Localised MetaFilter January 7, 2002 12:18 AM Subscribe
Considering the exponential growth of online community sites like Mefi and Blogger, do you think that one day Metafilter will be (or should be) cloned as localized versions of the site? nyc.metafilter.com, etc.
Fair enough. I was thinking about the FPP - if there were so many users that there was an un-readable amount of posts.
posted by kv at 5:38 AM on January 7, 2002
posted by kv at 5:38 AM on January 7, 2002
Sounds horrible to me. The greatest strength of the site is its broad audience and far-flung contributors. What the value in making it parochial?
posted by rushmc at 7:17 AM on January 7, 2002
posted by rushmc at 7:17 AM on January 7, 2002
I agree with rushmc. I'm drawn here because of where it takes me. And by who's taking me there.
posted by mantaray at 7:25 AM on January 7, 2002
posted by mantaray at 7:25 AM on January 7, 2002
No keeping out the furriners! No nyc.metafilter for you, Dutchie!
Californians and Canadians are people too. And two countrymen of mine, old Cabrilho and Old Lavrador, discovered them so that one day MetaFilter could be built and sparsely populated by the best on this Earth and one Portagee could thereafter just about justify being among you.
posted by MiguelCardoso at 8:16 AM on January 7, 2002
Californians and Canadians are people too. And two countrymen of mine, old Cabrilho and Old Lavrador, discovered them so that one day MetaFilter could be built and sparsely populated by the best on this Earth and one Portagee could thereafter just about justify being among you.
posted by MiguelCardoso at 8:16 AM on January 7, 2002
But seriously, I don't see the volume of front page posts becoming too much of a problem, I mean, if it does get out of hand, Matt can probably just limit the total number of front page posts per day.
posted by insomnyuk at 8:47 AM on January 7, 2002
posted by insomnyuk at 8:47 AM on January 7, 2002
MeFi is like a big monoploy. Break it up and some of the parts die or get reabsored. I enjoy hearing from folks all over the US and all the posters and commenters from other countries as well. Cultural diversity is a wonder thing.
posted by bjgeiger at 9:10 AM on January 7, 2002
posted by bjgeiger at 9:10 AM on January 7, 2002
[Don't forget Ohio. Everyone always forgets Ohio.]
With the help of psychotherapy and prescription narcotics some of us manage it until people like YOU bring it back up!
Sorry. First snow of the year in northeast PA has me in a fine mood!
posted by revbrian at 9:11 AM on January 7, 2002
With the help of psychotherapy and prescription narcotics some of us manage it until people like YOU bring it back up!
Sorry. First snow of the year in northeast PA has me in a fine mood!
posted by revbrian at 9:11 AM on January 7, 2002
insomnyuk or revbrian(who just a second ago pollocked my monitor on another thread): please explain this old weather joke to me, c.f. Ohio. The Italian reference is dead on but I still don't get Ohio.
posted by MiguelCardoso at 9:15 AM on January 7, 2002
posted by MiguelCardoso at 9:15 AM on January 7, 2002
New York Metafilter, where every FPP ends with "You gotta problem with that?" and every comment begins with "Are you talkin' to me?".
posted by liam at 9:21 AM on January 7, 2002
posted by liam at 9:21 AM on January 7, 2002
'Don't forget Ohio. Everyone always forgets Ohio'. We want toledo back.
posted by clavdivs at 9:23 AM on January 7, 2002
posted by clavdivs at 9:23 AM on January 7, 2002
So far the quality of posts at MeFi has remained fairly consistent, even with its rapid growth. So long as members don't start clubbing each other in the brain with hammers, things will be fine.
However, it is a fair prediction that one day it may be unwieldly large... but a regional break-up probably wouldn't be the best approach. I like MetaFilter because it has some of the most thoughtful comments/posts I've found on the web. If you start snipping away at it, you're bound to lose something. The sum is more than the parts, more than Ohio, or something like that.
I *sniff* love you people.
posted by Dane at 10:39 AM on January 7, 2002
However, it is a fair prediction that one day it may be unwieldly large... but a regional break-up probably wouldn't be the best approach. I like MetaFilter because it has some of the most thoughtful comments/posts I've found on the web. If you start snipping away at it, you're bound to lose something. The sum is more than the parts, more than Ohio, or something like that.
I *sniff* love you people.
posted by Dane at 10:39 AM on January 7, 2002
MG: I think the Ohio thing is cuz the water is so dirty, and thus has a lower freezing point. Wasn't Cleveland the city whose river was so dirty it actually caught fire?
posted by hincandenza at 11:05 AM on January 7, 2002
posted by hincandenza at 11:05 AM on January 7, 2002
We want toledo back.
On the other hand, we did get da whole U.P. in exchange for Toledo.
posted by iceberg273 at 11:33 AM on January 7, 2002
On the other hand, we did get da whole U.P. in exchange for Toledo.
posted by iceberg273 at 11:33 AM on January 7, 2002
Ok, the water is not dirty, except Cleveland, when indeed, the waste in the river flowing into Lake Erie caught on fire. Oh, and Yellow Springs (don't guess at how they got their name, you'll probably be wrong)
Miguel: I can't read the Ohio joke (I think I've heard it before though, I do live there, er.. here), because, for some bizarre reason, the proxy server at work is denying access to it, everything's screwed up due to a firewall change. :(
posted by insomnyuk at 12:12 PM on January 7, 2002
Miguel: I can't read the Ohio joke (I think I've heard it before though, I do live there, er.. here), because, for some bizarre reason, the proxy server at work is denying access to it, everything's screwed up due to a firewall change. :(
posted by insomnyuk at 12:12 PM on January 7, 2002
On the other hand, we did get da whole U.P. in exchange for Toledo.
Say ya to da U.P., eh?
posted by Dane at 1:13 PM on January 7, 2002
Say ya to da U.P., eh?
posted by Dane at 1:13 PM on January 7, 2002
when I think regional website break-up I generally think of craigslist where there is a more tangible benefit to having local versions. However, the regional spinoffs all pale in comparison to the original, for various reasons, so I'd opt more to staying with one big behemouth. besides, vermont.metafilter.com will be awfully lonely.....
posted by jessamyn at 1:59 PM on January 7, 2002
posted by jessamyn at 1:59 PM on January 7, 2002
*OT* I must say, "behemouth" is one of the coolest spelling accidents I have seen in a while. Reminiscent of "Caligulator".
posted by Kafkaesque at 2:05 PM on January 7, 2002
posted by Kafkaesque at 2:05 PM on January 7, 2002
Ohio. I don't really have a reason, and this is really off topic, but I really fucking hate Ohio. Really. Truely and deeply. No reason, just do. just imagine how lonely mypants.metafilter.com is.
posted by fuq at 4:29 PM on January 7, 2002
posted by fuq at 4:29 PM on January 7, 2002
vermont.metafilter.com will be awfully lonely.....
Hey! I'm thinking of moving to Vermont!
posted by rushmc at 5:12 PM on January 7, 2002
Hey! I'm thinking of moving to Vermont!
posted by rushmc at 5:12 PM on January 7, 2002
fuq, are you from Michigan, perchance? You know their slogan, of course: "Oh how I hate Ohio State".
P.S. Where's MAYORBOB when you need him? re: this link.
Vermont's a very cool place, by the way.
posted by mattpfeff at 5:15 PM on January 7, 2002
P.S. Where's MAYORBOB when you need him? re: this link.
Vermont's a very cool place, by the way.
posted by mattpfeff at 5:15 PM on January 7, 2002
"behemouth" is one of the coolest spelling accidents ....
nuts.
posted by jessamyn at 5:27 PM on January 7, 2002
nuts.
posted by jessamyn at 5:27 PM on January 7, 2002
i've lived in a lot of places for my age (though not comparable to most military brats.), and would rather stay in cincinnati, ohio than any of the other locations (i.e. detroit, chicago, philippines, l.a., simi valley, etc..).. so take that and eat it... with some chicken.
posted by lotsofno at 6:36 PM on January 7, 2002
posted by lotsofno at 6:36 PM on January 7, 2002
OK, this is gonna sound a little dull, i.e. on topic, but I think language-localized metafilters would be a good idea. Of course, this is not a feature request.
Now, could Miguel be the Portuguese mathowie?
posted by qbert72 at 9:52 PM on January 7, 2002
Now, could Miguel be the Portuguese mathowie?
posted by qbert72 at 9:52 PM on January 7, 2002
Now, could Miguel be the Portuguese mathowie?
Dibs on Venusian mathowie.
posted by j.edwards at 11:41 PM on January 7, 2002
Dibs on Venusian mathowie.
posted by j.edwards at 11:41 PM on January 7, 2002
Dibs on the poultry mathowie.
(Not to be speciesist or anything)
(I still haven't read that thread)
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 12:54 AM on January 8, 2002
(Not to be speciesist or anything)
(I still haven't read that thread)
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 12:54 AM on January 8, 2002
Me gwine be de Jamaican mathowie. Cho.
(last time I ever do that)
posted by owillis at 1:22 AM on January 8, 2002
(last time I ever do that)
posted by owillis at 1:22 AM on January 8, 2002
while i don't think that we're ready (and i'm not convinced that we ever will be) for local mefis, i would like to foster the growth of parallel, more specifically targeted communities.
the mefi book club is a good example of one such project, as are the various mefi fantasy sports leagues (the inception of each always being announced here in metatalk), and the various local mefi parties (seattle, chicago, new york).
i set up a yahoo! group (lame, i know, but easy) to further future planning and execution of new york events, but my hope is that the group could (if people actually join) develop into a sort of mefi-based superior-style craig's list-type thing (the new york craig's list leaves something to be desired) which could (once it takes off) be moved somewhere better than yahoo! groups and perhaps duplicated in other major cities with substantial mefi constituencies.
i have no interest in seeing these groups compete with craig's lists; apartment listings and classified ads can stay away. i see them being more event-oriented, including discussion of local news & politics, significant local cultural or sporting events, and the planning of parties and what have you.
i don't believe that such mailing lists (and, eventually, fully-featured web sites) would cannibalize metafilter proper; rather, they would 'leverage the metafilter brand' and actually bolster loyalty among users.
obviously, my tongue is slightly in my cheek here (leverage the metafilter brand? i think one would need a notarized permission slip from mr. haughey to do that), but i'm curious to hear other people's thoughts (if anyone is still reading this thread).
can fungal growths on the metafilter tree trunk flourish?
posted by mlang at 4:33 PM on January 9, 2002
the mefi book club is a good example of one such project, as are the various mefi fantasy sports leagues (the inception of each always being announced here in metatalk), and the various local mefi parties (seattle, chicago, new york).
i set up a yahoo! group (lame, i know, but easy) to further future planning and execution of new york events, but my hope is that the group could (if people actually join) develop into a sort of mefi-based superior-style craig's list-type thing (the new york craig's list leaves something to be desired) which could (once it takes off) be moved somewhere better than yahoo! groups and perhaps duplicated in other major cities with substantial mefi constituencies.
i have no interest in seeing these groups compete with craig's lists; apartment listings and classified ads can stay away. i see them being more event-oriented, including discussion of local news & politics, significant local cultural or sporting events, and the planning of parties and what have you.
i don't believe that such mailing lists (and, eventually, fully-featured web sites) would cannibalize metafilter proper; rather, they would 'leverage the metafilter brand' and actually bolster loyalty among users.
obviously, my tongue is slightly in my cheek here (leverage the metafilter brand? i think one would need a notarized permission slip from mr. haughey to do that), but i'm curious to hear other people's thoughts (if anyone is still reading this thread).
can fungal growths on the metafilter tree trunk flourish?
posted by mlang at 4:33 PM on January 9, 2002
p.s. yes, miguel, you can participate in all the fungal growth groups, regardless of how far from portugal they may be.
posted by mlang at 4:35 PM on January 9, 2002
posted by mlang at 4:35 PM on January 9, 2002
p.p.s. i left out one very important function of the list. in addition to local news, politics, and happenings, list members would be encouraged to discuss links of local importance/usefulness which might not be appropriate for posting on metafilter proper.
sites like straphangers.org and mr. beller's neighborhood (which just might be cool enough to warrant a front page post) could be discussed in a local context. and we would eventually accumulate a great collection of links about the city.
i suppose my ultimate vision is to create something that exists in the space between craig's list and citysearch but is better than both. but this is in no way my project. it will only work collaboratively. are there any takers?
posted by mlang at 7:12 AM on January 10, 2002
sites like straphangers.org and mr. beller's neighborhood (which just might be cool enough to warrant a front page post) could be discussed in a local context. and we would eventually accumulate a great collection of links about the city.
i suppose my ultimate vision is to create something that exists in the space between craig's list and citysearch but is better than both. but this is in no way my project. it will only work collaboratively. are there any takers?
posted by mlang at 7:12 AM on January 10, 2002
fwiw, mr. beller's neighborhood has been posted before. and it's rather dismaying to see that the discussion it generated had nothing to do with the substance of the link and everything to do with the wording of the fpp and the link's perceived geographic specificity (yes, the site is about new york...but one would think that it would still be of interest to mefites who live outside the five boroughs.
posted by mlang at 12:41 PM on January 15, 2002
posted by mlang at 12:41 PM on January 15, 2002
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Step 1 : Clone mathowie.
Step 2 : Run screaming through the streets as rampaging mathowies wreak havoc amongst the citizenry.
Step 3 : Repeat as necessary.
This touches on the 'categories' idea that has been talked about at length as well (where in this case categories could be localities), and up to this point the general consensus has been 'why botha', I think.
Licensing the code for local community sites (whether geographic or interest-focused) might be a good thing for Matt, if he could do so. I can't see the need for MeFi itself to split, though, unless Matt sold the site to some company that was trying to figure a way to make money by propagating it as widely and quickly as possible...
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 2:43 AM on January 7, 2002