Can we use Projects to suggest future projects? December 29, 2005 1:05 AM Subscribe
Question about MeFi Projects - Is it acceptable to post an idea for a project in the hopes that others will be interested and want to help out? Or is MeProj just for projects that are already in progress?
Ideas for projects? Sounds like a terrible idea to me, and I don't think that's what projects.mefi is for. I've been wrong before.
posted by justgary at 1:38 AM on December 29, 2005
posted by justgary at 1:38 AM on December 29, 2005
I don't see why it's necessarily such a bad idea (but depends on the circumstances). A project is a project if it's well thought out even though it is still just in your head. But just throwing ideas into the air would not be a good use of Projects IMHO.
posted by keijo at 2:33 AM on December 29, 2005
posted by keijo at 2:33 AM on December 29, 2005
I'm fairly certain Projects is for linking to finished (or at least minimally functional) things. I don't see how posting rough ideas would make sense.
I think if you're asking for constructive criticism for an idea, you could probably post it on Ask MeFi. And if you're asking for volunteers from MetaFilter to help with something, that's usually done on MetaTalk.
posted by cillit bang at 4:40 AM on December 29, 2005
I think if you're asking for constructive criticism for an idea, you could probably post it on Ask MeFi. And if you're asking for volunteers from MetaFilter to help with something, that's usually done on MetaTalk.
posted by cillit bang at 4:40 AM on December 29, 2005
I suppose you could fashion it into an AskMe question with a liberal sprinkling of subtlety. Or you could roll the dice here and now and hang the subtlety.
posted by peacay at 4:44 AM on December 29, 2005
posted by peacay at 4:44 AM on December 29, 2005
That is....I understood Projects was more about having something tangible to show, even if it isn't completely nailed down.
posted by peacay at 4:46 AM on December 29, 2005
posted by peacay at 4:46 AM on December 29, 2005
Also, it would be nice to see who's submitted projects. It is my destiny to write code with Andrew Cooke while exchanging music.
posted by furtive at 6:00 AM on December 29, 2005
posted by furtive at 6:00 AM on December 29, 2005
Somewhere in the projects description it explicitly states that it's for completed, ready to show off projects.
However, I would very much love a place (be it on projects.metafilter, or elsewhere) to have such brainstorming sessions with a mefi or mefi-like hive mind.
Hopefully mathowie will decide to allow such a thing somewhere. Project.mefi's lack of comments, however, would make it a cumbersome place to do this.
ideas.metafilter.com anyone?
posted by twiggy at 7:55 AM on December 29, 2005
However, I would very much love a place (be it on projects.metafilter, or elsewhere) to have such brainstorming sessions with a mefi or mefi-like hive mind.
Hopefully mathowie will decide to allow such a thing somewhere. Project.mefi's lack of comments, however, would make it a cumbersome place to do this.
ideas.metafilter.com anyone?
posted by twiggy at 7:55 AM on December 29, 2005
The problem I see with this is that people have ideas far more often then they actually implement them, so projects would be flooded on with a bunch of pie-in-the-sky stuff.
However, projects just doesn't get enough posts right now so we should think of some way to get more crap on there.
posted by delmoi at 7:59 AM on December 29, 2005
However, projects just doesn't get enough posts right now so we should think of some way to get more crap on there.
posted by delmoi at 7:59 AM on December 29, 2005
I smell controversy. soon we'll have meta callouts about whether a posted project is really fleshed out enough to qualify for on-site brainstorming. then we'll have callouts about whether such and such a post is REALLY a call for brainstorming or just pretending to be one for page hits.
posted by shmegegge at 8:00 AM on December 29, 2005
posted by shmegegge at 8:00 AM on December 29, 2005
delmoi: I have a project that's "in the works" but "presentable", but it's not on projects yet due to the statement about how it should be ready to show off, etc etc...
I can post it there if you want me to... then blame you when someone says "this is still like, alpha, dude!" ;-)
posted by twiggy at 8:10 AM on December 29, 2005
I can post it there if you want me to... then blame you when someone says "this is still like, alpha, dude!" ;-)
posted by twiggy at 8:10 AM on December 29, 2005
The only exposure most people will have to your project is when you first post it. If it's not good enough then, they'll never look at it again. That's enough to prevent me from posting something before it's done.
posted by smackfu at 8:22 AM on December 29, 2005
posted by smackfu at 8:22 AM on December 29, 2005
I don't see why it's necessarily such a bad idea
I meant a terrible idea as mefi projects is set up now. I'm sure if matt wanted to he could create subsites of projects that included project ideas, development, and completion. But as it stands projects isn't set up to do that well.
I said it before. If projects was meant to be as active as other parts of metafilter, it's the new blogroots. If it was meant to be simply a nice feature, it'll do that quite nicely. I mean, even with a group of as large as mefi, how many projects are completed daily?
posted by justgary at 9:19 AM on December 29, 2005
I meant a terrible idea as mefi projects is set up now. I'm sure if matt wanted to he could create subsites of projects that included project ideas, development, and completion. But as it stands projects isn't set up to do that well.
I said it before. If projects was meant to be as active as other parts of metafilter, it's the new blogroots. If it was meant to be simply a nice feature, it'll do that quite nicely. I mean, even with a group of as large as mefi, how many projects are completed daily?
posted by justgary at 9:19 AM on December 29, 2005
The problem with posting just an idea, or a very alpha project, is that there are no comments on Projects. Without a way of providing feedback other than votes, it doesn't make much sense to post an idea which requires significant feedback.
posted by monju_bosatsu at 9:30 AM on December 29, 2005
posted by monju_bosatsu at 9:30 AM on December 29, 2005
Do what cillit bang says. Use Ask Mefi for questions about the project idea, recruit members on metatalk.
The problem I see with this is that people have ideas far more often then they actually implement them, so projects would be flooded on with a bunch of pie-in-the-sky stuff.
People used to setup mailing lists for this, and I know I'm still on at least a dozen email lists for projects that never got past the idea stage. People have loads of ideas, but few put forth the time and effort to push into the implementation phase. I thought the Projects site as it currently stands would at least give people a light at the end of the tunnel. Also, I wanted a place for mefi members to legitimately share their new works with us. Ideas are cheap though, and I'm not sure if a site devoted to it would be useful. There's easily a 100 ideas to 1 completed project ratio, so I imagine a project ideas site would be chock full of stuff people want to see built but have no idea how to do it. I'm not sure if that's a useful or readable site. Are there a lot of programmers on mefi with a lack of projects to complete on their own?
However, projects just doesn't get enough posts right now so we should think of some way to get more crap on there.
It's about quality, not quantity. I never expected more than a couple posts a week there.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 9:50 AM on December 29, 2005
The problem I see with this is that people have ideas far more often then they actually implement them, so projects would be flooded on with a bunch of pie-in-the-sky stuff.
People used to setup mailing lists for this, and I know I'm still on at least a dozen email lists for projects that never got past the idea stage. People have loads of ideas, but few put forth the time and effort to push into the implementation phase. I thought the Projects site as it currently stands would at least give people a light at the end of the tunnel. Also, I wanted a place for mefi members to legitimately share their new works with us. Ideas are cheap though, and I'm not sure if a site devoted to it would be useful. There's easily a 100 ideas to 1 completed project ratio, so I imagine a project ideas site would be chock full of stuff people want to see built but have no idea how to do it. I'm not sure if that's a useful or readable site. Are there a lot of programmers on mefi with a lack of projects to complete on their own?
However, projects just doesn't get enough posts right now so we should think of some way to get more crap on there.
It's about quality, not quantity. I never expected more than a couple posts a week there.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 9:50 AM on December 29, 2005
If projects was meant to be as active as other parts of metafilter, it's the new blogroots. If it was meant to be simply a nice feature, it'll do that quite nicely.
It wasn't meant to be active. Projects take time to complete, and there are only so many members here. Two completed projects a week is what I expected.
Does the site seem designed like it'll be high traffic or super active? I'm honestly curious why two people in this thread mention how it's not active enough and needs more posts.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 9:53 AM on December 29, 2005
It wasn't meant to be active. Projects take time to complete, and there are only so many members here. Two completed projects a week is what I expected.
Does the site seem designed like it'll be high traffic or super active? I'm honestly curious why two people in this thread mention how it's not active enough and needs more posts.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 9:53 AM on December 29, 2005
mathowie - got it. thanks.
posted by Afroblanco at 10:02 AM on December 29, 2005
posted by Afroblanco at 10:02 AM on December 29, 2005
Does the site seem designed like it'll be high traffic or super active? I'm honestly curious why two people in this thread mention how it's not active enough and needs more posts.
Not sure if I'm one of the people you're referring to matt. I don't think, and didn't think, it was meant to be very active. Only that if it was, as one poster seemed to think, there would be a problem.
posted by justgary at 10:28 AM on December 29, 2005
Not sure if I'm one of the people you're referring to matt. I don't think, and didn't think, it was meant to be very active. Only that if it was, as one poster seemed to think, there would be a problem.
posted by justgary at 10:28 AM on December 29, 2005
Matt: I think the reason some people think projects is too sparse is not so much the design, but the general MeFi (and other community blog) "feeling".
Basically, at least for me, MeFi and AskMeFi are time passers.. Same goes for Gizmodo, Engadget, etc.. They're things I can check out daily, and know that if I haven't looked in an hour or two, I can probably see something new posted to the page.
It doesn't matter what it's about.. I'm just looking to consume new informaton at regular intervals.
I think that projects ought not become overpopulated, and I agree with you that it's probably fine being as "sparse" as it is. Just trying to explain why people probably feel it isn't updated enough.
posted by twiggy at 11:47 AM on December 29, 2005
Basically, at least for me, MeFi and AskMeFi are time passers.. Same goes for Gizmodo, Engadget, etc.. They're things I can check out daily, and know that if I haven't looked in an hour or two, I can probably see something new posted to the page.
It doesn't matter what it's about.. I'm just looking to consume new informaton at regular intervals.
I think that projects ought not become overpopulated, and I agree with you that it's probably fine being as "sparse" as it is. Just trying to explain why people probably feel it isn't updated enough.
posted by twiggy at 11:47 AM on December 29, 2005
mathowie: Ideas are cheap though, and I'm not sure if a site devoted to it would be useful.
Yes, "ideas" isn't enough, but a collaboration site could be great. There will be endless debate about weather an idea has reached the stage where it belongs, I don't see that as a problem. Administering a whole new page however, might be a problem...
posted by Chuckles at 4:15 PM on December 29, 2005
Yes, "ideas" isn't enough, but a collaboration site could be great. There will be endless debate about weather an idea has reached the stage where it belongs, I don't see that as a problem. Administering a whole new page however, might be a problem...
posted by Chuckles at 4:15 PM on December 29, 2005
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it would be nice to throw in some ideas for projects etc etc a wee bit brainstorming and all that.
posted by sgt.serenity at 1:36 AM on December 29, 2005