Can we add a platform option for computer questions in AskMe?

December 15, 2005 11:42 AM

Since many computer questions hit AskMe, can a notice be added to remind the poster to mark which platform he or she is using, or perhaps a pull-down menu? This will help people provide better answers.
posted by Rothko to Feature Requests at 11:42 AM (28 comments total)

Yeah, I can see how that would work:


 
Apple
L4m3rZ

posted by mr_crash_davis at 12:05 PM on December 15, 2005

Snark aside, it seems like a third of computer questions assume one platform or another, making them difficult to answer, or clouding the post with irrelevant answers.
posted by Rothko at 12:08 PM on December 15, 2005

Not a terrible idea, but the same people who neglect to fill that information in would probably neglect to use the dropdown. Besides, then we'd open the floodgates for dropdowns to solve any and all problems.
posted by selfnoise at 12:15 PM on December 15, 2005

For the relationship questions, we could also have pulldowns for male/female and gay/straight.
posted by mischief at 12:15 PM on December 15, 2005

Feel free to start another MeTa thread, mischief, unless you're just snarking.
posted by Rothko at 12:21 PM on December 15, 2005

I like this idea. A reminder to mention what platform is being if you're asking a computer-related question used could be prompted by picking the category called 'Computers and Intenet' from the dropdown menu that you get when you post a new question.
posted by iconomy at 12:21 PM on December 15, 2005

*is being used
posted by iconomy at 12:22 PM on December 15, 2005

I could just put a text reminder.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 12:26 PM on December 15, 2005

my comput doentw ork. my platform is ona desk.
posted by quonsar at 12:30 PM on December 15, 2005

Also, a breakfast, entree, dessert, appetizer dropdown for the recipe AskMe's. Oh wait, isn't this why we have tags? ;-P
posted by mischief at 12:30 PM on December 15, 2005

I like this idea. A reminder to mention what platform is being if you're asking a computer-related question used could be prompted by picking the category called 'Computers and Intenet' from the dropdown menu that you get when you post a new question.

holy crap. that is _so_ web 2.1
posted by esch at 12:39 PM on December 15, 2005

Thanks, Matt.
posted by Rothko at 12:44 PM on December 15, 2005

holy crap. that is _so_ web 2.1

I have no idea what that means. Are you snarking on me, sparky?
posted by iconomy at 12:47 PM on December 15, 2005

No, I'm making fun of web 2.0. Your idea is all AJAXy. I dig it.
posted by esch at 12:55 PM on December 15, 2005

Web 2.1: like Web 2.0, but with training wheels.
posted by Ryvar at 12:56 PM on December 15, 2005

esch: "No, I'm making fun of web 2.0. Your idea is all AJAXy. I dig it."

It could (should?) be done without AJAX. Or are you confusing "AJAX" with "Javascript"?
posted by Plutor at 1:06 PM on December 15, 2005

Why would you want to do anything without AJAX? Are you still on web 1.6?
posted by esch at 1:12 PM on December 15, 2005

FORBIDDEN WORDS LIST 2006

1. Web 2.0
2. Google Mash Up
3. Meta-Anything
4. Tag
5. Social Networking
6. GTD
7. Snark
8. Agile Development
9. Desperate-Anything
10. butthole.
posted by fishfucker at 1:15 PM on December 15, 2005

11. AJAX
posted by fishfucker at 1:15 PM on December 15, 2005

Nice snark. Tag, you're the desperate-meta-butthole.
posted by esch at 1:23 PM on December 15, 2005

Metafilter: FORBIDDEN WORDS
posted by Rothko at 1:28 PM on December 15, 2005

12. asshat
posted by JeffK at 1:35 PM on December 15, 2005

esch: "Why would you want to do anything without AJAX? Are you still on web 1.6?"

Oh, I see, it's a humorous thread.
posted by Plutor at 1:40 PM on December 15, 2005

dude, asshat was so forbidden in 2004.
posted by fishfucker at 1:49 PM on December 15, 2005

seriously though, the reminder mentioning platforms and other pertinent details is a good idea.
posted by fishfucker at 1:50 PM on December 15, 2005

"What is Web 2.0?"
"You are Web 6.0."
posted by cortex at 1:56 PM on December 15, 2005

A great way to do this would be to rip-off del.icio.us's "suggested tag" feature, but with pre-defined tags for each category.

For instance, you select Computers, and there are suggested tags of "mac", "pc", "linux", whatever, and you can just click on them to add them to the tags box.
posted by smackfu at 3:43 PM on December 15, 2005

I would add another post to this thread, but I'm too hypnotized by Peter Gallagher's eyebrows on the OC.
posted by Rothko at 5:03 PM on December 15, 2005