Sniper News Central October 23, 2002 11:24 AM   Subscribe

How about linking to one of the dozen-odd currently active sniper threads from the sideblog and designating it "Sniper News Central"?
posted by timeistight to Feature Requests at 11:24 AM (64 comments total)

How about ignoring things that bother you?
posted by machaus at 11:28 AM on October 23, 2002


Machaus: that's how I got run over by that bus.
posted by ColdChef at 11:43 AM on October 23, 2002


Not to mention certain transmittable diseases.
posted by ginz at 12:01 PM on October 23, 2002


How about ignoring things that bother you?

How about retiring that particular snark? MetaTalk is meant for things that bother us; it keeps front page threads from cluttering up with complaints, for one thing. Take your own advice, and if you don't like a MeTa thread stay the hell out of it.

Also, I second the sideblog "Sniper Central" idea. Perhaps it could just link to the latest thread, with a request that ALL sniper posts go there?
posted by sennoma at 12:13 PM on October 23, 2002


I love the idea...

But I'm SO gonna root and scream for a permalink IraqFilter and "Today's Ideological Rant about how Dubya is Evil Incarnate...and stupid too!" on the sidebar too if it gets approved.
posted by Stan Chin at 12:17 PM on October 23, 2002


Tagline

MetaFilter -- Ignoring Things That Bother You

posted by matteo at 12:19 PM on October 23, 2002


And then people will stop posting Sniper links, like they stopped posting about the Vibrating Broom...
posted by Fabulon7 at 12:26 PM on October 23, 2002


MetaTalk is meant for things that bother us; it keeps front page threads from cluttering up with complaints, for one thing.

What it isn't good for is bringing up feature requests that have been hashed out on countless occasions that inevitably involve Matt's scarce coding time. Let's see, people will want I/P filter, Iraq filter, Sniper Filter, Election 2002 filter... Sounds fucking brilliant.
posted by machaus at 12:27 PM on October 23, 2002


Oh, come on Fabulon7, you're not actually suggesting that the sniper vibrates are you? That doesn't fit the profile at all.
posted by WolfDaddy at 12:27 PM on October 23, 2002


BTW, if you have your prefs set to show 3 days of posts on the front page, there are a whopping FIVE sniper posts present.
posted by machaus at 12:34 PM on October 23, 2002


What it isn't good for is bringing up feature requests that have been hashed out on countless occasions that inevitably involve Matt's scarce coding time.

I'm not sure what coding you're talking about. I thought we were suggesting Matt just write on the sideblog "We've had a lot of sniper posts lately, please continue all further discussion in [link]this thread[link]."
posted by Stan Chin at 12:45 PM on October 23, 2002


if you have your prefs set to show 3 days of posts on the front page, there are a whopping FIVE sniper posts present

Only five posts about the same thing in 72 hours? Well pardon me, then.
posted by timeistight at 12:49 PM on October 23, 2002


Done.
SniperFilter

Nothing here to see folks . . .
posted by geekyguy at 12:50 PM on October 23, 2002


Only five posts about the same thing in 72 hours? Well pardon me, then.

Same subject, very different takes on said same subject. Please see this comment in a thread that this rehashes.

I thought we were suggesting Matt just write on the sideblog...

Where does that end? Like I said, that is a pandora's box of "Why don't we have an Iraq filter too?" or "Now that we turned Iraq into a sheet of glass, shouldn't we remove that link from the sideblog?"
posted by machaus at 12:59 PM on October 23, 2002


won't that result in the opposite of the intended effect by legitimizing news posts? i would think promoting sniperisms to the sidebar would be the last thing matt would want to do.

of course i'm not one to bemoan the existence of 'news-fi'. really the only time i come around is when i want to hear what intelligent ppl have to say about some bit of news. but i think is standard is a good link, period. not all the sniper links are good, obviously, but you can't just lump stuff by subject.
posted by danOstuporStar at 1:02 PM on October 23, 2002


Where does that end? Like I said, that is a pandora's box of "Why don't we have an Iraq filter too?"

Comparing the Sniper with I/P or Iraq threads isn't really a good idea. This sniper business affects people living in Washington. ( Tragic enough) To the rest of the world it's just sensational news. There's a difference.
posted by ginz at 1:13 PM on October 23, 2002


MetaFilter -- Ignoring Things That Bother You

Metafilter: Bothering things that ignore you.
posted by gottabefunky at 1:28 PM on October 23, 2002


It's not like this is unprecedented. Recently the sideblog has carried a suggestion to consolidate 9/11 links and a plea to stop posting vibrating broom stories, to go from the sublime to the ridiculous.
posted by timeistight at 1:38 PM on October 23, 2002


Recently the sideblog has carried a suggestion to consolidate 9/11 links and a plea to stop posting vibrating broom stories, to go from the sublime to the ridiculous.

No, Miguel outlined something poetic for 9/11 in MeTa, posted a link that day, and Matt highlighted it. It wasn't the only vessel for 9/11 related posts.

And the vibrating broom entry merely suggested not posting the SAME LINK over and over.
posted by machaus at 1:45 PM on October 23, 2002


screw it. i'm climbing to the top of the sideblog and opening fire on the next sniper poster.
posted by quonsar at 1:48 PM on October 23, 2002


Think you can hit the gunmen in Moscow too quonsar?
posted by ginz at 1:55 PM on October 23, 2002


I suspect many MeFites rarely or never read the sidebar, so the proposed fix (aside from taking Matt's time) wouldn't work. (And then we'd get some really snarky MeTa threads.)
posted by languagehat at 2:01 PM on October 23, 2002


MetaFilter: Not even reading what some people are ignoring.
posted by jcterminal at 2:07 PM on October 23, 2002


you're not actually suggesting that the sniper vibrates are you? That doesn't fit the profile at all.

Only his gun.

This is my rifle and this is my gun,
this one's for fightin', and this one's for fun...

posted by rushmc at 2:09 PM on October 23, 2002


Also discussed here. What? I'm not bitter.
posted by grrarrgh00 at 2:55 PM on October 23, 2002


I'm also tired of having to look at MLB.com or CNNSI.com for news about the World Series. Could we put that on the sidebar too? Or maybe Matt could just set up the side bar so that it feeds directly from news.google.com.
posted by eyeballkid at 3:22 PM on October 23, 2002


Am I the only one getting the feeling, the creeping feeling, that certain MeFi commandos of late are aching and prepping to move into Matt's private bastion, the sidebar? ;)
posted by MiguelCardoso at 3:51 PM on October 23, 2002


No, no, no, no, no! I just thought giving the sniper fans one place to swap their sniper lore would make everyone happy. I must be losing my mind.

Next time I get an idea, I'll go lie down until it goes away.
posted by timeistight at 4:02 PM on October 23, 2002


Metafilter: Just lie down until it goes away.
posted by eddydamascene at 4:05 PM on October 23, 2002


MetaFilter: de-vibrating brooms everywhere.
posted by MiguelCardoso at 4:43 PM on October 23, 2002


Okay, I contribute my "Best. Tagline. Ever." vote to eddydamascene.

And now I'm going to lie down. Go away!
posted by WolfDaddy at 5:05 PM on October 23, 2002


*blushes*

MiguelCardoso: MetaFilter: de-vibrating brooms everywhere.

Let me get this straight: this broom, it doesn't vibrate?!
posted by eddydamascene at 5:58 PM on October 23, 2002


That OWillis thread was actually funny. But it belonged on MEfi IRC. Why isn't Miguel on IRC? or AIM, even?
posted by ParisParamus at 6:27 PM on October 23, 2002


Also, Fox News isn't that bad. Some of you just want it to be bad, so you think it is.
posted by ParisParamus at 6:29 PM on October 23, 2002


Tips for Snappers: "It's easy to get lulled into complacency when you move in repetitive ways across familiar territory. Stay alert!"

posted by Danelope at 6:56 PM on October 23, 2002


It _is_ that bad, Paris. It's Drudge-bad, going quickly for NewsMax-bad.
But you'd happily watch BlankScreenNews, if only they'd kiss Sharon's ass every once in a while

posted by matteo at 7:09 PM on October 23, 2002


that certain MeFi commandos of late are aching and prepping to move into Matt's private bastion, the sidebar?

Oh No! Not the Stealth Sidebar Swipers!

Good name for a band, though
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 7:19 PM on October 23, 2002


I wish I had the most bad ass pompadour. someday!
posted by mcsweetie at 7:35 PM on October 23, 2002


First, where the heck did the Fox News comment come from, ParisParamus? I didn't see anything about that in the thread. Then again, I tend to miss the obvious.

Second, You don't need ad hominems to demonstrate Fox News's suckage, matteo. It sucks just fine without them.

Third, Danelope rocks my world.
posted by UKnowForKids at 8:00 PM on October 23, 2002


Snipehunt!
posted by Danelope at 8:32 PM on October 23, 2002


That was easy.
posted by eddydamascene at 8:51 PM on October 23, 2002


More sniper action.
posted by eddydamascene at 9:03 PM on October 23, 2002


Ummm, did anyone notice that, while we were busy, mathowie did more or less what was asked?
posted by dg at 9:24 PM on October 23, 2002


Yes, I did. I already thanked him.
posted by timeistight at 9:31 PM on October 23, 2002


OK, a look at lofi.mefi answered my question. And now mathowie rocks my world.
posted by UKnowForKids at 9:44 PM on October 23, 2002


More sniper action.
posted by eddydamascene at 7:04 AM on October 24, 2002


Not that anyone heeds the sideblog, apparently.
posted by websavvy at 7:56 AM on October 24, 2002


From the sideblog: unless it's something really big, really interesting, or completely over

From Matt's own hand: meeting any ONE of those three conditions is sufficient to post a sniper story. Today's post met the first two and pretty much the third one as well.

What is it with you control-freaks anyway? Matt has NEVER banned newslinks, newslinks meet all three of the oft quoted guidelines, and Matt occasionally posts newslinks himself.

If you don't like 'em, skip 'em. It really is that simple! Instead, you blow off all this energy playing your childish elite clicque games and bring down the overall quality of the site by intentionally derailing threads.

If anyone pulled the same tricks as you guys anywhere else, Matt would have banned you long ago.

posted by mischief at 8:13 AM on October 24, 2002


Hoist by your own petard, my mischievous friend.
posted by walrus at 7:18 AM PST on October 24


Not at all, walrus. Matt himself proclaimed newsfilteritis to be 'sewage': Cool it with the "NewsFilter" shit, ok? . If you read that Me-Talk thread, you will find that Matt condones newslinks (within reason). Also, if you page through the archives, you will find that Matt has even posted newslinks himself.

If you don't like newslinks, take the issue up with Matt, here in Me-Talk where it belongs or by e-mail, not by continually derailing threads, causing flamewar after flamewar, and ripping a huge rift in the Metafilter community.


posted by mischief at 8:27 AM on October 24, 2002


Are you defending that silent majority again?
posted by Stan Chin at 8:37 AM on October 24, 2002


Not at all, walrus.

Very good. Now repeat after me:

I *can* take a joke!
I *can* take a joke!
I *can* ...
posted by walrus at 8:57 AM on October 24, 2002


What is it with you control-freaks anyway?

Speaking as a control freak, I resent being grouped in with the people who are currently blocking all attempts to discuss the sniper story. We're getting it from both sides -- if the news is sketchy, it shouldn't be discussed because "this isn't rumorfilter." If the news is definitive, it shouldn't be discussed because "this isn't newsfilter." Even a papal interdiction in the sidebar isn't enough to squash all this filterfiltering.
posted by rcade at 9:20 AM on October 24, 2002


I suspect many MeFites rarely or never read the sidebar, so the proposed fix (aside from taking Matt's time) wouldn't work.

Ya see?
posted by languagehat at 9:43 AM on October 24, 2002


Gee, walrus, when you take a course in comedy, let us know. ;-P

rc: I didn't think I was including you. You sure don't post like a control-freak. At least, not lately. ;-P

Well, I see it's time to grab the $5 steak lunch at the corner strip club.

posted by mischief at 10:03 AM on October 24, 2002


Why do I get the feeling that we're all in Sunday school interpreting the bible.
posted by PrinceValium at 10:06 AM on October 24, 2002


If you don't like newslinks, take the issue up with Matt, here in Me-Talk where it belongs or by e-mail, not by continually derailing threads, causing flamewar after flamewar, and ripping a huge rift in the Metafilter community.

Just wanted to note that timeistight - who hasn't posted a single comment in a MeFi sniper thread - did exactly what mischief suggests.
posted by mediareport at 10:12 AM on October 24, 2002


This idea would require some work by Matt, and thus isn't feasible for quite some time, but perhaps it could alleviate headaches?

What if there were a way to promote a thread to be recurring, so every day at midnight it would move to the next day's list? (or to some list of recurring threads) Eventually, when the story is resolved or has died down, or a significant event occurs that is worthy of a new thread, Matt could close the thread.

It could limit the number of double posts, or multiple posts on the same topic, yet still allow for those topics to be discussed.
posted by cCranium at 10:14 AM on October 24, 2002


FWIW mischief, I think you have a point above (and I personally won't complain in the blue about news posts again), although we disagree on the validity of the link.
posted by walrus at 10:18 AM on October 24, 2002


wal: Cool! I look forward to debating you.

mr: Acknowledged that tit originated this thread. I just didn't see a need to create a new thread just because this is a new day. ;-P

posted by mischief at 10:48 AM on October 24, 2002


Hey look, it's mischief with the same shit on a different day. Are you going to drag out that lame "anti-information" vs. pro-whatever the hell you called it argument again. That was amusing.
posted by eyeballkid at 10:55 AM on October 24, 2002


Nah, I-ball, I make up new shit all the time.

(Also, in case you didn't notice; I didn't start it this time either. I responded to someone else's comment from the blue pages.) ;-P

posted by mischief at 11:01 AM on October 24, 2002


MetaFilter -- Poking dead horses with a stick.
posted by mikhail at 12:20 PM on October 24, 2002


Or, Putting the bull in hyperbole! ;-P

posted by mischief at 12:29 PM on October 24, 2002


mischief:

If you don't like 'em, skip 'em. It really is that simple!

Exactly, but that would require a modicum of common sense from people who's reason for being is to complain endlessly about Metafilter on Metatalk.

It ain't gonna happen. I wish it could, but arguing is why we're all here isn't it?
posted by mark13 at 6:16 AM on October 26, 2002


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