Jessamyn on FutureTense April 14, 2008 6:39 PM Subscribe
Hey, I'm listening to Jessamyn talking about MetaFilter and revolting users on FutureTense.
It's the April 14 show. Nice interview, if brief!
After listening, my sense of entitlement prompts me to ask: we gonna get any doughnuts?
It's the April 14 show. Nice interview, if brief!
After listening, my sense of entitlement prompts me to ask: we gonna get any doughnuts?
Hmmm, interesting timing, what with grouse's request and Jessamyn saying that Metafilter and such sites are what they are because the users. Maybe that does explain YouTube.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:56 PM on April 14, 2008
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:56 PM on April 14, 2008
The users are revolting! But how do they smell?
Wait, I think I got that joke wrong...
posted by Artw at 6:58 PM on April 14, 2008
Wait, I think I got that joke wrong...
posted by Artw at 6:58 PM on April 14, 2008
yeah, I was pleasantly surprised to hear this on my way home tonight. First I'd heard of the Flickr dust-up, but I'm so out of the loop lately.
posted by desjardins at 7:01 PM on April 14, 2008
posted by desjardins at 7:01 PM on April 14, 2008
If a Metafilter falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it does it make a sound?
posted by nola at 7:24 PM on April 14, 2008
posted by nola at 7:24 PM on April 14, 2008
The users are revolting! But how do they smell?
Only n00bs have the scratch and sniff functionality built in. Please don't ask where you have to scratch me.
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 8:06 PM on April 14, 2008
Only n00bs have the scratch and sniff functionality built in. Please don't ask where you have to scratch me.
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 8:06 PM on April 14, 2008
"their copyright violations..."
Ok, that was hilarious.
posted by hototogisu at 8:53 PM on April 14, 2008
Ok, that was hilarious.
posted by hototogisu at 8:53 PM on April 14, 2008
Jess you have a great radio voice. You should go take over NPR and make them Stay. Out. Of. Brooklyn!
posted by SassHat at 8:56 PM on April 14, 2008
posted by SassHat at 8:56 PM on April 14, 2008
I, for one, have always been revolting. (Repugnant, too!)
posted by trip and a half at 8:58 PM on April 14, 2008
posted by trip and a half at 8:58 PM on April 14, 2008
Corrected the host's grammar. That's moxie.
Ahem.
"Creativeness."
*cough* Creativity. *cough*
Kidding! Okay, not kidding -- poking. Good-naturedly!
posted by mudpuppie at 9:04 PM on April 14, 2008
Ahem.
*cough* Creativity. *cough*
Kidding! Okay, not kidding -- poking. Good-naturedly!
posted by mudpuppie at 9:04 PM on April 14, 2008
Who with the what about doughnuts now?
posted by cortex (staff) at 9:14 PM on April 14, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by cortex (staff) at 9:14 PM on April 14, 2008 [1 favorite]
Damn. Now the Jessamyn voice in my head can't sound like GladOs anymore.
Re-humanization strikes again.
posted by SlyBevel at 9:23 PM on April 14, 2008 [2 favorites]
Re-humanization strikes again.
posted by SlyBevel at 9:23 PM on April 14, 2008 [2 favorites]
Some of us are revolting. Others of us are simply tense. About the future.
posted by wendell at 9:23 PM on April 14, 2008
posted by wendell at 9:23 PM on April 14, 2008
Come on, she's a New Englander! I think that's moxie!
Of course it's moxie! I'm just moxiliciously pointing out that she used the word "creativeness."
posted by mudpuppie at 9:40 PM on April 14, 2008
Of course it's moxie! I'm just moxiliciously pointing out that she used the word "creativeness."
posted by mudpuppie at 9:40 PM on April 14, 2008
Damn. Now the Jessamyn voice in my head can't sound like GladOs anymore.
What, SlyBevel, you don't listen to the MeFi Podcast?
Speaking of which, weren't we supposed to have a new episode today?
posted by mumkin at 9:40 PM on April 14, 2008
What, SlyBevel, you don't listen to the MeFi Podcast?
Speaking of which, weren't we supposed to have a new episode today?
posted by mumkin at 9:40 PM on April 14, 2008
And there is a good reason we never had emoticons here...cause ONE would say it all!
Always did love that "eyes around the world, better than you emote."
DANG, did I say that? Did I really say that?
I DID! Plus sticking my tongue out at you, while winking. (and not previewing cause....well...not a previewing kinda moment.
posted by LiveLurker at 9:52 PM on April 14, 2008
Always did love that "eyes around the world, better than you emote."
DANG, did I say that? Did I really say that?
I DID! Plus sticking my tongue out at you, while winking. (and not previewing cause....well...not a previewing kinda moment.
posted by LiveLurker at 9:52 PM on April 14, 2008
The guy's way of talking really really bugged me. The stop-go-stop-go pacing made me want to slap him upside the head and tell him to spit it out. Jess has a lovely voice though - totally unlike what I imagined it to be (and no, I don't listen to podcasts) and somehow a lot... younger and vibrant than I expected. She sounds like she's no older than 25.
Though the "fewer" moment was brilliant. :D
posted by Phire at 10:02 PM on April 14, 2008
Though the "fewer" moment was brilliant. :D
posted by Phire at 10:02 PM on April 14, 2008
Listening to this now, I should correct the suicidegirls thing. If I remember correctly I had to tear up a check they mailed to me for $4,000 when I removed the ad (they were paying for it to run all month).
posted by mathowie (staff) at 10:21 PM on April 14, 2008
posted by mathowie (staff) at 10:21 PM on April 14, 2008
"I promise not to ask Fussy where to scratch or sniff," she said.
posted by LiveLurker at 10:29 PM on April 14, 2008
posted by LiveLurker at 10:29 PM on April 14, 2008
I have to listen to fewer online radio.
posted by Astro Zombie at 10:40 PM on April 14, 2008
posted by Astro Zombie at 10:40 PM on April 14, 2008
From the intro, I thought this was going to be about Jessamyn revolting users.
posted by acoutu at 10:58 PM on April 14, 2008
posted by acoutu at 10:58 PM on April 14, 2008
That's funny, I forgot about that entirely.
Jon emailed me on Friday asking for a good time to chat and I was like "um, call me in the next 5-20 minutes...?" and he did. I'd been awake for about 20 minutes. We talked for about 10-15 minutes. He doesn't really have that delivery on the phone, though it was clear that he sort of had his angle "well *I* don't bitch about my raisin bran" which seemed to me to be missing the point and probably hence my grammar correction which I would have skipped if I'd thought it would have been on the air. Someone on MeFi emailed me about mistaking reign for rein or vice versa this week ("jessamyn, I was disappointed" or something) and another friend who works for NPR says that they ALWAYS get viewer mail about hosts who use "incorrect" grammar on the air, regular as clockwork.
I think people look at a lot of these sites as blogs that, well, if one person isn't writing them, someone else will do it (*cough* Gawker *cough*) and it's like TV: don't like it don't watch it. We occasionally have that in a sense on MeFi [and sorry for getting the Suicide Girls revenue dollars thing so wrong, Matt] but generally speaking it's a different sort of community than just one person's blog or other sorts of online destinations and to me that's SO OBVIOUS I'm surprised it doesn't come across more. I'd also like to point out a Flickr group that I help moderate called Everything New is Bad which is winding down now but was decently fun when the anti-video stuff started up.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 4:35 AM on April 15, 2008
Jon emailed me on Friday asking for a good time to chat and I was like "um, call me in the next 5-20 minutes...?" and he did. I'd been awake for about 20 minutes. We talked for about 10-15 minutes. He doesn't really have that delivery on the phone, though it was clear that he sort of had his angle "well *I* don't bitch about my raisin bran" which seemed to me to be missing the point and probably hence my grammar correction which I would have skipped if I'd thought it would have been on the air. Someone on MeFi emailed me about mistaking reign for rein or vice versa this week ("jessamyn, I was disappointed" or something) and another friend who works for NPR says that they ALWAYS get viewer mail about hosts who use "incorrect" grammar on the air, regular as clockwork.
I think people look at a lot of these sites as blogs that, well, if one person isn't writing them, someone else will do it (*cough* Gawker *cough*) and it's like TV: don't like it don't watch it. We occasionally have that in a sense on MeFi [and sorry for getting the Suicide Girls revenue dollars thing so wrong, Matt] but generally speaking it's a different sort of community than just one person's blog or other sorts of online destinations and to me that's SO OBVIOUS I'm surprised it doesn't come across more. I'd also like to point out a Flickr group that I help moderate called Everything New is Bad which is winding down now but was decently fun when the anti-video stuff started up.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 4:35 AM on April 15, 2008
I saw someone on flickr with a stupid 'no cam-corder' icon (like a no smoking sign but with a picture of a camcorder). Frankly, videos on flickr are awesome and those whiners can go get stuffed.
posted by delmoi at 4:54 AM on April 15, 2008
posted by delmoi at 4:54 AM on April 15, 2008
e sort of had his angle "well *I* don't bitch about my raisin bran" which seemed to me to be missing the point
I do think that sometimes radio interviewers will push a stupid point like this not because they honestly don't get it, but because they are trying to get a clear, complete statement from you on tape that encapsulates what you believe about the topic. Jessamyn, you don't do this, but a lot of people when being interviewed think that everyone already understands their point of view. And you'd be surprised how many people respond to questions with incomplete sentences, which really come out as confusing fragments on the audio. So radio interviewers will often ask questions that are idiotic-sounding, or a lot more basic than the subject expects, because they are trying to draw out audio of you explaining to the world how the world should understand your issue. I've heard a lot of people reacting badly to radio interviewers this way, as if they were treating the subject as dumb, or hadn't done their homework, when really, it's a strategy that they teach in radio. Most of the time the interviewer is quite familiar with your point of view, but is trying to draw out the subject for an audience to whom it's new. And not every interview is fantastic, but on the other hand, folks are sometimes working on 4 or 5 stories at a time and being conservative with their energy.
another friend who works for NPR says that they ALWAYS get viewer mail about hosts who use "incorrect" grammar on the air, regular as clockwork.
Heh. So this "revolting users" stuff shouldn't be so terribly foreign to them.
The NPR model has become increasingly 2.0-ish over the last few years, anyhow. Things like StoryCorps, Audio Postcards, reader mail, listener contests, etc have proliferated. And the very act of doing the pledge drive (which is tracked by number of pledges each show brings in) is definitely an exercise in voting for favorite content.
posted by Miko at 6:19 AM on April 15, 2008 [1 favorite]
I do think that sometimes radio interviewers will push a stupid point like this not because they honestly don't get it, but because they are trying to get a clear, complete statement from you on tape that encapsulates what you believe about the topic. Jessamyn, you don't do this, but a lot of people when being interviewed think that everyone already understands their point of view. And you'd be surprised how many people respond to questions with incomplete sentences, which really come out as confusing fragments on the audio. So radio interviewers will often ask questions that are idiotic-sounding, or a lot more basic than the subject expects, because they are trying to draw out audio of you explaining to the world how the world should understand your issue. I've heard a lot of people reacting badly to radio interviewers this way, as if they were treating the subject as dumb, or hadn't done their homework, when really, it's a strategy that they teach in radio. Most of the time the interviewer is quite familiar with your point of view, but is trying to draw out the subject for an audience to whom it's new. And not every interview is fantastic, but on the other hand, folks are sometimes working on 4 or 5 stories at a time and being conservative with their energy.
another friend who works for NPR says that they ALWAYS get viewer mail about hosts who use "incorrect" grammar on the air, regular as clockwork.
Heh. So this "revolting users" stuff shouldn't be so terribly foreign to them.
The NPR model has become increasingly 2.0-ish over the last few years, anyhow. Things like StoryCorps, Audio Postcards, reader mail, listener contests, etc have proliferated. And the very act of doing the pledge drive (which is tracked by number of pledges each show brings in) is definitely an exercise in voting for favorite content.
posted by Miko at 6:19 AM on April 15, 2008 [1 favorite]
and another friend who works for NPR says that they ALWAYS get viewer mail about hosts who use "incorrect" grammar on the air, regular as clockwork
you don't say.
posted by matteo at 6:41 AM on April 15, 2008
you don't say.
posted by matteo at 6:41 AM on April 15, 2008
You know what's funny? I left a gag comment on the gag video that Jessamyn posted on Flickr about the video brouhaha. The comment was "Less features! Less features!", and EVERY time that comment has reappeared in my recent activity on Flickr, I've cringed.
posted by dirtdirt at 7:53 AM on April 15, 2008
posted by dirtdirt at 7:53 AM on April 15, 2008
I thought it was delightful when Jessamyn corrected my grammar on the air, so I left it in. The usual impulse is to edit such passages into oblivion so as to hide imperfection. I did not. I spoke incorrectly when asking an impromptu question. Guilty. I chose to leave it in the final version.. because it was a funny, human moment.
Regarding the Raisin Bran question, hats off to Miko for the analysis of interviewing methodology. Miko got it right. Interviewing is not about pleasing the interview subject. It's about getting good answers for the audience. And I thought Jessamyn's answer was good and illustrated a key point.
Thanks for taking the time to talk about the interview ... and I promise to make less grammatical errors going forward. Tee hee.
posted by jongordon at 8:12 AM on April 15, 2008 [1 favorite]
Regarding the Raisin Bran question, hats off to Miko for the analysis of interviewing methodology. Miko got it right. Interviewing is not about pleasing the interview subject. It's about getting good answers for the audience. And I thought Jessamyn's answer was good and illustrated a key point.
Thanks for taking the time to talk about the interview ... and I promise to make less grammatical errors going forward. Tee hee.
posted by jongordon at 8:12 AM on April 15, 2008 [1 favorite]
I was just about to say what Miko said.
But then Miko said it.
There's nothing worse than interviewing someone who will answer you with like a one word response.
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 8:34 AM on April 15, 2008
But then Miko said it.
There's nothing worse than interviewing someone who will answer you with like a one word response.
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 8:34 AM on April 15, 2008
Welcome, jongordon!
By the way, if you can answer this, when I heard the interview I couldn't help but wonder where you came across the "user revolt" idea. I wondered if you'd picked it up from SXSW, or if you're a reader here or somewhere else related to the story. Just curious about how these things make their way through media culture.
posted by Miko at 8:51 AM on April 15, 2008
By the way, if you can answer this, when I heard the interview I couldn't help but wonder where you came across the "user revolt" idea. I wondered if you'd picked it up from SXSW, or if you're a reader here or somewhere else related to the story. Just curious about how these things make their way through media culture.
posted by Miko at 8:51 AM on April 15, 2008
Oh, and also, I always thought FutureTense was a Canadian show because it always appears embedded with "As It Happens" on my affiliate. I was surprised to see it was an American Public Media show, not a CBC show. What is that relationship all about? Is the "American" in APR "American" in the broad sense? Or is the show especially produced to pair with Canadian shows, but for American audiences?
posted by Miko at 8:53 AM on April 15, 2008
posted by Miko at 8:53 AM on April 15, 2008
Miko, I was at SXSWi but missed the user revolt panel. My editor thought the Flickr rebellion was interesting, and I remembered there was a panel at SXSWi, which led me to Jessamyn. And so it goes.
Future Tense airs during As It Happens, but only in the U.S. Future Tense doesn't air in Canada to the best of my knowledge. American Public Media (which produces Marketplace, Prairie Home, etc) distributes As It Happens in the U.S. APM inserts Future Tense in the middle of As It Happens as part of that process. I work for APM/Minnesota Public Radio. Confusing, eh?
posted by jongordon at 9:23 AM on April 15, 2008
Future Tense airs during As It Happens, but only in the U.S. Future Tense doesn't air in Canada to the best of my knowledge. American Public Media (which produces Marketplace, Prairie Home, etc) distributes As It Happens in the U.S. APM inserts Future Tense in the middle of As It Happens as part of that process. I work for APM/Minnesota Public Radio. Confusing, eh?
posted by jongordon at 9:23 AM on April 15, 2008
Nice interview.
I work for Flickr, and I gotta say this particular flickr dustup about the video feature has been the most maddening and entertaining one yet. Navigating the muddy waters of community management has never been so difficult, for me at least. But we sure got a lot of awesome protest art in the bargain!
(Matt, Jessamyn, and Cortex continue to amaze me in their roles as moderators here at Metafilter, which is in my experience one of the very best communities on the Web. Hats off to you three.)
posted by ericost at 9:26 AM on April 15, 2008
I work for Flickr, and I gotta say this particular flickr dustup about the video feature has been the most maddening and entertaining one yet. Navigating the muddy waters of community management has never been so difficult, for me at least. But we sure got a lot of awesome protest art in the bargain!
(Matt, Jessamyn, and Cortex continue to amaze me in their roles as moderators here at Metafilter, which is in my experience one of the very best communities on the Web. Hats off to you three.)
posted by ericost at 9:26 AM on April 15, 2008
Whoever had the donut idea was totally inspired, it's a great media hook and just good natured generally. What are people going to say "Don't placate us with your donuts!!" it's just silly.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 9:41 AM on April 15, 2008
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 9:41 AM on April 15, 2008
I think this was the beginning of the donut thing, from Jan. 2007 (and still one of my favorite photos on Flickr; wish I could remember what big user protest was going on at the time).
posted by ericost at 9:49 AM on April 15, 2008
posted by ericost at 9:49 AM on April 15, 2008
"Creativeness."
*cough* Creativity. *cough*
Creativeness has been part of English for around two centuries (1820 L. HUNT Indicator No. 26 I. 204 Such must be the.. creativeness of their fancy). What was your point again?
Someone on MeFi emailed me about mistaking reign for rein or vice versa this week ("jessamyn, I was disappointed" or something)
Jesus. Will the asshattery never end? Worry about your own usage, people, if that's what floats your boat; let other people worry about theirs.
posted by languagehat at 10:37 AM on April 15, 2008 [1 favorite]
*cough* Creativity. *cough*
Creativeness has been part of English for around two centuries (1820 L. HUNT Indicator No. 26 I. 204 Such must be the.. creativeness of their fancy). What was your point again?
Someone on MeFi emailed me about mistaking reign for rein or vice versa this week ("jessamyn, I was disappointed" or something)
Jesus. Will the asshattery never end? Worry about your own usage, people, if that's what floats your boat; let other people worry about theirs.
posted by languagehat at 10:37 AM on April 15, 2008 [1 favorite]
itym they'res hth
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:54 AM on April 15, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:54 AM on April 15, 2008 [1 favorite]
I don't usually miss the img tag, but I suddenly feel the need for the "I love this thread so much" kitten right now.
So imagine it here.
posted by Skorgu at 10:55 AM on April 15, 2008
So imagine it here.
posted by Skorgu at 10:55 AM on April 15, 2008
A bit of an aside, but, Jon, was there any notice of the recent micro-flap on the linguistics-blog circuit about the actual non-existence of the future tense in English?
(I'm guessing the answer is "no". But, hey.)
posted by cortex (staff) at 11:15 AM on April 15, 2008
(I'm guessing the answer is "no". But, hey.)
posted by cortex (staff) at 11:15 AM on April 15, 2008
There's a linguistics-blog circuit?
posted by mr_crash_davis at 11:28 AM on April 15, 2008
posted by mr_crash_davis at 11:28 AM on April 15, 2008
There's a linguistics-blog circuit?
On which languagehat is a viking!
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 12:26 PM on April 15, 2008
On which languagehat is a viking!
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 12:26 PM on April 15, 2008
Okay now this is really weird. A photo of mine from Flickr was also used on NPR today.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 12:55 PM on April 15, 2008
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 12:55 PM on April 15, 2008
man if npr needs butts I can hook them up like it ain't nothin'
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:08 PM on April 15, 2008
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:08 PM on April 15, 2008
Jessamyn: Whoever had the donut idea was totally inspired, it's a great media hook andjjust good natured generally. What are people going to say "Don't placate us with your donuts!!" it's just silly.
Since you asked.
posted by ericost at 1:39 PM on April 15, 2008
Since you asked.
posted by ericost at 1:39 PM on April 15, 2008
My donut pic just got We Demand Donut spam.
I'm bothered enough by this johnny-come-lately donut enthusiasm, but, look, you fuckers have just crossed the threshold of what I can only describe as my goddam lawn, and I am prepared to fetch the shotgun.
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:43 PM on April 15, 2008 [1 favorite]
I'm bothered enough by this johnny-come-lately donut enthusiasm, but, look, you fuckers have just crossed the threshold of what I can only describe as my goddam lawn, and I am prepared to fetch the shotgun.
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:43 PM on April 15, 2008 [1 favorite]
Jesus. Will the asshattery never end?
No. And I'm not your Jesus.
posted by oncogenesis at 1:46 PM on April 15, 2008
No. And I'm not your Jesus.
posted by oncogenesis at 1:46 PM on April 15, 2008
My donut pic just got We Demand Donut spam.
I once tweeted about going to the gym and having wicked beer farts from the night before. The very next day, I was (and am to this day) followed by FartSurvey.
posted by middleclasstool at 2:03 PM on April 15, 2008
I once tweeted about going to the gym and having wicked beer farts from the night before. The very next day, I was (and am to this day) followed by FartSurvey.
posted by middleclasstool at 2:03 PM on April 15, 2008
THEY USED A PHOTO OF A BUTT
Slowly changing the world to be the way I want it, I am.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 2:29 PM on April 15, 2008
Slowly changing the world to be the way I want it, I am.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 2:29 PM on April 15, 2008
Someone on MeFi emailed me about mistaking reign for rein or vice versa this week ("jessamyn, I was disappointed" or something)
I'm sure they were only trying to spurn you on to greater effort.
posted by jamjam at 4:16 PM on April 15, 2008
I'm sure they were only trying to spurn you on to greater effort.
posted by jamjam at 4:16 PM on April 15, 2008
My donut pic just got We Demand Donut spam.I just tagged my one photo of a donut "donut" and "doughnut" - I want We Demand Donut spam, too!
posted by Karmakaze at 8:18 PM on April 15, 2008
A bit of an aside, but, Jon, was there any notice of the recent micro-flap on the linguistics-blog circuit about the actual non-existence of the future tense in English?
Neat. I didn't know there had been any flapping about it, but that's what I've been telling my students for years, to their constant consternation.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 8:22 PM on April 15, 2008
Neat. I didn't know there had been any flapping about it, but that's what I've been telling my students for years, to their constant consternation.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 8:22 PM on April 15, 2008
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Hey, i just got up, gimmee a minute.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:44 PM on April 14, 2008