Can I invite people to non-metafilter events?

October 16, 2006 10:55 PM

I was wondering about the etiquette of inviting mefites to non-metafilter events. I'm not talking about concerts or art shows or anything where money is exchanged, and I'm not talking about I'm bored/drunk/lonely, wanna hang out? situations. Rather I'm talking about open events that require active participation like parties, writing workshops, or bike rides. Can I do that?

By the by, Chicago Mefites, Zephyr's ice cream is closing for good this Sunday and I'm organizing a bike ride to go pig out there.
posted by elr to MetaFilter Gatherings at 10:55 PM (46 comments total)

We leave from Logan Square at 6pm, email for location.
posted by elr at 10:56 PM on October 16, 2006

Zephyr's is closing?! Crap, I always loved Zephyr's when I lived in Chicago -- huge breakfasts and huge ice cream sundaes. Is it just being wiped out to make room for more goddamn condos?
posted by scody at 11:04 PM on October 16, 2006

Hey, I'm wondering about the etiquette of trying to get mefites involved in non-metafilter money-making opportunities.

By the by, overworked Mefites: would you like to make $1000s every week just by stuffing envelopes at home? Just send $20 and a SASE to ...
posted by Deathalicious at 11:21 PM on October 16, 2006

What does envelopes look like? I can't find his/her profile.
posted by maxwelton at 11:27 PM on October 16, 2006 [2 favorites]

I dunno... if you are organizing the event I think you are on thin ice with these admins. There was the time ThePinkSuperhero was in a play and invited folks to come see it on a certain night and get drinks after. That was deleted as a self-link.

But then there was the time I stated I was holding a bike repair clinic for the general public and invited MeFites to show up. A couple did, for which I was very grateful. I made a couple new friends. The thread was not deleted.

So it all depends on the tone of what you're trying to do. The admins are bleeding hearts and it's all in your phrasing.

"You are invited to my play" == "Pay attention to my ego"

"Come to my bike repair clinic" == "Support my altruistic donation to society"

Because... you know... there's nothing altruistic about participating in civic arts....
posted by scarabic at 1:00 AM on October 17, 2006

I suggest a rule of thumb is, if money changes hands along the way, and you or your organization stands to make a profit by it, then you shouldn't use metafilter. If it's free, then go nuts.

So, for example, if it's a play, and you're the director/actor/producer/whatever, and you want to invite people to come see it, then metafilter is not the place for it.

If you're in a band, and the band has a gig at a bar, but there's a cover charge, then metafilter is not the place for it.

If an old time ice cream parlor is closing, and you're organizing a bike ride to go there, but it's not primarily a metafilter-related event, it's ok.
posted by crunchland at 4:49 AM on October 17, 2006

I suggest a rule of thumb is, if money changes hands along the way, and you or your organization stands to make a profit by it, then you shouldn't use metafilter.

What about Projects? Are things you make money off valid Projects posts or is that only for free stuff too?
posted by EndsOfInvention at 5:27 AM on October 17, 2006

Aren't you afraid that your freal life friends will beat up your internet friends?
posted by klangklangston at 5:57 AM on October 17, 2006 [1 favorite]

I can just see the day when a MeFi Meetup is actually a recruiting meeting for some MLM crap.
posted by smackfu at 6:05 AM on October 17, 2006

I think that if it's something in which you or a relative are involved, then it belongs in projects.
posted by brujita at 6:06 AM on October 17, 2006

The crunchland rule of thumb is approximately what we go by, though there is no hard and fast rule. If there's no way it can seem like something you are trying to drum up more attendance/cashflow for and any and all MeFites are welcome/invited, then here is probably an okay place to post it.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 6:33 AM on October 17, 2006

If you're in a band, and the band has a gig at a bar, but there's a cover charge, then metafilter is not the place for it.

Yea, except that's not true. It appears to be ok for some and not for others. (and looks, that's within a 3 day period!!!) Maybe it's only OK for people who live in parts of the world that don't have regular meetups the way NYC does, or it's only OK for people in parts of the world that don't have as many Mefites as NYC, I don't know. I'm not trying to pick on ludwig_van, I swear; I think everyone should be able to post anything and everything as a meetup and let the chips fall where they may. We're smart; I think we'll be able to tell the difference between a profit making venture for the poster and something like a concert or an art show.


Because... you know... there's nothing altruistic about participating in civic arts....

Exactly (This is why I love you, scarabic). And I'm sorry, but things you're inviting other people to do not belong in Projects, because nobody looks at Projects for meetup-type events and Matt has said that Projects isn't for non-web related events. This is why some sort of MefiCalendar (Metavent? MetaTime?) section is needed- a place where we can all post things that we're involved in that all Mefites are invited to attend.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:20 AM on October 17, 2006 [1 favorite]

Your event takes place in Chicago, which, if IIRC, is not in NYC and therefore doesn't belong under Metafilter Gatherings or in the grey.
posted by dios at 7:27 AM on October 17, 2006 [1 favorite]

Grind, dios, grind. Oooo, baby, shake those hips.
posted by dame at 9:07 AM on October 17, 2006

dios grinds his NYC axe, while dame grinds her dios axe. Will jonmc grind his dame axe? How recursive can we get?

*grind axe axe*
posted by monju_bosatsu at 9:22 AM on October 17, 2006

I'm bored/drunk/lonely, wanna hang out?
posted by hermitosis at 9:38 AM on October 17, 2006

Mmmm, you're a little too skinny for my taste.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 10:04 AM on October 17, 2006 [1 favorite]

Aren't you afraid that your freal life friends will beat up your internet friends?

Thanks klang, I enjoyed that.
posted by genefinder at 10:32 AM on October 17, 2006

Somebody somewhere used a term incorrectly!! *grind grind grind*
posted by Bugbread at 10:40 AM on October 17, 2006

I was wondering about the etiquette of inviting mefites to non-metafilter events. ... Can I do that? ... By the by, Chicago Mefites, Zephyr's ice cream is closing for good this Sunday and I'm organizing a bike ride to go pig out there.

I love this post. It's like sitting at the dinner and table and burping "IS -- IT -- OH -- KAY -- TO -- BURP -- HERE?".
posted by chrismear at 10:58 AM on October 17, 2006

It appears to be ok for some and not for others.

It's only ok in England, duh.
posted by ludwig_van at 12:27 PM on October 17, 2006

What happens in England with ludwig_van stays in England. But not ludwig_van. Makes you think.
posted by allen.spaulding at 12:43 PM on October 17, 2006

dios, dame:


posted by jonmc at 12:44 PM on October 17, 2006

Which one is dios and which one is dame?
posted by monju_bosatsu at 12:47 PM on October 17, 2006

EndsOfInvention : What about Projects? Are things you make money off valid Projects posts or is that only for free stuff too?

I believe Projects is anything goes. Matt set it up specifically so people could self link with impunity. Matt does occasionally seem to delete stuff that is clearly spammy in nature though.

I've never had a project worth posting (money making or otherwise) so I can't be totally certain.
posted by quin at 1:08 PM on October 17, 2006

There was the time ThePinkSuperhero was in a play and invited folks to come see it on a certain night and get drinks after. That was deleted as a self-link.

As much as Mefi is a community, I think this is a problem: there's no sanctioned way to announce events. It's often frustrated me, because I direct plays in NYC, and I think they would interest many MeFites. I've even had MeFites berate me for not letting them know about the plays.

Once or twice, I've asked othe members to post stuff for me, but I hate doing that. It's like using someone else as a sock puppet.

I asked Matt if I could post my plays on Projects, but he explained that Projects is only for web-based projects. Which is fair enough. But I wish there was events.metafilter.com. (Meetup-related stuff could go there, as-well-as bands, plays, etc.)

I'm not complaining or evern seriously asking for a new "pony", but I do think that there are many people here who would like to share and hear about non-web events, and there currently isn't a mechanism for doing so.
posted by grumblebee at 3:06 PM on October 17, 2006

jonmc : "dios, dame"

I'm going to feel dumb asking this, but:

Is that really dios?
posted by Bugbread at 3:34 PM on October 17, 2006

Aren't you afraid that your freal life friends will beat up your internet friends?
We can so take on your real friends.
posted by dg at 4:15 PM on October 17, 2006

Yea, dg is right- it's more a fear that your internet friends will terrify your freal friends.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:45 PM on October 17, 2006 [1 favorite]

I'm not complaining or evern seriously asking for a new "pony"

I am!

I do think that there are many people here who would like to share and hear about non-web events, and there currently isn't a mechanism for doing so.

Right.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:46 PM on October 17, 2006 [1 favorite]

Many moons ago I suggested an 'announcements' section, not too dissimilar to a mailing list.

An extremely simple system - any member can make an announcement, 1 per week/month/whatever, perhaps only shown to logged in members, and no comments, so no moderation.

I think it'd be a nice way to get off-site interaction going on - my band's playing, I'm having a garage sale, my play is going to debut, or whathaveyou. It'd also be useful for little web things that aren't appropriate for projects.
posted by MetaMonkey at 11:45 PM on October 17, 2006

Gee, monju, it's so funny the way you still show up in random threads just to defend your retarded friend. Is it because you are in his basement or does he IM you whenever he feels bad?
posted by dame at 6:21 AM on October 18, 2006 [1 favorite]

Don't make me summon StrangleBoy again.
posted by jonmc at 6:48 AM on October 18, 2006

*grind, grind, grind*
posted by monju_bosatsu at 6:48 AM on October 18, 2006

this time it's for you, monju:


posted by jonmc at 6:57 AM on October 18, 2006

Y'know, honestly, fuck you. He showed up in some random thread just to complain about New York for some obscure reason. I didn't throw a fit or start someother thread, but it is rude & pointless and I pointed that out. So can you please explain to me why, outsid eof just being a total dick, you feel the need to pick on me when it was your friend being the asswipe. Or are you still just mad that I said it wasn't unreasonable to assume you are the same person?
posted by dame at 7:45 AM on October 18, 2006

outsid eof

DAME MADE A TYPO! DAME MADE A TYPO!

my life has so few joys..
posted by jonmc at 8:38 AM on October 18, 2006

So can you please explain to me why, outsid eof just being a total dick, you feel the need to pick on me when it was your friend being the asswipe.

If you will reread my initial comment, you will notice that I was picking on both dios and you, both of whom are entirely predictable. dios made his comment about the predominance of NYC-related events in MetaTalk, and you made your comment about dios comment about NYC-related events in MetaTalk. It's happened before, and will undoubtably happen again. To read my comment as defending dios and attacking you is to willfully misread what I wrote.
posted by monju_bosatsu at 8:58 AM on October 18, 2006

Eh? It's the second comment I've made on this website that stems from my belief that it is odd that our NYC members (whom I am glad have become friends and enjoy themselves and encourage them to continue to enjoy each other's company) haven't identified a more efficient way to organize their social calendar instead of all of the Meta posts. It's not that they don't belong; it's just that they become overwhelming by their frequency.

The second comment. That's enough to become predictable? Not likely. Nor is it enough to consider it axe-grinding (especially given the lack of an axe to be ground).

The reality is this: dame is a giant bitch and she hates me. She has made numerous comments attacking me for various things, although I have not ever directly addressed her. But when I made a comment regarding her NYC, which she perceived to be an attach on her, she got really pissed last time. And obviously she holds a grudge and decided to be bitchy to two people in this thread. But really, it's dame. What else do you expect from her?
posted by dios at 9:12 AM on October 18, 2006

girls, girls, you're both pretty...
posted by jonmc at 9:29 AM on October 18, 2006

Whew. If dios ever comes to NYC, we're all going to have to line up and do the Care Bear Stare. Or maybe just line up and do lines.

We've had what, 5 meetups this year? How can the posts about them seem overwhelming compared to, say, condemnations of YouTube, Wikipedia notation, GIF wars, and impotent AskMe callouts?

PS I love the idea of us having a "social calendar". Is this something I'd have to step away from the computer to learn more about?
posted by hermitosis at 10:13 AM on October 18, 2006

The second comment

Funny how things that one finds annoying sometimes seem so much more prevalent than they really are. Like NYC meetup posts, say.
posted by CunningLinguist at 10:58 AM on October 18, 2006

So I looked at some cuteoverload and did some work and feel better.

Monju, I felt like you were defending & attacking by making it seem that randomly showing up to complain about something is equivalent to thinking someone who does so is being lame. Dios or anyone, the whole "waaahhh, New Yorkers hang out and ruin everything" trope is annoying.

Dios, I don't have to be addressed directly to see that you're a tool. You constantly make this website worse and have never done anything remotely redeeming. And, yeah, I'm bitchy enough to say it. Bad me.

Anyway, I'm done with this now, because arguing with moronic strangers is, well, moronic.
posted by dame at 11:56 AM on October 18, 2006

You know how when a couple is making out in public, someone always says, "Get a room"? What's the version of that for people who are fighting in public?

dame, dios, monju and company: do that.
posted by grumblebee at 12:27 PM on October 18, 2006

So I looked at some cuteoverload and did some work and feel better. . . . you're a tool.

Uh, glad you're feeling better.
posted by If I Had An Anus at 12:35 PM on October 18, 2006

What's the version of that for people who are fighting in public?

is it this?


posted by jessamyn (staff) at 1:05 PM on October 18, 2006