This piece from OJR discusses MetaFilter at some length. December 18, 2001 1:39 PM Subscribe
It was a newspaper piece, even if online, and not bad for what it was... Not deep, not much, but not bad, all things considered.
posted by y2karl at 2:55 PM on December 18, 2001
posted by y2karl at 2:55 PM on December 18, 2001
Derek, when you mouseover the image on my profile, you're credited! (and have been for months :)
If it's any consolation, JD never said anything about a photo, or I would have provided one of my own.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 3:14 PM on December 18, 2001
If it's any consolation, JD never said anything about a photo, or I would have provided one of my own.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 3:14 PM on December 18, 2001
It's cool - I wasn't complaining. I really meant that winky emoticon!
posted by fraying at 3:17 PM on December 18, 2001
posted by fraying at 3:17 PM on December 18, 2001
JD asked me for a picture, and I declined, saying that I don't really like having pictures taken. I assumed that would mean he wouldn't use one, but he went and found one anyway. And of course, I look like a smirking pedophile, like I always do in pictures.
Oh well.
posted by rusty at 3:34 PM on December 18, 2001
Oh well.
posted by rusty at 3:34 PM on December 18, 2001
Metafilter is free-form and filterless
hey, where'd the filter go?! :)
posted by epersonae at 3:37 PM on December 18, 2001
hey, where'd the filter go?! :)
posted by epersonae at 3:37 PM on December 18, 2001
But it beats looking like a scowling pedophile any day, at least.....
posted by y2karl at 3:39 PM on December 18, 2001
posted by y2karl at 3:39 PM on December 18, 2001
damn. I knew I'd seen a MeTa thread (or 5) that lamented the loss of filter, only I couldn't remember when - & didn't have time to look. (y'got that on speed dial?)
the line in the article gave me a chuckle, because the author implied that the freewheelingness was a strength of MeFi.
interesting implication, that.
posted by epersonae at 6:54 PM on December 18, 2001
the line in the article gave me a chuckle, because the author implied that the freewheelingness was a strength of MeFi.
interesting implication, that.
posted by epersonae at 6:54 PM on December 18, 2001
it all depends on whether you want metafilter to be the cathedral or the commons.
posted by rebeccablood at 7:11 PM on December 18, 2001
posted by rebeccablood at 7:11 PM on December 18, 2001
Fork! Spoon!
Apologies in advance for ranting : After going off on my own thought tangent for a couple of hours, I'm back to this textbox still trying to figure out if rebecca intended a tangential reference to The Cathedral and the Bazaar...
I personally don't want Metafilter to be anything other than what it is. And even though I shake my head at some of the egregious crap that surfaces here from time to time, it's still the smartest, most interesting place (well, bar one or two, anyway) in town, most days.
Handwringing and doomsaying are fun and all, but what is, is good. As I've said about 35 times before, in response to about 35 complaints that Metafilter is 'no longer this' or 'no longer that', MeFi is not broken, or lying wounded in a ditch while it gets gangraped by thick-fingered vulgarians, or (fill in your favorite unpleasant image of decay and violation here).
It's evolving. It's clearly evolving into something that Matt and some longtime members of the community like jkottke did not anticipate, expect or want, but where's the surprise there? That is what makes it alive, and makes so many of us feel a deep attachment to the place. Folks keep showing up, members old and new, and one hopes that it's not to watch what they perceive as a slow-motion trainwreck and shiver with schadenfreude. We've seen in recent times that a single individual can throw the MeFi orbit off its tracks, and should remember that every active participant has a responsibility to make this place the kind of community that they want to be a part of. A cursory glance at my record here will show that I prefer to be a part of a community that balances well-thought-out, erudite discussion and links to fascinating web phenomena with fart jokes. This may not match up with your preferences, and the only way you can really ensure that those preferences are made manifest is to participate, and post the kind of FPPs and comments that appeal to you. If they fit in with the standards of the community, the community will absorb and reflect those qualities back at you. Self-policing aside, complaining that the place isn't what you want it to be is at best annoying, and at worst destructive to the collective mood of those of us who still do love the place.
Which is self-evident, and has been said before, better and more cleverly. Thank you for your kind attention.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 8:01 PM on December 18, 2001
Apologies in advance for ranting : After going off on my own thought tangent for a couple of hours, I'm back to this textbox still trying to figure out if rebecca intended a tangential reference to The Cathedral and the Bazaar...
I personally don't want Metafilter to be anything other than what it is. And even though I shake my head at some of the egregious crap that surfaces here from time to time, it's still the smartest, most interesting place (well, bar one or two, anyway) in town, most days.
Handwringing and doomsaying are fun and all, but what is, is good. As I've said about 35 times before, in response to about 35 complaints that Metafilter is 'no longer this' or 'no longer that', MeFi is not broken, or lying wounded in a ditch while it gets gangraped by thick-fingered vulgarians, or (fill in your favorite unpleasant image of decay and violation here).
It's evolving. It's clearly evolving into something that Matt and some longtime members of the community like jkottke did not anticipate, expect or want, but where's the surprise there? That is what makes it alive, and makes so many of us feel a deep attachment to the place. Folks keep showing up, members old and new, and one hopes that it's not to watch what they perceive as a slow-motion trainwreck and shiver with schadenfreude. We've seen in recent times that a single individual can throw the MeFi orbit off its tracks, and should remember that every active participant has a responsibility to make this place the kind of community that they want to be a part of. A cursory glance at my record here will show that I prefer to be a part of a community that balances well-thought-out, erudite discussion and links to fascinating web phenomena with fart jokes. This may not match up with your preferences, and the only way you can really ensure that those preferences are made manifest is to participate, and post the kind of FPPs and comments that appeal to you. If they fit in with the standards of the community, the community will absorb and reflect those qualities back at you. Self-policing aside, complaining that the place isn't what you want it to be is at best annoying, and at worst destructive to the collective mood of those of us who still do love the place.
Which is self-evident, and has been said before, better and more cleverly. Thank you for your kind attention.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 8:01 PM on December 18, 2001
Jim Romanesko just linked to the OJR article, with a teaser that reads: Meet the news indies: Metafilter and others. Here come the multitudes!
posted by Carol Anne at 11:08 AM on December 19, 2001
posted by Carol Anne at 11:08 AM on December 19, 2001
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And it's nice to see they used the "Matt-is-so-shy" photo.
posted by ColdChef at 2:23 PM on December 18, 2001