It was here a second ago...

June 4, 2007 11:19 AM

Is there a method for tracking down deleted threads with the current URL format without greasemonkey... (no DLs for me at work) or with it? And why was the De Anza College Sexual Assault FPP deleted? It seemed alright to me. If the answer to my first question is "No," can someone just tell me the URL?
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur to MetaFilter-Related at 11:19 AM (50 comments total)

I did find puke & cry's blogspot, but I can't be waiting for a blog update when vomity rapists are on the loose in my hood.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 11:26 AM on June 4, 2007

There is a toolbar applet which you can add to your toolbar, and when you have the front page open, you can click on it and it will show you the deleted threads hiding within the ones displayed on the front page.
posted by Dave Faris at 11:27 AM on June 4, 2007

The URL.
posted by These Premises Are Alarmed at 11:29 AM on June 4, 2007

And the reason for the post's deletion was "This post was deleted for the following reason: An awful situation shouldn't be treated a free pass for heavy-handed bloggy editorializing. -- cortex"
posted by Dave Faris at 11:30 AM on June 4, 2007

You understand how the URLs are structured, right? If it's something that was /just/ on the front page, just hover over the links and find the missing number. The 'new' titles-in-URL structure is backwards-compatible, you can ignore the title and just type in the (missing) number.
posted by These Premises Are Alarmed at 11:31 AM on June 4, 2007 [1 favorite]

I don't care about seeing every deleted thread, but when a post goes missing on me unexpectedly, I just mouse over the thread links on the front page and look for the gaps in the URL numbers. 61766... 61767... 61768... 61770... Aha!
posted by BeerFilter at 11:34 AM on June 4, 2007

Or, you can do your MeFi browsing from LoFi, and see all the threads, even the ones that were later deleted. Clicking on any of them will bring you to either the regular thread, or the deleted one with the deletion reason right on top.

It also has the added advantage of looking less like a big blue non-business related weblog than the regular site, to complement that "surfing from work" experience.
posted by yhbc at 11:36 AM on June 4, 2007

I don't think that toolbar applet works anymore.
posted by OmieWise at 11:36 AM on June 4, 2007

These Premises: Oy, I never claimed to be a genius, but I'm going to have to plead No Contest to my inability to recognize the import of the final forward slash.

Meanwhile, the Deleted Threads blog is updated. Snappy.

So anyway, the FPP was editorialized, but I will remark that I don't think that alone or even in combination with local news filter properties justified its deletion just to my sensibility. Just Sayin'.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 11:36 AM on June 4, 2007

Shoot. After all that, I forgot to put in the ink to LoFi.
posted by yhbc at 11:37 AM on June 4, 2007

61767 is not on the front page either, so you obviously you didn't just mouse over right now...
posted by vacapinta at 11:37 AM on June 4, 2007

I will remark that I don't think that alone or even in combination with local news filter properties justified its deletion

I think either one alone is a fine reason. I dont think I've ever shed a tear for the loss of a LocalNewsFilter post.
posted by vacapinta at 11:39 AM on June 4, 2007

Hm. Well, maybe that's not where I got the applet on my toolbar, but it definitely works. I'd paste it here, but I figure it'll get munged up by the filters.
posted by Dave Faris at 11:39 AM on June 4, 2007

Try this.
posted by Dave Faris at 11:46 AM on June 4, 2007

The old milov script is broke. I started using something else that got recommended in a metatalk thread about deleted thread scripts a few months back.

Also note that most (possibly all) of the deleted thread finders will fail to notice a deleted thread if it was posted more recently than the post currently at the top of the page. Problem solves itself when something new comes along, however.

And the deletion reason pretty much sums up my feelings. I've got no love for newsfilter or outragefilter in general, but at least try not to turn it into a blog entry.
posted by cortex (staff) at 11:47 AM on June 4, 2007

How many flags did it get?
posted by Dave Faris at 11:47 AM on June 4, 2007 [1 favorite]

I will remark that I don't think that alone or even in combination with local news filter properties justified its deletion just to my sensibility.

Well, I don't think the story itself shouldn't be on mefi, but those are both excellent reasons for a post on any topic to be deleted.
posted by shmegegge at 11:50 AM on June 4, 2007

Thanks DF, that works like the old one I had worked.
posted by OmieWise at 11:59 AM on June 4, 2007

I think it was 3 or 4 flags, in the ~26 server-running-slow minutes it was live. I've tried to pick up Matt and Jessamyn's habit of cleaning out the flag queue as they go; the flags live forever in the db, but he'd have to do a query to find out the exact number.
posted by cortex (staff) at 12:00 PM on June 4, 2007

Well, since we're all here I have a question about deleted threads. The titles of some threads are deleted from the header, seemingly randomly. If you go through the deleted thread blog every thread that has a date as the title had the real title deleted. Like this or this. The real titles are still in the URL though, which makes sense. And sometimes the titles get truncated, like this.

Anyway, just wondering why that kind of thing happens sometimes.
posted by puke & cry at 12:04 PM on June 4, 2007

Actually, one of my examples still has the real title in the header. Ignore that one.
posted by puke & cry at 12:06 PM on June 4, 2007

I'm not sure why that happens either. I don't think it's restricted to deleted threads, even; I've had a couple instances where I've edited a post on the blue to fix a broken link or remove a pile of <br> tags, and afterward the title will be munged or outright plonked.

Something in the admin edit form that breaks on...something. I'll bring it up, though I think TravelFilter dev is getting most of the love at the moment.
posted by cortex (staff) at 12:10 PM on June 4, 2007

"It also has the added advantage of looking less like a big blue non-business related weblog than the regular site, to complement that "surfing from work" experience."

The white background IS more professional.
posted by klangklangston at 12:11 PM on June 4, 2007

Oy, I never claimed to be a genius, but I'm going to have to plead No Contest to my inability to recognize the import of the final forward slash.

You weren't the only one, Ambrosia. Thanks, These Premises.
posted by hydrophonic at 12:11 PM on June 4, 2007

I will remark that I don't think that alone or even in combination with local news filter properties justified its deletion just to my ^inclusive, inquisitive, immoderately pollyannaish, but self-aware^ sensibility.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 12:11 PM on June 4, 2007

i read the chron (www.sfgate.com) every day, and the author behind two of the links on that post, c.w. nevius, is an incredibly shameless moralistic hack. he may be on the right side of the issue this time, just as a stopped clock is occasionally correct, but he lends no credibility to his cause.
posted by bruce at 12:20 PM on June 4, 2007

I didn't read this thread so mock me if I'm duplicating information, but at the bottom of the page describing milov's deleted threads bookmarklet is an updated bookmarklet provided by rider. It works in Safari as of one minute ago.
posted by nowonmai at 12:41 PM on June 4, 2007

I think this is the first example of really bad judgment on your part I've seen, cortex.

"heavy-handed bloggy editorializing"

Is that what you would have said if MetaFilter had existed in a different time, and someone had made a post about a gutless prosecutor, witnesses who knew but wouldn't say, and rescuers who were reviled and threatened, but the poster hadn't sufficiently curbed their outrage and disgust?

But we were talking about a lynching instead of a gang rape?

If you can see a big difference there, I think I'm more sorry for you than anything else.
posted by jamjam at 2:59 PM on June 4, 2007

"But we were talking about a lynching instead of a gang rape?"

What if it was a post that read "HITLERZ KILLD 6 MILLION JEWS OH NO!" I mean, anyone who would delete that would be a holocaust denier, right? Aren't holocaust deniers bad people?

CORTEX— PLS AFFIRM BELIEF IN HOLOCAUST!
posted by klangklangston at 3:03 PM on June 4, 2007

But we were talking about a lynching instead of a gang rape?

I disagree that the quality standards should be lessened for subject matter you consider important.
posted by smackfu at 3:50 PM on June 4, 2007

What the hell, jamjam. If someone had made that post without the editorial drama, it'd be a better fit for metafilter. I didn't delete the thing because I hate people who are anti-rape—the deletion reason says "awful situation", not "oh, c'mon, it's funny!".

I deleted it because it was a bad freakin' post. It's far from the first time that we've canned something for GYOB reasons, and it won't be the last. You want to get on my ass for it, take a read through the deleted thread archives for the last several years and yell at Matt and Jess too.
posted by cortex (staff) at 3:56 PM on June 4, 2007

I think this is the first example of really bad judgment on your part I've seen, cortex.

Maybe cortex can put the post back up and let hundreds of other mefites show "bad judgement" as well as they flag a bad post off the front page. I was about to click on it myself but it had already been deleted.

We have to be moderate and civil too, jamjam. Your logic taken to its logical conclusion is that the front page should be nothing but, say, Sudan posts because how dare we post about art and science and LOLCATS when people are dying!! Its a tired argument. Metafilter has guidelines and that post doesnt fit.
posted by vacapinta at 4:11 PM on June 4, 2007

I note that cortex has failed to say that he believes in the holocaust. I may take him to the anti-semitism MeTa.
posted by klangklangston at 4:12 PM on June 4, 2007

I hope you will accept my apology for the tone of my post, cortex.

I still had sweat running down the side of my nose from the anger I felt when I read Ambrosia Voyeur's links, and I should certainly have waited at least until I was breathing normally to compose and post, not that I think that excuses my rudeness.

But even in my fury, it did not cross my mind that you would have deleted that thread because you were afraid of its content in any way, nor do I think anyone can reasonably read that into my post. I have learned to respect your integrity and your sang-froid far too much for that.

However, I still do think the emotion AV displayed was appropriate for the material, and should not have caused it to be deleted.
posted by jamjam at 4:13 PM on June 4, 2007

Point taken, vacapinta. Outrage consumes itself to an endpoint of cynicism all too easily, and too much would soon ruin the front page.
posted by jamjam at 4:23 PM on June 4, 2007

Thanks, jamjam. To this:

However, I still do think the emotion AV displayed was appropriate for the material, and should not have caused it to be deleted.

I agree with the former and disagree with the latter, and the latter we'll probably just continue to disagree on. I'm not deaf to the argument, but to the best of my understanding from both passive observation and more lately direct conversation with Matt and Jess, it's not something that flies around here in general.
posted by cortex (staff) at 4:30 PM on June 4, 2007

Yes, cortex, I now believe you are--and were-- right.
posted by jamjam at 4:34 PM on June 4, 2007

I'm not deaf to the argument, but to the best of my understanding from both passive observation and more lately direct conversation with Matt and Jess, it's not something that flies around here in general.

Just have to chime in to agree here. One of the things that has really stuck with me after a week or two of backtagging old posts is that the newsy OMG filter posts rarely stand the test of time. That is the posts don't stand by themselves as good posts unless something really happens in the comments to do something impressive. In many cases, with really oldposts, the links don't even work so you get these eye-rolling "can you BELIEVE these guys??!!" posts and then there's not even any context.

That said, outragefilter posts in general aren't that great here. They're either "oh my god, let's all say how crappy we think this was" [as in this case] or "oh my god let's all say how crappy we think this was except for the three people who disagree wiht us and let's fight with them" [as in many other cases]. Just because you think something is really really important does not mean it needs to be on MetaFilter. This is especially true about Your Favorite Politician, Your Favorite Band, Your Favorite Cause and Your Favorite LOLINSERTNAMEHERE.

There's a certain amount of news that shows up here, but I feel like for the most part it's not the central purpose for MeFi's existence and this goes double-true for horrible stories like this one where I always wince and wait for the rape jokes to start because someone is poking fun at someone else's overblown handwringing. There are a lot of great sites for discussing the news stories of the day so in most cases none of us think we're denying people anything if we remove a bloggish newsfilter post.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 6:05 PM on June 4, 2007

Kind of a derail, but as long as we're talking about deleted posts and how to see them...

A few days ago when I was fiddling around with this GM script I accidentally uninstalled the MeFi deleted posts script. Now when I try to reinstall it I get this error message:

Error installing user script:

[Exception... "Component returned failure code: 0x80520008 (NS_ERROR_FILE_ALREADY_EXISTS) [nsILocalFile.copyTo]" nsresult: "0x80520008 (NS_ERROR_FILE_ALREADY_EXISTS)" location: "JS frame :: chrome://greasemonkey/content/config.js :: anonymous :: line148" data: no]

This sequence of information goes beyond my comprehension.
Bueller? Anyone?
Sorry for the derail.
posted by carsonb at 7:57 PM on June 4, 2007

I had the same thing happen to me a week or so ago when I was messing around with greasemonkey. Basically, greasemonkey keeps all it's scripts in a folder, when you uninstall a script it's supposed to be deleted from that folder. Except that for some reason, it's not being deleted like it should be, meaning that when you try to reinstall the script it says that the script already exists.

If I remember correctly, what I did was manually go to that script folder and delete the script that was supposed to be deleted already. The deleted posts script is called "mefideletedposts.user.js". I don't know what OS you're using but in XP the path to the folder is something like "C:\Documents and Settings\[user name]\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\[a bunch of characters].default\gm_scripts".

I don't know why greasemonkey started doing this but it sucks. I've also noticed that it doesn't install new scripts like it's supposed to. But anyway, hope that answers your question.
posted by puke & cry at 11:50 PM on June 4, 2007

the newsy OMG filter posts rarely stand the test of time.

I'd say that 99% of the all of the old posts equally qualify this way. I mean, aside from sentimental value to the community, what value is there to an 8 year old page with a link to a site full of pictures some guy made of his cat with a scanner? I think many would agree that the majority of the posts and comments written on this site are pretty much dross anyway, and probably won't stand the test of time beyond 6 months to a year (if that).
posted by Dave Faris at 12:09 AM on June 5, 2007

*gasping and wet*
puke & cry you're my hero.

Your 99% is hyperbole. I'd say about 90% of the newsfilter posts I've back-tagged have succumbed to time's cruel hand and become irrelevant, with half again of those being utterly useless what with no description and a broken link. Non-newsy posts have a pretty good broken link rate as well, but the posts that still work usually stand up very well. I absolutely do not agree with your dross assessment. Though I cannot offer my own posting/commenting history as proof, believe it or not, Dave Faris, people have been posting links to the best of the web here and then making insightful, humorous, and entertaining conversation around it for the better part of a decade. So many of those links remain the best of the web (proven by frequent double posts) and a good bit of the resulting conversation has become in and of itself the best of the web. As I've said before, there's gold in them thar archives. A damn good portion of my time spent back-tagging is getting lost in good links. (Sorry, Jessamyn—I am easily distracted by shiny happy things.) Your cynicism is amusing however. Someday, my friend, someday the Crunchland community will rise above and conquer the web, but I'll tell you now that it won't be due to your desperate need to piss on everything MetaFilter.
posted by carsonb at 4:18 AM on June 5, 2007

DANG! puke & cry is not the initial Your. Dave Faris is that first Your, and to whom the entire second portion of that comment is addressed.
posted by carsonb at 4:19 AM on June 5, 2007

I'd say that 99% of the all of the old posts equally qualify this way.

Perhaps I should have qualified more. Most of the newsfilter posts were either broken links or fell into the "who cares?" camp. Lots and lots of the other sorts of posts -- weird stuff on the web, odd little art projects, links to museums or quirky contests, strange home pages -- are still fun to look at. I feel that I've been getting more MetaFilter by being able to go through random old posts, and it's been delightful. My guess is you're falling out of love with the site or having a bad week. If you want to help with the tagging proejct (14,000+ tagged so far) and see what I'm talking about, please drop me a line.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 6:09 AM on June 5, 2007

Yeah. I'm sure you're right. You've actually been looking at all of the old posts. I was just guessing. Good luck with getting them all tagged.
posted by Dave Faris at 6:50 AM on June 5, 2007

Yeah, yeah, I'd mentioned that too, I think, about the newsfilter. I was even gonna make a MeTa about it (just as something to think about) but then I was gonna make a different MeTa about a meetup, but then I forgot.

ADD!
posted by klangklangston at 7:51 AM on June 5, 2007

I've got to agree with jessamyn on this one, working on the retro-tagging project has really opened my eyes to what is and isn't great post material. And nearly every one of the broken links I've tagged has been some kind of news item, often without any kind of explanation. For example;

This is just a complete tragedy!

I generally enjoy newsfilter, because I like the discussion. But cryptic posts with dead links like this are making me crazy.
posted by quin at 11:34 AM on June 5, 2007

Whoa, whoa, whoa, back that trolley up.

IT WASN'T MY POST


Uh, I may approve of a vitriolic FPP now and then (apparently, increasingly regrettably, as my hidsight lengthens and my initial interest wanes, revealing the inappropriateness of the language used in the FPP) but I wouldn't post one myself! I have been working on my first FPP for months and I'll probably never put it up. Buh-kawk.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 2:36 PM on June 5, 2007

by which I'm addressing this: However, I still do think the emotion AV displayed was appropriate for the material, and should not have caused it to be deleted.

Unless there's a causation time machine created and automatically utilized by making a MetaTalk post about a deleted thread which made the thread deleted, which would be so sweet,
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 2:38 PM on June 5, 2007

Sorry, Ambrosia Voyeur, yet another blunder to add to my rapidly lengthening list.
posted by jamjam at 8:48 AM on June 6, 2007