Can I killfile someone?

May 30, 2006 4:38 AM

How can I filter out responses from a particular user on Metafilter? Will it work on Mozilla 1.7.x or must I use Firefox? [more inside]
posted by intermod to Feature Requests at 4:38 AM (37 comments total)

One particular user, widely known in these parts as an ass, particularly annoys me with his reactionary, juvenile posts. And he's prolific. I know that I can just scroll ahead and skip him, but ... brain derails, mood killer, etc.

It would be awesome if user filtering was something that could be done server-side (i.e. MeFi profile pref). I assume that this is something that would be done with a GreaseMonkey script, although per FAQ #63 I checked the userscripts.org greasemonkey scripts list (seems to be down/slow, had to use Google archive) and didn't find anything that explicitely did this except maybe this catchall. However, I browse from 3 different computers (all running Mozilla 1.7.x, not Firefox) and it would be a drag to have to install greasemonkey on all of them just for this. Hence my hope that there was a user pref for this, and if not then I guess I'm wishing for a pony for my birthday.
posted by intermod at 4:40 AM on May 30, 2006

I'm pretty sure mathowie has said that killfiles are not going to be part of the MetaFilter architecture. You can search to read past discussions about them.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 4:44 AM on May 30, 2006

When you come across one of their posts, just read the post in your head in a Woody Allen voice. It works for me.
posted by Jimbob at 4:52 AM on May 30, 2006

Hee, that's a good tip, Jimbob.
posted by jack_mo at 4:58 AM on May 30, 2006

Oh, and a killfile type thing built into the site would be a terrible thing - would only lead to massive confusion whenever your non-killfiled had a conversation with your killfiled people, surely?
posted by jack_mo at 5:00 AM on May 30, 2006

The only real solution is to hire a professioanl hitman.
posted by crunchland at 5:16 AM on May 30, 2006

Have you considered tapping their phones and poisoning their kettle?
posted by atrazine at 5:39 AM on May 30, 2006

Userscripts.org has been ka-blonked for like a week now. I wish I knew to whom to complain.
posted by Plutor at 5:40 AM on May 30, 2006

Ah, "killfile", that's the word I should have looked for. Thanks jessamyn for the quick reply/context.

So, assuming I do indeed need to go the GM script route, can anyone recommend a good one for this?
posted by intermod at 5:48 AM on May 30, 2006

A large part of the philosophy behind matt's site-design was that we have to deal with each other. The lack of threading is a more subtle implementation of this ethos—we keep within a common pool of discourse. Additionally, the design is also intended to de-emphasize fixating on personalities (good luck with that) and that's why the attribution line follows the comments (and posts) rather than preceding them.

People use 3rd party tools to filter and no one's preventing anyone from doing so.

But I firmly believe that killfiling, if widely adopted, would badly hurt this community.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 5:49 AM on May 30, 2006

intermod:

I've found Mondo Meta to be good. It has multiple levels of killfiling (delete or just hide), and also highlighting (kinda the opposite of killfiling), so that comments by certain posters stand out.
posted by Bugbread at 6:12 AM on May 30, 2006

killfiling, if widely adopted, would badly hurt this community.

Perhaps. It would pretty immediately give people permission to be even bigger asses:

"Just killfile him and move on."
posted by scarabic at 6:18 AM on May 30, 2006

I'd only find a killfile attractive if it could remove objectionable users' posts, quoted portions of such in other users' posts, and other users' replies to same. If you're not going to remove all evidence of [objectionable user]'s existence, why bother?
posted by Zozo at 6:47 AM on May 30, 2006

Scarabic, do you think this post is eponysterical ?

Have you considered tapping their phones and poisoning their kettle?

Funniest thing I've read all week...
posted by iconomy at 6:52 AM on May 30, 2006

Perhaps what we need is a goinghomeandtakingmyballwithmefile.
posted by cortex at 6:54 AM on May 30, 2006

la la la, I can't hear you
posted by smackfu at 7:11 AM on May 30, 2006

bugbread: I've found Mondo Meta to be good.

Mondo Meta (thanks, mdevore).
posted by hangashore at 7:12 AM on May 30, 2006

I'll have my phone poisoned and my kettle tapped, thank you very much.
posted by mischief at 7:14 AM on May 30, 2006

Zozo : "I'd only find a killfile attractive if it could remove objectionable users' posts, quoted portions of such in other users' posts, and other users' replies to same. If you're not going to remove all evidence of [objectionable user]'s existence, why bother?"

Mondo Meta can sometimes kinda do that. That is, you can set it to kill any post/comment with, for example, "by bugbread" in the footer. That would kill any posts/comments by myself. But you can also set it to kill any post/comment with "bugbread" anywhere within the post, which would kill a lot of the posts where people reply to me. The only stuff it wouldn't kill is comments which quote me but don't actually contain my name.
posted by Bugbread at 7:34 AM on May 30, 2006

Someone should write a plug in that would block the people you don't like, plus also block the people that the people you like block as well. Call it "MetaShun" and if a person were adequately disliked by enough people, they'd never be quoted and they'd never be seen.
posted by crunchland at 7:47 AM on May 30, 2006

just read the post in your head in a Woody Allen voice

Or go one better and choose a Jerky Boys Sol Rosenberg voice.
posted by rxrfrx at 7:49 AM on May 30, 2006

This thread is confusing. Is it because I have intermod in my kill file?
posted by terrapin at 7:55 AM on May 30, 2006

Anyone know if Mondo Meta plays nice with MetaFilthy? (I've found multiple Greasemonkey scripts applying to one site sometimes go all wiggy.)
posted by jack_mo at 8:43 AM on May 30, 2006

Jack_mo,

I use them both, and they play very nicely together.
posted by Bugbread at 8:53 AM on May 30, 2006

"also block the people that the people you like block as well"

What if the people you like are already blocking you?
posted by mischief at 9:14 AM on May 30, 2006

Cheers bugbread.
posted by jack_mo at 9:21 AM on May 30, 2006

Oh for a down arrow or space bar or scroll wheel.
posted by peacay at 9:32 AM on May 30, 2006

Oh for a down arrow or space bar or scroll wheel.

I prefer the '.'.
posted by jack_mo at 9:44 AM on May 30, 2006

Perhaps. It would pretty immediately give people permission to be even bigger asses:

Yeah, exactly. Bad Idea.
posted by delmoi at 9:57 AM on May 30, 2006

Good thread on killfiles.
posted by Ryvar at 10:06 AM on May 30, 2006

Mondo Meta works nicely to filter out categories of FPPs that don't interest you, which seems to me a better use than filtering out specific users. It is very easy to set it not display any post with Katrina or YouTube or Guantanamo in the body of the post, for example. I've been working with it for about 3 weeks to customize a MetaFilter that really is the best of the web.
posted by LarryC at 10:20 AM on May 30, 2006

if you killfile mathowie, you can keep posting in closed and deleted threads
posted by matteo at 11:08 AM on May 30, 2006

Mondo Meta has a couple of ways that it can be used. A killfile for users is only one, but as LarryC mentions, it can also be used to kill comments/posts containing certain words. You could, for example, use it to white out any comments or posts that mention some sporting event or contest whose results you don't want spoiled for you. You can have it highlight comments/posts by certain people or with certain words. You can get it to expand links so you don't have to hover over them to see where they go. You can select text color and background color for each filter as well, so you can have the Pronouncements of Mathowie always displayed as red text on a black background, or the like.
posted by Bugbread at 11:16 AM on May 30, 2006

One particular user, widely known in these parts as an ass, particularly annoys me with his reactionary, juvenile posts.

I'm sorry, intermod. I'll try to be less reactionary and juvenile from now on.
posted by Doohickie at 11:32 AM on May 30, 2006

I have nothing to add except my love for MondoMeta & MetaFilthy. They make me smile when skies are grey. Filter out a username in the footer, highlight the username in the content and you can quickly distinguish signal from noise. Unless people start quoting like heathens, then the highlighting is all for naught - as bugbread notes.
posted by prostyle at 1:37 PM on May 30, 2006

What if the people you like are already blocking you?

Eh. You already know what you said, don't you?
posted by crunchland at 3:38 PM on May 30, 2006

Can I killfile myself?

note: in the previous sentance, please read "buy a jelly-donut for" in place of "killfile"
posted by blue_beetle at 12:13 PM on May 31, 2006