Best Answer AWOL? April 7, 2008 11:09 AM   Subscribe

This AskMe post shows on the front page as having a Best Answer, but on the inside page nothing is so marked. Did a Best Answer get deleted?
posted by beagle to Bugs at 11:09 AM (48 comments total)

Yeah, it's an old bug I thought we fixed, where someone marks, then unmarks a best answer but it doesn't clear out the indicator. We'll patch it up soon.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 11:10 AM on April 7, 2008


Hahah yeah, that was me. Not sure how it got tagged as the best answer, but I flagged my own post as "noise" since it had nothing to do with answering the question...
posted by Grither at 11:16 AM on April 7, 2008


It's okay to type out the comment and then just close the browser window, Grither. Or just type the comment in your head and leave it at that. A lot of the impulse noise we get in askme comes from folks who seem to know better, and more self-control on that front from all involved would make our lives a little easier and AskMe a little bit better.
posted by cortex (staff) at 11:18 AM on April 7, 2008 [1 favorite]


But what will I do with myself all day at work, then, cortex?

Seriously though, is there a best way to delete my own (stupid) comments? E-mail a mod, flag it, etc?

And I will take care to try and refrain from said comments in the future, thanks.
posted by Grither at 11:24 AM on April 7, 2008


Aww, cortex needs a hug.
posted by kbanas at 11:25 AM on April 7, 2008


There is no try.
posted by iconomy at 11:30 AM on April 7, 2008


I couldn't begin to count the number of times I've written, edited, and rewritten a comment, only to ultimately decide it's not appropriate to the thread and just moved on. It sounds silly, but the process really does get it out of your system, Grither. Don't set-out to write an unposted comment, just make a practice of asking yourself if you really should do it before you click that Post Comment button. Less is more.
posted by mumkin at 11:33 AM on April 7, 2008 [1 favorite]


Yeah, I don't mean to be a super grumpus about it. I've got a headache, and that's nobody's fault.

"Just don't do it" really is I believe the best solution you can aim for, because it's good to build up that sense of restraint and good sense about when to just step away, but if you find yourself slipping then just flag your own comment; you can send us an email if its likely to really cause a ruckus before the deletion happens, of course.
posted by cortex (staff) at 11:36 AM on April 7, 2008


Really, you can email your amusing comment to me and I promise to gibber over it appreciatively.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 11:38 AM on April 7, 2008 [5 favorites]


just make a practice of asking yourself if you really should do it before you click that Post Comment button

Exactly. I do this a few times a week at least; the answer usually turns out to be "no. C'mon."

We could totally [NOT ACTUALLY A FEATURE REQUEST/SUGGESTION] implent a little tooltip pop up for the Post button that when you hover over it in a moment of indecision will say, "Seriously?"
posted by cortex (staff) at 11:39 AM on April 7, 2008 [2 favorites]


cortex, that is an excellent feature suggestion -- thanks for promising to implement it.
posted by brain_drain at 11:51 AM on April 7, 2008 [3 favorites]


Maybe it should say "It's not funny. Don't bother." That's why I don't post things that I type much of the time-- not even my own amusement lasts long enough.
posted by Tehanu at 12:11 PM on April 7, 2008


Really, you can email your amusing comment to me and I promise to gibber over it appreciatively.

What about the rest of us? I'd like to gibber over beagle's funny best answer, too.

How about a "My AskMe" option that would let me see all the funny stuff you're protecting the rest of the world from?
posted by timeistight at 12:15 PM on April 7, 2008


I couldn't begin to count the number of times I've written, edited, and rewritten a comment, only to ultimately decide it's not appropriate to the thread and just moved on.

I've found the best way to do this is to have a crippling feeling of worthlessness and constant soul-crushing bouts of self-doubt. Once the voices in your head start telling you that nobody cares what you have to say, and that every idea you've ever had is laughably trite, you'll be hitting the "Back" button a lot more than the "Post" one. Once you do get the nerve post something it will either be pure gold or the insane ramblings of a raving lunatic.
posted by burnmp3s at 12:21 PM on April 7, 2008 [11 favorites]


Really, you can email your amusing comment to me and I promise to gibber over it appreciatively.

That is so totally going to get overused.
posted by anotherpanacea at 12:32 PM on April 7, 2008


Seconding burnmp3s comment.
posted by Floydd at 12:33 PM on April 7, 2008


I can't believe I just posted that.
posted by Floydd at 12:34 PM on April 7, 2008


I can't believe I just posted that.
posted by Floydd

The shame you feel must be strong. The shame I feel FOR you will be enough to prevent me from posting stupid comments on this site in the future.

Not including this one.
posted by Grither at 12:37 PM on April 7, 2008


super grumpus

Man, I would buy this comic. C'mon, Marvel! Bring me Super Grumpus! It can't be any stupider than House of M.
posted by Skot at 12:42 PM on April 7, 2008


It'd just be Crankshaft in spandex. With a crossover issue with Plugger Bear.
posted by cortex (staff) at 12:58 PM on April 7, 2008


Huh. You know, all this time, I thought the write-rewrite-rewrite-shrug-abandon cycle was just me. I wonder how many little gems have gone unposted over the years?

And, yes, curiously, I also don't actually have to post a comment to get some mental closure. At least for me, writing out the comment clarifies the issue enough to myself that actually posting it sometimes isn't at all necessary.

In all seriousness, try it sometime -- write up your response and just close the window. Sometimes just seeing the words will convince you that it's not worth pursuing anymore, even if you're so, so right. :-)
posted by Malor at 1:09 PM on April 7, 2008


Less than 50% of the comments that I type into the comment box wind up getting posted. On Askme, the ratio is more like 4 abandons to every answer ("Is this really a helpful answer, Kwine, or is this just a look-at-me ego boost?"). Those folks who seem to be able to answer any question helpfully on the green amaze me.
posted by Kwine at 1:28 PM on April 7, 2008


Grither: "Seriously though, is there a best way to delete my own (stupid) comments?"

I was pissed off recently and wrote an angry comment. I quickly realized I was being stupid, e-mailed the moderators (using the contact link at the bottom of the page), and they deleted it. It probably would've been deleted anyway, come to think of it... but I feel much better for having snitched on myself (Catholic school will do that to you).
posted by The corpse in the library at 1:29 PM on April 7, 2008


Crankshaft in spandex

That is not an image I needed.
posted by languagehat at 1:32 PM on April 7, 2008


Yeah, lhat, I know. I just saw my own comment in Recent Activity and thought it through for the first time and shuddered, and now I'm posting this comment mostly to remove that one from view.

Though fwiw his log would be the front grill of a Blue Bird schoolbus.
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:36 PM on April 7, 2008 [1 favorite]


This was so worth it.
posted by Crankshaft in Spandex at 2:10 PM on April 7, 2008


That is so totally going to get overused.

It's really easy to type appreciative gibber. I will take one for the team.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 2:10 PM on April 7, 2008


Logo. His logo. I don't even want to work in a scat angle on this.
posted by cortex (staff) at 2:20 PM on April 7, 2008 [1 favorite]


You know what would be really amazing? If someone would just take existing Crankshaft strips and do some layover art to put dude into costume, and leave everything else about the strip unchanged. And so all of a sudden instead of having this grumpy old unlikeable bastard doing boring crap and being rude to people who don't seem to have much motivation for being around him in the first place, you'd have this crazy son of a bitch in a crappo superhero costume and the readings of justifiable fear and caution into the supporting characters would kind of fall together and make more sense.
posted by cortex (staff) at 2:27 PM on April 7, 2008


Plus, they could probably make a mint off the dozen people on the planet with that exact fetish. See also previous comment re: scat angle.
posted by cortex (staff) at 2:27 PM on April 7, 2008


Man, this is some good coffee.
posted by cortex (staff) at 2:28 PM on April 7, 2008


No, no. Mary Worth needs costumes. Crankshaft needs less Crankshaft.
posted by Tehanu at 2:34 PM on April 7, 2008


Really, you can email your amusing comment to me and I promise to gibber over it appreciatively.
posted by jessamyn at 2:38 PM on April 7 [1 favorite +] [!]


*gibbers over jessamyn's comment*
posted by konolia at 2:35 PM on April 7, 2008


appreciatively.
posted by konolia at 2:36 PM on April 7, 2008


Cortex: Man, this is some good coffee.

I want some of that.

Now I've got a picture in my head of some old dude in spandex passing a grill from a Blue Bird bus, taking a picture of it and posting it on oldmanscatfetish.com

Someone invent a mind eraser, NOW!
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 2:52 PM on April 7, 2008


I vote for a chatfilter tab (similar to Wikipedia's 'Discussion' tab) where people can post their wacked out shit.
posted by B(oYo)BIES at 3:06 PM on April 7, 2008


Cortex, you are serial commenting the crap out of the wrong thread. This one is nowhere near 2000.
posted by Dr. Curare at 3:17 PM on April 7, 2008


Pony Request: A link/button below the comment box to send the comment to the thread poster as MeFi Mail, instead of posting the comment in the thread.
posted by blue_beetle at 3:21 PM on April 7, 2008


Crankshaft without Crankshaft.
posted by blue_beetle at 3:23 PM on April 7, 2008


You mentioned spandex, that always means to me you can see the outline of their junk. I thought "log" was your new nickname for it and then I had to picture his penis as a grill of a bus. And then...can I have that mind-eraser next?
posted by meech at 3:25 PM on April 7, 2008


I favourited, but, wow, I love this idea - it would encourage folks to take personal stuff to MeFi Mail and would, uh, encourage the use of MeFi Mail:

blue_beetle put in a request for a Pony this size and colour:
"Pony Request: A link/button below the comment box to send the comment to the thread poster as MeFi Mail, instead of posting the comment in the thread."
posted by batmonkey at 3:40 PM on April 7, 2008


TOP POSTER
posted by cortex (staff) at 3:42 PM on April 7, 2008


Okay, so, upon review: the framing in Crankshaft is actually pretty ungenerous as spandexification goes. Usually you only get a slice of The Shaft, or on a good day a torso-and-up shot (from behind, often as not). My initial sad attempts bore no fruit. I still think it could be done, but it'll require someone with some skill and patience, or a more finely tuned sense of recklessness than I have.
posted by cortex (staff) at 5:19 PM on April 7, 2008


I have nothing to add. *posts comment, closes browswer*
posted by proj08 at 7:34 PM on April 7, 2008


My initial sad attempts bore no fruit.

Thank god. The world really does not need Crankshaft in spandex.
posted by Tehanu at 9:01 PM on April 7, 2008


Btw. when did the 'best answer tick' turn from yellow to green?
posted by Catfry at 4:06 AM on April 8, 2008


It confuses and angers me that you always changes things on this site.
posted by Catfry at 4:07 AM on April 8, 2008


I loved both Crank and Shaft, though I don't remember seeing anyone in spandex.

Was that a deleted scene on the DVD or something?

[Posted as an example of something I should have thought, typed, and then deleted]
posted by quin at 7:48 AM on April 8, 2008


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