July 2013 Archives (all archives)
July 31
Callout of all callouts
I'm calling you all out, all of you. [more inside]
A gentle request from your Health Month organizer
It's almost a new month, and we all know Health Month is awesome. So awesome, in fact, that Team MetaFilter is reserved for actual MeFites.
I've now got a dozen requests to join the team from people whose names on Health Month don't match users on MetaFilter. I don't want to needlessly blow people off. If you have asked to join the team, and haven't been added, please shoot me a message on MeMail, and I will add you posthaste so that you can get rolling for August. Thanks!
July 30
Armchair diapering.
This discussion thread is disgusting, and it's not just the poop. The practicalities of working-class poverty are subtle and insidious. Poor people generally don't do things because they're systematically stupid. Seeing otherwise reasonable users lead with a cavalier attitude of "why don't they just…" is absolutely heartbreaking. Sometimes it really feels like we haven't evolved very far from the NYT online comments section after all.
July 29
The pony prances through the meadow, sparkling
Would it be possible to stick a drop-down filter on the "Popular" page to filter posts by subsite? [more inside]
July 28
Look you don't have to give me money but I just wanted, oh, nevermind...
What's the deal with Projects and crowdfunding? [more inside]
Why is the S.H.A.M.E. project blacklisted on mefi?
My post appeared to be deleted because a page consisting mainly of a bibliography of internet publications of a prolific author (subject multiple mefi fpps) documenting his connections with right-wing political activism and with critiques of selected quotations is "editorially undiscriminating" and people don't like it. Editorially undiscriminating? Is MeFi now "fair and balanced." It seems like we are only allowed to talk about politics when provoked by someone like Balko (in a fpp) but can't actually examine the politics of provocateurs on the internet.
July 26
83: Legally throwing up on the subway
Episode 83 of the podcast is an extra large one at nearly 2 hours long and was recorded earlier today. Enjoy! [more inside]
You feel tough! You must be leading a healthy life-style.
So, how about Mefi Nethack? [more inside]
July 25
Struggling novelist trope
I'm trying to find an old AskMe question about the origin of the cliche of the depressed/alcoholic writer, who struggles to type his novel on a typewriter, crumpling one sheet of paper after another. [more inside]
July 24
Mechwarrior Online
Ok, so I figure I'm finally serious enough with MWO that I should find other similarly minded yet sane people to play with. [more inside]
July 23
AskMeFi post about being in inpatient psych facility
Hello. I've been trying for a while to find this old AskMeFi post requesting stories about being in an inpatient mental health unit. Can folks give me a hand? [more inside]
I guess it's ok to NOT answer the question now?
So, in this thread about what to ask an ex- in a post-break-up meeting the vast majority of the answers are about how this is a bad idea, and don't actually answer the question that was posted. [more inside]
Orz is thinking *silly cow* are want to *dance*.
This post about Stardock buying the rights to Star Control revealed a fair degree of affection for Star Control II on the Blue. Seeing as The Ur-Quan Masters project has has made playing the game on your modern platform of choice a simple download, I think a Metafilter UQM Super Melee tournament is in order.
On the Internet, nobody knows you're a whelk
A Favour
In Honour of the Royal Event, I would like to suggest that Metafilter pays its respects by correcting a certain unfortunate oversight and replace 'favorite' with the more appropriate 'favourite'.
Dutifully yours,
etcetera etcetera
July 22
What happened to Camp Mefi?
Awhile back there were murmurings about a metafilter-oriented camp/retreat. Did anything happen after the survey? Now that me and mr. desjardins have an RV, we're itching to go! (Also, we live at a campground, hint hint.)
Mod Only Thread
Using pb's lovely Mefi.Rnd() function I came across this Mod Only Meta! Is this the longest Mod Only Meta, or is there a longer one? Inversely, what is the longest meta before Mod input? Is there a huge thread with a "closing this up, cortex" at the bottom?
July 21
Gossip pages on the wiki have failed me...
Out of curiosity, with apologies if it's none of my business, does anyone know why Rustic Etruscan's account is disabled? (And, more importantly, how I will invite him to a meetup next time I'm in Boston?)
A link for just the post.
I often find great posts I'd like to pass along to people but sometimes I'd rather not expose them to rough and tumble that is a Metafilter comment section.
Would it be possible to have a link that would just present the post without comments. Or failing that, a link with the comment section collapsed so someone would have to click to see it?
From WBEZ Chicago, I'm Ira Glass. Today on our show, MetaFilter.
In the This American Life blog post which is a list of the staff's favorite lists of other sites' favorite This American Life episodes, Ira links to a 2005 AskMeFi thread in which MetaFilter members named their favorites. Notably, there was remarkable consensus among lists of that vintage and the lists that were published this month to observe the show's 500th episode.
I'm fairly surprised there hasn't been a more recent thread along those lines.
July 20
PhoBWanKenobi's debut
Today I picked up Starglass, the first book by mighty Metafilterian PhoBWanKenobi. I've dragged myself away from it, barely, to eat and drink and go to the bathroom -- and to post these congratulations to her for writing an exciting, introspectively illuminating novel. [more inside]
Something change on the Matrix, mobile wonky on Ask
Shortly after the update on the heart attack thread on Ask (dx severe heartburn), the words on Ask only got hugely tiny. Talk & FP are fine.
Chrome browser, iOs6.x, recent ish phone.
July 18
IRL Request: When posting, notification of other IRL events on same day
As someone who frequently posts IRL events, I'd really love if, when I previewed the post, the page told me about other meetups on that day within a 50 mile radius of my location. It would be awesome, because then I could say, "Oh, so-and-so is having their ice cream meetup that afternoon; I'll just make the post for the next week instead." It would also have the benefit of showing me events that might be outside the radius I've set for my own personal IRL notifications, but that might still be in range for attendees. What do you think? Would other IRL posters appreciate such a feature?
Workshop Area to Help Build Posts
Would it be worthwhile if we had an area to workshop potential FPPs, so that we could: a) better frame problematic issues; b) insure that we have sufficient context to make topics that start from a single or thin link worthwhile; and/or c) make sure that serious items (natural disasters, deaths, etc.) get the requisite care and depth to their presentation? [more inside]
Is this where cowards go to request FPP?
I can't believe no one started a thread on the Emmy nominations, Emmy analysis, Emmy predictions, Emmy snubs(!!!), and Emmy reactions!
So, would someone?
What did we miss?
Sometimes you spend a disproportionate amount of time putting together a Mefi FPP on a subject that is dear to your heart, making sure it's not a double, researching links for the More Insides, framing it just right to pique interest a little, but not be fight-bait... and then you hit POST...And nobody responds. It is tragic. [more inside]
July 17
Pony Request: This Link Has Been Posted Before - Comments Version
When you post a FPP to the Blue, your links are automatically run through some sort of search function to see if they have been posted before. This might be, if not too site-intensive, a useful thing for comments as well, so that people don't find themselves posting the same links, with different flavor text. [more inside]
July 16
Feature request: Random favorite button
I would love to have a "random" button that is restricted only to my list of favorite posts. Is this feasible? [more inside]
Lost comment
I recall a discussion on the blue about the ACA recently wherein someone stated there will be (or may be) a federally managed insurance option available on the exchange in all states. It was portrayed as a back door public, not-for-profit option. I can't find the post now. Anyone have it bookmarked or recall the details of who will be managing the plan and what it will consist of?
July 15
great tits!
I loathe Jenny McCarthy's anti-vax views with the white hot heat of a thousand suns, but this comment is really repugnant. [more inside]
AML, Kitty, and Synchronicity
With all of the hard-to-hear news in the world, I wanted to share a moment of MetaFilter bliss. [It's not a pony request or the usual grarr grarr grarr, but I had nowhere else to put it, so I hope you don't mind] [more inside]
July 14
Memail Push notifier
I find myself carrying on conversations in MeMail in more or less real time, and refreshing a lot. Would server load be less if there was a push notification feature? [more inside]
A navigation oddity
Small oddity on in-thread navigation: when I click on the timestamp of a comment, it goes to the top of the screen but with some buffer above it. When I use "." and "," to navigate through the page (or "j" and "k"), there is no buffer. More oddly, clicking the timestamp then using "." actually takes me to the same post, just removing the buffer. Am I the only one having this issue navigating? [more inside]
July 13
FPP redirect for recent developments of hot topics
for topics where there is a recent development, yet mods see fit to delete posts because "there's an open thread" could that thread be bumped to the front page?
the zimmerman verdict case is a good example. the vast majority of people would not be able to find what people on metafilter think about this, because all new posts about it are being deleted and people are directed to the 2+ week old thread. it would actually reduce mod work because they wouldn't have to keep deleting posts. if you go to the front page most would think that people on metafilter have nothing to say about it.
I won't see this on the mobile view.
Just a reminder: Not everyone can see your post titles. [more inside]
July 12
GISHWHES!
Registrations are now open for this year's Greatest International Scavenger Hunt the World Has Ever Seen! Last year, mefites joined forces with people from around the world to do all kinds of silly, artistic, profound, and deeply troubling things. Our accomplishments were partially documented on Tumblr and will live forever in our hearts.
So, who's in this year? [more inside]
GraphFi pooped out :(
It looks like some change that happened in the last few days knocked out some of GraphFi's functionality. [more inside]
July 11
Not mad, just disappointed
I'm a bit miffed that my post was deleted for "If this is a conversation MetaFilter is going to have that is going to go well, you need to start with a different post than this. Leave the edgy make-people-mad quotes out of it and explain why it's something interesting you think people will want to talk about." Because I don't think a) this was an "edgy make-people-mad quote but rather the core of the article and b) the thread was going reasonably well. I don't see why this post was any different from earlier posts I've written about trans issues, or for that matter, that the quote I selected was any different from other quotes on posts on equally sensitive matters I've posted. I'd like to see if and why I'd be wrong in this.
July 10
Happy BasTeal Day*, MetaFilter!
On July 14, 1999, Stan Chin stormed the internet with the first ever post on MeFi. It was about... cats. (Unrelated: later that same day, a Lampson Transi heavylift crane nicknamed Big Blue crashed through the walls of Miller baseball park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.)
* Oui, it's a few days too early for an anniversary post, but I'm traveling this weekend. [more inside]
* Oui, it's a few days too early for an anniversary post, but I'm traveling this weekend. [more inside]
outragetalk
I'm really disappointed that this Amazon thread was deleted. I saw the deletion reason but I think that the discussion that was happening was totally worthwhile, and though the FPP was a bit thin, we see much thinner posts that stand. I don't think just dismissing it as outragefilter is fair, if for no reason than it shuts down a great discussion that could have happened. I'd like to see it opened back up. [more inside]
Method for tracking interesting slow-burn threads?
Most posts in the blue or green seem to be active for a day or two before contributions trail off. However some continue to grow over a much longer period (or are resurrected by a new flurry of activity). I am thinking of this Edward Snowden thread which is still going strong after a month, for example. Those who have posted to such threads can normally maintain awareness of them via "Recent Activity". Is there any way of doing so for the rest of us? If not then could this be considered as a feature? [more inside]
July 9
Mefi users' extreme locations?
Geographic extremes of all kinds of Mefi users. [more inside]
Can't do theory
Anytime a somewhat theoretical article that is often based in the humanities turns up on the blue, it is only a matter of very predictable time until the thread fills with derails about how dense, difficult, obtuse, "academic", etc., the prose is. [more inside]
The highest form of flattery?
Buzzfeed has long been notorious for "repurposing" advice/tips/jokes/memes from sites like reddit, and now they've come for our wisdom: relationship hacks from this "classic" thread.
Sharks. Tornado. Sharknado.
I wanted to put this here because the odds of folks seeing it in the thread are pretty long, but ... this Thursday evening, it looks like there's going to be a MeFite group viewing of "Sharknado" in Chat. [more inside]
Non-Drinking meet-ups, FTW!
Hey folks. So I realize that I don't even look at meet-ups anymore because I don't drink. So I just wanted to promote the idea of a Brooklyn or NYC or whatever area non-barhopping meet-up. Have a favorite coffeehouse or less snooty spot that you dig? A non-drinking-centric hole in the wall or other like thing? [more inside]
July 8
What I Made on My Holiday
After inadvertently causing this pileup, I feel it behooves me as a brand spanking new mum to offer up some baby photos to the community as a thank you for your patience and assistance. OH YEAH I KNOW HOW TO FORM BABBY. [more inside]
Descriptive Links
A request: When possible, please consider using descriptive text in your links, especially when linking to Amazon or any other website that doesn't show useful information in the URL. [more inside]
July 7
The new Mefi Wiki site
The unofficial Metafilter Wiki, long hosted by Adrian Hon, has a new website and host - it's now at mefiwiki.com, and I'm taking over hosting.
This switch gives it a sizable software and hardware upgrade. It should be easier to update, and more spam-resistant. [more inside]
MeFi harassment policy?
After reading recent posts on sexual harassment on MetaFilter and elsewhere, and the positive effect of sexual harassment policies at conventions, I wondered whether MetaFilter ought to have a sexual harassment policy to apply to IRL events. I'm not sure what such a policy would look like, but I wanted to see whether there was any agreement on the desirability of such a policy to start with. There are problematic aspects of trying to regulate off-site activity, but I think that not having any way to deal with harassment is even more problematic.
It's been nice knowing you all.
I just had a comment summarily deleted because it might have been an unpopular opinion. This keeps happening. Thus, I have no reason to participate here anymore as a member. The moderation has now become stifling and schoolmarmish. It was nice while it lasted.
July 6
Famous Dates in FPP History
• NEVAR FORGET the Microsoft Kin!!!1!
• An FPP that will live in infamy. -> Birds
• Is it "Back, and to the left," or, "Back and to the left"?
• Today's FPP: it is important that you wear underpants.
You get the idea -- the FPP# corresponds to the famous date, written as [MMDDYY]. What are some more famous dates' FPPs?
Bastille Day? A surprise volcano!
[more inside]
• An FPP that will live in infamy. -> Birds
• Is it "Back, and to the left," or, "Back and to the left"?
• Today's FPP: it is important that you wear underpants.
You get the idea -- the FPP# corresponds to the famous date, written as [MMDDYY]. What are some more famous dates' FPPs?
Bastille Day? A surprise volcano!
[more inside]
July 4
What was that AskMeFi Question: band member?
there was a AskMeFi question a short time ago (last 2-3 weeks?) about a band who wanted to let go/ get rid of/ fire a band member - (i think the member wasn't that talented) -- the op was looking for the best ways to go about this / phrase it. -- I can't find the question to save my life!
thanks------
The Economist follows up on Timothy Doner
There was a fair amount of cynicism in this thread about (then) 16 year-old Timothy Doner who "speaks 23 languages". The Economist's Johnson columnist has just published a story about Doner which seems to confirm (at least in part) his prodigious ability. [more inside]
July 3
The comment about how to avoid or stop crying
The comment about how to avoid or stop crying: That did not invoke the such-and-such reflex when you splash cold water on your face. I'm almost certain I read it in ask-me. From memory, which is really bad, it seemed really effective, obvious, smart. But obvious could mean, "oh yes, of course if you wind yourself by falling out of a tree, you're not going to be able to draw breath to cry" if that version of "obvious" makes sense. I would also like to help by saying it was posted by an insightful regular mefite, but unfortunately, once I notice two posts from a mefite that I like, even if they registered yesterday, I think of them as insightful regulars.
I *think* it was a physical method, pretty sure it wasn't deep breathing or mindfulness.
Thanks in advance for your help. My makeup thanks you, too.
Posting from phone, so italics etc beyond me.
Hooray for Con Harrassment FPP Going Well!
Good news everyone!
The Reporting Harrassment at a Con post seems to be going well!
I don't know if it's a victory for good moderation (here, and at jscalzi's site), or if Things Actually Are Better (I hope it's both!), but for once on the internet, I am not filled with grar!
Good links martinWisse, good moderation, good community! Yay MeFi!
July 2
82: Good for July!
The podcast was recorded on July 1st, and features Josh, Jessamyn, and me sharing our favorite posts from around the site. [more inside]
The Westboro Baptist Church is trolling you
At this point, the Westboro Baptist Church seems to show up and do something offensive, in a play for media attention, every time someone dies heroically or tragically. Do we need to help them? This church has, like 40 members, and it is not actually news that they show up to picket funerals again and again and a-freaking-gain. I didn't flag the comment about it in the Yarnell thread because it's not, strictly speaking, off-topic. But I think it would be a better world if, when these guys show up, hoping to get yelled about on the Internet, we fail to oblige.
I want to collect all of these!
Is there anything you wish you had known when you were 18?
What did you wish you knew when you were 20?
What do you wish you'd known when you were 21?
What advice would you give your 25-year-old self?
What are your 30s like?
What advice would you give to your thirty-year-old self?
What do you wish you had done when you were 30?
What advice would you give your 40 year old self? [more inside]
Help Test SSL Everywhere
We're working on making browsing all sites via SSL available to members. We need some help spotting bugs. [more inside]
July 1
HowlsOfOutrage lives again, expands
Due to a couple of recent MetaFilter user requests to return it to working status, I have updated the popular (6K+ downloads on userscripts, more elsewhere) HowlsOfOutrage Greasemonkey script. The script displays a popup window of all users favoriting a particular MetaFilter post or comment on mouse hover over the favorites text. In addition, I've updated the Chrome extension, and added a new Safari extension. Testing was successful, but not exhaustive. All completely free as always, natch. [more inside]
Another FPP subject drops by to say hello
So we learned about Eric Strand in this post as the crazy person who woke up at 3am to run the Grandma's Marathon course in Duluth backwards before turning around and running it forwards with his son and a friend. What made his video so post worthy is the gosh-darned cheery good time he was having as he did this.
So, he dropped by to thank us and to let us know he's training for the Leadville 100.