MetaTalk

I've noticed in a couple of AskMes that the answers/advice being given can really be harsh sometimes. Especially when the person asking has maybe not been their best selves. Reading through a thread can seem like a pile on. I'm wondering if this is truly helpful. [more inside]
posted by brookeb on Sep 25, 2023 - 62 comments

I just had a shitty breakup, and I don't survive post break-ups well. But the Hive is full of wise loving people who give good advice, so please share all the good Ask threads and comments you've seen and loved. I know ya'll have good things stashed away in your favorites.
posted by Grandysaur on Jan 13, 2019 - 6 comments

What is the biggest life decision you've made based on answers to one of your AskMe questions? How did that decision work out for you? [more inside]
posted by showbiz_liz on Dec 15, 2013 - 165 comments

The comment about how to avoid or stop crying: That did not invoke the such-and-such reflex when you splash cold water on your face. I'm almost certain I read it in ask-me. From memory, which is really bad, it seemed really effective, obvious, smart. But obvious could mean, "oh yes, of course if you wind yourself by falling out of a tree, you're not going to be able to draw breath to cry" if that version of "obvious" makes sense. I would also like to help by saying it was posted by an insightful regular mefite, but unfortunately, once I notice two posts from a mefite that I like, even if they registered yesterday, I think of them as insightful regulars. I *think* it was a physical method, pretty sure it wasn't deep breathing or mindfulness. Thanks in advance for your help. My makeup thanks you, too. Posting from phone, so italics etc beyond me.
posted by b33j on Jul 3, 2013 - 12 comments

Help me find AskMeFi questions where posters get advice that is nothing at all like what they would have expected. [more inside]
posted by peppermintfreddo on Jul 18, 2012 - 505 comments

Ugh, I'm just going to say it: continuously posting to this breakup advice in Ask is lazy and more often than not it doesn't really fit the situation. I wish people would speak to the actual specific break-up someone is asking about or just stay out of it. [more inside]
posted by nanojath on Apr 6, 2012 - 86 comments

"Just show him this thread" - this advice gets given practically every other day and I was wondering, do people really mean it and think it is a good idea? [more inside]
posted by Omnomnom on Sep 21, 2010 - 63 comments

How bad would it be if I get snippy in my own AskMe? [more inside]
posted by Secret Life of Gravy on Jul 12, 2010 - 118 comments

I was in my local public library today and wanted to look up a thread about Paris that I'd seen in Ask Metafilter, so I got on one of the library's computers. I was surprised to find that the library blocks Ask MeFi. How common is this? How can I get the library to unblock it?
posted by lukemeister on Jul 19, 2008 - 30 comments

Please, for the love of all that is holy, can we please stop? [more inside]
posted by gjc on Jun 4, 2008 - 182 comments

How can I word my AskMe questions better to get more relevant answers? [more inside]
posted by cosmic osmo on Apr 23, 2008 - 36 comments

AskMe gets it badly wrong, as the original poster reveals here. [more inside]
posted by ikkyu2 on Dec 5, 2007 - 254 comments

We all know tax time is coming. Could we please have a moratorium on all tax-related AskMe's that are more complex than "I live in X, where do I mail my return to"?
posted by dirtynumbangelboy on Feb 1, 2007 - 37 comments

Well, askme got served with a doozy tonight and I think it's safe to say it didn't go well. It's not just the completely awful legal advice being dispensed, or the attempt to frame this question as a solely moral one that disturbed me, but the seeming justification of murder (and referencing religion to reason away that murder) that made me shudder.
posted by incessant on Oct 20, 2006 - 185 comments

Boo, my Askme question was deleted. I'm disappointed, because I did mean the question seriously-- I was actually hoping to get some scientific information/insight into radioactive half-lives, heavy-metal contamination, global warming, etc. Was the tone too flippant? Could I have phrased it better?
posted by jokeefe on Aug 9, 2006 - 62 comments

Weirdest mention of MeFi in the press: in a press release about advice for college students by a boardgame company. They googled, got Ask MetaFilter, and printed it. I have no idea why.
posted by mathowie on Aug 3, 2006 - 31 comments

Where should I, a physician, draw the line at commenting on health-related posts in AskMe?

I enjoy thinking about folks' medical puzzles and often learn something in the process of trying to solve them. However, I'm a neurologist, so most of what I comment on is well outside my scope of practice. I've tried to make it clear in my user info that I'm not commenting in my professional capacity as a medical advisor, but instead as "just another Metafilter user." But if you scroll down to roofus' thought-provoking post a few days ago, you can read about a number of harmful things that we docs could inadvertently be causing, including but not limited to the inflammation of hypochondria, acute bad-adviceFilter, and sudden dismemberment or death.

What do folks think? Should I just can it before I get sued?
posted by ikkyu2 on Jul 15, 2005 - 52 comments

Do other doctors get this horrible sinking feeling when they read a medical question in Ask Metafilter? Usually the questions are OK, but obviously would be better directed at a physician. It's the answers that cause me a headache. Lots of non-doctors seem to wade in with "This one time I had something similar, and...". No actual doctors declare themselves and give a sensible answer. I work in a fairly sub-specialized area (uro-gynae) so I'm not necessarily up to date on most of the questions. None the less, I just can't stand it to sit by and see terrible advice given Equally I feel there's something unethical about attempting to play web-doctor. Any tips on best practice?
posted by roofus on Jul 11, 2005 - 82 comments

as i wander through every bike-related askme query and see the same user names replying to each question i've started to wonder: would there be a benefit to allowing mefi users to organize themselves into caucus-like groups? would it serve the community better if, in much the same way individuals are grouped by region on their profile pages, we could somehow align ourselves by interest/expertise to make better use of our collective resources?
posted by RockyChrysler on Apr 20, 2005 - 39 comments

Once I ran to you, I ranNow I'll run from youThis tainted love you've given
75% of this "anonymous" guy's output is love-related. I keep reading that we suck at politics, we suck at religion, we suck at (insert your favorite pet peeve here). I dare to suggest that, no disrespect intended, we suck at giving love advice (assuming that giving useful love advice is actually possible, which I doubt). Is this just a coincidence, or we'll use the anonymous feature mainly to turn AskMeFi into Mr/Mrs LonelyheartsFilter/BrokenheartsFilter?
posted by matteo on Oct 13, 2004 - 29 comments

I apologize two-fold, one for my unwilling absence from the scintillating minds that are my MeFi sisters and brethren...and secondly, because this may very well be the wrong arena, but darned if I know where to post AskMe follow ups...so here it is. A month or more back, I asked for advice on taking a specific type of pictures. The advice that I was given, both online, and in one case, carried into email, was invaluable. I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who contributed. You not only made me a better photographer, but you taught me a new way to see.
posted by dejah420 on Oct 5, 2004 - 13 comments