I read the news today, oh boy February 28, 2008 12:12 PM   Subscribe

The founder explains why he allows great freedom to the members. HerfDerfGuardianReader
posted by Sparx to MetaFilter-Related at 12:12 PM (39 comments total)

On Metafilter (metafilter.com), the founder explains why he allows great freedom to the members: "I give you the ability to do this because I trust you. I trust that you'll act in a civilised manner, that you'll treat others with opposing viewpoints with absolute respect, that you'll contribute in a positive way to the intelligent discussions that take place here every day."

So who's going to break it to him?
posted by dersins at 12:24 PM on February 28, 2008 [4 favorites]


Matt, stop saying "civilised". You know darn well it's "civilized".
posted by mr_crash_davis at 12:38 PM on February 28, 2008 [4 favorites]


such munificence! i'll try to take less licence with it.
posted by Hat Maui at 12:47 PM on February 28, 2008


If dude from the Guardian can read the guidelines, why can't spammers? There is no justice in this world.
posted by cortex (staff) at 12:53 PM on February 28, 2008


Dang; that Mr. Brown fella is long-winded.
Congrats, Matt!
posted by Dizzy at 12:56 PM on February 28, 2008


ABSOLUTE respect, you fucknutted chuckleheads.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 12:59 PM on February 28, 2008 [13 favorites]


As a chucklehead, I resent the mod's comment that we are all fucknutted.
posted by not_on_display at 1:01 PM on February 28, 2008


Note that the original draft of this text actually read thus:

"I trust you about as far as I can throw you. Chuckleheads."
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:09 PM on February 28, 2008


Frankly, I have a hard time maintaining ABSOLUTE respect for a bunch of fucknutted chuckleheads.
posted by ssg at 1:18 PM on February 28, 2008


I've indeed got me some fucknuts, but alas my head was de-chuckled in a horrific weedwhacker accident.
posted by Sys Rq at 1:25 PM on February 28, 2008 [2 favorites]


This "trust" - is it something that I would need to have a conscience to appreciate?
posted by googly at 1:26 PM on February 28, 2008


BRAND NEW DAY! FEARLESS LEADER GIVE US BRAND NEW DAY!
posted by blue_beetle at 1:41 PM on February 28, 2008


I trust that you'll act in a civilised manner,

*looks around sheepishly*

So you're saying you want me to take my dick out of the punchbowl, huh?

Yeah... Sorry 'bout that.
posted by quin at 1:43 PM on February 28, 2008 [1 favorite]


As a chucklehead, I resent the mod's comment that we are all fucknutted.

I wasn't talking about YOU.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 1:48 PM on February 28, 2008


Remember: if you look at the chuckleheads around you and can't find the fucknutted one...
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:52 PM on February 28, 2008 [1 favorite]


Matt, stop saying "civilised". You know darn well it's "civilized".

Not in the Guardian it isn't. Mother Languager.
posted by Sparx at 1:54 PM on February 28, 2008


Isn't this the thread about jonmc?
posted by Dizzy at 1:55 PM on February 28, 2008 [1 favorite]


You spelled Hurf Durf wrong.
posted by davey_darling at 2:26 PM on February 28, 2008


You spelled Hurf Durf wrong.

I spelled it geographically correctly
posted by Sparx at 2:38 PM on February 28, 2008


On a serious note: The article doesn't really put enough emphasis on how sites such as MeFi maintain a (relatively) mature and civil atmosphere, i.e. deletion, banning, and the promise of same.
posted by Sys Rq at 3:04 PM on February 28, 2008


So all I have to do is mention the guidelines on my blog and y'all'll link to me on MeTa?
posted by klangklangston at 3:10 PM on February 28, 2008


Founder? mathowie is a FOUNDER? That sounds so brick and mortar downtown bank-ish. Our little boy is now a role model. (sniffles, wipes a tear.)
posted by Cranberry at 3:24 PM on February 28, 2008


Hi. I'm here for the fucknuts?
posted by loiseau at 4:27 PM on February 28, 2008 [1 favorite]


What the heck? Isn't that just the boilerplate text off the signup page?
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 4:33 PM on February 28, 2008


Maybe he meant 'trussed'? It would make more sense.
posted by trinity8-director at 4:45 PM on February 28, 2008


I'm a fucknut.

He's a fucknut.

She's a fucknut.

We're a fucknut.

Wouldn't you like to be a fucknut too?
posted by jason's_planet at 5:02 PM on February 28, 2008


Seems to me chuckleheaded fucknut is the correct concatenation of those two phrases, but maybe it's just an east coast/west coast thing.
posted by doctor_negative at 5:20 PM on February 28, 2008


Seems to me chuckleheaded fucknut is the correct concatenation of those two phrases

You WOULD think that....

ABSOLUTE respect
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 5:44 PM on February 28, 2008


ABSOLUT respect.
posted by The corpse in the library at 5:57 PM on February 28, 2008


ah, i love the Grauniad.
posted by Frasermoo at 6:13 PM on February 28, 2008


Flagged as fucknuttedist.
posted by slogger at 7:11 PM on February 28, 2008


stavros: yes, but Matt spelled "civilized" correctly on the new user page.

One of the guiding principles here is trust in each other. The index page of metafilter.com can be added to by almost everybody that has signed up, as there is very little editing or deleting going on. Anyone can post a comment in a thread, and say whatever they feel.

I give you the ability to do this because I trust you. I trust that you'll act in a civilized manner, that you'll treat others with opposing viewpoints with absolute respect, that you'll contribute in a positive way to the intelligent discussions that take place here everyday.

I give you the benefit of the doubt, because I trust you, so all that I ask is for you to honor that trust and promise to become a good contributor.

posted by yhbc at 7:16 PM on February 28, 2008


Well, my mom was fucknutted, but I get most of my chuckleheadedness from my dad.
posted by not_on_display at 10:52 PM on February 28, 2008


Founder? mathowie is a FOUNDER? That sounds so brick and mortar downtown bank-ish.

My association was more in terms a sci-fi trope, the twisted memory of a distant Founder become god figure, as with Henry Ford in Brave New World for example. So you're right to capitalise.
posted by biffa at 3:13 AM on February 29, 2008


That... and the $5 couvert.
posted by PenDevil at 3:16 AM on February 29, 2008


Isn't that just the boilerplate text off the signup page?

So it is. I completely failed to notice that, not having been to the sign-up page since, well, I signed up. That does make it rather odd (and not nearly as cool). Still, bonus points to Aunty G for anglicising it! Top hole!
posted by Sparx at 3:37 AM on February 29, 2008


"I trust you about as far as I can throw you. Chuckleheads."

Think of it as intellectual dwarf-tossing. (So, oddly, the smallest-minded of us would be trusted the most... not a good model.)

Founder? mathowie is a FOUNDER?

I thought he was a flounder, though I've never gotten fan mail from him. (I had a similar problem searching my health plan's provider list for a sturgeon.)
posted by wendell at 12:42 PM on February 29, 2008


"I trust you about as far as I can throw you. Chuckleheads."

Well, with your bad knee you shouldn't be throwing anyone.
posted by alana at 1:18 PM on March 1, 2008


Ironic that The Guardian is publishing articles about how to deal with trolls on the web (with the tag 'internet censorship' no less), given that only Middle Earth has more of them than CiF.
posted by dmt at 1:12 PM on March 3, 2008


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