without paying. They're just articles and not very good ones at that. Most of them cross into agenda-filter.

I thought the whole point of MetaFilter was good links. I thought that NewsFilter was not for this space.

I thought I could trust you people!!!

Important in the grand scheme of my life? Of course not.

By: dreamsign

dreamsign — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 20:40:23 -0800

Personally, it's not the NewsFilter per se that bothers me, anyway, it's the threads that cross from news into PoliticsFilter that I find endlessly boring and predictable. But I just don't read 'em. It's a pretty easy solution.

I second this.

And could we have instant bannination, please, for anyone who posts to "etiquette/policy"? Even Freud wouldn't touch your anal fixation.

By: forforf

forforf — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 20:45:25 -0800

Why do the newsfilter posts seem to garner the most comments?
I'm not equating number of posts to goodness of a fpp ... I'm just saying ...

By: orthogonality

orthogonality — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 20:46:14 -0800

I think your list demonstrates that Newsfilter is pretty much a part of what makes MetaFilter so great.

Communities evolve. That's a good thing, and much better than MetaFilter becoming moribund.

(And there several of your linked newsfilter posts display with un-clicked links, so it also demonstrates I missed a few.)

By: Captaintripps

Captaintripps — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 20:48:58 -0800

How so?

By: Balisong

Balisong — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 20:54:19 -0800

Bah!! My last-of-two metatalk posts was under "etiquette/policy" so Meh on you!

But seriously, one of the main reasons thet I love Metafilter is the ongoing political posts. Metafilter is a community that I can stand, and has knowledge beyond snarks. El-Gee-Eff, Kay-Oh-Ess, et all are too full of Rah!Me-Too! or Fuk'emall! that I have found this wonderful little oasis where there are smart, informed, and friendly people who will either shout Rah! Me-Too! or Fuk'emall! with the best of 'em. But you all have become more like real agreeable personalities than a lot of the loud barrel-scrapings found on other sites.

I loved discussing the election with the likes of you scumbags (and you know who you are..8=) ) and I have to find a community where I can be at least the weird unkle/social outcast that sits in the corner and sucks lemons and still you know, stomach you all.

I say let the political posts stay. This is a dirty war we are fighting, domestic and foreign. I need all the help I can get, and you probably do too...

By: keswick

keswick — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 20:55:05 -0800

I've given up raging against the NewsFilter. now I just troll mercilessly. It's sad to see MeFi turning into Plastic though.

By: scarabic

scarabic — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 21:01:09 -0800

Did you misunderstand me, Captain? You're preaching to the choir with me. Calling out newsfilter, however, tends to be like shouting at the weeds in your garden. Until someone starts deleting this shit, it's going to continue brambling around our knees.

By: Captaintripps

Captaintripps — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 21:04:16 -0800

Preaching to the choir. Got it. My mistake.

So I should just give up?

By: snsranch

snsranch — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 21:08:08 -0800

captaintripps, scarabic? Are you two are saying that none of those posts deserve ,or open doors to some serious and relevant discussion?

I know there has been much post-bashing of late, and I agree that these posts could be presented in a much more academic or informative way, but they sometimes open doors to great discussion.

By: weretable and the undead chairs

weretable and the undead chairs — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 21:14:33 -0800

I am typing with one hand.

By: snsranch

snsranch — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 21:17:26 -0800

Ooops, I see you two have resolved this issue. Very good.

By: goatdog

goatdog — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 21:19:21 -0800

My favorite MeTa callouts are the ones that invoke Best of the Web. They have the best comments.

By: snsranch

snsranch — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 21:25:04 -0800

BTW I've met mayorcurley before and he was nice to my dog.

By: underer

underer — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 21:27:50 -0800

Aren't the M&Ms supposed to melt? I bet you can get a bunch in if they start melting. Or does that not make any sense? Or: what if you got your teeth removed first?

By: taz

taz — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 21:28:28 -0800

Heh. Out of all those links, only one showed up as a visited link for me, and that one turned out to be the Tom & Katie Show, and only because it was linked from MeTa.

I read things like big, breaking news stories on MeFi (I'm not talking about something like MJ's trial, but more like the Tsunami), and I read things like science news links, internet-related news, and occasionally, "news-of-the-bizarre" sort of stuff. But this is why I don't argue about "newsfilter"; to some people, some of the stuff I read is newsfilter. To me some of the stuff other people read is newsfilter. It's such an overreaching description that almost no benefit can come of discussing whether "newsfilter" belongs on MeFi.

By: justgary

justgary — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 21:33:07 -0800

You're wasting your breath captain. The only person who could stop newsfilter is #1, and he's not going to.

You just have to hope most newsfilter posts don't also suck, as the mayor's does.

By: dg

dg — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 21:35:42 -0800

Or: what if you got your teeth removed first?
Actually, your tongue probably takes up more room, so you would be better to remove your tongue, then I bet you could fit at leat 500 in..

By: teece

teece — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 21:38:16 -0800

MetaFilter is as much about the discussion as it is about the links. I'm with Balisong. There is often interesting discussion to be had on the NewsFilter and AgendaFilter posts. Indeed, the most annoying thing about those type of posts is the griping about "this is not FPP worthy..."

As a matter of fact, if you kill NewsFilter and AgendaFilter from *Filter, I probably will start coming around less and less.

You may think that's a good thing, I guess.

But I'd much rather see a lot of posts on MetaFilter, even if most of are less than perfect to most people. If it becomes so hard to post FPPs without getting shouts of "THIS SUCKS! *FILTER! DELETE IT!" on 'em all, the site becomes moribund. It becomes something like Kuro5hin or RootPrompt or something, sites that were once cool but are now mostly a waste of time.

We don't want that. Take a break.

By: weretable and the undead chairs

weretable and the undead chairs — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 22:10:37 -0800

Fucking hell. I typed up a long post and then didn't post it, apparently. It was typo-filled anyway. Basically what Teece said though. I find that the comments frequently make an otherwise "blah" post worthwhile a lot of the time too.

By: soyjoy

soyjoy — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 22:12:03 -0800

taz.

yes.

By: dreamsign

dreamsign — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 22:12:54 -0800

Metafilter is a community that I can stand, and has knowledge beyond snarks.

This is why I like Newsfilter here (apart from PoliticsFilter, which I like much less).

Also what taz said.

And these callouts and successive flame wars make this place resemble Fark far more than the FPP content does.

By: Ethereal Bligh

Ethereal Bligh — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 00:09:59 -0800

"Are you two are saying that none of those posts deserve ,or open doors to some serious and relevant discussion?"

"MetaFilter is as much about the discussion as it is about the links."

Kee-rist.

"As a matter of fact, if you kill NewsFilter and AgendaFilter from *Filter, I probably will start coming around less and less.

See, Matt?

By: Galvatron

Galvatron — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 00:36:34 -0800

Aren't the M&Ms supposed to melt? I bet you can get a bunch in if they start melting.

Excellent observation. It's my understanding that the packing density of (unmelted) M&Ms is about 68%, so we're talking about a 30% difference between melted and unmelted M&Ms. Clarification is required!

By: Bugbread

Bugbread — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 03:03:39 -0800

Yeah, newsfilter sucks, but its an old issue, and if matt hasn't been convinced yet, no amount of callouts is going to convince him, so the only thing to do is just not click the posts. It's like being diagnosed with cancer; no amount of raging is going to cure it, so the sanest course of action is just to look at the remaining good.

By: Captaintripps

Captaintripps — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 04:16:33 -0800

I'll remember that some saturday when the Front Page looks exactly like Reuters, except for the link about M&Ms.

By: gsb

gsb — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 04:31:51 -0800

Guilty as charged, every link I've submitted is newsfilter, and I'm so sorry about that.

>I'll remember that some saturday when the Front Page looks exactly like Reuters, except for the link about M&Ms.

The weekend is for holidays.

By: jack_mo

jack_mo — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 05:07:13 -0800

I think your list demonstrates that Newsfilter is pretty much a part of what makes MetaFilter so great.

Seconded. I'm not sure I'd say that if I lived in the US, though - NewsFilter is much more bearable to those of us on this side of the Atlantic, since the topics being done to death in the American media often receive a small to middling amount of coverage here. (The reverse is true too, I suppose - BritishNewsFilter posts often pass without snarking.)

Also, might I propose that the phrase 'best of the web' be gracefully retired? Preferably along with all references to common rhetorical fallacies. Both make MetaFilter collectively appear to be a snotty lower sixth form debate team member too dim to argue a point without recourse to tired commonplaces. Er, which is exactly how the previous sentence makes me sound.

By: stavrosthewonderchicken

stavrosthewonderchicken — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 05:35:52 -0800

And these callouts and successive flame wars make this place resemble Fark

Do you need a TotalFark™ account to read MetaFark™ or am I missing something here?

By: stavrosthewonderchicken

stavrosthewonderchicken — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 05:41:38 -0800

Also, while I'm in a bitchy mood, even though I have been guilty of doing it in the past, I grow tired of the proliferation of 'borrowed' SA Forums Image Macros popping up around here lately. They lost their piquancy and LOLLERSKATES!!1! factor for me at around the 7,000th viewing or so, as I recall. They are even more amusingly lame when watermarked by yet another site claiming them as their own.

*cough*

(Aaaaaaand an obligatory FiPi reference for the netdweeb trifecta. Thank you and goodnight.)

By: Bugbread

Bugbread — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 05:54:53 -0800

jack_mo : "Also, might I propose that the phrase 'best of the web' be gracefully retired? Preferably along with all references to common rhetorical fallacies. Both make MetaFilter collectively appear to be a snotty lower sixth form debate team member too dim to argue a point without recourse to tired commonplaces."

True, but retiring references to rhetorical fallacies will just drop us from sounding like a lower sixth form debate team member to sounding like a third grade grammar student. It's like saying "Let's avoid the word 'pussy', it makes us sound vulgar. Let's stick with 'gash' instead".

By: languagehat

languagehat — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 06:06:21 -0800

Can we get back to the M&Ms, please? Because that's something we can actually solve.

By: dreamsign

dreamsign — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 06:13:17 -0800

Do you need a TotalFark™ account to read MetaFark™ or am I missing something here?

That second one.

By: klangklangston

klangklangston — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 06:25:03 -0800

Wait, so now we say "Gash"?
(I'd like it more if Matt deleted ten to fifteen more posts a day... but that's just me. I think it would lead to a rapid evolution in quality).

By: COBRA!

COBRA! — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 06:52:38 -0800

Can we get back to the M&Ms, please? Because that's something we can actually solve.

This doesn't involve M&Ms, exactly, but I recently won an eating contest by putting away 150 Tater Tots.

I felt like everyone should know this.

By: Balisong

Balisong — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 06:57:58 -0800

Or, howsabout if every post has to be posted by Matt. He could be the filter, and we could all agree with him.
(I'm thinking it'd be alot like El-Ge-Ef where Charles posts everything, and you either agree or get flushed. Wouldn't that be fun?)

By: Specklet

Specklet — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 09:12:16 -0800

There is a vending machine in the breakroom that has M&Ms, but I only have one dollar on me, and I know I'd need a second package.

By: shepd

shepd — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 09:29:27 -0800

Specklet, wait until enough people buy M&Ms that one gets caught and doesn't fall. Then go for the 2 for 1 special while they're not looking.

By: dios

dios — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 10:21:17 -0800

I agree that the *Filter label isn't very good.

There is no filtering done here. (Unless you consider the rampant editorializing of posts a filtration of sorts). People don't appear to apply any criteria in their selections for FPPs.

But at some point we have to stop kidding ourselves and pretending that this website is any sort of "filter" of the web. I think "dump" would be a more applicable. MetaDump. Then we can have NewsDump and AgendaDump. I think those would be more accurate terms.

By: sciurus

sciurus — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 10:55:58 -0800

Reese's Pieces are slightly smaller than M&Ms. I bet you could get an extra 20 pieces in Angelina Jolie's mouth if we used those instead.

By: moift

moift — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 11:25:14 -0800

By: Steve_at_Linnwood

Steve_at_Linnwood — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 11:42:11 -0800

on preview: what moift said

By: Stynxno

Stynxno — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 11:43:07 -0800

on preview: what Steve_at_Linnwood said

By: dios

dios — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 11:46:40 -0800

I disagree with Stinky.

By: Stynxno

Stynxno — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 11:52:00 -0800

ah. touche dios. touche.

though i'm going to have to agree with the sub-arguement in steve's post. and i'm not sure you can thwart that.

By: dios

dios — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 12:02:22 -0800

Ahh. I am bested.

/me surrenders and bows before the stink.

By: moift

moift — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 12:06:54 -0800

Sheesh, dios, way to ruin a circlejerk before the hands get back to me :[

By: dios

dios — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 12:11:25 -0800

It's all about me. I get mine and then run.

By: Ryvar

Ryvar — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 12:16:09 -0800

Steve@ is wrong, wrong, wrong (as usual) but dios - for once - completely nails it.

Actually Taz does - keep stuffing socks in EB's mouth, hon, 'cause the squealing noises are too goddamn annoying to be cute anymore.

By: gigawhat?

gigawhat? — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 12:35:03 -0800

*stuffs 531 M&Ms in mouth*

Mmff mmffmffmmm ... mf mmffmmff?

By: bachelor#3

bachelor#3 — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 12:36:27 -0800

MetaTalk: you are a pelican or Jabba the Hutt.

By: fenriq

fenriq — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 12:56:52 -0800

I really don't need an image of all you buggers sitting in a circle and playing beat the trouser trout together. But I'm sure it'll keep me smiling in my meeting I'm headed off to.

M&M's and masturbation make MeFi magnificent!

By: deborah

deborah — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 13:22:00 -0800

People don't appear to apply any criteria in their selections for FPPs.

Of course they do - good, bad and ugly. It's just not your criteria. And that's not a slam, it's just that everyone has a different idea of what is appropriate for MeFi.

[ And now back to your regularly scheduled circle jerk ]

By: LarryC

LarryC — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 14:03:50 -0800

Damn, I hate NewFilter (and her ugly sister, AgendaFilter) as much as Captaintrips, but I am really surprised at how many MeFites seem to like it. Maybe it is time for another section of this website, a NewsFilter section that stands on its own like AskMe and MeTa.

By: XQUZYPHYR

XQUZYPHYR — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 17:10:05 -0800

That's great, dios. Hey, what if they were covered in powdered sugar first? Then, they'd have more absorption, thus negating the slaiva sticky problem MC was talking about. Or would that take away too much density to store extra M&Ms?

By: srboisvert

srboisvert — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 17:45:15 -0800

I am not a fan of newfilter but what really bothers me is that instead of some investigative reporting we get some papers rumour based editorial because that is what comes out first.

I would rather get the best coverage a day or two later than the worst first. If it is not the best of the web at least make sure it is best (or even just good) coverage of the newstory.

m&m's suck.
smarties rule.

By: darukaru

darukaru — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 18:39:29 -0800

I'm enjoying a Lindt 70% cocoa solids bar right now. Wimps and posers leave the hall.
(Those people who eat the 85% are like the ones who drink gallons of Dave's Insanity Sauce for a morning beverage.)

By: jonmc

jonmc — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 19:12:06 -0800

Oh, yeah? Well, I ate 6 White Castles and an order of mozzarella sticks with hot sauce, and I'm on my 5th beer. Before bed, I might even drink some strawberry Quik.

By: ericb

ericb — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 19:54:24 -0800

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and on...

To catalog such - way too much free time!

Nonetheless, loving the M&M's (and Smarties) meme in this thread!

By: dg

dg — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 03:32:14 -0800

M&M's and masturbation make MeFi magnificent!
You should see what happens when we combine them!

By: XQUZYPHYR

XQUZYPHYR — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 04:27:14 -0800

M&O's?

By: gramschmidt

gramschmidt — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 21:08:41 -0800

furst poste