MetaTalk posts tagged with posting

Question on the Blue

jeffburdges — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 06:23:24 -0800

I knew about open Snowden threads of course, but the G20 surveillance news really wasn't being discussed elsewhere. I though a new thread might spark an interesting conversation about what effects this might have on the G8 meeting. Also we'd no G8 thread. Also we hadn't discussed GCHQ. Sadly, my post did not inspire a discussion that diverged significantly from the existing threads, maybe my /. link screwed it up, not sure. Anyways, if anyone has easy tips for quieting the early thread axe grinds then I'd be interested to hear them. I suppose more links about GCHQ would've helped, but probably not much, and that's more work. Would it have been out of line for me to have simply ended the post with a question like : Do we know how this will impact the G8 meeting?

When should I post?

softlord — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 07:52:33 -0800

Has anyone done research into the ideal day/time to post something to our beloved collection of multi-colored subsites? i.e. the most statistically probable time to get the maximum number of responses?

Backdoor FPP?

the man of twists and turns — Mon, 06 May 2013 20:31:05 -0800

Is there a consensus on "backdoor FPPs?" I have noticed a few - do people think they unnecessarily steer a thread? Takeover discussion? Provide a new viewpoint and welcome context? By "backdoor FPP" I am referring to a comment like this [mine], in which a comment is pretty clearly an FPP in its own right. "Backdoor" like backdoor pilot, in which an episode in an established TV show is a testbed for a new show.

Putting the "Meta" in "MetaFilter"

the man of twists and turns — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:10:11 -0800

Based on the front page, I can tell that other posters use some of the same resources to find potential FPPs that I do. I'll lay my cards on the table, and hope you do the same... The Browser Arts & Letters Daily Longform Big Think 3 Quarks Daily Longreads Damn Interesting Farnam Street Brain Pickings What other aggregators, filters, sifting sites do you like? How do you find things to post? Happy hunting.

MeFi is adding titles

mathowie — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 08:55:18 -0800

We're rolling out titles to the front pages of Ask, MetaTalk, and MeFi today (all the other subsites have titles on their front pages). In addition, we've revamped the posting pages on those subsites in order to make the title more obvious and prominent (along with improved helper text). After our last discussion about this, we made an internal test front page of the subsites to see what it would look like, and the results were surprisingly good. In our testing, the most popular response was along the lines of "What?! Oh hey, that's actually pretty useful. I like it!" For the longest time we've gone to great pains to ask for a title on posts, but buried the title field at the bottom of forms and constantly had to explain that they don't show up on the front page, and still we often had to edit Ask MeFi posts to get questions out of the titles so they made sense on the front page. Our last rewrite of the Ask MeFi posting page spent nearly half the text explaining this weird feature of the front page. The new posting pages are much more streamlined and obvious now. The usability of the front pages improves with this change. It's much easier to tell where a post starts and ends. You get a big click target to jump into a thread, plus the front page of Ask MetaFilter is much quicker to scan looking for interesting questions you want to read and help out on. Like I said, all the other subsites have titles, it feels like a feature that is many years overdue (default blog templates starting showing titles in the early 2000s) and you'll likely find this a helpful change. The only internal change we had to do for this besides revamp the posting pages was shorten title limits to 72 characters. We found this a happy medium where titles fit on one line of most desktop browsers, and only took up 1-2 lines on small mobile screens. Our stats show that less than 4% of posts have longer titles, most often people would copy/paste an entire quote, and you might find those in the new archive pages, but otherwise the change should have a minimal impact on writing new posts. I know it's a big change, but give it a few days for the initial shock to wear off and I bet you'll find this a long overdue change too. We'll be rolling this out over the next hour or so, so you might spot some inconsistencies but let us know if you find a CSS bug or something like that.

Mormon temple ceremonies

XMLicious — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 09:37:09 -0800

I think other versions of this post linking to a video of Mormon temple ceremonies ought to stand if they're offered. The text embedded in the video is a bit silly - gasp, some elements of this are from Freemasonry! Shocking! - but for anyone who has been to a variety of religious ceremonies in different faiths this is kind of interesting. Maybe a similar post with some editorial caveats? I suppose that some people are going to be dicks about it and act as though what's going on in these ceremonies is radically unusual or barbaric and unlike most of the other religions on Earth, which it isn't. But since the next U.S. President may be a Mormon and many of the members of the country's national legislature already are, I think it's worthwhile for readers to gain some direct insight into the religion rather than just what non-Mormons say goes on in the Mormon faith. I for one would be quite interested in hearing the commentary of Mormon and ex-Mormon MeFites on what's depicted. On the other hand, if this isn't really never-before-seen footage and anyone has links to similar video without the embedded text commentary, maybe someone could do a post on that? And a'course I'd request that commenters not turn such a thread into the usual Mormonism-bashing session if one appears.

Cat on a Scanner

four panels — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 08:46:24 -0800

Not a call out of anyone specifically, and certainly "be the change you want to see" but the front page today is comprised entirely of one-liners, mostly SYTL. Maybe it's decompression from the August Best Post Contest, but typically MetaFilter is known for it's "essay-like" posts and it feels like reddit today. Granted, this is like marveling at a rover landing on Mars and then saying "but look at that one wheel."

How does the 'Related Posts' widget work?

the man of twists and turns — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 22:44:51 -0800

Related Posts were implemented two years ago on the Blue. How, exactly, do they work? Links, tags, key phrase search? Previously: Would it be possible to view the "Related Posts" section (that shows up at the bottom of pages on the Blue and Green,) when we preview our posts? Is it a bandwidth-intensive operation? Previously: related posts and questions for posts and questions Previously: Related Posts Pony, from 2008, before the creation of related posts for MeFi.

Too much of a good thing

anigbrowl — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 15:49:05 -0800

At what point does frequent posting devolve into spamming a thread? I asked another poster to consider dialing back the posting frequency a little (with an example of 9 posts in 18 minutes), and got a rather annoyed reply. We all go through occasional posting binges in busy threads, but how much is too much? One could just flag it and move on, but the thing is I don't object to the content of the posts in any way, and flagging multiple posts in a row seems vindictive (since there are only a limited number of flaggable reasons) and tedious (multiple mouse-clicks, and very fiddly on a tablet).

late night missive

four panels — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 20:50:07 -0800

The recent Hegel post made me miss seeing Lovecraft In Brooklyn around the site, maybe you'll be back again some day. Thankfully posting here are also homunculus and nasreddin, both wonderful members that brighten the site like stars.

Pony Request

zarq — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 13:38:32 -0800

Would it be possible to view the "Related Posts" section (that shows up at the bottom of pages on the Blue and Green,) when we preview our posts? Is it a bandwidth-intensive operation? I ask because I think it might help us catch additional doubles. But also because my post today contains a link to a previous MeFi post that I might have referenced, if I had known that it existed.

Other-Linking

kyleg — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 14:45:54 -0800

Is it kosher to repost someone else's self-link? What's the policy on reposting content/topics that have been deleted for being a self-link? Once in a while a post will highlight something interesting or lead to good content, but it turns out to have been posted in less-than-good faith. Is there an official policy to shun self-linkers and not link anything from or about them ever again?

Be a beacon (just don't talk about what you're a beacon for)

Philosopher Dirtbike — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 23:28:38 -0800

An otherwise great post (thanks, Slarty Bartfast) is appended with the following:

I am hoping we will not debate here whether "Everything but Marriage" is really marriage equality. I am hoping we will learn about and admire the efforts of those heroes who suffered and fought so that we can all be free someday.

I was going to respond in the thread to this, but I thought MetaTalk would be a better place. It seems like a bad idea to me to preemptively tell people how to discuss political activism (or any topic on Metafilter, really...). "Learning" and "admiring" are not discussion (although they can arise from discussion). I appreciate the desire to see a FPP discussion go well, but basically telling people not to engage with one another seems bad style. Is there some kind of posting etiquette about this? I figured others might have the same response as me, so to avoid totally derailing the thread, we can discuss here.

How could I have made this a better post?

Poet_Lariat — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 16:45:34 -0800

How could I Have made this a better post? After posting a follow-up Fukushima article I got a lot of negative feedback and the article was of course deleted. I thought the recent revelations that the reactor core had been breached were discussion worthy as well as the new radiation environmental leak data especially since we're not getting this though our own news sources (my best link was from Al-Jazeera) How could I have made this a better MetaFilter post?

Pony request: Silent Meta, Hidden Filter

running order squabble fest — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 02:14:25 -0800

Would it be possible/easy to set up a MetaFilter account which allows for tagging, favorites etc., but has no ability to post comments? MetaFilter accounts are very useful for being able to tag posts as interesting, and to tag particular posts as interesting (I know the term "favorite" is contentious, there, but the functionality works the same way...). In general, browsing as a member is a much richer experience than browsing without a membership. However, it's all to easy to get tempted into contributing. The obvious answer to this, of course, is self-control, but assuming the social impulse is hardwired, is there an easy way to shut off posting on an account?

posting

md30ford — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 21:07:49 -0800

can't post anything. paid my tab, but..............

Blame library school, I guess

codacorolla — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 20:31:29 -0800

Metadata for Metafilter Pony request: would it be possible to have a box that pops up that says something like "We noticed you're using tags X and Y, here are some other tags commonly associated with X and Y," to improve the descriptive qualities of user provided tags? I figure this would probably be pretty hard on the database, and probably difficult to code, but it seems like it would improve the descriptive qualities of tags. I always hesitate when making a post as I get down to the bottom of the page, since I want to make the metadata as descriptive and useful as possible, but I tend to blank when it gets down to that box. Would it be possible to automate the process and have a box of related tags that populates on preview and provides users with helpful suggestions?

WTF cat torture!?

smoke — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 02:36:42 -0800

I appreciate Knigel's work on this post but it needs to go asap, this is some crazy sick shit right here, and surely by posting it we are only encouraging in the dissemination of something really unpleasant.

I've got these iPhone Metafilerin' Blues

leahwrenn — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 11:23:07 -0800

Is it possible to start a new post (in AskMe or MetaTalk, say) using the mobile version of Metafilter? Is it possible to contact the mods using the mobile version? I looked, but I didn't see any way to do so.

OK to ask for an interviewee?

amtho — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 23:41:07 -0800

I'd love to find someone to interview for a class assignment (due Thursday), about problem solving in teaching English as a second/foreign language in a classroom. There seem to be a few experienced ESL teachers around here, and it would be awesome to be able to talk to one on the phone here in the US. Would it be appropriate to look for an interviewee via AskMe? It's just a short, relatively informal paper, not a huge deal, but it would be very convenient to be able to find someone this way. I have a contact in a local elementary school, but scheduling is difficult and I'm not sure my interests lie that way. There seem to be a lot of Korean students here in Durham/Chapel Hill NC, so I'd particularly like to find someone who's returned from teaching in Korea or another Asian country. It doesn't really seem to fit AskMe, though. I figured I'd ask here just in case it was OK. And, yes, it would be awesome if someone saw this post and was interested... I'll send you some Chapel Hill Toffee or some homemade cookies if you want! Or a copy of my "Natural America" trivia question activity card set!

Blue or Green

Fizz — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 12:26:22 -0800

So I have an article that I want to post, but the article is essentially a question regarding how people read. Abebooks had a blog post about it and the Guardian picked up on this issue as well. Should I post this on MetaFilter or under AskMefi? No matter where I post it, people will offer up their own preferences for how they read a book. As I see it, this post would be more appropriate in the Green, but I'm not certain.

Two (or more) heads are better than one?

lizbunny — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:14:28 -0800

In regards to improving FPPs on metafilter, can we give contemplation to creating the ability to collaborate on a post? The logistics and details of this clydesdale-sized pony would have to be worked out, rules made by mefites wiser than me... but general thoughts: Someone wants to set up a fpp, has a couple good links to offer but it's somewhat insubstantial. So they put it up in a post-in-the-works page, and other people can offer up links or additional tidbits to make an improved fpp. Have a time-limit of maybe a day or two, to ensure there's a cutoff. Then the OP arranges the post, giving contribution credit to those whose materials (s)he selects to add in. let the idea-trampling begin!

Horse Glue Factory: Frist Post versus Meaty Post

cavalier — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 07:55:12 -0800

I hate to get sidetracked but I find it interesting that there will always be two sides when it comes to this issue of how one should post on this site. Link heavy or light? Get the info out there quickly so discussion can occur, or wait and find as many links as possible and provide more for the posting. We should always be striving for the latter. While I have often championed the value-add that community brings to posts, and certainly we have had tons of posts where the comments themselves have made the post worth having, the usual mantra for MeFi posts are thick, meaty posts, chock full of effort and/or links. Doesn't have to be 500 links, but 5 links with a more inside and a narration is a heckuva lot better than 2 links to news sites. I wanted to throw this out because the Steinbrenner thread is going to be chock full of Obit/Not Obit debate, and, well, it looks like that's the post that's going to stay so let's have the pants party in here. PS: I thought the guidelines said more about meaty posts? Maybe we need an enhancement there?

Am I allowed to toot my mom's horn?

bloody_bonnie — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 01:03:06 -0800

I'd like to post a link to some poetry on my mother's blog on the blue. Is that appropriate, or is it considered self-promotion? My mom is a poet/fiction writer with some really stellar work published in online and print journals, as well as in her blog and chapbook. I'd love to create a post to some of her writing in the blue, but I don't want the post to be flagged as self-promotion since she is someone I obviously know IRL. (Occasionally she posts photos or prints that I have created to accompany her poems, but that is not what I plan on linking to on the Blue). Would this be appropriate, or is it something better suited for Metafilter Projects? Thanks!

Posting Links Blind

mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 13:30:26 -0800

Posting links to the front page without having viewed them first? griphus mentions here that he made his post without actually viewing the video he links. Cool, or not cool? I'm interested in what others think.