Excessively broad and vague question on AskMe July 13, 2006 2:46 PM Subscribe
Studentguru asked an excessively broad and vague question a while back. It got canned. He has now posted almost the same question again. Is it can-worthy?
Yes it is. I'm not sure what the problem is, but I'll write the guy an email and see what we can do with his semiotic problem.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 2:52 PM on July 13, 2006
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 2:52 PM on July 13, 2006
Apparently, yes.
(That question read like spambot practice.)
posted by klangklangston at 2:52 PM on July 13, 2006
(That question read like spambot practice.)
posted by klangklangston at 2:52 PM on July 13, 2006
That's some hardcore benefit-of-the-doubt-ism in the new deletion reason.
posted by cortex at 2:54 PM on July 13, 2006
posted by cortex at 2:54 PM on July 13, 2006
Seemed like this week's question was asking for help turning last week's question into something that wouldn't be deleted... could be I'm misreading, though.
posted by ducksauce at 2:55 PM on July 13, 2006
posted by ducksauce at 2:55 PM on July 13, 2006
no I think you're right, ducksauce.
posted by puke & cry at 2:59 PM on July 13, 2006
posted by puke & cry at 2:59 PM on July 13, 2006
I also think you're right, ducksauce, but as it read it's a total mess. AskMe shouldn't really be a workshop to get your question ready for AskMe. If your question is that complicated, it probably doesn't belong there. Alternately, if you're that bad with formatting that you can't make yourself understood, there isonyl so much we can do.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 3:02 PM on July 13, 2006
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 3:02 PM on July 13, 2006
maybe he should try or posting about it here if he has trouble coming up with a complete question. I can't even fathom what he is getting at.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 3:04 PM on July 13, 2006
posted by mathowie (staff) at 3:04 PM on July 13, 2006
Alternately, if you're that bad with formatting that you can't make yourself understood, there isonyl so much we can do.
Heh.
Isonyl is some kind of plastic, right?
posted by LionIndex at 3:04 PM on July 13, 2006
Heh.
Isonyl is some kind of plastic, right?
posted by LionIndex at 3:04 PM on July 13, 2006
It sounds like somebody wrote a nonsense text generator like this, only for AskMe questions.
posted by Gamblor at 3:13 PM on July 13, 2006
posted by Gamblor at 3:13 PM on July 13, 2006
Come to think of it, maybe I should make a project to do exactly that.
posted by Gamblor at 3:15 PM on July 13, 2006
posted by Gamblor at 3:15 PM on July 13, 2006
If he asks the same question again (or a cleaned up version of the question), I wonder if it will be on August 13th?
posted by necessitas at 3:19 PM on July 13, 2006
posted by necessitas at 3:19 PM on July 13, 2006
Studentguru's thesis argument will never make 9,622 pages at this rate.
posted by Smart Dalek at 3:19 PM on July 13, 2006
posted by Smart Dalek at 3:19 PM on July 13, 2006
That question was totally, "Argle gargle gooble goop? I'll start:
1. Argle fargle
2. Gargle garble
3. Gooble google
4. Goop-de-goop.
Anyone else have any ideas?"
posted by Gator at 3:22 PM on July 13, 2006 [1 favorite]
1. Argle fargle
2. Gargle garble
3. Gooble google
4. Goop-de-goop.
Anyone else have any ideas?"
posted by Gator at 3:22 PM on July 13, 2006 [1 favorite]
I actually think I kind of understand his question: not a list of fallacies in arguments, but rather a list of fallacies in analysis. Note that OmieWise's answer "Correlation =/= causality" was selected as a best answer.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:22 PM on July 13, 2006
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:22 PM on July 13, 2006
So for example: Truth is not related to the number of people who believe a thing. This is the "As a matter of fact, a billion [Chinese, or pick your favorite updated stereotype] can be wrong," rule.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:26 PM on July 13, 2006
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:26 PM on July 13, 2006
I don't see what the problem is here. The question seemed perfectly cromulent to me.
posted by jonson at 3:29 PM on July 13, 2006
posted by jonson at 3:29 PM on July 13, 2006
Explicative deleted.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:30 PM on July 13, 2006
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:30 PM on July 13, 2006
His actual question this time around, was actually quite specific: "Can anybody please help me narrow this into a narrower question?" Read literally, he doesn't want an answer to the underlying question, he wants to know how to properly ask it.
posted by monju_bosatsu at 3:33 PM on July 13, 2006
posted by monju_bosatsu at 3:33 PM on July 13, 2006
I agree monju_bosatsu. My cut at a possibly sufficient version of the original question would be:
"What are some common mistakes we make in how we analyze the world around us? [more inside]
Rather than a list of fallacies in arguments, I'm looking for a list of fallacies in thinking, for example recognizing the difference between what is necessary versus what is sufficient, or that correlation does not equal causality."
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:42 PM on July 13, 2006
"What are some common mistakes we make in how we analyze the world around us? [more inside]
Rather than a list of fallacies in arguments, I'm looking for a list of fallacies in thinking, for example recognizing the difference between what is necessary versus what is sufficient, or that correlation does not equal causality."
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:42 PM on July 13, 2006
Thats why I pointed him to this list, which is not exactly the same thing, but may help him frame what kind of things he is really looking fior.
posted by vacapinta at 3:47 PM on July 13, 2006 [1 favorite]
posted by vacapinta at 3:47 PM on July 13, 2006 [1 favorite]
Next week's question:
"Can anyone explain to me what's wrong with this question? I want to ask it, but it got deleted:
posted by Plutor at 3:54 PM on July 13, 2006
"Can anyone explain to me what's wrong with this question? I want to ask it, but it got deleted:
"Can anybody please help me narrow this into a narrower question?etc.."What are some of the real world concepts we need to get a handle on in order to read or learn with intelligence?
posted by Plutor at 3:54 PM on July 13, 2006
You get a "best answer" from me, vacapinta!
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:55 PM on July 13, 2006
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:55 PM on July 13, 2006
Plutor: I answered your question on MetaChat next week.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:56 PM on July 13, 2006
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:56 PM on July 13, 2006
Funny, though -- he actually waited a whole month before reposting, and even asked a couple of other questions in between.
All his questions are kind of...odd, though. "I am searching for Meaning in the Universe, here are some books/DVDs I recommend, can you suggest more?"
posted by Gator at 4:02 PM on July 13, 2006
All his questions are kind of...odd, though. "I am searching for Meaning in the Universe, here are some books/DVDs I recommend, can you suggest more?"
posted by Gator at 4:02 PM on July 13, 2006
Yeah, at first I thought he just didn't understand askmetafilter but then I saw he's asked all these other questions. Then I actually read the questions and they're all pretty strange.
posted by puke & cry at 4:06 PM on July 13, 2006
posted by puke & cry at 4:06 PM on July 13, 2006
bah, looking through his history, he has made a total of two comments to other people's questions, one mildly helpful but still it ended up seeking something from the poster, the other contributed 0 to the topic. He (presumably a he, I may be wrong) seems a bit of a leech as far as this site is concerned.
posted by edgeways at 4:19 PM on July 13, 2006
posted by edgeways at 4:19 PM on July 13, 2006
1. Argle fargle
2. Gargle garble
3. Gooble google
4. Goop-de-goop.
I'll take Argle fargle for $200.
Also, Mayor Peace Love and Unity is kind of scary.
posted by languagehat at 5:14 PM on July 13, 2006
2. Gargle garble
3. Gooble google
4. Goop-de-goop.
I'll take Argle fargle for $200.
Also, Mayor Peace Love and Unity is kind of scary.
posted by languagehat at 5:14 PM on July 13, 2006
""As a matter of fact, a billion [Chinese, or pick your favorite updated stereotype] can be wrong,""
Ha! I learned that phrase with Elvis fans.
posted by klangklangston at 8:25 PM on July 13, 2006
Ha! I learned that phrase with Elvis fans.
posted by klangklangston at 8:25 PM on July 13, 2006
He (presumably a he, I may be wrong) seems a bit of a leech as far as this site is concerned.
Do people really have scorecards for this? Should a lack of answers be related to validity of questions? WTF? Why on earth does it matter how "helpful" one has been in terms of posting a question?
posted by tristeza at 10:23 PM on July 13, 2006
Do people really have scorecards for this? Should a lack of answers be related to validity of questions? WTF? Why on earth does it matter how "helpful" one has been in terms of posting a question?
posted by tristeza at 10:23 PM on July 13, 2006
And time becomes a foop argle gooble goop fargle goop-de-goop +++ ATH0 NO CARRIER
posted by loquacious at 10:51 PM on July 13, 2006 [2 favorites]
posted by loquacious at 10:51 PM on July 13, 2006 [2 favorites]
Why on earth does it matter how "helpful" one has been in terms of posting a question?
It just does, to some people. I've said before that I think it really comes up when the person only uses AskMe and never really joins in and participates in MetaFilter, chiming in on a discussion on the Blue or jumping into a debate or even just cracking one-liners or complimenting someone's great post.
When someone doesn't ever participate in the community part of the community, and only sticks to the Q&A section -- especially when they never make an effort to be helpful themselves, and only ask their own questions -- it really rubs some people the wrong way, like someone who always shows up to a pot luck dinner for the free food and never socializes and never brings a dish of their own. It isn't strictly against the rules, but it does seem to send the message that you're not interested in interacting with the people you're getting free [whatever] from.
As also seen here, this guy does seem very focused on just how much he can get out of AskMe.
posted by Gator at 3:49 AM on July 14, 2006
It just does, to some people. I've said before that I think it really comes up when the person only uses AskMe and never really joins in and participates in MetaFilter, chiming in on a discussion on the Blue or jumping into a debate or even just cracking one-liners or complimenting someone's great post.
When someone doesn't ever participate in the community part of the community, and only sticks to the Q&A section -- especially when they never make an effort to be helpful themselves, and only ask their own questions -- it really rubs some people the wrong way, like someone who always shows up to a pot luck dinner for the free food and never socializes and never brings a dish of their own. It isn't strictly against the rules, but it does seem to send the message that you're not interested in interacting with the people you're getting free [whatever] from.
As also seen here, this guy does seem very focused on just how much he can get out of AskMe.
posted by Gator at 3:49 AM on July 14, 2006
What a bizzare collection of questions; he seems to have a bit penchant for re-asking them when unsatisfied with the answers the first time around.
posted by youarenothere at 6:50 AM on July 14, 2006
posted by youarenothere at 6:50 AM on July 14, 2006
If his question was "how can I narrow this previous AskMe question down?", then shouldn't he have posted it to MetaTalk?
posted by Stauf at 8:07 AM on July 14, 2006
posted by Stauf at 8:07 AM on July 14, 2006
That would make an excellent AskMe question, Stauf.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 8:11 AM on July 14, 2006
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 8:11 AM on July 14, 2006
Dude's annoyingly clueless.
posted by bob sarabia at 12:05 PM on July 14, 2006
posted by bob sarabia at 12:05 PM on July 14, 2006
Gator: When someone doesn't ever participate in the community part of the community, and only sticks to the Q&A section...
It's funny. I came here (via CoolTools) for the Q&A, and have only vaguely interacted with the other aspects of MeFi. I read the MeFi RSS feed, but rarely look at the comments. From my perspective, AskMeFi seems like a community even without the further interaction of the blue.
posted by aneel at 4:33 PM on July 14, 2006
It's funny. I came here (via CoolTools) for the Q&A, and have only vaguely interacted with the other aspects of MeFi. I read the MeFi RSS feed, but rarely look at the comments. From my perspective, AskMeFi seems like a community even without the further interaction of the blue.
posted by aneel at 4:33 PM on July 14, 2006
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posted by Mayor Peace Love and Unity at 2:52 PM on July 13, 2006