July 22, 2001

3:31 AM

We got ourselves a website: alt.guitar.bass doesn't have any posting guidelines, or a benevolent dictator, or a separate site to bitch about what the proles are doing. Yet it's helpful, friendly (to the point where people notice), and self-regulating. It's also expanding to a website (above) and a binaries newsgroup for pictures and mp3. Despite having long, abusive flamewars, it's a solid community.
posted by andrew cooke to etiquette/policy at 3:31 AM (7 comments total)

As you can probably tell from the phrasing, I considered posting this to MetaFilter, but eventually decided it belonged here. A few points I want to make:

Abuse and fighting don't necessarily ruin a community.

The post linked to above suggests Yanks are better at this than Euros. I'm not sure if this is as important as less (note: relative) concern over PC.

Having a common ground (bass guitars) certainly helps. Maybe metafilter needs a more common thread than "links"?

Perhaps it's worth emphasising that first point again. Around here it sometimes feels like the sky's falling in if anyone gets offended.

(the "separate site" link should have pointed to Metafiler, of course).

posted by andrew cooke at 3:33 AM on July 22, 2001

Last reference to Metafiler (sic) should have been MetaTalk, of course of course.

posted by andrew cooke at 3:34 AM on July 22, 2001

Abuse and fighting don't necessarily ruin a community.

And I know things now,
Many valuable things,
That I hadn't known before:
Do not put your faith
In a cape and a hood,
They will not protect you
The way that they should.
And take extra care with strangers,
Even flowers have their dangers.
And though scary is exciting,
Nice is different than good.

Now I know:
Don't be scared.
Granny is right,
Just be prepared.

Isn't it nice to know a lot!
And a little bit not...

--Little Red Riding Hood from "Into the Woods"
posted by Opus Dark at 3:52 AM on July 22, 2001

like a kid with his first sling-shot. makes me want to dig out my rickenbacker...shucks, gotta wait til the site is finished construction.
posted by clavdivs at 7:15 AM on July 22, 2001

Good points, but a bass guitar site doesn't have that much in common with a general site like MetaFilter. The community is a. much more diverse and b. runs into a host of issues you'll never find on a specialized music site. Talking about frets is going to have a different effect on a group of people than talking about abortion or whatever.
posted by chaz at 12:51 AM on July 24, 2001

chaz, you've obviously not hung out w/ too many bassists.. the only thing we tend to have in common (usually) is a sense of rythm and hopefully a sense of humor.

(oh, and a feeling of superiority over the guitar player for not having to act like a jackass on stage unless we REALLY feel like it)
posted by tj at 1:59 PM on July 26, 2001

Excellent to hear Andrew but not really a mature community yet, nor a well-known one as MeFi is. No doubt has to contend with some of the same problems, but not to the same degree.

Best of luck with to you, hope it goes well.
posted by lucien at 4:34 PM on July 30, 2001