March 2006 Archives (all archives)
March 31
Whatever happened to open sourcing the MeFi codebase?
Whatever happened to open sourcing the MeFi codebase? I all can find are dead links.
That said, Jesse Helms is full of crap
That said, Jesse Helms is full of crap.
Reposting Projects
Dumb mefi.projects question... If one updates and signficantly revises one's project, it is worthwhile to repost it?
March 30
Please let us metatalk more.
Matt, with all respect, could you not close Metatalk threads immediately after you weigh in on the topic? Maybe set a two-hour timer or something?
I thought the thread closing feature was supposed to be applied to bug reports, where there's nothing to talk about after the bug is fixed. But it seems to be applied to lots of "etiquette/policy" threads nowadays. Your voice should be heard, but it shouldn't be the last word on a controversial topic.
I thought the thread closing feature was supposed to be applied to bug reports, where there's nothing to talk about after the bug is fixed. But it seems to be applied to lots of "etiquette/policy" threads nowadays. Your voice should be heard, but it shouldn't be the last word on a controversial topic.
Hey, my monthly political hobbyhorse is recurring!
Axegrindfilter.
"Hey, my monthly political hobbyhorse is recurring! C'mon guys, it's important!"
If we have to play with the "party" as metaphor, I throw the relentless proslytizers out before I bother with folks who call each other bad names.
"Hey, my monthly political hobbyhorse is recurring! C'mon guys, it's important!"
If we have to play with the "party" as metaphor, I throw the relentless proslytizers out before I bother with folks who call each other bad names.
Chicago Meetup
Let's try this again. Anyone down for a Chicago meetup? My vote is again for Quenchers (corner of Fullerton and Western), but I'm down for Margies (or any other place) too.
why was my comment deleted
Can whoever deleted my comment in this thread explain why it was deleted with no explanation and other similar comments remain?
Posting my work to mefi
If I wrote a bunch of articles on some interesting legal issue, and decided I wanted to post them to MetaFilter, could I just find a few links on the topic to stick on the front page, and then put the links to my articles on the first comment? Or would that be a selflink?
peacay's BibliOdyssey was just nicely reviewed on Boingboing
Mad bibliographic props to peacay whose BibliOdyssey was just nicely reviewed on Boingboing. They're right - BibliOdyssey is truly wonderful!
March 29
Just out of curiosity - Were you a BBSer? Did you run a BBS?
Just out of curiosity - Were you a BBSer? Did you run a BBS?
[more inside]
[more inside]
the policing of public space
On metafilter, there is a bottom up approach to the policing of public space. Ie, citizens flag “bad” posts and then have meta discussions which really serve as trials by a peer group, if you will. The analogy breaks though because the jurors are not randomly selected and thus usually have a vested interest in the decision (which can lead to name calling, etc). Ultimately, these discussions are formed such that mathowie and jessamyn have moderating powers “in check” by the people. They can weigh in on the issues, make decisions, and face public scrutiny when a decision is made, especially if the decision is vastly unpopular. What are some of the other ways that you can think of to police public on-line spaces?
Something seems fishy here
This post may be astroturfing
Let's play mefi Fantasy Baseball
MeFi Fantasy Baseball! Anyone up for some last-minute shenanigans? I could throw together a free Yahoo 5x5 Roto league if there's enough interest. Draft would probably be Sunday.
Navigation Question
Anyone else confused by the and links at the bottom? On the Blue, next points to the right, but goes back to the older threads, yet next, for most reading, implies the opposite. And previous page points left, which makes sense, but it goes to the newer threads, which doesn't make sense. The confusion arises in part because we read Metafilter from new to old. To make it more confusing, on AskMe the previous questions link goes to the older questions, which is opposite to the Blue, where right and next mean back in time. Did I get that right?
A simple, parallel solution would be to simply have older and newer, with older pointing left, and newer pointing right for all.
A simple, parallel solution would be to simply have older and newer, with older pointing left, and newer pointing right for all.
I did NOT flag that as fantastic.
The Fantastic AskMe posts page appears to claim that I flagged this now deceased thread as a fantastic post. I'm pretty sure I didn't, and flagged it for some other reason so that it could be deleted.
Is anyone else on the list thinking that they didn't flag that one as fantastic?
Is anyone else on the list thinking that they didn't flag that one as fantastic?
March 28
cortex records matthewchen is spamming
This is a litle weird, maybe, but so cool I wouldn't want anyone to miss it before it drops off the MeTa front page. adamrice said 'matthewchen is spamming', so I said 'there's a jangly, wistful guitarpop song somewhere in the phrase 'mathewchen is spamming'....' and cortex agreed and went ahead and recorded the song. How cool is that? I love this place sometimes.
Jeopardy Online Meetup
So ... are any other MeFites doing the online Jeopardy! screening? The test starts in 6 minutes!
Is there a way to jump from one comment to the next using my keyboard?
Is there a way to jump from one comment (anchor) to the next using my keyboard? I like a feature in Bloglines where you can simply press "j" to go to the next article in a feed ("k" goes to the previous article). It would be nice if we had a navigation system similar to this going from comment to comment for MeFi/AskMe/MeTa threads.
Phoenix Meetup
Phoenix meetup? [more inside]
Just a heads-up.
Spammer!
Repetitive Blink
March 27
Tagged!
Someone added tags to my post. I'll wear the 'obit' and 'obituary' but the '.' has to go. When I try to delete it i get "Looks like you're trying to delete tags fromto the wrong post. Go ."
AskMe causes problems when posting code
Problems Posting Code To Ask yet again.
I really wish AskMeFi handled code better. As in, handled HTML, JavaScript, Perl, whatever, with linebreaks and indenting preserved. Some people are smart enough to use the PRE tag, but they still need to escape the HTML brackets, and their code gets extra linebreaks added.
When I need to post code I pre-process it with a script now but the average person isn't that obsessive.
The "regular expressions are overkill" guy has a problem in his code, please note, as does the "screw the dom" guy.
I really wish AskMeFi handled code better. As in, handled HTML, JavaScript, Perl, whatever, with linebreaks and indenting preserved. Some people are smart enough to use the PRE tag, but they still need to escape the HTML brackets, and their code gets extra linebreaks added.
When I need to post code I pre-process it with a script now but the average person isn't that obsessive.
The "regular expressions are overkill" guy has a problem in his code, please note, as does the "screw the dom" guy.
NYC meetup photos March 2006
Here we are in NYC last night:
AskMeFi questioners are too often glibly told to, "talk to a therapist"
AskMeFi questioners are too often glibly told to, "talk to a therapist," when asking about emotional issues. Discuss.
March 26
Can we please take the obnoxious American Idol picture off the AskMe frontpage?
Can we please take the obnoxious American Idol picture off the AskMe frontpage? Put it inside or something, posting pictures directly onto the frontpage sets a precedent that can only lead downhill.
Reminder: NYC Meetup tonight
Reminder: NYC Meetup tonight (Sunday 3/26) at Revival at 6 p.m.
March 25
Add a fantastic flag scoreboard to profiles
Idea: Add links to a person's fantastic posts/comments/answers to their profile pages, as a kind of personal scoreboard.
Been wondering how to give people "attaboys" for good commentary and answers. Why not list these accomplishments on their profile pages? I did some searches, and the idea has been proposed before, but I can't find a similar suggestion that's more recent than four years ago.
Profiles already have links to a person's posts, and if I drill down I can see which ones have been flagged as fantastic -- so why not put this front and center on the profiles?
Been wondering how to give people "attaboys" for good commentary and answers. Why not list these accomplishments on their profile pages? I did some searches, and the idea has been proposed before, but I can't find a similar suggestion that's more recent than four years ago.
Profiles already have links to a person's posts, and if I drill down I can see which ones have been flagged as fantastic -- so why not put this front and center on the profiles?
I just wanted to say thank you
I just wanted to say thank you to AskMeFi / MeFi in general. I've asked several questions and usually gotten great help. Specifically, I asked this one a while ago about neighborhoods in Chicago, and I have an update [more inside].
AskMe Homework Guidelines
I have an AskMe question, and I want to be sure that it's not breaking the "no homework on MeFi" convention. [mi]
Mefi Wiki trashed by spam
It seems that the Metafilter Wiki @ http://www.mssv.net/wiki.cgi was taken over by Xanax online, which promptly trashed the whole place, the shitheads
Flag It and Move On
What part of "flag it and move on" are people having trouble understanding? I'm willing to hold an extra help session for our slower learners.
March 24
Name-calling doesn't lead to further conversation
"...fuck you bshort. And shove your opinions up your ass..."
"...I suspect “go fuck yourself” is about the longest sentence you can comprehend..."
"...Lard brain Nazi..."
"...And you are a shithead..."
[more inside]
"...I suspect “go fuck yourself” is about the longest sentence you can comprehend..."
"...Lard brain Nazi..."
"...And you are a shithead..."
[more inside]
XXX porn used as an interactive clothing catalogue
OK, trying to figure if this is appropriate or not.
I mean this - NSFW NSFW or many, many, many other places. May be NSFHome either, depending on your home, most homes probably. It's XXX porn used as an interactive clothing catalogue. Seems like it's an "interesting" phenomenon, but I do realize that the content is pretty friggin' iffy. But it's a genre unlike any I've ever seen. Makes you look. Perhaps not at the clothes but...
PS, it's extremely slow to load, and when you load it, it's porn, but it's also a clothing catalogue. Regular clothing. But it's porn, totally porn (tab A in slot B type porn).
Thought I'd try it here first, rather than the blue. Not really appropriate here either, but... Shit, I don't know, it just didn't seem right for an FPP, but seemed really interesting to me too. Go figure.
I mean this - NSFW NSFW or many, many, many other places. May be NSFHome either, depending on your home, most homes probably. It's XXX porn used as an interactive clothing catalogue. Seems like it's an "interesting" phenomenon, but I do realize that the content is pretty friggin' iffy. But it's a genre unlike any I've ever seen. Makes you look. Perhaps not at the clothes but...
PS, it's extremely slow to load, and when you load it, it's porn, but it's also a clothing catalogue. Regular clothing. But it's porn, totally porn (tab A in slot B type porn).
Thought I'd try it here first, rather than the blue. Not really appropriate here either, but... Shit, I don't know, it just didn't seem right for an FPP, but seemed really interesting to me too. Go figure.
New feature idea: final follow-up/resolution feature.
New feature idea: final follow-up/resolution feature [more inside]
NYC meetup photos (March 2006)
NYC Meetup photos! [mi]
Is there any reason why MetaTalk posts don't have a Headline/Title?
Is there any reason why MetaTalk posts don't have a Headline/Title?
I think that they could be more useful than http://metatalk.metafilter.com/mefi/11568 [for example].
I think that they could be more useful than http://metatalk.metafilter.com/mefi/11568 [for example].
We need a [comment deleted] feature
We need a [comment deleted] feature, por favor. Case in point: 50335
March 23
Couldn't I just go to DailyKos if I wanted to read DailyKos?
Couldn't I just go to DailyKos if I wanted to read DailyKos?
Origins/GenCon meet-up?
I'm not sure whether to post this here, or Projects, or AskMe, but I'll start here as it's sort of a MeFi meetup question: Is anyone going to the summer Midwestern game conventions, Origins (in Columbus) and/or GenCon (in Indianapolis)? Furthermore, is anyone going there on business? I'll be attending and am curious if there are any MeFites in the board gaming industry, or, failing that, if there are any enthusiasts to seek out for playtesting sessions.
Projects functionality: update please
Projects - any plans for recording in the user profle what you have voted on, tagging, or a decent search function? For the first time I'm trying to remember something I enjoyed and voted on, but can't find the tools with which to find it.
Closing New-User Signups
With the increasing number of stupid call outs on MetaTalk of late, the general lowering of the standards of debate in MeFi and seemingly more and more attacks on #1 and #292 for their admin decisions, I respectfully and tentatively suggest that now may be the time to close off new user sign-ups for a while.
Kirkaracha Love
Kudos to kirkaracha for dodging the urge to be clever and actually making the text of his link to IMDB the name of the movie. Rather than content free nouns, adverb or adjectives. "Honey, I've got a tool that'll fix anything." -- Actor in this sequel would have been less useful.
This is new, right? I don't like it.
note: Help maintain a healthy, respectful discussion by focusing comments on the
issues, topics, and facts at hand -- not at other members of the site.
This is new, right? I don't like it.
issues, topics, and facts at hand -- not at other members of the site.
This is new, right? I don't like it.
RSS " -> ?
When users make FPPs with curly quotes, they are not properly encoded in the RSS feed. Instead of their respective entities (“, ”), they are replaced with question marks. This is in the RSS feed, not an error on the part of my RSS readers (NetVibes, NewsGator, and NetNewsWire for the record). Is this intended behavior, or a bug?
Can we keep deleted questions in AskMe?
Can we keep deleted questions in AskMe? (Meaning still visible by number, as FPPs are)
Seattle meetup photos
Seattle Meetup Photos! Beer was drunk. Out was shouted. Fun was had.
Punctuation in Tags
RSS feed for AskMeFi broken in Bloglines.
RSS feed for AskMeFi broken in Bloglines.
MetaFilter around the Globe.
MetaFilter around the Globe. I used to live in the USA on the east coast. Then on the west coast. Now I live in London. All this time I've been a MeFi user. Has anyone else noticed how different MeFi is at different times of the global day? For example, AskMeFi when it is the AM in London is pretty European and has loads of interesting questions. Once the global day hits the USA, loads of silly tech questions appear. Late in the USA night, we get some scandalous ones. OR is this all just my perception?
March 22
Metachat is down. Can I post pictures of my cats here?
Metachat is down. Can I post pictures of my cats here?
Please fix my post spelling
Please help me, Matt or Jess. I don't want to add any further insult to the atheist community, yet I misspelled their name 3 times in this fpp. Yes, I'm an ass.
so cool!
Politics-only MeFi?
Let's make a new MeFi, just for politics. Perhaps it could be a chunky beige/brown.
a grotesque lack of civility in the ad homonym realm
Thread 50250 should be used to indict, convict, and ban several Members for a grotesque lack of civility in the ad homonym realm.
March 21
NYC meetup
Riddle:
What brings ThePinkSuperhero's foot down, makes me jiggle with excitement, and is right around the corner from mathowie's hotel?
It's a NYC MEFI MEETUP! 6pm on Sunday, 3/26, at Revival, near Union Square. Be THERE! Or be drunk... uh, ELSEWHERE! yeah...
What brings ThePinkSuperhero's foot down, makes me jiggle with excitement, and is right around the corner from mathowie's hotel?
It's a NYC MEFI MEETUP! 6pm on Sunday, 3/26, at Revival, near Union Square. Be THERE! Or be drunk... uh, ELSEWHERE! yeah...
Broken HTML
In this post, the text after the less than sign is lowercased, part of it is lost, and the next HTML tag is cut. I suspect a bug in the HTML filtering code.
Insult me
What is the MeTa protocol if I want a tongue or keyboard lashing? (mi)
RSS Bug
RSS error on ask.me reads: (mi)
care to explain the server issues?
Oh great #1, care to explain the server issues?
Project Feedback on AskMe
Would it be apropriate to post a project, then request feedback on said project on ask? Nothing spesific, I'm just wondering.
Seattle meetup tomorrow!
Seattle meetup tomorrow! 7 pm at the Elysian.
Copyright violation callout
Vandalbots on the wiki
The MetaFilter Wiki is being destroyed by vandalbots.
As recently as yesterday I used it to look something up, but its brain has been mostly melted. Can it be rolled back to an earlier snapshot? And can you make it so that only registered MeFi users can edit it?
As recently as yesterday I used it to look something up, but its brain has been mostly melted. Can it be rolled back to an earlier snapshot? And can you make it so that only registered MeFi users can edit it?
Why was my post about Medea Benjamin's gaff deleted?
My post about Medea Benjamin's gaff related to North Korea was deleted. I am annoyed. I did post a link to her Code Pinksite. I was not editorializing pro- O'Reilly. I was editorializing that "This is embarassing" to liberals, because when we are given a chance on the main conservative talk shows, we don't do a good job. Medea Benjamin was given a chance and O'Reilly wasn't unfair to her. There have been many anti-O'Reilly posts here and as liberal as I am, I don't think we will succeed by just not watching him, or not taking him on, as so many have suggested.
I thought it was worthy of discussion.
I thought it was worthy of discussion.
Comment sorting a mystery
What's going on here with how my comments are sorted?
It looks like they're being sorted by comment date DESC, except that the three latest comments are not quite right.
It looks like they're being sorted by comment date DESC, except that the three latest comments are not quite right.
Help me find an old post to a short sci-fi film.
There was a short film in the blue about a dj who was controlling time with his turntables and involved a playground and basketball. Anyone remember?
Fake obit on google aggregator uncovered
Somewhere on the border of ChatFilterDom
Is this really what AskMe is for? There's some good conversation in there, to be sure, but it's treading a real fine line between "genuinely want to know an answer to my quesion" and "trying to start a conversation with my question".
March 20
If you can't post something useful, please don't post at all.
Beyond simply not being funny, This comment contributes nothing to the thread, and isn't really within the "if you're not replying to talk about the topic, don't reply" spirit of AskMe.
You'd love to see him die what?
Mr. Hincandenza, this is the United States Secret Service. We've got a few questions for you about something you posted on the internets.
Flags seem broken wiht FF 1.0.4
Flags aren't redirecting back to the thread (at least for me).
Firefox 1.0.4 (OSX)
(It's probably a simple fix, but it does mean that all those entertaining MeTa callouts and meetups that I had planned will have to wait until at least next week. You're all on notice).
Firefox 1.0.4 (OSX)
(It's probably a simple fix, but it does mean that all those entertaining MeTa callouts and meetups that I had planned will have to wait until at least next week. You're all on notice).
Is it the end times??
If I didn't know any better, I'd think the Apocalypse was upon us from the questions that have been popping up in AskMe over the past day: [1],[2],[3]
Did I miss something? Is it the end times?? Are we atDEFCON 1 Homeland Security level Red??
Did I miss something? Is it the end times?? Are we at
A vote for threaded comments
If MeFi had threaded comments like most forums, it would be easy to simply delete a comment and all of its followups in one swoop. I used to do this all the time on a forum I moderated, and it was really nice.
(This comment was going to be appended to the prematurely-closed thread two below.)
(This comment was going to be appended to the prematurely-closed thread two below.)
I got an error trying to unmark an answer as "best" in AskMe.
I got an error trying to unmark an answer as "best" in AskMe.
Historical engineering
If the admins are going to delete comments then at least delete any responses to those comments and the collateral damage. It has more finesse, although I guess it would take more time, but that's the price of historical engineering. Yes, it was my comment that was deleted. That's fine, I don't mind that at all, and I'm sorry for the mess.
March 19
LoFi has extra links!
Why does this post have an extra link in LoFi but not on the blue?
It looks like the missing link is the whole point of the post.
It looks like the missing link is the whole point of the post.
Best of MetaFilter collection, courtesy of growabrain
Another great Best of MetaFilter collection, courtesy of growabrain, real estate
blogger and MeFite.
blogger and MeFite.
Calling out a post with ulterior linkage
Googlebombs on the front page?
robots.txt gives "500 Internal Server Error" on all subdomains
robots.txt gives "500 Internal Server Error" on all subdomains
"stumped" askme is a good reason for doubles
Subdomains not working? PoliticsFilter, FlashFilter, ArtFilter redirect me to the front page.
March 18
Bad parodies make bad posts
This is unacceptable. It should serve as an example to all the community, that one should never attempt to parody another's FPP. Especially if the execution of such a parody is flawed by broken links. SHAME.
Conspiracy theorists turn up in implosion discussion
Ok, so I'm guessing that we should add building implosions to the list of "things we can't talk about on Metafilter?"
my little comment ponies
Matt, can you add some more class to your comment HTML so that independent scripts such as my Comment script and MeFi Navigator have a more assured chance of cohabitating? [by a fluke there turned out to be no fatal interactions]
Also, the best way to quote comments is with a DIV. Can you make this possible? [more inside]
Also, the best way to quote comments is with a DIV. Can you make this possible? [more inside]
Email from Marshall Oak.
Remember Marshall Oak, the star trek photoshopping guy? He found us! (email inside)
Federated Media and what it thinks of Metafilter
Apparently, we are collectively high quality authors catering to influential and highly engaged audiences with passion, integrity, and authority (scroll down.)
March 17
Blessings for MetaFilter.
A Lepechaun's wish: Metafilter, may ye last for a thousand years and make Mathowie the Prez of the U.S.! May all of your MeFi souls rest peacefully tonight after havin' too many pints of green ale/beer. And Praise the lord for the world is a better place for havin' Metafilter in it. For those of us living here and there, may our souls return safely home!
Technical aspects of photography AskMe sought
a two-for-one question.
There was a post on AskMe about camera use that showed up on the side bar awhile back, had to do understanding what the technical aspects of photography meant and how they interrelate. I glanced through the tags and search features and didn't see it, anyone have an idea where it might be? And secondly, is there a way to search past items on the blue's sidebar?
There was a post on AskMe about camera use that showed up on the side bar awhile back, had to do understanding what the technical aspects of photography meant and how they interrelate. I glanced through the tags and search features and didn't see it, anyone have an idea where it might be? And secondly, is there a way to search past items on the blue's sidebar?
My AskMe RSS feed is not working
AskMe rss not working?
Easy thread monitoring, without throwaway comments?
Whatever happened to the idea that soon we'd be able to flag a thread as "watch," so that one doesn't have to post some crappy comment just to ensure the thread appears in one's "My Comments" list? There are many threads I wish to monitor, and few I wish to actually comment upon.
5-minute collaborative media quiz (Metafilter included!)
Users of collaborative media are invited by Dan Gillmore to take this five-minute research quiz authored by a Kennedy School of Government student. The quiz is very well crafted and asks lots of good questions, with room for specific written comments by respondents, and Metafilter is one of the sites specifically mentioned. Via BoingBoing.
How can I post a question on AskMeFi using the anonymous account?
How can I post a question on AskMeFi using the anonymous account ? When I login using my username and try to post a question, I see a link to post the question anonymously but if I have already posted in the past 1 week, then this link does not appear.
March 16
MeFi suicide post shout-out
Sometimes we get it really right. It was nice, affirming even, to see something as complex as suicide handled with such grace.
Article only free with google referrer
This is strange. Click on this link (it's Forbes magazine on the Playstation 3 chip). Chances are you'll be redirected here, to a Keepmedia page asking you to pay $2.00 to read it. Find exactly the same url using Google and you get in, without the payment demand. What's going on?
Atom/RSS parse Error
since this morning i'm getting a parse error for the feed http://xml.metafilter.com/atom.xml (ff live bookmark feed)... but not for http://xml.metafilter.com/rss.xml (xml feed link in mefi sidebar)... just me (and/or my sage reader)? or is it a bug?
List of your top ten answered tags from AskMe?
Tags: User profiles show "Top ten tags used on Ask MetaFilter posts" -- which is neat!, but would it maybe be really neat if there were a "Top ten tags used on Ask MetaFilter answers"? I know that what I've asked about and what I've answered to are in pretty different realms.
Comment page?
Averysmallponyrequest: Could we get a link on the My Comments to the page that shows all of our comments?
AskMe Snark
there seems to be a lot of pointless snarking occuring in ask.metafilter. One of the appeals of ask.mefi was the relatively calm and non-judgemental tone. Now it seems to be sliding into Usenet territory. Perhaps this is one of the inevitable stages of online communities.
So I am asking if "answer moderation" with the temporary vacationing of those who commit multiple, egregious offenses might reset things. It might not, but I can't think of any other solutions.
and yes, I have been part of the problem at times.
So I am asking if "answer moderation" with the temporary vacationing of those who commit multiple, egregious offenses might reset things. It might not, but I can't think of any other solutions.
and yes, I have been part of the problem at times.
RSS bug-a-boos
1. Deleted MetaTalk threads still show up in RSS (example)
2. MetaTalk RSS includes titles for threads, but the actual thread only uses the post number for a title. Discuss.
2. MetaTalk RSS includes titles for threads, but the actual thread only uses the post number for a title. Discuss.
Statue of limitations *snicker*
This askme question contains a great eggcorn. Should it be given an eggcorn tag, or would that be too meta?
Chatfilter or Not?
I assume this question was deleted for being chatty, but what if it had been: "Can you name some scenes in film that feature popular songs where the on-screen characters actually sing along or otherwise interact with the music? I'm putting them together for a project etc etc....". Is everything on AskMe a "problem" looking for a solution?
Callout of self-link by known spammer in FPP
Minor gripe
Minor gripe. When assembling a post bound for the main front page, if I use the little link tool under the Description entry area, but cancel the operation, it still adds HTML for a link to the text area, but with a href of "null" that must then be manually deleted.
March 15
MeFi Projects FPP loophole
This thread thankfully got deleted, but it reveals something I'd consider a bug: someone can make a FPP (from a MeFi Project) on their first day.
To Assume is to make an ass out of u and me
What is wrong with people who make their own determination of the gender of a person mentioned in an AskMe question even though that person's gender is clearly stated?
This seems to happen a lot with short and mostly useless hit and run answers. I guess people don't read the more inside, or just skim the question. Is this "male answer syndrome" at work? Why do some people answer the question they wish had been written, regardless of the actual question?
As seen today here, by majick and here, by DakotaPaul
This seems to happen a lot with short and mostly useless hit and run answers. I guess people don't read the more inside, or just skim the question. Is this "male answer syndrome" at work? Why do some people answer the question they wish had been written, regardless of the actual question?
As seen today here, by majick and here, by DakotaPaul
Clooney misattribution.
My Comments page is missing all of the carriage returns.
Linefeeds/Carriage returns in My Comments missing? Same in both Firefox 1.5.0.1 and IE 6. I'm not talking about breaks between comments, but within comments.
An FPP is not a place for them to make a point. It is a place to share.
Mischaracterizing the link. Trying to prove a conspiracy. Rampant editorializing. Effective double posts due to retread of the same discussions/topics being made by the same users. These things make for crappy posts. They would not occur if people would learn that a front page Metafilter post is not a place for them to make a point. It is a place to share .
Where did the hybrid thread go?
Where da hybrid thread at? It was actually kind of interesting.
Why isn't this considered spam and blackholed?
I don't get it. Why isn't this considered spam and blackholed?
What kind of MetaFilter are you looking at?
Straw poll. Do you view MetaFilter by: recent comments, most comments, my comments or date?
AskMe thread is seriously busted
This AskMe thread is seriously busted. It looks like somebody opened
AskMe: Fantastic yet deleted answers still show up
Deleted answers are still showing up in the Fantastic Answers page.
March 14
Will Ferrell death hoax
Will Ferrell not dead. A story about the actor’s death in a paragliding accident on The Blue today was deleted so fast, I was not sure if I am hallucinating again or what. So it was a hoax and should disappear
Recommand some books set in Israel.
So, pace this post, I'm looking for good books (fiction or non, but prefer fiction) with modern-day Israel as the primary setting. Recommendations?
Why can't I reach Metafilter?
What is being done to curb the continuing amount of times that MetaFilter dies in the arse each day (e.g. when it's inaccessible)? Just wondering.
NYC Meetup?
Noo Yawk Citay! I'm coming for a visit and I'd love to meet some of the NYC crew. I'll be available from Sunday, 3/26, to Weds, 3/29. Anyone want to get together in there somewhere? My calendar is pure vacation in that window and pretty open. I could also use a hotel recommendation... [more inside]
Aaaargh, fix my HTMl please
Oh, god, I've gotten stupid with tt tags. Please help me.
AskMe Etiquette
LazyFilter: I think Ask.Me is most helpful when people get questions answered that are difficult to answer elsewhere, or after having done some research on their own. I'm not a particular fan of "Inspired by this other ask question..." as if we need to brianstorm questions.
The latest egregious example is this thread which coming a mere 11 minutes after this other thread, I can only assume the poster's thought process was "Hmmm...thats slightly puzzling! Let me hit the Ask-a-Question button!" instead of say, doing some research on style manuals first and/or uncovering this previous thread on the exact same question. Do some research first, people!
The latest egregious example is this thread which coming a mere 11 minutes after this other thread, I can only assume the poster's thought process was "Hmmm...thats slightly puzzling! Let me hit the Ask-a-Question button!" instead of say, doing some research on style manuals first and/or uncovering this previous thread on the exact same question. Do some research first, people!
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
Did I break this thread?
Did I break this thread?
Doing away with double deletions?
Doubleposts and deletions; now that MeFi is a bit of a monster, rather than a very small community, is it time to perhaps do away with the concept of doubleposts, and just let topics stand? For instance, this post was deleted as being a double, although the comments and links inside were significantly more active and amusing than the original, which wasn't linked by the deleter. (As an aside, if we're going to make content disappear because of doubleposts, may I request that the deleter please link to the original topic?)
Clean up in Aisle 7.
Clean up in Aisle 7.
March 13
Can we single out unanswered questions on AskMe?
As I watched my somewhat difficult and obscure question move unanswered onto the second page of AskMeFi today, I wondered aloud: "We have a filter for those marked best answer and one for fantastic topics, why not one for 'Stumped' that no one answers"? Or are there not enough unanswered questions?
I imagine the author of the question would have to mark whether an answer had been reached or not, and unanswerable questions like "Why does God allow suffering?" could be flagged and removed from the 'Stumped' category.
Is such a thing possible? Desireable?
I imagine the author of the question would have to mark whether an answer had been reached or not, and unanswerable questions like "Why does God allow suffering?" could be flagged and removed from the 'Stumped' category.
Is such a thing possible? Desireable?
Do any other Mefites want to meetup for Saint Patty's day
Myself and absalom are in Paris this week. Do any other Mefites want to meetup for Saint Patty's day (friday)?
Mathowie guest editor on LifeHacker
Is this the worst AskMe response yet?
Is this the worst AskMe response yet? By my count fifteen of the eighteen comments do not answer the question and should be deleted.
Linking Style
This is about linking style.
Many folk on MeFi and other, somewhat geek-identified sites like kuro5hin have a linking style as follows:
1. Placing multiple links such that several consecutive words in a sentence each link to a different page
2. (somewhat following from #1) Links that bear no relation to the text they mark.
Here is a (made-up) example: "Best Buy stocks several brands of electronics."
What is wrong here? The first link is well placed, but all the others are terrible. Firstly, logically, there is no reason why the word "several" should link to anything other than a page about the word "several". But what is worse than this is that the casual reader has no way to parse this sentence for information without clicking on each link. In this case the URLs are obvious, when hovering over the link in question, but many times the URLs are not so obvious.
Why not just use the much plainer, better style: "Best Buy stocks several brands of electronics such as Sony, Samsung, Mouser, and LG."
Or if it's not intended to give the linked websites so much importance, you could simply say: "Best Buy stocks several brands of electronics (examples 1, 2, 3, 4)."
Either of these would be a vast improvement. Discuss.
Many folk on MeFi and other, somewhat geek-identified sites like kuro5hin have a linking style as follows:
1. Placing multiple links such that several consecutive words in a sentence each link to a different page
2. (somewhat following from #1) Links that bear no relation to the text they mark.
Here is a (made-up) example: "Best Buy stocks several brands of electronics."
What is wrong here? The first link is well placed, but all the others are terrible. Firstly, logically, there is no reason why the word "several" should link to anything other than a page about the word "several". But what is worse than this is that the casual reader has no way to parse this sentence for information without clicking on each link. In this case the URLs are obvious, when hovering over the link in question, but many times the URLs are not so obvious.
Why not just use the much plainer, better style: "Best Buy stocks several brands of electronics such as Sony, Samsung, Mouser, and LG."
Or if it's not intended to give the linked websites so much importance, you could simply say: "Best Buy stocks several brands of electronics (examples 1, 2, 3, 4)."
Either of these would be a vast improvement. Discuss.
Posting Stats
Some metrics: 50,000 posts and 1.24 million comments since July 14, 1999 = 20.5 posts per day or almost one post per hour, 511 comments per day or about 1 comment every three minutes for the last 6.75 years.
"Reader's Digest" version now "Greatest Hits"
Matt, while I quite like the new layout of the "fantastic posts/answers" page for AskMe, some of the old functionality has been lost. It used to be that when I was pressed for time, I'd come and see what questions/answers had been recently flagged. This gave me the "reader's digest" version of AskMe. Now, though, all I see is the "greatest hits". There's no way to see what's bubbling to the top, only what's already there. Anyway to combine the two somehow?
Not answering the damn question.
Another example of folks not answering the damn question.
log in failure
I couldn't log in for several minutes, and the site wasn't down. Error message inside.
We aren't really getting the Jabber server back, are we?
We aren't really getting the Jabber server back, are we?
Askme etiquette on using first line of question as title
I've noticed that when posting questions to AskMeFi people will often just copy verbatim the first sentence of their question text into the title field.
March 12
Profile page answer counts shouldn't include follow-ups.
I think that in the profile pages, the answer count for Ask MetaFilter should exclude the user's own comments in their own questions.
Has anyone thought of grabbing a snapshot...?
Has anyone thought of grabbing a snapshot of pages linked from MetaFilter, a la Yahoo MyWeb?
When do we get Recent fantastic posts for the blue?
The new and improved Recent fantastic post flags for AskMe rocks! When do we get one for the blue?
Scammer comes in to defend scam
March 11
Dialup and video don't mix; how about a warning?
It would be nice to have a warning about Google Video in front page links. Dial-up and video don't mix.
Variable TAG_NAME error
When I try to subscribe to tag associated with a Metafilter post, I get this error: Variable TAG_NAME is undefined.
new windows on "preview question"?
Every time I clicked on "Preview Question" when I was typing my most recent AskMe missive, a new window opened. Is that supposed to happen? If so, it is slightly strange - I corrected/added to my question a bunch of times and I had five windows open before I knew it!
I posted a thread to AskMeFi, but it's disappeared
I posted a thread to AskMeFi, but it's disappeared - what's going on?
Worst post ever contender
Worst post ever? Check.
Worst post ever? Single link: Check. Editorializing: Check. Conspiracy Theory: Check. Google-as-evil-censor subtext: check.
Feedback system for flagging so I can see that it has some result
Feedback System for Flagging: Everytime someone posts a callaout to MeTa, the usual response is "flag it and move on", which is great in theory, but there's absolutely no feedback by doing that. A page that lists everything we've flagged and the respective follow-up. (Please note, these responses could be automatically generated based on the current status of the post/comment) Examples:
Comemnt #129382 - Flagged as: Offensive - Result: Flag noted by admin but ignored.
Post #129834 - Flagged as: Duplicate - Result: Post Deleted
Post #149493 - Flagged as: Excellent - Result: Added to sidebar
I think if users could see that flagging actually has some effect, they might be less liable to whine about it in MeTa Callouts.
Comemnt #129382 - Flagged as: Offensive - Result: Flag noted by admin but ignored.
Post #129834 - Flagged as: Duplicate - Result: Post Deleted
Post #149493 - Flagged as: Excellent - Result: Added to sidebar
I think if users could see that flagging actually has some effect, they might be less liable to whine about it in MeTa Callouts.
AskMe RSS Bugs
Is anyone else getting "Connection Failure" from the AskMe RSS feed?
Spammer alert
March 10
Bad Answers on AskMe
Q: "I'm unhappy about my wage system as a waiter." A: "stop being a whiner". I also don't think "move to Australia" is a very helpfull answer either.
Apeshit over circumcision.
Seattle Meetup
Seattle Meetup! The upcoming March 22 Seattle meetup is discussed here, but did not get included in the sidebar due to an unfortunate category selection. The purpose of this post is to remedy that.
March 9
I quit smoking 30 days ago! Thank you!
I quit smoking 30 days ago! Thank you! [more inside]
Projects Etiquette
Is Projects for alterting people to your own projects, or for telling people about a friend's blog that you find funny but realized it was too lame for the front page. I always figured Metachat was more for that sort of thing.
How anonymous is an anonymous question on AskMe?
How anonymous is an anonymous question on AskMe?
Hufu thread hijacks
Remember the hufu thread where some of the links went to Microsoft for no good reason? Well it seems there's a reason why. [more inside]
PUI or PWI?
Sometimes, like in threads like this, it seems that some are either commiting PUI (posting under the influence) or PWI (posting while intoxicated). What is the correct terminology? (I ask because I do it all the time and it would make a great disclaimer!)
Moderation of Morality Talk in Science Thread
Space exploration topics in just about any online community are inevitably derailed by "why isn't that money being used for worldpeace/hungrychildren/education" bleeding hearts, so that the original subject is lost in repetitive defense of space programs. May I request that if you have a bone to pick with money being spent on space exploration, that you post your own link with discussion on the issue, rather than interrupting a good science discussion with never-ending arguments about the antiphilanthropism of government-funded space flight?
"Poisoning the well"
Poisoning the well by our favorite deity. It must be hard to swim against such a current. Self policing doesn't.
March 8
"Post Comment/Preview If There Are New Comments"
Pony: In addition to "Post Comment" or "Preview", I'd like a "Post Comment/Preview If There Are New Comments." Live Preview is enough for slow-moving threads, but in fast-moving this would be really handy, and I imagine less server-intensive than Preview.
Askme Followup Notification?
I wish there were a "notify me of follow-ups", especially on AskMeFi
March 7
The new Recent Activity on my Posts functionality is absolutely fantastic.
The new Recent Activity on my Posts functionality is absolutely fantastic. Thanks for implementing this feature Matt, it adds a new aspect of functionality to tracking your recent posts.
Self-link Callout
I'm pretty sure this post about nuvvo.com is a self-link.
Remind me when I can ask another question
A pony: When AskMe says "you already asked a question this week", can it tell me the time and date that I'm eligible to start a new question?
AskMe: make an exception to prepare me for a diagnosis of a possibly life-threatening condition.
Any chance I could Ask a day early?
I've got a medical problem that I'm seeing multiple doctors about, including one tomorrow. There is a distinct possibility of something serious and life-threatening, but I want to be prepared before I head to the doctor and I want to alleviate my growing 'worst case' anguish. Thanks.
I've got a medical problem that I'm seeing multiple doctors about, including one tomorrow. There is a distinct possibility of something serious and life-threatening, but I want to be prepared before I head to the doctor and I want to alleviate my growing 'worst case' anguish. Thanks.
Another f****** jargon thread
get well soon
Word on the street is that 31d1 will be released from the hospital tomorrow.
Is this questions creepy and/or offensive?
Are single-link axegrindfilter posts allowed to stay now?
You forgot to post a Wikipedia link. one link newsfilter axegrindfilter post[s] are now open season. Or are they?
Find this brilliant comment.
I'm looking for a comment because it was just brilliant. It was trying to explain why Clinton got flack for his blow job, while Bush can fuck an entire country and get away with it. It had two locked rooms of people and envelopes dropped in for them to read. I should have bookmarked it, but didn't. I'd love to go back and read it again. Ring a bell for anyone?
Spammer callout
March 6
Obit Guidelines
The Kirby Puckett obit thread has attracted some rather distasteful snark about the propriety of discussing "minor celeb deaths." Are obit threads inevitable? Should they be?
Political discussion on Metafilter
Is there a section of MetaFilter that allows political discussion?
The only two comments I've posted were deleted. The first was archived because I used the same link as another person, but I had a completely opposite take. That was my point in using that same link. My post was political and critical of the Bush administration's actions in the New Orleans flood.
The one I posted today asked if the Bush administration is the most corrupt in government in our history or simply the most corrupt in modern times. I posted a link that explored that very question. Six quick comments, then boom The thought was silenced.
There was a mention, I presume by the editor, of the axe to grind filter being two doors down. I wasn't sure if there really is a place where political discussion is welcome, or if this was a way of saying political discussion isn't proper policy here.
The only two comments I've posted were deleted. The first was archived because I used the same link as another person, but I had a completely opposite take. That was my point in using that same link. My post was political and critical of the Bush administration's actions in the New Orleans flood.
The one I posted today asked if the Bush administration is the most corrupt in government in our history or simply the most corrupt in modern times. I posted a link that explored that very question. Six quick comments, then boom The thought was silenced.
There was a mention, I presume by the editor, of the axe to grind filter being two doors down. I wasn't sure if there really is a place where political discussion is welcome, or if this was a way of saying political discussion isn't proper policy here.
Outstanding comment saves D&D thread from troll
It started off as an innocent thread about D&D. It degenerated into a trainwreck of trolling and vituperation. But then, at the last, it was rescued by a truly outstanding comment. This is both what I hate and what I love most about metafilter.
2 questions, 1 week
Hi, I'm working on a pro bono asylum case and I need a NYC-area translator for Fulani/Pular, a dialect of Guinea. We've tried the available services without much luck and I thought as a last ditch attempt, to try askmefi. However, I asked a question last week (before this translator thing had really become an issue). Would it be possible to post a second question? I can promise not to ask a question next week.
Minneapolis Meetup
Minneapolis meetup anyone? This Friday, 3/10. When and Where?
March 5
Seattle meetup March 2006
Seattle meetup anyone? I suggest March 22 at the Elysian.
Can we have permanently open threads in the sidebar?
My favorite pony: Perhaps certain posts could be set aside in a Hall of Fame nook, like certain creatures of Hollywood — ever-youthful, never far from our thoughts, and always open to comment. I'm particularly thinking of this thread. All kudos to washburn, but in this case, the comments have been so wonderful that I hate to see this thread inch down the blue, creeping slowly slowly into oblivion. Save the worms! Anybody?
March 4
digaman's awesome!
This guy just unknowingly hooked me up. For years I have been blown off by doctors with sypmtoms that I finally have a name for.
Thank you digaman! This may not seem like a big deal, but it is to me. To answer the question in your OP, yea, I was until I read all of your links.
Thank you digaman! This may not seem like a big deal, but it is to me. To answer the question in your OP, yea, I was until I read all of your links.
Comments Text-Box Width
Ponyfilter: It'd be really nice if the 'Comments' entry box could be the full width of the browser. MeFi does an excellent job in handling widescreen monitors in all respects but that one. [bit more inside]
I might take it to Metatalk
How is this a double??
Since when would a very cool and novel new Google Maps hack that hasn't been seen before constitute a double post? Overzealous admin'ing?
AskMeFi RSS feed broken in Bloglines
AskMeFi RSS feed broken in Bloglines. Regular MeFi feed working fine.
The studies you are citing are TOTALLY IRRELEVANT
March 3
Sockpuppetry afoot
This user is this user. Both link to lame link-farm sites on their user pages. Both seem to be making pointless comments, assumingly so they can eventually spam metafilter. Enough said.
Unsure what to do
I'm writing a post in which I'm making an offer of direct help, and I'm really not sure whether that offer is a good idea (I'm not sure whether it's a good idea whether to make the offer, and if it is a good idea, I'm not sure that it's a good idea to post the offer where others can see it). It's nothing illegal, I think, and certainly nothing wrong, if the circumstances are what they appear to be, but I have no way of knowing if circumstances are what they appear to be, and if they're not, what I'm offering to do could be a very bad idea. Anyway, I obviously don't want to post any more specifics, so who can I ask what is appropriate in this situation?
So we can't even discuss unethical stuff now...?
I just asked a question about 'how to succeed in university' that was open to standard ideas and ideas that were not kosher (cheating. happens every day). Im busy, i wont be participating actively in this discussion, but the question i put forward is: how is discussing cheating methods different from a thread discussing file sharing or something. Nothing illegal is happening by discussing this stuff. Whats the deal. Thats like deleting a thread that asks 'How do jewel thiefs go about cracking safes?' Are we going to delete the thread because we dont want this suspected jewel thief cracking our safes, or is our curiosity going to get peaked and we're going to discuss it like a bunch of nerds who are into this nerdy stuff? The latter? OK.
Chicago Tribune selects AskMeFi one of 50 best web sites
Chicago Tribune selects AskMeFi one of 50 best web sites
Blurb on Profiles
What's the deal with your nickname? How did you get it? If your nickname is self-explanatory, then tell everyone when you first started using the internet, and what was the first thing that made you say "wow, this isn't just a place for freaks after all?" Was it a website? Was it an email from a long-lost friend? Go on, spill it.
Shouldn't this chatty blurb appear only on the new user info form?
Shouldn't this chatty blurb appear only on the new user info form?
Links Of Interest idea
I occasionally see something funny or mildly interesting that I'd like to post. But I don't want to post to the front page for a small item, like a game, video, or a friend-of-a-friend's funny caption. Is there room, for, or interest in, a sidebar for Links Of Interest, with limited text, and maybe no comments? [mi]
Cleveland meet-up follow-up
March 2
FPP correction request
The Prisons Often Shackle Pregnant Inmates in Labor post needs to be corrected.
HTML tag issue
HTML tag (BIG) issue on my AskMe post?
Katrina Prediction
Why/when was this user banned?
Protocols of the Elders of Awesome was banned? When & why did that happen?
What happened to airnxtz?
Remember airnxtz? He's the dude who came to AskMefi to help plan his eventual EBay scams. The thread is a must read if you haven't already been.
Here's the thing.. it's missing an ending! I want more! But where the hell should I post it? What more can be done? We did so much... to end up signifying nothing. :(
Here's the thing.. it's missing an ending! I want more! But where the hell should I post it? What more can be done? We did so much... to end up signifying nothing. :(
Is there any clever way to make sure any href has a URI?
In this post the malformed URL comes from leaving off the http:// from the address. Is there any clever way to make sure any href has a URI? I have not clever solution, I just thought I would ask.
CNN ignored us
I have to admit, I was slightly disappointed that Mehfee was not included in this Web 2.0 fanboy schlock story.
Let's have a Chicago meetup.
Anyone wanna do a Chicago meetup? I've never been to one and don't know what the procedure is. I was thinking Quenchers, at Fullerton and Western. Don't care when, really so long as it's before March 16.
Unconfirmed rumors not yet best of web
I ... agree with dios. This is a terrible post.
March 1
Pronunciation of MeFi and MeFite?
MeFi: may-fee [mefi] or mee-fie [mifaɪ]? Mefite: mee-fight or may-fight? I was a little disconcerted at a meet-up to realise that some people pronounce these terms differently than I do. Is there a dominant pronounciation? Any other variants? (idle curiosity of a linguistics student)
Using another's name to prove a point
This post is unrepentantly awful. Oh so brave internet crusading aside, is using another Mefi member (let alone four of them) to prove a point going to be allowed in FPP's now?
Procedure 'askmeficomments' expects parameter '@timezone', which was not supplied.
Procedure 'askmeficomments' expects parameter '@timezone', which was not supplied.
Comment count and reality continue to not match
At first this thread was showing 7 comments when there were none. Then after a few reloads it was showing 1 comment when there were none. Since then people have posted comments and the total is fine. Anyone else notice this?
Cedille breaks stuff
The page for the français tag (which uses a ç) doesn't work right. In particular, it doesn't list the post that uses it.
So, is anyone else sick of all the crappy video links?
So, is anyone else sick of all the crappy video links? Just reposting the latest "wow, look at this"/"isn't this funny" stuff from Google Videos and YouTube gets a bit dull.