Newsfilter March 19, 2005 10:49 AM Subscribe
Interestingly enough, my in-thread comment to those complaining about newsfilter (something along the lines of, "quit whining in the thread - flag it and move on") appears to have been deleted, while the newsfilter complaints still persist.
The deletion was arguably appropriate, but the whole situation seems strangely funny to me.
posted by aberrant at 10:55 AM on March 19, 2005
The deletion was arguably appropriate, but the whole situation seems strangely funny to me.
posted by aberrant at 10:55 AM on March 19, 2005
some people just don't get it.
posted by puke & cry at 11:00 AM on March 19, 2005
posted by puke & cry at 11:00 AM on March 19, 2005
It's a horrible post. Could someone post the first round results of the NCAA basketball tournement? That'd be helpful.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 11:05 AM on March 19, 2005
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 11:05 AM on March 19, 2005
Don't Be Dramatic, Just Flag It.
posted by AlexReynolds at 11:07 AM on March 19, 2005
posted by AlexReynolds at 11:07 AM on March 19, 2005
Don't Be Dramatic, Just Flag It.
A newsfilter flag would be nice.
posted by anapestic at 11:14 AM on March 19, 2005
A newsfilter flag would be nice.
posted by anapestic at 11:14 AM on March 19, 2005
A troll flag would be handy.
posted by AlexReynolds at 11:17 AM on March 19, 2005
posted by AlexReynolds at 11:17 AM on March 19, 2005
There were more than 16,000 murders in the United States in 2003 (the last year for which full statistics are available), per this FBI document (pdf). That's more than 400 every day, on average, and each has its own tragedy. And Metafilter isn't just for US-only postings.
So yes, this FPP is a good contender for Newsfilter of the Year (2004). I'm a bit surprised it was posted by such a low-numbered account.
posted by WestCoaster at 11:17 AM on March 19, 2005
So yes, this FPP is a good contender for Newsfilter of the Year (2004). I'm a bit surprised it was posted by such a low-numbered account.
posted by WestCoaster at 11:17 AM on March 19, 2005
A troll flag would be handy.
Alex, sweetheart, if you need something to do other than start trouble, I could send some tax returns your way.
posted by anapestic at 11:18 AM on March 19, 2005
Alex, sweetheart, if you need something to do other than start trouble, I could send some tax returns your way.
posted by anapestic at 11:18 AM on March 19, 2005
AlexReynolds : "A troll flag would be handy."
Nah, cumulative experience shows that most people call folks they strongly disagree with "trolls" unless they exhibit EB-like levels of detail and evenheadedness, regardless of whether they're trolling or not.
posted by Bugbread at 11:20 AM on March 19, 2005
Nah, cumulative experience shows that most people call folks they strongly disagree with "trolls" unless they exhibit EB-like levels of detail and evenheadedness, regardless of whether they're trolling or not.
posted by Bugbread at 11:20 AM on March 19, 2005
Alex, sweetheart, if you need something to do other than start trouble, I could send some tax returns your way.
A taxfilter flag would be nice.
posted by AlexReynolds at 11:21 AM on March 19, 2005
A taxfilter flag would be nice.
posted by AlexReynolds at 11:21 AM on March 19, 2005
Oh, and it's very apt following the Eugene Volokh thread.
(...)
posted by jfuller at 7:17 PM CET on March 19 [!]
enough said. NeenerNeenerFilter. six-year-olds with Internet connections can be quite annoying. especially if they're already Republican bootlickers, at such young age.
and the post title (jfuller's specialty) is quite tasty, too.
posted by matteo at 11:23 AM on March 19, 2005
(...)
posted by jfuller at 7:17 PM CET on March 19 [!]
enough said. NeenerNeenerFilter. six-year-olds with Internet connections can be quite annoying. especially if they're already Republican bootlickers, at such young age.
and the post title (jfuller's specialty) is quite tasty, too.
posted by matteo at 11:23 AM on March 19, 2005
How about a neenerneener flag? I'd vote for that.
posted by AlexReynolds at 11:29 AM on March 19, 2005
posted by AlexReynolds at 11:29 AM on March 19, 2005
Um, what is "evenheadedness"? I'm thinking from context it's a good thing, and I'm flattered. But I tend to think my head is distinctly odd.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 11:31 AM on March 19, 2005
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 11:31 AM on March 19, 2005
Evenheadedness is the ability to balance books or tray of food on the top of your head. Otherwise known as flatheadedness.
posted by puke & cry at 11:37 AM on March 19, 2005
posted by puke & cry at 11:37 AM on March 19, 2005
When two people agree, generally person A can be as flippant as all hell without person B thinking they're a troll, even if their statements are causing other people to disagree strongly with them. However, if person A and person B disagree, and person A is flippant, they're much, much more likely to be labeled a troll by person B. The only way for a person with an unpopular or controversial opinion to avoid misidentification as a troll is to be far more calm, levelheaded, evenhanded (I just realized I smooshed those unconsciously into the word "evenheaded"), and precise than they would be if they held a non-controversial or majority view.
So, while a troll flag would be, theoretically, nice, it would probably get misused all-to-hell by people who misidentify trolls (happens to us all, myself included. Determining someone is a troll is pretty damn hard, like guessing someone's gender over the net)
posted by Bugbread at 11:41 AM on March 19, 2005
So, while a troll flag would be, theoretically, nice, it would probably get misused all-to-hell by people who misidentify trolls (happens to us all, myself included. Determining someone is a troll is pretty damn hard, like guessing someone's gender over the net)
posted by Bugbread at 11:41 AM on March 19, 2005
EB: UCLA lost. Southern Califonia has completely lost interest in the NCAA.
Although MSNBC's interactive brackets and constantly updated scoreboard page are the way I'm following March Madness this year. And if you're from L.A. and no longer care, they used the same "brackets" format for a kind-of-a Comedy Movie Playoff (explained here). I was tempted to FPP the Comedy Brackets, but my professional connection to MSNBC.com would've made it a big MeFiNoNo.
(Attempt to re-rail) If there's a story here, it's the question of why and how certain murders become Big American Media newsstories out of the 400 per day. (I mean, among the hundreds of husbands who kill wives annually, why Scott Peterson? I actually do have some answers to that, but I won't go into them here)
posted by wendell at 11:41 AM on March 19, 2005
Although MSNBC's interactive brackets and constantly updated scoreboard page are the way I'm following March Madness this year. And if you're from L.A. and no longer care, they used the same "brackets" format for a kind-of-a Comedy Movie Playoff (explained here). I was tempted to FPP the Comedy Brackets, but my professional connection to MSNBC.com would've made it a big MeFiNoNo.
(Attempt to re-rail) If there's a story here, it's the question of why and how certain murders become Big American Media newsstories out of the 400 per day. (I mean, among the hundreds of husbands who kill wives annually, why Scott Peterson? I actually do have some answers to that, but I won't go into them here)
posted by wendell at 11:41 AM on March 19, 2005
[A]mong the hundreds of husbands who kill wives annually, why Scott Peterson?
Killing a woman with [developing fetus | child] is a double no-no in our Taliban Amerika. Plus Scott had that indescribable charm, those roguish good looks, that sell tabloids and ad time on MSM to lonely housewives who fantasize about dating hunky serial killers.
posted by AlexReynolds at 11:49 AM on March 19, 2005
Killing a woman with [developing fetus | child] is a double no-no in our Taliban Amerika. Plus Scott had that indescribable charm, those roguish good looks, that sell tabloids and ad time on MSM to lonely housewives who fantasize about dating hunky serial killers.
posted by AlexReynolds at 11:49 AM on March 19, 2005
Determining someone is a troll is pretty damn hard
Not really. But getting people to agree is hard, I'll grant that.
posted by AlexReynolds at 11:50 AM on March 19, 2005
Not really. But getting people to agree is hard, I'll grant that.
posted by AlexReynolds at 11:50 AM on March 19, 2005
Hehe. I should probably have said "Determing correctly that someone is a troll is pretty damn hard".
posted by Bugbread at 11:56 AM on March 19, 2005
posted by Bugbread at 11:56 AM on March 19, 2005
Southern Califonia has completely lost interest in the NCAA.
Dude, if you aren't interested when a school achieves its first NCAA win in 110 years of playing -- especially when said win comes against a perennial basketball powerhouse -- you really can't call yourself a basketball fan.
Oh yeah, and ummm, this post sucks.
posted by casu marzu at 12:07 PM on March 19, 2005
Dude, if you aren't interested when a school achieves its first NCAA win in 110 years of playing -- especially when said win comes against a perennial basketball powerhouse -- you really can't call yourself a basketball fan.
Oh yeah, and ummm, this post sucks.
posted by casu marzu at 12:07 PM on March 19, 2005
There's newsfilter posts just about every day. How is this any different (I'm not trying to defend this post, just the opposite, but it's obvious MeFi has turned into a more news and chat oriented place - no longer best of the web).
posted by dbh at 12:19 PM on March 19, 2005
posted by dbh at 12:19 PM on March 19, 2005
There's still some best of the web stuff, you just have to look a little harder to find it. Different people get different things out the front page.
posted by casu marzu at 12:30 PM on March 19, 2005
posted by casu marzu at 12:30 PM on March 19, 2005
Sometimes MeFi does news well, sometimes it doesn't. There shouldn't be an all out ban on "newsfilter" posts. Shouting "newfilter!!11!!!" every time someone posts anything topical is just silly.
Also:
Killing a woman with [developing fetus | child] is a double no-no in our Taliban Amerika.
wtf?
posted by gwint at 12:35 PM on March 19, 2005
Also:
Killing a woman with [developing fetus | child] is a double no-no in our Taliban Amerika.
wtf?
posted by gwint at 12:35 PM on March 19, 2005
gwint : "Sometimes MeFi does news well, sometimes it doesn't. There shouldn't be an all out ban on 'newsfilter' posts. Shouting 'newfilter!!11!!!' every time someone posts anything topical is just silly."
True. That's why I only shout (shout?) it when someone posts something topical without doing it well.
posted by Bugbread at 12:37 PM on March 19, 2005
True. That's why I only shout (shout?) it when someone posts something topical without doing it well.
posted by Bugbread at 12:37 PM on March 19, 2005
Despite my cities best effort to create a bylaw which forces landlords to search rental homes on a regular bases for pot growing - which in theory is supposed to squealch the practice - we're now number one for the number of grow operations in my province.
Post was definitely newsfilter.
posted by squeak at 12:45 PM on March 19, 2005
Post was definitely newsfilter.
posted by squeak at 12:45 PM on March 19, 2005
"Just flag it" is a fair point and we should all start with that thought if we see something we don't like.
It is useful, sometimes, to also raise the principle behind the flagging for discussion. There are lots of new folks on the site who aren't clear on what Newsfilter is or why it's ultimately bad for the site. I think it can be useful from time to time to have that discussion in the light of day.
posted by scarabic at 12:51 PM on March 19, 2005
It is useful, sometimes, to also raise the principle behind the flagging for discussion. There are lots of new folks on the site who aren't clear on what Newsfilter is or why it's ultimately bad for the site. I think it can be useful from time to time to have that discussion in the light of day.
posted by scarabic at 12:51 PM on March 19, 2005
gwint: "Sometimes MeFi does news well, sometimes it doesn't. There shouldn't be an all out ban on "newsfilter" posts. Shouting "newfilter!!11!!!" every time someone posts anything topical is just silly."
Yes, but this is a completely different case. What matteo said above (maybe sans the "republican bootlickers" snark) is correct, in my view: between this post and his last, jfuller seems to be getting in the habit of posting snidely to make a point, usually tastelessly and without any tact whatsoever. I think this post is deleteable, as was the last.
If this were genuinely "here's a news story that's interesting, and that effects us, and that we can talk about," it would be allowable. But that's not the case here; the title of the thread doesn't make it look like it's asking for discussion, really. I don't even know how we'd begin; it seems to be an attempt at argument through disgust and outrage.
posted by koeselitz at 1:06 PM on March 19, 2005
Yes, but this is a completely different case. What matteo said above (maybe sans the "republican bootlickers" snark) is correct, in my view: between this post and his last, jfuller seems to be getting in the habit of posting snidely to make a point, usually tastelessly and without any tact whatsoever. I think this post is deleteable, as was the last.
If this were genuinely "here's a news story that's interesting, and that effects us, and that we can talk about," it would be allowable. But that's not the case here; the title of the thread doesn't make it look like it's asking for discussion, really. I don't even know how we'd begin; it seems to be an attempt at argument through disgust and outrage.
posted by koeselitz at 1:06 PM on March 19, 2005
I can understand where bugbread was coming from with the confusion about the post - I'm also not American nor living in the US, and I wondered if I'd missed something in the FPP. While I have nothing but sympathy for anyone involved with this event, it's not why I read metafilter. If I posted an FPP with a news item from my (relatively small & insignificant) western European country, I'm sure that there'd be total confusion from US mefites. It's difficult to write about this without sounding unconcerned about a child being murdered (and I stress that I'm not unconcerned, I think it's horrible), but it's rather bewildering to be told that someone has been murdered as if you should know who she is, when you didn't even know that she was missing. Or that she existed in the first place.
posted by different at 1:09 PM on March 19, 2005
posted by different at 1:09 PM on March 19, 2005
from my (relatively small & insignificant) western European country
Is there any other kind? :)
</AmericaFilter>
posted by DaShiv at 1:17 PM on March 19, 2005
Is there any other kind? :)
</AmericaFilter>
posted by DaShiv at 1:17 PM on March 19, 2005
OK, I didn't notice the title that was used, which was lousy. But what I meant by "Sometimes MeFi does news well" was that sometimes the discussion provoked by the news item can be engaging, enlightening, etc. But this whole newsfilter thing has been hashed and rehashed dozen of time in metatalk. At this point, folks should just flag the post. Complaining about it in the thread itself helps to derail whatever good conversation could have come from the post in the first place.
posted by gwint at 1:21 PM on March 19, 2005
posted by gwint at 1:21 PM on March 19, 2005
gwint, what good conversation were we going to have from this?
ah, it's gone now ... thanks, matt
posted by pyramid termite at 1:37 PM on March 19, 2005
ah, it's gone now ... thanks, matt
posted by pyramid termite at 1:37 PM on March 19, 2005
I think that when people say "newsfilter," they implicitly mean "bad newsfilter." If they were bringing the post here because they thought it was the best news post ever, they'd likely make that clear.
posted by anapestic at 1:42 PM on March 19, 2005
posted by anapestic at 1:42 PM on March 19, 2005
sometimes the discussion provoked by the news item can be engaging, enlightening, etc.
Some people think Metafilter is about the links. Some people think is about the discussion. I don't want to get into that debate, but can we all at least agree that when both the link and the discussion suck, that it isn't a good post?
The problem with NewsFilter is that links to news articles inherently suck. They are usually ephemeral, and they only provide the most superficial information about a topic. This is what people don't like about NewsFilter -- it depends entirely on the discussion in order to make it worthwhile. At the moment a NewsFilter link is posted, it sucks. It requires the effort of MeFites to make it worthwhile, and sometimes that doesn't happen.
posted by casu marzu at 1:46 PM on March 19, 2005
Some people think Metafilter is about the links. Some people think is about the discussion. I don't want to get into that debate, but can we all at least agree that when both the link and the discussion suck, that it isn't a good post?
The problem with NewsFilter is that links to news articles inherently suck. They are usually ephemeral, and they only provide the most superficial information about a topic. This is what people don't like about NewsFilter -- it depends entirely on the discussion in order to make it worthwhile. At the moment a NewsFilter link is posted, it sucks. It requires the effort of MeFites to make it worthwhile, and sometimes that doesn't happen.
posted by casu marzu at 1:46 PM on March 19, 2005
different, if you tell me what country you're from I'll post something about it. Seriously.
BTW, has anyone flagged a thread and had it deleted (but it has not gone to meta)?
posted by Jim Jones at 2:10 PM on March 19, 2005
BTW, has anyone flagged a thread and had it deleted (but it has not gone to meta)?
posted by Jim Jones at 2:10 PM on March 19, 2005
Actually I was unintentionally misleading in my comment earlier - I live in a small & insignificant western European country (which I absolutely adore), but I'm originally from a much bigger - in terms of land mass at least) and probably better-known country. Which is a bloody long way away from here.
But anyway, this relatively small & insignificant country - think cheese, clogs, windmills & tulips and I think you'd be on the right track.
posted by different at 2:20 PM on March 19, 2005
But anyway, this relatively small & insignificant country - think cheese, clogs, windmills & tulips and I think you'd be on the right track.
posted by different at 2:20 PM on March 19, 2005
Um, sorry for the total derail there. I think I've had too much wine tonight.
posted by different at 2:21 PM on March 19, 2005
posted by different at 2:21 PM on March 19, 2005
I also apologize for being a goombah in the thread.
"Goombah," means "buddy," more or less, as in "he's my goombah." Just so you know.
posted by jonmc at 2:36 PM on March 19, 2005
"Goombah," means "buddy," more or less, as in "he's my goombah." Just so you know.
posted by jonmc at 2:36 PM on March 19, 2005
Well, shut my mouth and call me cornpone. I've only ever heard it used in the "buddy" sense, so it looked odd in the initial comment.
posted by jonmc at 3:02 PM on March 19, 2005
posted by jonmc at 3:02 PM on March 19, 2005
I have a simple solution for Newsfilter that can leave everybody, pro-Newsfilter and against, happy. Read on.
posted by orthogonality at 3:24 PM on March 19, 2005
posted by orthogonality at 3:24 PM on March 19, 2005
KillfileFilter.
posted by AlexReynolds at 3:27 PM on March 19, 2005
posted by AlexReynolds at 3:27 PM on March 19, 2005
Killing a woman with [developing fetus | child] is a double no-no in our Taliban Amerika.
Uhhh, Alex, WTF?
AlexReynolds continued with his logorrhea: Plus Scott had that indescribable charm, those roguish good looks, that sell tabloids and ad time on MSM to lonely housewives who fantasize about dating hunky serial killers.
This from the keyboard of the one who freaked out over the benign use of "Drama Queen"? Yes Alex, "housewives" are a sorry lot and wish to be brutalized and murdered. Yep, you sure are a clever drama queen, understanding what lurks in the hearts and minds of women who stay at home raising their children. Mr. Reynolds, you are a misogynist piece of shit, and I would take 1000x newsfilter posts an hour over one more of your boyzone hate filled thoughtless comments.
posted by izizi at 3:29 PM on March 19, 2005
Uhhh, Alex, WTF?
AlexReynolds continued with his logorrhea: Plus Scott had that indescribable charm, those roguish good looks, that sell tabloids and ad time on MSM to lonely housewives who fantasize about dating hunky serial killers.
This from the keyboard of the one who freaked out over the benign use of "Drama Queen"? Yes Alex, "housewives" are a sorry lot and wish to be brutalized and murdered. Yep, you sure are a clever drama queen, understanding what lurks in the hearts and minds of women who stay at home raising their children. Mr. Reynolds, you are a misogynist piece of shit, and I would take 1000x newsfilter posts an hour over one more of your boyzone hate filled thoughtless comments.
posted by izizi at 3:29 PM on March 19, 2005
Wow. /speechless
posted by AlexReynolds at 3:35 PM on March 19, 2005
posted by AlexReynolds at 3:35 PM on March 19, 2005
izizi writes "Mr. Reynolds, you are a misogynist piece of shit, and I would take 1000x newsfilter posts an hour over one more of your boyzone hate filled thoughtless comments."
Yes, AlexReynolds did perhaps lay on the hyperbole, but izizi, you perhaps are not aware that Peterson got fan mail and even some marriage proposals during his trial?
Calling AlexReynolds "hate filed" is a bit of hyperbole itself, don't you think, and more objectionable for being so personal.
Oddly enough, there does appear to be a consistent attraction to celebrity killers -- why that would be I leave as an exercise for the reader.
posted by orthogonality at 3:40 PM on March 19, 2005
Yes, AlexReynolds did perhaps lay on the hyperbole, but izizi, you perhaps are not aware that Peterson got fan mail and even some marriage proposals during his trial?
Calling AlexReynolds "hate filed" is a bit of hyperbole itself, don't you think, and more objectionable for being so personal.
Oddly enough, there does appear to be a consistent attraction to celebrity killers -- why that would be I leave as an exercise for the reader.
posted by orthogonality at 3:40 PM on March 19, 2005
Sorry, izizi, but what exactly about AR's comment is "boyzone"? The rest I happen to agree with (to a certain extent, though I'm open to believing that people are misunderstanding what he intended), but I'm sick and tired of this "boyzone" label. Everyone who uses it appears to have a different definition. It's sort of like "conservative".
posted by aberrant at 3:41 PM on March 19, 2005
posted by aberrant at 3:41 PM on March 19, 2005
Uhhh, Alex, WTF?
You're familiar with the federal law that was passed because of this case, before Peterson was formally charged, which added the developing fetus as a murder victim, right? You know it was enacted as a nod to the anti-choice nuts who voted in Bush, right?
Mr. Reynolds, you are a misogynist piece of shit.
It's pretty obvious I was criticizing the media for selling the story that way. /meh_whatever
BTW, did you pay for a new account just to tell me off? If so, that's pretty pathetic.
posted by AlexReynolds at 3:45 PM on March 19, 2005
You're familiar with the federal law that was passed because of this case, before Peterson was formally charged, which added the developing fetus as a murder victim, right? You know it was enacted as a nod to the anti-choice nuts who voted in Bush, right?
Mr. Reynolds, you are a misogynist piece of shit.
It's pretty obvious I was criticizing the media for selling the story that way. /meh_whatever
BTW, did you pay for a new account just to tell me off? If so, that's pretty pathetic.
posted by AlexReynolds at 3:45 PM on March 19, 2005
AlexReynolds: "It's pretty obvious I was criticizing the media for selling the story that way. /meh_whatever"
For what it's worth, I didn't think it was obvious. I wasn't all disgusted or anything like izizi up there; my reaction was more like: "our taliban amerika?" Huh? The sarcasm is wrapped around itself in so many ways here that I have no idea what you mean. I didn't even know if you were being sarcastic. I thought maybe it was an ironic parody of sarcasm.
posted by koeselitz at 3:54 PM on March 19, 2005
For what it's worth, I didn't think it was obvious. I wasn't all disgusted or anything like izizi up there; my reaction was more like: "our taliban amerika?" Huh? The sarcasm is wrapped around itself in so many ways here that I have no idea what you mean. I didn't even know if you were being sarcastic. I thought maybe it was an ironic parody of sarcasm.
posted by koeselitz at 3:54 PM on March 19, 2005
Huh? The sarcasm is wrapped around itself in so many ways here that I have no idea what you mean. I didn't even know if you were being sarcastic. I thought maybe it was an ironic parody of sarcasm.
I'm not complaining about izizi's acid tongue, but I'm not going to start wrapping my posts in sarcasm indicators, either. As I said: whatever. S/he obviously just wanted to tell me off and now was probably as good a time as any, for him/her.
posted by AlexReynolds at 4:00 PM on March 19, 2005
I'm not complaining about izizi's acid tongue, but I'm not going to start wrapping my posts in sarcasm indicators, either. As I said: whatever. S/he obviously just wanted to tell me off and now was probably as good a time as any, for him/her.
posted by AlexReynolds at 4:00 PM on March 19, 2005
I'm with koeselitz: you may have intended it to be pretty obvious, but the reaction you're getting pretty much stands as evidence that it wasn't. My reaction on reading the "Taliban Amerika" part was also "WTF?"
In fact, on rereading it: I understand your criticism of the media. That part was obvious. But what does "Taliban Amerika" have to do with criticism of the media?
posted by Bugbread at 4:04 PM on March 19, 2005
In fact, on rereading it: I understand your criticism of the media. That part was obvious. But what does "Taliban Amerika" have to do with criticism of the media?
posted by Bugbread at 4:04 PM on March 19, 2005
I have a simple solution for Newsfilter
Nothing that hasn't been suggested before.
Problems:
1) No one wants to opt-in and tag their own posts as newsfilter. People come here to post newsfilter because they want eyeballs on their little pet issue. They will never cooperate to hide their posts from anyone. And they will protest if someone else acts to do so.
2) No one else wants to take the time to tag them either. And if we start doing that for NewsFilter, we'll have to start for Shillfilter, Iraqfilter, Moviefilter, Bookfilter, Applefilter, and every other niche interest that people would like to chit-chat about on MeFi.
3) It's not just a question of front page real estate. It's a question of server/database load. A newsy discussion site would be chatty as all hell and I don't blame Matt if he doesn't want to spend $$$ on hosting it. All indications are that he doesn't.
4) Matt has also frowned upon any concept that creates a "curtain" down the middle of the community. And rightly so. If we start slicing it up, we lose the motivation to work together to create a great site. We become compartmentalized. We become territorial. We become factional. Bad news. Bad. Bad.
5) Naturally, the requisite coding time to implement and maintain.
Sorry!
posted by scarabic at 4:04 PM on March 19, 2005
Nothing that hasn't been suggested before.
Problems:
1) No one wants to opt-in and tag their own posts as newsfilter. People come here to post newsfilter because they want eyeballs on their little pet issue. They will never cooperate to hide their posts from anyone. And they will protest if someone else acts to do so.
2) No one else wants to take the time to tag them either. And if we start doing that for NewsFilter, we'll have to start for Shillfilter, Iraqfilter, Moviefilter, Bookfilter, Applefilter, and every other niche interest that people would like to chit-chat about on MeFi.
3) It's not just a question of front page real estate. It's a question of server/database load. A newsy discussion site would be chatty as all hell and I don't blame Matt if he doesn't want to spend $$$ on hosting it. All indications are that he doesn't.
4) Matt has also frowned upon any concept that creates a "curtain" down the middle of the community. And rightly so. If we start slicing it up, we lose the motivation to work together to create a great site. We become compartmentalized. We become territorial. We become factional. Bad news. Bad. Bad.
5) Naturally, the requisite coding time to implement and maintain.
Sorry!
posted by scarabic at 4:04 PM on March 19, 2005
But what does "Taliban Amerika" have to do with criticism of the media?
Nothing, but it does reference the federal law I mentioned above. I guess one of the problems with nuanced writing is that I'm assuming way too much about others' knowledge, of lack of, about this sordid trial and all the side legal and media aspects that are probably more significant to the rest of us in the long run, compared with the verdict itself, which are generally not discussed. My apologies to those folks. Killfile away!
posted by AlexReynolds at 4:13 PM on March 19, 2005
Nothing, but it does reference the federal law I mentioned above. I guess one of the problems with nuanced writing is that I'm assuming way too much about others' knowledge, of lack of, about this sordid trial and all the side legal and media aspects that are probably more significant to the rest of us in the long run, compared with the verdict itself, which are generally not discussed. My apologies to those folks. Killfile away!
posted by AlexReynolds at 4:13 PM on March 19, 2005
s/nuanced writing/lazy hyperbole/
posted by Armitage Shanks at 4:18 PM on March 19, 2005
posted by Armitage Shanks at 4:18 PM on March 19, 2005
That, or you're assuming that everyone is fine with extreme and silly generalizations. Remember, not everyone is as...dramatic...as yourself.
posted by Bugbread at 4:18 PM on March 19, 2005
posted by Bugbread at 4:18 PM on March 19, 2005
(Somehow I sense this thread is going to become about AlexReynolds again. I don't know if I should be upset or excited)
posted by Bugbread at 4:19 PM on March 19, 2005
posted by Bugbread at 4:19 PM on March 19, 2005
AlexReynolds: "I guess one of the problems with nuanced writing is that I'm assuming way too much about others' knowledge, of lack of, about this sordid trial and all the side legal and media aspects that are probably more significant to the rest of us in the long run, compared with the verdict itself, which are generally not discussed. My apologies to those folks."
That's not your problem-- it's mine. I don't really pay attention to the media, and had no idea about the stuff you mention. You shouldn't have to accomodate to my ignorance; don't worry about it.
And I really feel bad if my saying I didn't understand came off as a callout, or turned this thread into a thread about you. I don't think my comment meant much; it was only my reaction, as I said. That's why I surrounded it with small tags. A mere trifle. Carry on.
posted by koeselitz at 4:31 PM on March 19, 2005
That's not your problem-- it's mine. I don't really pay attention to the media, and had no idea about the stuff you mention. You shouldn't have to accomodate to my ignorance; don't worry about it.
And I really feel bad if my saying I didn't understand came off as a callout, or turned this thread into a thread about you. I don't think my comment meant much; it was only my reaction, as I said. That's why I surrounded it with small tags. A mere trifle. Carry on.
posted by koeselitz at 4:31 PM on March 19, 2005
(Somehow I sense this thread is going to become about AlexReynolds again. I don't know if I should be upset or excited)
Lazy hyperbole is dragging out the drama queen elephant every time someone doesn't like what I have to say, or can't be bothered to inform themselves on the subject at hand.
Unless Matt deletes my account, you'll either have to skip over my writing or add me to a killfile, sorry. The tail end of the thread here explains how to set up a killfile. If you can't be bothered to follow a conversation with me without calling me a drama queen, then consider adding me to your killfile and be done with it, already.
posted by AlexReynolds at 4:32 PM on March 19, 2005 [1 favorite]
Lazy hyperbole is dragging out the drama queen elephant every time someone doesn't like what I have to say, or can't be bothered to inform themselves on the subject at hand.
Unless Matt deletes my account, you'll either have to skip over my writing or add me to a killfile, sorry. The tail end of the thread here explains how to set up a killfile. If you can't be bothered to follow a conversation with me without calling me a drama queen, then consider adding me to your killfile and be done with it, already.
posted by AlexReynolds at 4:32 PM on March 19, 2005 [1 favorite]
AlexReynolds : " Lazy hyperbole is dragging out the drama queen elephant every time someone doesn't like what I have to say, or can't be bothered to inform themselves on the subject at hand."
No, that's an ad hominem attack based on how you said what you said. My bad. I apologize.
And why would I killfile my muse?
posted by Bugbread at 4:44 PM on March 19, 2005
No, that's an ad hominem attack based on how you said what you said. My bad. I apologize.
And why would I killfile my muse?
posted by Bugbread at 4:44 PM on March 19, 2005
And why would I killfile my muse?
Well I think Wilde said it best: "Each man killfiles the thing he loves..."
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 4:57 PM on March 19, 2005
Well I think Wilde said it best: "Each man killfiles the thing he loves..."
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 4:57 PM on March 19, 2005
scarabic writes " 3) It's not just a question of front page real estate. It's a question of server/database load. A newsy discussion site would be chatty as all hell and I don't blame Matt if he doesn't want to spend $$$ on hosting it. All indications are that he doesn't.
"4) Matt has also frowned upon any concept that creates a 'curtain' down the middle of the community. And rightly so. If we start slicing it up, we lose the motivation to work together to create a great site. We become compartmentalized. We become territorial. We become factional. Bad news. Bad. Bad."
Yeah, I'm glad that hasn't happened. We might become territorial and end up devoting much time and server load to arguing about, oh, I dunno, Newsfilter. ;)
posted by orthogonality at 5:03 PM on March 19, 2005
"4) Matt has also frowned upon any concept that creates a 'curtain' down the middle of the community. And rightly so. If we start slicing it up, we lose the motivation to work together to create a great site. We become compartmentalized. We become territorial. We become factional. Bad news. Bad. Bad."
Yeah, I'm glad that hasn't happened. We might become territorial and end up devoting much time and server load to arguing about, oh, I dunno, Newsfilter. ;)
posted by orthogonality at 5:03 PM on March 19, 2005
Bucknell beat Kansas? I have not been keeping up with the tourney and had no idea that had occured until reading this thread.
Bwahahahahahahahaha! *hates Kansas*
posted by weretable and the undead chairs at 5:36 PM on March 19, 2005
Bwahahahahahahahaha! *hates Kansas*
posted by weretable and the undead chairs at 5:36 PM on March 19, 2005
Wow. /speechless
posted by AlexReynolds at 3:35 PM
blah blah blah blah blah blah
posted by AlexReynolds at 3:45 PM
blah blah blah blah blah blah
posted by AlexReynolds at 4:00 PM
blah blah blah blah blah blah
posted by AlexReynolds at 4:13 PM
blah blah blah blah blah blah
posted by AlexReynolds at 4:32 PM
posted by LarryC at 5:48 PM on March 19, 2005
posted by AlexReynolds at 3:35 PM
blah blah blah blah blah blah
posted by AlexReynolds at 3:45 PM
blah blah blah blah blah blah
posted by AlexReynolds at 4:00 PM
blah blah blah blah blah blah
posted by AlexReynolds at 4:13 PM
blah blah blah blah blah blah
posted by AlexReynolds at 4:32 PM
posted by LarryC at 5:48 PM on March 19, 2005
Are you kidding, bingo? Have you ever been forced to listen to "Dust in the Wind"?!?
posted by wendell at 6:01 PM on March 19, 2005
posted by wendell at 6:01 PM on March 19, 2005
Bucknell beat Kansas? I have not been keeping up with the tourney and had no idea that had occured until reading this thread.
That's the best part of March Madness...get to hear about schools I've never heard of and will never hear of again. Good times!
posted by jmd82 at 6:16 PM on March 19, 2005
That's the best part of March Madness...get to hear about schools I've never heard of and will never hear of again. Good times!
posted by jmd82 at 6:16 PM on March 19, 2005
Yeah, I'm glad that hasn't happened.
I see your point. Here we are, arguing about the way it should be.
Our only consolation, right now, is that there's only one way of doing it. We can agree or disagree about it. But we're both invested in the same thing. If we engaged a kind of "curtain" then eventually we'd arrive at a place where different groups of people were heavily invested in different, possibly imcompatible, ways of doing things. And at that point it would be two sites.
posted by scarabic at 6:25 PM on March 19, 2005
I see your point. Here we are, arguing about the way it should be.
Our only consolation, right now, is that there's only one way of doing it. We can agree or disagree about it. But we're both invested in the same thing. If we engaged a kind of "curtain" then eventually we'd arrive at a place where different groups of people were heavily invested in different, possibly imcompatible, ways of doing things. And at that point it would be two sites.
posted by scarabic at 6:25 PM on March 19, 2005
Do y'all know that Andre Norton died on Thursday? I just found out. That's so sad.
posted by Jim Jones at 6:40 PM on March 19, 2005
posted by Jim Jones at 6:40 PM on March 19, 2005
How can you hate something as innocuous as Kansas?
Yeah, they gotta lotta pretty women there and I'm-a gonna get me one.
posted by jonmc at 6:42 PM on March 19, 2005
Yeah, they gotta lotta pretty women there and I'm-a gonna get me one.
posted by jonmc at 6:42 PM on March 19, 2005
Before I get called out, I'd like to apologize for my FPP. I didn't mean to come across as insensitive or callous but apparently the manner in which I posted led to that conclusion. I'm sorry y'all.
posted by Jim Jones at 7:00 PM on March 19, 2005
posted by Jim Jones at 7:00 PM on March 19, 2005
izizi writes this: you are a misogynist piece of shit, and I would take 1000x newsfilter posts an hour over one more of your boyzone hate filled thoughtless comments.
....and people are trashing Alex??
posted by CunningLinguist at 7:05 PM on March 19, 2005
....and people are trashing Alex??
posted by CunningLinguist at 7:05 PM on March 19, 2005
CL, overheated hyperbolic rhetoric is signal #1(especially if it's minus links, with or any other redeeming social value) for me to put someone in my mental killfile. In the box you go, izizi.
posted by jonmc at 7:14 PM on March 19, 2005
posted by jonmc at 7:14 PM on March 19, 2005
Damned mojitos.
For some reason the image of jonmc sipping a mojito is the most shocking thing in this thread.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 8:28 PM on March 19, 2005
For some reason the image of jonmc sipping a mojito is the most shocking thing in this thread.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 8:28 PM on March 19, 2005
PST, the Cuban restaurant down the street from me makes a badass one. I was waiting for take out. They pack a punch, though, but they float atop lager nicely.
posted by jonmc at 8:31 PM on March 19, 2005
posted by jonmc at 8:31 PM on March 19, 2005
I really really really want about 20 mojitos right now. Who wants to bring over a pitcher?
posted by CunningLinguist at 8:44 PM on March 19, 2005
posted by CunningLinguist at 8:44 PM on March 19, 2005
Go out to Fatty's CL. Best in the five boroughs, trust me. And the cheese empanadas and chavorrayo (chicken, jack cheese, garlic mayo, avocado) sandwiches are amazing, too. Worth the subway ride.
posted by jonmc at 8:49 PM on March 19, 2005
posted by jonmc at 8:49 PM on March 19, 2005
Huh. I was drinking mojitos at dinner this evening.
*raises glass to a drubken friend*
posted by eyeballkid at 8:49 PM on March 19, 2005
*raises glass to a drubken friend*
posted by eyeballkid at 8:49 PM on March 19, 2005
....and people are trashing Alex??
Can we agree to call them both engorged morons and leave it at that?
posted by scarabic at 10:21 PM on March 19, 2005
Can we agree to call them both engorged morons and leave it at that?
posted by scarabic at 10:21 PM on March 19, 2005
>Can we agree to call them both engorged morons and leave it at that?
I say, can we all agree that the master narrative of Talibanism and future-pro-choice is tired, old and completely full of shit?
I mean, I thought the whole point of this post was a complaint about News fronted as Best of Web. And for some inexplicable reason, somebody somewhere decided it was OK to continue the discussion here. I always thought the blue and gray were there for a reason, besides the slow excruciating whine one hears from bleating sheep being slaughte....
[oops]
posted by gsb at 11:09 PM on March 19, 2005
I say, can we all agree that the master narrative of Talibanism and future-pro-choice is tired, old and completely full of shit?
I mean, I thought the whole point of this post was a complaint about News fronted as Best of Web. And for some inexplicable reason, somebody somewhere decided it was OK to continue the discussion here. I always thought the blue and gray were there for a reason, besides the slow excruciating whine one hears from bleating sheep being slaughte....
[oops]
posted by gsb at 11:09 PM on March 19, 2005
(in JT PF voice): Mojitos are good.
I'm in Albuquerque and an Albuquerque native. I was very sorry to see UNM play so poorly and lose in the first round. I well remember the olden days when the Lobos rocked. And, believe me, if you've ever been to a Lobos game in the Pit, it's an experience. Sigh. I'm just glad they made it back in the tourney. It perfectly coincides with my moving away and back to NM. Maybe it's me. (And the snow, too. Weird.)
AR's wording was very bad, but I agree with his main sentiment that the Peterson thing was big because of the murder charge because of the fetus. That pissed me off, personally. Taliban American? Well, fundie America, anyway.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 12:47 AM on March 20, 2005
I'm in Albuquerque and an Albuquerque native. I was very sorry to see UNM play so poorly and lose in the first round. I well remember the olden days when the Lobos rocked. And, believe me, if you've ever been to a Lobos game in the Pit, it's an experience. Sigh. I'm just glad they made it back in the tourney. It perfectly coincides with my moving away and back to NM. Maybe it's me. (And the snow, too. Weird.)
AR's wording was very bad, but I agree with his main sentiment that the Peterson thing was big because of the murder charge because of the fetus. That pissed me off, personally. Taliban American? Well, fundie America, anyway.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 12:47 AM on March 20, 2005
I don't know about the Peterson case, and, if possible, I'd rather not spend a long time researching it just to ask this question (Sorry, 327.ca), but, EB: what pissed you off? That someone killed someone and her foetus, or that the case was big because of that?
posted by Bugbread at 4:19 AM on March 20, 2005
posted by Bugbread at 4:19 AM on March 20, 2005
"izizi", you opened a sockpuppet account only to shit on Alex? isn't that a bit expensive?
posted by matteo at 5:44 AM on March 20, 2005
posted by matteo at 5:44 AM on March 20, 2005
$5 is really not much of a price to pay, though. And now that person can shit on countless others, for the same five bucks. I reckon Matt can make maybe a couple hundred a year on sock puppet accounts. It's not a lot, but it's something.
posted by anapestic at 6:16 AM on March 20, 2005
posted by anapestic at 6:16 AM on March 20, 2005
☛ "or that the case was big because of that?"
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 7:06 AM on March 20, 2005
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 7:06 AM on March 20, 2005
sock puppet accounts
Just think, considering the number of conspiracy-minded individuals here, and the lack of any way to track morph accounts (unlike usenet where at least everyone has posting headers), we could have a good old-fashioned witch hunt on our hands any day now.
posted by darukaru at 10:52 AM on March 20, 2005
Just think, considering the number of conspiracy-minded individuals here, and the lack of any way to track morph accounts (unlike usenet where at least everyone has posting headers), we could have a good old-fashioned witch hunt on our hands any day now.
posted by darukaru at 10:52 AM on March 20, 2005
darukaru : "we could have a good old-fashioned witch hunt on our hands any day now."
Nah. It's pretty clear that there are three people in Mefi: Me, matt, and some other guy with like a billion sock puppet accounts pretending to be different people. That's not enough people for a witch hunt.
posted by Bugbread at 10:55 AM on March 20, 2005
Nah. It's pretty clear that there are three people in Mefi: Me, matt, and some other guy with like a billion sock puppet accounts pretending to be different people. That's not enough people for a witch hunt.
posted by Bugbread at 10:55 AM on March 20, 2005
Thaks bugbread, now I'm picturing some Indian diety with socks on every one of her hands.
Spiffy.
posted by jonmc at 11:16 AM on March 20, 2005
Spiffy.
posted by jonmc at 11:16 AM on March 20, 2005
The sock puppet accounts will be your doom. Dooooooom.
posted by my sock puppet account at 3:09 PM on March 20, 2005
posted by my sock puppet account at 3:09 PM on March 20, 2005
People employed the sordid tragedy of the Petersen case to advance their pro-life agenda. What was one married couple's horrific end became an entire nation and world's ideological tetherball. That's impersonal, voyeuristic, opportunistic, and disgusting.
Part, not all, of this is the fault of the media: they enjoy articles that are easy to report on yet tap deep wells of controversy in their audience. Those are the stories that keep people coming back. Over time, the reporting becomes specifically designed to stoke the fires of controversy to the point where people can't bear to skip a day of buying a paper to see what happened. This is all under the guise of disseminating vital information without bias. What a crock.
I'm starting to think that a "free press" really means not only a press liberated from government controls, but also one whose product costs nothing. Only when the profit motive is removed from media will we get meaningful news instead of the daily circus.
Who am I kidding? Even if such free sources were widely available, people would gladly keep on paying for circus - circus is what they want - and there is only so much attention in the world. It's just a shame that the media would rather become a cirucs than fade into obscurity.
/sharpens knife
posted by scarabic at 8:30 PM on March 20, 2005
Part, not all, of this is the fault of the media: they enjoy articles that are easy to report on yet tap deep wells of controversy in their audience. Those are the stories that keep people coming back. Over time, the reporting becomes specifically designed to stoke the fires of controversy to the point where people can't bear to skip a day of buying a paper to see what happened. This is all under the guise of disseminating vital information without bias. What a crock.
I'm starting to think that a "free press" really means not only a press liberated from government controls, but also one whose product costs nothing. Only when the profit motive is removed from media will we get meaningful news instead of the daily circus.
Who am I kidding? Even if such free sources were widely available, people would gladly keep on paying for circus - circus is what they want - and there is only so much attention in the world. It's just a shame that the media would rather become a cirucs than fade into obscurity.
/sharpens knife
posted by scarabic at 8:30 PM on March 20, 2005
Oh yes, let's blame the evil monolithic media for forcefeeding us frivolous controversy. Let's lump in the Newshour and Hard Copy, the Christian Science Monitor and People magazine, because really, there is no diversity of news outlets anymore and people have no real choice about what to read and hear.
/takes scarabic's knife and stabs herself repeatedly
posted by CunningLinguist at 4:08 AM on March 21, 2005
/takes scarabic's knife and stabs herself repeatedly
posted by CunningLinguist at 4:08 AM on March 21, 2005
scarabic : " I'm starting to think that a 'free press' really means not only a press liberated from government controls, but also one whose product costs nothing. Only when the profit motive is removed from media will we get meaningful news instead of the daily circus."
What does the first part ("free press") have to do with the second part ("meaningful news")?
posted by Bugbread at 4:57 AM on March 21, 2005
What does the first part ("free press") have to do with the second part ("meaningful news")?
posted by Bugbread at 4:57 AM on March 21, 2005
What does the first part ("free press") have to do with the second part ("meaningful news")?
Well, I am not prepared to provide good defintions of these terms, nor "bias" nor "vital information." I don't feel too badly about that, because those definitions are endless sources of controversy. I should simply admit that I was ranting and leave it at that.
posted by scarabic at 12:05 PM on March 21, 2005
Well, I am not prepared to provide good defintions of these terms, nor "bias" nor "vital information." I don't feel too badly about that, because those definitions are endless sources of controversy. I should simply admit that I was ranting and leave it at that.
posted by scarabic at 12:05 PM on March 21, 2005
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posted by Bugbread at 10:49 AM on March 19, 2005