Good deletion!

June 17, 2005 7:53 PM

I, for one, Welcome our new Stark Fist of Removal overlords!
posted by Balisong to Etiquette/Policy at 7:53 PM (43 comments total)

The Stark fist has shown less mercy lately. Or is it that I've been catching more? By the time I click, I see it'd been deleted, and I, for one, thank you.

(Bah, there was supposed to be more, but they're gone..) (Yea!!)
posted by Balisong at 7:56 PM on June 17, 2005

*applauds*
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 8:07 PM on June 17, 2005

Agreed. In fact, I will even agree so far as to throw out what may be a controversial opinion, ergo: there should really be only about 12-20 MeFi threads on the front page every day. If there are any more than that, some of them are likely stinkers. For all the conversation, community, and funny banter, this is still supposed to be a FILTER. Not a bucket with unlimited capacity.
posted by yhbc at 8:22 PM on June 17, 2005

I tried to head it off at the pass, and learned that there are appropriate forums for such crap. (fark et al)

But the Stark Fist is equally appealing.

This reminds me of the recent "Do you remember Hunter?" post. Chop chop chop. We all rail against it, but even HST was better for it! BRING IT ON!
posted by snsranch at 8:29 PM on June 17, 2005

Hey...!

Oh wait, none of those were mine. BRING IT ON!

Or something.

Earnestly, I'll side with the Stark Fist for now. I can take having anything I posted deleted if it means less noise. Bob knows I've skirted the boundaries, if not straight-up humped on 'em.

Is your opinion the opposite? Now's the time to raise your voice. We could all do with a bit more hide around here.
posted by loquacious at 8:44 PM on June 17, 2005

This was user 881? And he had a post deleted? Surely there's been a mistake.

(not controversial at all Los Commsioner - I agree wholeheartedly)
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 8:59 PM on June 17, 2005

"Commsioner"??? Wish I could say I'm drunk..
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 10:14 PM on June 17, 2005

Deletions are up, fun is down, same old, same old.
posted by caddis at 10:20 PM on June 17, 2005

I was busy today traveling and was gone from the site for most of the day. When I got a connection on my way home, I saw a bazillion flags for those three or four threads, so I deleted them. I didn't get a chance to follow every link and read every comment, so I'm trusting the flags were for a reason and acted on them.

It looks like there are two metatalk threads today about crappy posts, so I don't know why this thread exists or people think it means fun is down and deletions are up. You all complained loud and clear about these posts, I'm just the janitor.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 11:57 PM on June 17, 2005

I, for one, welcome our "Metafilter: [this is good]" overlords; I also eat tapes, and chase them with PepsiBlue, because I have fish in my pants.

.
posted by ori at 12:53 AM on June 18, 2005

For all the conversation, community, and funny banter, this is still supposed to be a FILTER. Not a bucket with unlimited capacity.

Hmmmmm.

weston@leary(~)$ whois metabucket.com

Whois Server Version 1.3

Domain names in the .com and .net domains can now be registered
with many different competing registrars. Go to http://www.internic.net
for detailed information.

No match for "METABUCKET.COM".
posted by weston at 12:56 AM on June 18, 2005

I think this thread exists as a call and reminder not only for more appropriate deletions, but even more as a call for more self policing - in link quality and more.

One of the things I've been thinking of for a while that this thread reminded me of is that maybe a decent, rough metric for MeFi would be that it should "move" a lot faster than memepool, and slower than Fark. Granted, this is only quantitative, not qualitative.

There's still a lot of extremely high quality links going on, but there's a lot more noise these days.

My own link to Michael Jackson's appalling victory Flash-splash would be a fine example of the latter. It didn't really contribute anything, it's totally chatfilter. I really just wanted to see what kind of reactions and snarking would arise, and it was pretty lackluster even in that regard.

In retrospect, I wouldn't have posted it. And I'll try to raise my own bar.

However, what shouldn't be fostered is a culture of fear. At least not abject terror. I know some folks would disagree with this either completely or tongue and cheek, and I'd agree with the tongue-in-cheek portion of it, to a point.

But who knows what truly unique and interesting links and topics get scared off because people are too afraid to post it. That's something I hear a lot of from quite a few users that have accounts, some of which have had accounts since even pre-14k. "Jesus, you guys scare me!"

Perhaps a re-hashing, re-definition and a refinement of the posting guidelines is in order. MeFi is a community, no? Let's all throw something into the stone soup about what we all want.

(Hopefully in a couple of days. I'm moving tommorow, and losing my connection for a bit. :\ Regardless, have fun.)
posted by loquacious at 1:09 AM on June 18, 2005

I, for one, welcome our "Metafilter: [this is good]" overlords; I also eat tapes, and chase them with PepsiBlue, because I have fish in my pants.

So... do you vibrate?

Here, give your pony a pancake.
posted by Grangousier at 2:58 AM on June 18, 2005

mathowie : "I don't know why this thread exists or people think it means fun is down and deletions are up."

Well, I only see one guy saying fun is down...But I think this thread exists to say "Thanks", and "Good job".
posted by Bugbread at 3:02 AM on June 18, 2005

In fact, after reading the following (from another thread):

LarryC : "Holy Hammer of Antioch, has the deletion jihad begun at last?!
Six posts deleted today: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Every one a stinker.
The Mathowie is a just god."

I have to add: Thanks, Matt, Good Job, and Keep Up the Good Work. Praise be to the stark fist.
posted by Bugbread at 3:08 AM on June 18, 2005

Yup, I'll support that "Good job!" I'm all for lots of delete-bad-FPP-goodness.
posted by fvw at 4:29 AM on June 18, 2005

But who knows what truly unique and interesting links and topics get scared off because people are too afraid to post it.

Damn few. Sturgeon's Law applies here as everywhere: 90% of everything is crud. Only I suspect the percentage is higher in the case of posts people are too afraid to make. Come on, if you've run across a truly unusual and interesting link, you're not going to fear posting it. The trouble is (if you look at the front page) that most of what people feel like posting is marginal at best. I applaud loquacious's honesty above:

My own link to Michael Jackson's appalling victory Flash-splash would be a fine example of the latter. It didn't really contribute anything, it's totally chatfilter. I really just wanted to see what kind of reactions and snarking would arise, and it was pretty lackluster even in that regard.
In retrospect, I wouldn't have posted it. And I'll try to raise my own bar.

Emulate loquacious, boys and girls. And those of you who are constantly defending all the crap because "you can just skip over it" and "somebody thought it was interesting" can go read Fark for a week, or until you realize the difference.

And thanks, Matt.
posted by languagehat at 5:51 AM on June 18, 2005

You all complained loud and clear about these posts, I'm just the janitor.
So much for amberglow's tired old 'zomg #1 is an inconsistent censor' tinfoil.

Now, we can move on to accusing the userbase of being ignorant sheeple afraid of daring ideas!
posted by darukaru at 6:31 AM on June 18, 2005

Damn few. Sturgeon's Law applies here as everywhere: 90% of everything is crud. Only I suspect the percentage is higher in the case of posts people are too afraid to make.

I'll agree to a point on that.

Remember the author of that phrase. Theodore Sturgeon understood shyness and what it meant to be human, and anyways, I'm pretty sure he was talking about science fiction - not 'everything' - and would probably be frightned that such a bombastic 'law' was the most recognizable of his works. But I digress. :)
posted by loquacious at 6:39 AM on June 18, 2005

Removal good. Community sets the tone, so flag em if you got em.
posted by nj_subgenius at 6:55 AM on June 18, 2005

I have always defended newsfilter, but none of those six were defensible. I can't exactly define newsfilter, but I know it when I see it.

So, to save the eyes of those two or three mefites who did not see those posts, they must be deleted.

I just saw a wasp crawl into a spider's web outside my window. The wasp and spider fought for about five minutes before the pair fell to the ledge. Then, with the spider still clinging to the wasp, they both flew away.

The sun is shining here. I think I will spend the day outside with other people.

;-P
posted by mischief at 7:09 AM on June 18, 2005

Having the outrageous posts deleted is good, but with what is left, I'm having a hard time working up the slightest bubbling lather of viscerol hatred towards anything posted.
And I was all ready to get into a vibrating hissy fit over something, too...

Maybe tomorrow..
posted by Balisong at 9:00 AM on June 18, 2005

I think I've flagged maybe three posts or comments since the new system's been put in place. It might be helpful to have a counter on people's member page just to have some idea of the trigger happiness of the member in question.

Which could lead to flag weighting so that Matt could have a better sense of the real "outrage" or whether its just a couple of the more shrill "This sucks" members.

But it sure is nice to know that time may not be cyclic but MeFi sure is because the same shit keeps going 'round and 'round. And it does not appear to show any signs of stopping in this lifetime.
posted by fenriq at 9:37 AM on June 18, 2005

One of the deleted threads was about witchcraft trials in Salem. I wanted to comment on why they were hanged, as opposed to being burned. It could have turned into a good witchcraft discussion.
posted by jb at 9:54 AM on June 18, 2005

And I was all ready to get into a vibrating hissy fit over something, too.

BALISONG IS A SHEEPFUCKER!
posted by Kwantsar at 10:04 AM on June 18, 2005

Well, that usually goes without saying.
posted by Balisong at 10:15 AM on June 18, 2005

jb, find a few links about the real Salem and post 'em... nothing's stopping you (except maybe the need to spend all your free time reading MeFi instead of writing it)

Oh, and I support the recent pattern of deletions (I had flagged four of them myself, as well as one that didn't get deleted)
posted by wendell at 11:13 AM on June 18, 2005

Admittedly, I haven't been here in a while. And I resepct the decision to remove the thread. I'm really sorry somene decided to come in and trash me for what I thought was a newsworthy site about fraud and politics...
(It should be noted that Reverend Mykeru gets banned everywhere he goes, I wonder why?)

This post was deleted for the following reason: meh

Can I at least ask what "meh" stands for? *confused*
posted by EricBrooksDotCom at 11:48 AM on June 18, 2005

ewwww. i need to create some new accounts to fight these fisting overlords.
posted by weretable and the undead chairs at 11:55 AM on June 18, 2005

EricBrooksDotCom: "Can I at least ask what "meh" stands for? *confused*"

Molecular Expansion Hardon
posted by kenko at 12:14 PM on June 18, 2005

Molecular Expansion Hardon
Of course! *smacks head* :0)
posted by EricBrooksDotCom at 12:33 PM on June 18, 2005

I, for one, welcome our "Metafilter: [this is good]" overlords; I also eat tapes, and chase them with PepsiBlue, because I have fish in my pants.

So... do you vibrate?

Here, give your pony a pancake.

Yeah this stuff is way better than "your dog wants steak" and "duke sucks," keep up the good circle jerks guys.
posted by moift at 1:04 PM on June 18, 2005

"You all complained loud and clear about these posts, I'm just the janitor".

Matt: Don't worry about the Mule, just start loading the Wagon...
posted by Mack Twain at 1:13 PM on June 18, 2005

EricWebsiteAdvertisement: meh.
posted by Galvatron at 1:23 PM on June 18, 2005

Yeah this stuff is way better than "your dog wants steak" and "duke sucks," keep up the good circle jerks guys.
posted by moift at 1:04 PM PST on June 18

you obviously have a keen eaer for satire, moift.
posted by ori at 1:41 PM on June 18, 2005

ear
posted by ori at 1:41 PM on June 18, 2005

I wasn't calling out the quoted posts I was agreeing with the subtext about catchphrase ubiquity and whatever. Also I have a keen aess
posted by moift at 2:04 PM on June 18, 2005

I'm pretty sure he was talking about science fiction - not 'everything'

Well, you're wrong there. What Sturgeon said was: "Sure, 90% of science fiction is crud. That's because 90% of everything is crud." I guess I should have included a link with my first citation of it; I just figured it was pretty well known around here.
posted by languagehat at 5:49 PM on June 18, 2005

Maybe he was looking at the wrong bits.
posted by peacay at 11:17 PM on June 18, 2005

We need Migs , now more than ever.
posted by sgt.serenity at 4:33 AM on June 19, 2005

I will even agree so far as to throw out what may be a controversial opinion, ergo: there should really be only about 12-20 MeFi threads on the front page every day.
That would be a busy day if they were all good 'uns.
posted by dg at 5:59 PM on June 19, 2005

M.E.H. = Make Eric Hunt.
posted by soyjoy at 9:06 AM on June 20, 2005

MetaLifter: we raise our own bar.
posted by mwhybark at 10:31 PM on June 20, 2005