Please put your contact info in your profile so I can answer your question

August 15, 2006 5:43 AM

Could people please put their email addresses or some other contact method in their profile? Especially if you post a question? Please? There's times when I'd like to answer an AskMe question or MeFi thread that got deleted as chatfilter, (UbuRoivas, I'm looking at you!) but can't.
posted by SpecialK to Etiquette/Policy at 5:43 AM (58 comments total)

I'd actually go so far as to say that a public email address listed in a profile should be required before someone can post. You don't have to even check it, but you can at least provide some closure for those threads that died an early, if worthy, death.
posted by SpecialK at 5:44 AM on August 15, 2006

This comes up all the time, and I agree it can be mildly irritating.

This thread from the other day suggests that there may or may not be an internal messaging system in the works.
posted by jack_mo at 5:55 AM on August 15, 2006

'worthy, death'? I'm not so sure, just couched wrong (a common error). Geez, it went down fast though - no snark, no heartfelt and touching response.
I agree with you on the email address though. It's been asked many times - but it's worth asking again. The only trouble is, even if you enforce an email on a joiner there is no guarantee it's going to be checked if they use a throwaway.
posted by tellurian at 6:04 AM on August 15, 2006

You don't have to even check it...

Then what's the point? Not listing an email is better since it makes it clear that they won't be responding.
posted by smackfu at 6:06 AM on August 15, 2006

I wrote UbuRoivas a longish email seeing if we could find a way to make his question less chatfiltery -- we have admin-facing email addresses sometimes -- and it bounced. Ubu, email me!
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 6:20 AM on August 15, 2006

HEY C'MON AND DO THIS THING THAT IS EXPLICITLY NOT COMPULSORY BECAUSE Y'KNOW DANGIT JUST C'MON

I think it'd be super if everybody listed a public email address that they checked regularly, but we're not required to have one and a lot of people pointedly refrain. That's not likely to change, and this is not the first time it has come up.
posted by cortex at 6:24 AM on August 15, 2006

Required, haha.

Reach me at [e-mail] ok.
posted by thirteenkiller at 6:28 AM on August 15, 2006

How unfortunate that question got deleted. If phrased correctly, it wouldn't have been chatfilter.
posted by dobbs at 6:48 AM on August 15, 2006

I wish people would list addresses to; I wanted to write DieHipsterDie apologizing for coming off all aggressive-like in his MeTa thread, but... no address. (DHD, if you're listening: sorry, man!)

How unfortunate that question got deleted. If phrased correctly, it wouldn't have been chatfilter.

If pigs had wings... If it had been phrased differently, it would have been a different question. As it was, I winced when I saw it and was pleased when I went into the thread and discovered it had already been deleted. Hint: if you find yourself apologizing for chatfilter in the question itself, best to rethink the whole thing.
posted by languagehat at 7:02 AM on August 15, 2006

thirteenkiller writes "Reach me at [e-mail] ok."


fake.com, unfortunately, is real; by using that as an address, you're essentially telling people to spam fake.com -- an artificial plant retailer -- in an attempt to reach you. fake.com at this point probably has to bounce all mail, rendering their address useless for their own email.

If you wish to use a fake address without inconveniencing anyone, use one of the example second level domains: example.com, example.org, or example.net. By RFC 2606, Section 3, those domains are reserved and can't be registered. a

Or you can use the .example TLD or, or to be entirely explicit, the .invalid TLD.
posted by orthogonality at 7:27 AM on August 15, 2006 [1 favorite]

Ironically, thirteenkiller actually works for fake.com
posted by ZippityBuddha at 7:37 AM on August 15, 2006

"...or to be entirely explicit, the .invalid TLD."

Mustn't...make...joke...

GAHHHHHHH

*face smacks desk*
posted by mr_crash_davis at 7:37 AM on August 15, 2006

If you wish to use a fake address without inconveniencing anyone, just don't and save all that typing energy.
Some people believe they will be spammed or abused or have an attitude towards the place in which they will only accept interaction in-thread. That's their prerogative of course but I'm still of the opinion that for the great majority (or more) of people who actually engage/contribute here, there is only ever an upside to listing an email address.
posted by peacay at 7:42 AM on August 15, 2006

If the folks who bought fake.com expected to use their email, they wouldn't have registered fake.com.

Or, really, to take it more seriously—they need only use non-likely handles and bounce all email sent to other than those accounts. While any number of people have sent email to [e-mail] or johndoe@ or yourmomma@, it's unlikely that many folks have filled in, say, [e-mail] on a whim.
posted by cortex at 7:43 AM on August 15, 2006

languagehat, how about:
Whatever happened to courtship?
I sent flowers, I picked her up for dates, I was chivalrous, there was no pressure on my part. I was a "gentlemen" as traditionally defined. I expected heart-fluttering moments, butterflies-inducing pointless gestures, delicious uncertainty and the intense torture of prolonging the consummation of passion.
It didn't happen. Why?
posted by tellurian at 7:49 AM on August 15, 2006

Okay. I looking at the preview, I get it now.
posted by tellurian at 7:52 AM on August 15, 2006

orthogonality writes "fake.com at this point probably has to bounce all mail, rendering their address useless for their own email."

This is easily dealt with by bouncing everything that doesn't include your mail server name. So all addresses would be of the pattern [e-mail]
posted by Mitheral at 7:53 AM on August 15, 2006

Could we give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he's a romantic?
posted by tellurian at 7:55 AM on August 15, 2006

ok whoever wants to contact me can send email to [e-mail]
posted by thirteenkiller at 7:56 AM on August 15, 2006

Dang it, [e-mail]
posted by Mitheral at 7:56 AM on August 15, 2006

Okay crash, here you go.

You can reach me at [e-mail]
posted by yhbc at 8:00 AM on August 15, 2006

jason, is that you?
posted by dersins at 8:05 AM on August 15, 2006

people, this is what example.com is for. }:(
posted by boo_radley at 8:50 AM on August 15, 2006

thirteenkiller, didn't you insist that you're female on several occasions? Or perhaps "[e-mail]" is an in joke which I'm not privy to, in which case never mind.
posted by Devils Slide at 8:58 AM on August 15, 2006

consider yourself privy
posted by cortex at 9:06 AM on August 15, 2006

mmm...privy^
posted by dersins at 9:16 AM on August 15, 2006

i often wonder what happens with all the mail i send to [e-mail]

anybody know?

i mean, if they win the clearinghouse or something, i want my goddamned cut.
posted by fishfucker at 9:49 AM on August 15, 2006

That's their prerogative of course but I'm still of the opinion that for the great majority (or more) of people who actually engage/contribute here, there is only ever an upside to listing an email address.

Usually I contribute. Sometimes I just troll and snark. When I had my e-mail address listed, I got nothing but shit in the mail. Now it's easy enough to find my address, but not worth the effort for assholes who want to harangue me by mail.

So, no, I disagree. I don't think I'm an exceptional case, and for just about everyone, there's a significant downside.
posted by solid-one-love at 12:28 PM on August 15, 2006

Sometimes I just troll and snark. When I had my e-mail address listed, I got nothing but shit in the mail.

Hey, you think there might be some connection? Nah, I guess not
posted by Kirth Gerson at 12:36 PM on August 15, 2006

I've seen forms that reject example.com, and TLDs like .example and .invalid. In most cases, the forms don't have a full whitelist/blacklist in place, just checks for obvious things like "example.com" so I use two-letter combinations that are not (at least yet) country codes, like .kt, or .xr.
posted by chimaera at 12:39 PM on August 15, 2006

consider yourself privy
posted by cortex at 9:06 AM PST on August 15 [+] [!]

Oh, duh. Skipped right past that. I don't suppose the "took a percocet for a bad orbital headache which made me denser than usual" excuse will fly, will it? No? I didn't think so...bastards.
posted by Devils Slide at 12:45 PM on August 15, 2006

Oo, orbital headache. Tell us more!
posted by thirteenkiller at 12:57 PM on August 15, 2006

Nah, I guess not

Pretty much everyone here usually contibutes but sometimes trolls and snarks. So, we agree; we both guess not.
posted by solid-one-love at 1:00 PM on August 15, 2006

I don't suppose the "took a percocet for a bad orbital headache which made me denser than usual" excuse will fly, will it?

Only if you share.

Pretty much everyone here usually contibutes but sometimes trolls and snarks. So, we agree; we both guess not.

Over the years I've gotten a few personable/constructive emails and no unpleasant ones. I've sent a few emails, none of them nasty.

I doubt I'm an exceptional case, either. Anecdotal self-perception fight!
posted by cortex at 1:14 PM on August 15, 2006

Pretty much everyone here usually contibutes but sometimes trolls and snarks.

I have always had an addy in my profile. The one time that I got a hostile message in four years of snarking and trolling I totally deserved it. No mailbox full of shit on a regular basis.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 1:50 PM on August 15, 2006

chimaera writes "I've seen forms that reject example.com, and TLDs like .example and .invalid. In most cases, the forms don't have a full whitelist/blacklist in place,"

I've only once encountered one of those forms where the companies own TLD is rejected. I figure if they need to send out newsletters on a daily basis who better to read them than the CEO or sales@?
posted by Mitheral at 1:51 PM on August 15, 2006

I don't think I'm an exceptional case

Yeah, you are. I've come to be quite fond of you, but there was a time when I myself would have been tempted to send you a harangue. It's good you recognize your tendency to "troll and snark," but I don't think you realize the extent to which it defines you (in many people's eyes). I've said a lot of controversial things around here and engaged in my share of firefights on the grey, but I've only ever had one truly unpleasant e-mail exchange in... yikes, over four years now. Many times, on the other hand, I've had e-mail exchanges that cleared the air and left me and an erstwhile antagonist feeling much better about each other. So list that addy, people, unless you're solid-one-love.
posted by languagehat at 2:40 PM on August 15, 2006

Fair enough. I still disagree with the post that I was disagreeing with, that for nearly everyone, there is only an upside.
posted by solid-one-love at 2:55 PM on August 15, 2006

Sometimes I just troll and snark. - solid-one-love

Me too. I mostly try and avoid it, but I slip at times. I've never had a nasty e-mail from someone at MeFi, and I've been here for... *looks it up* geez, over six years.

I don't think there is any benefit to the community by trying to force people to post an addy. But I do appreciate when people voluntarily include it. I've had a few enjoyable exchanges.

This is by no means a scientific poll, but gauging by the reactions in this thread (and the similar ones we've had previously) there is only an upside for nearly everyone who has chosen to do it to this point. Note that I said _nearly_ everyone, and not _everyone_.
posted by raedyn at 3:05 PM on August 15, 2006

I've never had a nasty e-mail from someone at MeFi

I have! Thanks, quonsar!
posted by dersins at 3:27 PM on August 15, 2006

I don't think there is any benefit to the community by trying to force people to post an addy. But I do appreciate when people voluntarily include it. I've had a few enjoyable exchanges.

And that is, I think, about as well summarized as it can get.
posted by cortex at 3:29 PM on August 15, 2006

oh, crap. not the best way to start the morning. *assumes flameout above*

i thought my email address was in my profile already, but if not, it is simply my MeFi username at gmail (dotcom).

Hint: if you find yourself apologizing for chatfilter in the question itself, best to rethink the whole thing

actually, it was late at night & i was just being lazy. it was not even my question - i only pasted it in on somebody else's behalf (admittedly, without asking them, naughty me!); i thought there was an off chance that ppl here might be able to reference some kind of paper, book, or article on the topic.

the preemptive chatfilter disclaimer reflected my misgivings at the time...a paraphrase into something like "can anybody recommend any books, papers etc on the concept that etc" would have been better.
posted by UbuRoivas at 4:11 PM on August 15, 2006

oh, jessamyn: will have to email later when i can access webmail; cannot do so from work :)
posted by UbuRoivas at 4:18 PM on August 15, 2006

I've never had a nasty e-mail from someone at MeFi

I have! Thanks, quonsar!

my pleasure!

[e-mail]
posted by quonsar at 5:10 PM on August 15, 2006

hm. have tried to update the email address on my profile a couple of times & it still shows an old icqmail address, instead of gmail. do i need to wait 5 min or logout or something to see the changes?
posted by UbuRoivas at 5:29 PM on August 15, 2006

ok, fixed now.
posted by UbuRoivas at 6:39 PM on August 15, 2006

Maybe they're just not that into you. Let it go and move on.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:46 PM on August 15, 2006

ok, i'll tell her that :P
posted by UbuRoivas at 7:36 PM on August 15, 2006

People could create a secondary gmail address and forward mail to their main account. That way you don't have to give out your main address, but still get mail in a timely manner.

I do this, even though mefites don't email me and mcaffee won't freakin leave me alone.
posted by moonshine at 8:51 PM on August 15, 2006

They don't like me reading personal emails at work, but if you guys promise not to give it out, I guess I could post my email here.
posted by blue_beetle at 8:52 PM on August 15, 2006

fair enough....done.
posted by mrmojoflying at 5:27 AM on August 16, 2006

I've only once encountered one of those forms where the companies own TLD is rejected.

Try filling in a form at usps.com with a usps.gov email address.... (unless they've changed things recently.)
posted by inigo2 at 6:20 AM on August 16, 2006

Wow, blue_beetle—I wrote you and got an invitation to dinner at the White House! I don't know if I can scrape up the $100,000, but it's quite an honor. Thanks!
posted by languagehat at 7:11 AM on August 16, 2006

Some people believe they will be spammed or abused

What, spambots aren't smart enough to pick up user AT example DOT com yet? I doubt that.
posted by deadfather at 8:23 AM on August 16, 2006

deadfather - yes, they are smart enough for that. My e-mail addy had never been typed into anything anywhere online ever, and I've had the address for 4 years. I never rec'd a single peice of spam there until I changed my displayed e-mail address here to that address, put it in the form you describe above. Now I get a few each day.
posted by raedyn at 8:52 AM on August 16, 2006

Now that I hit post, I realize that I didn't explain that very clearly. I'll have to assume you can suss out my point despite my ill-formed rambling.
posted by raedyn at 8:55 AM on August 16, 2006

Oo, orbital headache. Tell us more!

Well, it wasn't caused by listening to too much Orbital hardy har har. An orbital headache is called that because it's centered around or behind the eyes. There are several types of orbital headaches, including retro, frontal, supra, and peri.

Only if you share.

I certainly would if you weren't in Portland, cortex :)
posted by Devils Slide at 11:34 PM on August 16, 2006

Once again, circumstances show that the best plan of attack is for everyone interesting to move to Portland.
posted by cortex at 6:16 AM on August 17, 2006