How to harness the 'critical mass' of MeFi? December 8, 2007 8:00 PM   Subscribe

May I toss out an idea here for something that could conceivably be considered for inclusion in the MeFi system? MeFites are very skilled at finding holes in one's argument ... but can that power be harnessed?

There have been many occasions while reading MeFi that after reading the particular item linked to (on the blue), or the question asked (on the green), then perusing the comment thread to see what people had said about it, I have come across comments that were of particular interest, because they represented a viewpoint on the topic that I myself hadn't considered.

It even happened to me in the past, that when I posted an essay on the blue, thinking it had a pretty good 'argument', I then had my head turned around quite a bit by opposing viewpoints expressed in the comment thread.

Now that is pretty much a 'no-brainer' - of course there are different viewpoints here, that's kind of what MeFi is about - but what I'm leading up to, is to wonder if there is any way that such intense comment/criticism from this well-selected, and (generally) well-behaved group, can be put on tap for those of us who would like to have our own work put under such scrutiny?

I find it next to impossible to get good criticism of my own work, either during the time it is being created, or after it is completed and distributed. Asking somebody you know has the twin defects of running up against their understandable desire not to harm your friendship, and the probability that their viewpoint is similar to yours. But the MeFi 'hive' (wolfpack ...?) has neither of those problems. I would love to have the content I create put under such intense scrutiny before publishing, whether it be a web design, an essay, an image ... whatever.

Those of you enjoying a university 'seminar' environment have access to this kind of criticism every day, but those of us in more isolated places have no access to such essential feedback. I'd like to hear about logical fallacies in my arguments before publishing!

At present, this is of course impossible on MetaFilter, because of the (sensible) ban on self-linking. MeFi Projects is there, but that doesn't invite criticism, and anyway, it's only for large projects. But if there were a page at say, critics.metafilter.com to which we could expose items to the pack for comment/criticism, I would happily pay a submission fee to do so.

Anyway ... just a thought. And I guess this idea is about to get such treatment!
posted by woodblock100 to Feature Requests at 8:00 PM (32 comments total) 1 user marked this as a favorite

If I understand what you're saying, I think Projects may help you. But I could be missing your point.
posted by katillathehun at 8:40 PM on December 8, 2007


MeFi Projects is there, but that doesn't invite criticism

Not at all. People make FPPs out of Projects posts all the time. And even if someone doesn't, you still get feedback through the Projects comment form.
posted by Rhomboid at 9:23 PM on December 8, 2007


Mefi Projects actually does invite criticism, since the feedback is only viewable to you. In either case, you're being vague about what you want criticized -- is it something that's not appropriate for Projects (i.e. are you hesitant to post every single article you write for your, say, your local newspaper)?

I have a feeling there's going to be resistance to yet another subsite.
posted by spiderskull at 9:25 PM on December 8, 2007


By the way, I don't think it's a bad idea. I like the concept, but the issue will most likely be driving traffic to that subsite, therefore you won't get the same type of criticism that you see in the blue.

On a related note, one solution could be if they expanded Projects a bit to include a creative writing feature or some sort of creative works hosting that people have been asking for in MeTa for a while now (making it easy to upload short stories instead of having to deal with your own hosting). I think those short stories in the comments are cool, but they're awkwardly placed and tend to derail any current discussion in that thread.
posted by spiderskull at 9:31 PM on December 8, 2007


In either case, you're being vague about what you want criticized -- is it something that's not appropriate for Projects ... ?

Sorry for the confusion; when I mentioned "whether it be a web design, an essay, an image ... whatever ..." I thought people would get the idea. I'm thinking of stuff that is actually not part of the MeFi world at all - neither an FPP nor a 'Project'. That why I speculated it could be a subsite, etc.

I don't really have a perfectly clear idea of how this might work, just I wanted to plant the seed of the idea - that there might be a way for content creators to expose their work to the very critical eyes of the MeFi audience, in a way that could be useful for improving the quality of the work. I know that I myself could benefit from such a system, were it in place, and I suspect I wouldn't be alone.
posted by woodblock100 at 9:51 PM on December 8, 2007


You know what, I think this is almost certainly a difficult idea to implement on Metafilter proper. If it could be done as a third-party-loosely-affiliated website however, perhaps not unlike the BBQ, it might be very successful.

CriticiseMe.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 9:57 PM on December 8, 2007


Those of you enjoying a university 'seminar' environment have access to this kind of criticism every day, but those of us in more isolated places have no access to such essential feedback. I'd like to hear about logical fallacies in my arguments before publishing!

I would like to propose a subsite wherein I present my work and all of you read it and tell me how awesome I am for writing it. (The reading part is optional)
posted by kittens for breakfast at 10:29 PM on December 8, 2007


CriticiseMe = great idea. And it would seem to be what woodblock100 is envisioning, in a nutshell.

BTW, there is a small amount of criticism to be seen now and again in the comments (what few there are) at MeFi Music, and I wish there were more. Honest feedback from others about songs and music is very hard to come by, as is, I'd imagine, honest feedback about, say... woodblock prints. But when someone takes the time to offer some constructive criticism on one's creative work, well, that's very rewarding and often very useful for an artist.

I'd have to agree that another subsite, and one of this nature, probably won't be something a lot of MeFites welcome with open arms. Maybe you, woodblock100, should start a loosely affiliated site, as per goodnews' suggestion: MetaCriticizeMe.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 10:36 PM on December 8, 2007


CritiqueMe. (Criticize can be spelled (spelt) differently and lead to useless arguments. Not so, critique.)
posted by cgc373 at 11:19 PM on December 8, 2007 [2 favorites]


MeFites are very skilled at finding holes in one's argument ... but can that power be harnessed?

So did you not anticipate the very strong possibility that MeFites would turn that skill on this request?
posted by PeterMcDermott at 11:30 PM on December 8, 2007


So did you not anticipate the very strong possibility that MeFites would turn that skill on this request?

I did indeed, in the final sentence of the post!
posted by woodblock100 at 11:35 PM on December 8, 2007


RhetoricFilter. I want to hate it, but oddly enough I kind of like it.

It would be cool to be able to customize the thread with various formal debate, forum or panel styles and defenses, as well as specializations for a range of topics or schools.
posted by loquacious at 5:00 AM on December 9, 2007


woodblock100, you speak in terms of how this idea would be great for you but (to get down to the brass tacks) what's in it for the users of MetaFilter?

In order for a critiquing sub-site to work, people must want to spend time reviewing and critiquing. Lots of kids want to be writers when they grow up. Very few dream of becoming editors, even though the demand is much greater.

Are you sure that the "critical mass" of MeFi would want to participate in this?
posted by SteveTheRed at 5:06 AM on December 9, 2007


I tend to think of this in two ways. If you've made something that's worthy of posting on Projects then you ought to craft the post in such a way as to invite criticism or commentary - we see people do this slightly from time to time.

The alternative, which is more or less in response to your general musing on all of this, is that if you create an image (a woodblock print!) then to invite some decent critiques, you are best off finding a forum where other artists participate and give feedback. If you write a philosophical essay, then it's probably best to put that writing in front of people who know the subject. And so on.

All that said, it's an interesting idea. But the concept is fairly disparate and I'm not sure if it would be sustainable. It's also somewhat in opposition to Projects.
posted by peacay at 5:19 AM on December 9, 2007


what? where's the demand for editors? You mean I can get paid for all of the times people send me their shitty essay to read? where can I get paid for this? :)
posted by By The Grace of God at 5:20 AM on December 9, 2007 [1 favorite]


Are you sure that the "critical mass" of MeFi would want to participate in this?

Not sure at all. I carefully worded the post not using the words 'request' or 'pony', etc. etc. I simply wanted to put an idea on the table, for people to poke at. It might flop around, it might fall off the table ... or who knows, it might get up and run around.

people must _want_ to spend time reviewing and critiquing ...

... as they are already doing, hundreds of times a day on this site. Why do they (we) do it? Maybe we just like expressing opinions, exactly the way you just did, by starting to dig deeper into the viability of the idea in question.
posted by woodblock100 at 5:27 AM on December 9, 2007


Mefi Projects actually does invite criticism, since the feedback is only viewable to you.

A snark falling in a forest makes no sound.
posted by cillit bang at 6:03 AM on December 9, 2007


" ... but can that power be harnessed?"

Should that power be harnessed for good ... or for evil?

*cue dramatic music*
posted by mr_crash_davis at 6:26 AM on December 9, 2007


there might be a way for content creators to expose their work to the very critical eyes of the MeFi audience, in a way that could be useful for improving the quality of the work.

What SteveTheRed said. You're asking people to be unpaid editors. Not only are most MeFites unlikely to want to do this, those who will want to will almost certainly be the least qualified (since those who do it for a living won't want to do it for free). I can't imagine why anyone would want to do the equivalent of slush-pile reading without at least the incentive of working your way up to administrative assistant at a publishing house or magazine.
posted by languagehat at 6:52 AM on December 9, 2007


whether it be a web design, an essay, an image

I like the idea a lot. I do see people do this sort of thing in AskMe though. But those are really more along the lines of what's wrong with the coding, or why is this image blurry, etc. I disagree about the unpaid editing part. I think a lot of it will come down to who has free time at the moment. Look at someone like Ikkyu, who spends a lot of time giving super helpful AskMe answers. If AskMe didn't exist and there was a request for a place you could ask health questions, the same thing could be said - you're asking people to be unpaid health professionals. Some people love their profession and don't mind helping. Some AskMe's take people 45 minutes to hours of researching. I was up on my phone at 2am a few nights ago trying to find a picture of a man with his hand down an ostrich's neck. Maybe AskMe could be modified to accept these, and you could ask for a critique once every month (and you can't ask for a critique until a month after joining).
posted by cashman at 7:25 AM on December 9, 2007 [2 favorites]


cashman: " I was up on my phone at 2am a few nights ago trying to find a picture of a man with his hand down an ostrich's neck."

Flagged as fantastic!
posted by 31d1 at 7:55 AM on December 9, 2007


Look at someone like Ikkyu, who spends a lot of time giving super helpful AskMe answers. If AskMe didn't exist and there was a request for a place you could ask health questions, the same thing could be said - you're asking people to be unpaid health professionals. Some people love their profession and don't mind helping.

Sure, and I give (what I like to think are helpful) AskMe answers too. But there's a basic difference between one-shot problems (My spleen hurts, should I drink a bottle of tequila? Should I use a comma or not here?) and huge swatches of creative output that needs general tinkering. I already bristle when I see people post more than a few sentences in some foreign language and ask for a translation—you're asking for actual work, not just "oh, I know that." And this is much more work. I may be wrong, there may be lots of people who get off on reading bad writing by people not their kith or kin and going over it with a metaphorical red pencil, but this is not comparable to regular AskMe answers.
posted by languagehat at 8:05 AM on December 9, 2007


I guess that didn't come off exactly as I meant it. I don't think that it is a dumb or bad idea. I was trying to offer the critique that you weren't selling it in terms of mutual benefits. I would like to complement you on how you did a great job of respectfully and non-whinily (word?) posing your pony idea (better than I would have done),

Unfortunately, the tone came out more gruff than I intended. I apologize
posted by SteveTheRed at 8:27 AM on December 9, 2007


It even happened to me in the past, that when I posted an essay on the blue

That is not what MetaFilter is for.
posted by blue_beetle at 8:38 AM on December 9, 2007


This sounds like it could be a slippery slope to "CritiqueMe: Does this blue shirt match my eyes?"

No, no it does not. Wear the green one.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 8:44 AM on December 9, 2007


"MeFites are very skilled at finding holes in one's argument ... but can that power be harnessed? "

In person, you could use our wind to turn turbines. Over the internet, well, I suppose our snark could frighten a hamster into turning a wheel, but I fear that we'll get too Rube Goldbergian too fast.
posted by klangklangston at 10:02 AM on December 9, 2007


"hey buddy, let me see that chainmale...."
posted by clavdivs at 11:51 AM on December 9, 2007


In person, you could use our wind to turn turbines.

Yes, the key to solving the energy crisis is to line MeFites up in strategic locations where the sheer wind power will generate enough electricity to power, say, Delaware.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 12:26 PM on December 9, 2007


There have been multiple discussions of and attempts at a MeFi writers' group. To me, that sounds like essentially what you're talking about, except your idea is more oriented toward theoretical and scholarly works than purely creative ones.

I do think that there is a possibility of a great MeFi writers' site that would encompass writing on both ends of the spectrum, and everything inbetween. There are a number of very good writers in our midst, and the opportunity to read that people are working on alone would be more valuable than most journal subscriptions.

But of course, kittens for breakfast points out the huge impediment to any sort of writers' site. Every single open writers' "community" on the internet is either a big fat hugfest or a playground for mean, stupid people.

I've never really been involved with any sort of online writers' community, for those reasons. I actually think that MetaFilter might be the one place that could actually pull off a useful workshopping and critiquing community.

However, I think the thing that would make it work (and, ergo, the reason why it will never happen on MeFi) would be if it were viewable only to registered users. This would keep the first line of stupid people away, and would also get people to submit who may not otherwise. Journals have varying policies, but the prevailing philosophy seems to be, "If I can Google it, it's been previously published."
posted by roll truck roll at 2:20 PM on December 9, 2007


"... when I posted an essay on the blue"

That is not what MetaFilter is for.

Apologies for the ambiguity ... not my essay; it was a 'normal' FPP linking to an essay in an online magazine. But the resulting comment thread brought us so many different insights into the thoughts that had been expressed in the essay that I couldn't help but feel envious towards the author ... "Wow, I'd love to be able to get critique of this quality - from a good cross-section of well-read and well-spoken people, telling you it's crap when it's crap, with suggestions of where you went wrong, and even some funny snark mixed in ... "

Anyway, I'll stop flogging this one at this point; as I said, I just felt it was a concept worth some consideration. Interesting that none of the mods have spoken up. I can 'read' that two ways:

- Hmmm ... might be something here; let's sit back and wait while we see how the community responds.

- Cheeze, no way! Let's keep quiet and hope this dies a quick death!

I wonder which it is? :-)
posted by woodblock100 at 4:18 PM on December 9, 2007


I wonder which it is?

Hi. These are your mods posting: Matt, Jess and cortex. Flapjax at midnite is dead (don't ask) and we're using his account to post here. Just wanted to say that you have our blessing to start your own website (and we'd like to second CritiqueMe.com as the name), and are more than welcome to announce the site in Projects once it's up and running!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:28 PM on December 9, 2007


- Hmmm ... might be something here; let's sit back and wait while we see how the community responds.

I'm going with that. Long, busy weekend and I've been feeling kinda crappy, but I'd love to see someone take a stab at this. I don't see it making a whole lot of sense on mefi proper (and I can only guess at the sounds Matt would make at the suggestion of another new subsite), but an off-site experiment might be interesting, if someone's willing to put in the work.
posted by cortex (staff) at 7:42 AM on December 10, 2007


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