Mefite[1] Anil Dash[2] writes[3]: "Simply learning from disciplines like urban planning, zoning regulations, crowd control, effective and humane policing, and the simple practices it takes to stage an effective public event, we can come up with a set of principles to prevent the overwhelming majority of the worst behaviors on the Internet." Examples? Why Metafilter, of course, (as well as Stack Exchange sites, of which he is a board member). [more inside]
posted by Tuesday After Lunch on Dec 29, 2011 - 89 comments

"Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the Starship Titanic website sat a specious message board with posts by the senior crew of the fictional ship. This is not its story." The Economist blog "Babbage" explores (in decidedly Adamsian style) the fascinating story of the Starlight Lines forum and its "accidental" community, as told by Mefi's own Yoz Grahame in this truly epic comment from last December. [more inside]
posted by Rhaomi on Feb 14, 2011 - 18 comments

Normal Person + Anonymity + Audience = Sweetness & Light? [more inside]
posted by robself on Mar 21, 2008 - 94 comments

Good Job! [previously]
posted by bigmusic on Dec 10, 2007 - 17 comments

A few months shy of three years later, I'm still knocked breathless by this thread. I've been rereading each story over this weekend, and it's really had me thinking about echoes and effects, human goodness, and the astonishing strength of human resilience. I'm really grateful to everyone who shared such meaningful and vulnerable moments of their lives. Mefi is one hell of a community.
posted by WCityMike on Dec 9, 2007 - 56 comments

I would like to start a thread wherein copious "big ups" are given to other users. [more inside]
posted by loiseau on Oct 12, 2007 - 132 comments

O glorious snark gods! My writing has improved tenfold, my salary has doubled, my sex-life is perky*, and I have YOU to thank for it! *May or may not be true. [more inside]
posted by YamwotIam on Oct 10, 2007 - 186 comments

Ain't we a whole bunch of sweet romantics, eh?
posted by Kickstart70 on Sep 1, 2007 - 48 comments

This sequence of comments (subject matter aside) embodies what I've always liked about Metafilter.
posted by pantsrobot on Aug 6, 2007 - 96 comments

Seriously... you guys rock. Just sayin' thanks.
posted by miss lynnster on May 15, 2007 - 8 comments

Never mind "best of the web," this thread is surely the best of MetaFilter.
posted by nevercalm on May 3, 2007 - 105 comments

Kudos where richly due. I'm delighted to see a thread I had actually feared would be deleted, about the sensitive nexus of fundamentalist Christianity and earthly power, close in on 100 comments and never once descend into vituperation. Nuanced disagreement, even principled difference of opinion, but no name-calling and no shit-flinging. It's a wonderful thing. Can we do this more often?
posted by adamgreenfield on Jan 9, 2007 - 39 comments

Bumpedy bump. cortex comes through for the community again.
posted by Effigy2000 on Sep 3, 2006 - 109 comments

Thanks, Metafilter!
posted by elr on May 28, 2006 - 17 comments

How about a round of applause for skygazer, missing member of mefi swapset grey from 11/05 who not only finally sent along the CDs, but included a short handwritten note, a tiny toy gun, an even smaller piece of black licorice, a guitar string, and a particularly meaningful (to me at least) blank postcard of early concept designs of the space shuttle.

All of this arrived in the mail in the midst of particularly bad week, so to receive a bit of human sharedness and new music to discover from a total stranger was great. My faith in mefi and humanity is restored. Thank you.
posted by Brandon Blatcher on May 9, 2006 - 115 comments

To be honest, I feel like we're in the goddamn Silver Age of Metafilter. [More (chatfilter) inside]
posted by loquacious on Apr 7, 2006 - 153 comments

I just wanted to say HUZZAH and thanks to posters from 5-ish Pacific yesterday to, er, NOW for a super-dense, ultra-lickable linkfest! I'll be days behind! HUZZAH!
posted by mwhybark on Aug 1, 2005 - 30 comments

Thank you MetaFilter, for nearly six years of mind-blowing links, ribaldry, debauchery, helping me become a bit better at critical thinking and debating, and for giving me illimitable examples of what to do and what not to do on the internets. Plus any other stuff I forgot to mention. Y'all rule.
posted by sciurus on Jun 29, 2005 - 26 comments

For those who may miss it, poopy's former fiance has posted a touching comment in his memorial thread
posted by Rumple on Apr 18, 2005 - 17 comments