Quickest Answer February 7, 2011 10:14 AM Subscribe
What is the shortest time between an Ask question and a correct answer.
That only took three minutes.
posted by Mister_A at 10:21 AM on February 7, 2011 [16 favorites]
posted by Mister_A at 10:21 AM on February 7, 2011 [16 favorites]
What's the shortest and longest times between repeated questions in MeTa?
posted by DU at 10:30 AM on February 7, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by DU at 10:30 AM on February 7, 2011 [3 favorites]
What's the fastest MeTa to get closed?
posted by Admiral Haddock at 10:32 AM on February 7, 2011
posted by Admiral Haddock at 10:32 AM on February 7, 2011
Cut to the chase: negative 16 minutes (Time change FTW; linked by edgeways), and pb found 19 best answers under 60 seconds.
posted by filthy light thief at 10:36 AM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by filthy light thief at 10:36 AM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
This reminds me - I have a project I would love to do. Go back to the last [x] years of AskMe questions, and look at all the ones that ask variations of the questions "I can't remember the name of this movie/book/website/person/etc." Note the amount of time, in minutes, it took for the correct answer to be posted.
All sorts of great and fascinating data could come out of there. What are we fastest at? Books? Movies? How many never got answered? Etc.
I wish I had time to do that.
posted by ORthey at 10:38 AM on February 7, 2011
All sorts of great and fascinating data could come out of there. What are we fastest at? Books? Movies? How many never got answered? Etc.
I wish I had time to do that.
posted by ORthey at 10:38 AM on February 7, 2011
Is it Ghostbusters II?
posted by Curious Artificer at 10:47 AM on February 7, 2011 [4 favorites]
posted by Curious Artificer at 10:47 AM on February 7, 2011 [4 favorites]
Doesn't this belong in AskMe?
posted by Astro Zombie at 10:49 AM on February 7, 2011
posted by Astro Zombie at 10:49 AM on February 7, 2011
Also who is the strongest Pokémon.
posted by ignignokt at 11:13 AM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by ignignokt at 11:13 AM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
Who does number two work for?
posted by pwally at 11:14 AM on February 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by pwally at 11:14 AM on February 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
BULBABABABABABABABA
posted by Metroid Baby at 11:21 AM on February 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Metroid Baby at 11:21 AM on February 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
I want to know what the ten most awesome answers are.
posted by Sallyfur at 11:21 AM on February 7, 2011
posted by Sallyfur at 11:21 AM on February 7, 2011
I want to know what the ten most awesome answers are.
The top 10 comments listed here. (Not really. They just have the most favorites.)
posted by John Cohen at 11:23 AM on February 7, 2011 [3 favorites]
The top 10 comments listed here. (Not really. They just have the most favorites.)
posted by John Cohen at 11:23 AM on February 7, 2011 [3 favorites]
I want to know what the ten bookmarked for no particular reason, I mean, sometimes I bookmark answers I disagree with just so I can continue disagreeing with them later are.
posted by Rock Steady at 11:43 AM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Rock Steady at 11:43 AM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
Did I unwittingly feed Shergar to my dogs, and if so was that the best meal I ever gave them?
posted by Elmore at 1:09 PM on February 7, 2011
posted by Elmore at 1:09 PM on February 7, 2011
What is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow?
posted by schmod at 1:11 PM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by schmod at 1:11 PM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
What are the odds of me finishing this thing I have to write tonight?
posted by The Whelk at 1:13 PM on February 7, 2011
posted by The Whelk at 1:13 PM on February 7, 2011
[Once when I was very young, I went to the neighbor's farm with an empty aluminum milk can in my hand. I navigated past the sheep that, on another day, had bumped me to the ground. I stared at the chickens but did not let myself be deterred. I side-stepped the evil little dog that was known for having a taste for my ankles. I entered the milk-room, identified the full can that belonged to my parents, took it carefully, replaced it with the empty one, put the money at its side and went out. Side-stepping various animals, I headed home, relieved that I, once again, had succeeded in not being eaten alive or bumped into the dust. Just behind our house, my grip slipped and the next thing I saw was half a gallon of still cow-warm milk running along the path and into the mole-holes. I was very disgruntled.]
Five minutes. I love surrealism. Recipes?? Please.
posted by Namlit at 1:20 PM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
Five minutes. I love surrealism. Recipes?? Please.
posted by Namlit at 1:20 PM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
The air speed velocity of your mom swallows.
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:20 PM on February 7, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:20 PM on February 7, 2011 [3 favorites]
Over here, we only fly with leaded swallows. [Aw, read the damn question; otherwise, 30 seconds]
posted by Namlit at 1:27 PM on February 7, 2011
posted by Namlit at 1:27 PM on February 7, 2011
One of the side effects of time travel is a modern revival of Our American Cousin.
posted by The Whelk at 1:27 PM on February 7, 2011
posted by The Whelk at 1:27 PM on February 7, 2011
Who does number two work for?
You are number one.
posted by Tomorrowful at 1:29 PM on February 7, 2011
You are number one.
posted by Tomorrowful at 1:29 PM on February 7, 2011
dammit! You are number SIX. Argh.
I lose.
posted by Tomorrowful at 1:30 PM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
I lose.
posted by Tomorrowful at 1:30 PM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
Whoa, since when do we have comments with over a thousand favorites?
posted by Rory Marinich at 1:45 PM on February 7, 2011
posted by Rory Marinich at 1:45 PM on February 7, 2011
Whoa, since when do we have comments with over a thousand favorites?
Same time an AskMetafilter comment became the basis for a whole column in the Guardian (and one that promises to "change your life"!).
posted by John Cohen at 1:55 PM on February 7, 2011
Same time an AskMetafilter comment became the basis for a whole column in the Guardian (and one that promises to "change your life"!).
posted by John Cohen at 1:55 PM on February 7, 2011
Does your swallow spit? Mine does, and it's upsetting my cats.
posted by Elmore at 2:13 PM on February 7, 2011
posted by Elmore at 2:13 PM on February 7, 2011
What is the shortest time between an Ask question and a correct answer.
Solve for what.
posted by Pope Guilty at 2:49 PM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
Solve for what.
posted by Pope Guilty at 2:49 PM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
Who does number two work for?
That's right, buddy, you show that turd who's boss!
posted by Pope Guilty at 2:53 PM on February 7, 2011
That's right, buddy, you show that turd who's boss!
posted by Pope Guilty at 2:53 PM on February 7, 2011
There is no spoon.
When I drink, there is a guy who sounds exactly like me in my head, narrating the events and providing suggestions;
"Ok, that wobble is perfectly acceptable for someone who just had that drink, no worries, but you are talking about something completely inane, maybe change the subject? Right, you need to go to the bathroom now, no, it's not an emergency, but sooner would probably be better before too long. Well done, wash your hands, excellent. Now, find another drink, don't go back to the conversation you were having before, it was pointless and you sounded like an idiot. Yes that would be a good thing to drink, no, you do not put ice into that kind of rye. Good, now walk into the room with the TV, this is not something you want to watch... WAIT!, you like this commercial, ok, moving on, see that cat, you like cats, go pet the cat. But don't try to give it any whiskey, it never goes over well..."
I call that narrator "Spoon" so, I'd have to disagree, there is a spoon, and he's kind of a judgmental dick.
posted by quin at 3:04 PM on February 7, 2011
When I drink, there is a guy who sounds exactly like me in my head, narrating the events and providing suggestions;
"Ok, that wobble is perfectly acceptable for someone who just had that drink, no worries, but you are talking about something completely inane, maybe change the subject? Right, you need to go to the bathroom now, no, it's not an emergency, but sooner would probably be better before too long. Well done, wash your hands, excellent. Now, find another drink, don't go back to the conversation you were having before, it was pointless and you sounded like an idiot. Yes that would be a good thing to drink, no, you do not put ice into that kind of rye. Good, now walk into the room with the TV, this is not something you want to watch... WAIT!, you like this commercial, ok, moving on, see that cat, you like cats, go pet the cat. But don't try to give it any whiskey, it never goes over well..."
I call that narrator "Spoon" so, I'd have to disagree, there is a spoon, and he's kind of a judgmental dick.
posted by quin at 3:04 PM on February 7, 2011
dammit! You are number SIX. Argh.
Well, technically you weren't wrong the first time.
posted by elsietheeel at 3:13 PM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
Well, technically you weren't wrong the first time.
posted by elsietheeel at 3:13 PM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
Same time an AskMetafilter comment became the basis for a whole column in the Guardian (and one that promises to "change your life"!).
I will just use this moment (my excuse is that we are on MetaTalk in a post about comments) that I've always, always hated...not necessarily that comment—it's a reasonable model for distinguishing the two extremes of people's ways of interacting with each other regarding things they want from one another, depending of course on the topic and person and etc. etc.—but the way it became an insta-meme here and the way people just latched onto it and would use it to frame every goddamn relationship problem thereafter (I am exaggerating, I know) and, I shit you not, I read someone on here once propose a book be written—a book!—out of that flimsy little comment. Absurd. We do not need any more lazy, flimsy pop-psychology books thank you very much, especially ones that could be traced back to this community...what a terrible idea.
It's an example of the faddish tendencies that we have here sometimes on MetaFilter (hell, I've been guilty of it too, I know...but I'm working on it), and why favorites are sometimes kinda bad. I like this place in spite of that comment and the reaction it garnered, not because of it.
</pointless out of context overly irate rant showing that clearly this guy needs a hobby/hug>
posted by dubitable at 3:27 PM on February 7, 2011
I will just use this moment (my excuse is that we are on MetaTalk in a post about comments) that I've always, always hated...not necessarily that comment—it's a reasonable model for distinguishing the two extremes of people's ways of interacting with each other regarding things they want from one another, depending of course on the topic and person and etc. etc.—but the way it became an insta-meme here and the way people just latched onto it and would use it to frame every goddamn relationship problem thereafter (I am exaggerating, I know) and, I shit you not, I read someone on here once propose a book be written—a book!—out of that flimsy little comment. Absurd. We do not need any more lazy, flimsy pop-psychology books thank you very much, especially ones that could be traced back to this community...what a terrible idea.
It's an example of the faddish tendencies that we have here sometimes on MetaFilter (hell, I've been guilty of it too, I know...but I'm working on it), and why favorites are sometimes kinda bad. I like this place in spite of that comment and the reaction it garnered, not because of it.
</pointless out of context overly irate rant showing that clearly this guy needs a hobby/hug>
posted by dubitable at 3:27 PM on February 7, 2011
So, that's a subtle feeler suggesting I should write that book for you?
posted by furiousxgeorge at 3:32 PM on February 7, 2011 [4 favorites]
posted by furiousxgeorge at 3:32 PM on February 7, 2011 [4 favorites]
Look at this fucking blog comment to book deal, AMIRITE?
posted by fixedgear at 3:37 PM on February 7, 2011
posted by fixedgear at 3:37 PM on February 7, 2011
So, that's a subtle feeler suggesting I should write that book for you?
Yes, but I also want you to thank me for that set up.
posted by dubitable at 3:40 PM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
Yes, but I also want you to thank me for that set up.
posted by dubitable at 3:40 PM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
It's an example of the faddish tendencies that we have here sometimes on MetaFilter (hell, I've been guilty of it too, I know...but I'm working on it), and why favorites are sometimes kinda bad.
I agree with you about that general phenomenon. I just don't think the ask/guess comment is a good example. It gave a great insight about human behavior; it deserved the 1,000+ favorites.
However, often a comment will get lots of favorites not because it makes a great point but because it draws a lot of attention to itself somehow. A comment that tells a long story seems to invariably get 50+ favorites, even if it's a derail that would normally be deleted.
My most-favorited AskMe answer (which wasn't under this username) got like 75 or 80 favorites, and I didn't think it was even an especially good comment. If it had gotten just 1 or 2 favorites, I wouldn't have been surprised, and I've written comments that got 0 or 1 or 2 favorites that would have been more deserving than that one of getting 75 favorites.
I don't think this happens at random, and it's not that I think Mefites have terrible taste in comments. But a comment getting massively favorited usually has less to do with whether it contains a brilliant insight and more to do with whether it appears early in the thread, is phrased in a way to draw more attention than other comments that make similar points, is worded with a startling amount of aggression, is unusually long or extremely short and pithy, etc.
posted by John Cohen at 3:46 PM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
I agree with you about that general phenomenon. I just don't think the ask/guess comment is a good example. It gave a great insight about human behavior; it deserved the 1,000+ favorites.
However, often a comment will get lots of favorites not because it makes a great point but because it draws a lot of attention to itself somehow. A comment that tells a long story seems to invariably get 50+ favorites, even if it's a derail that would normally be deleted.
My most-favorited AskMe answer (which wasn't under this username) got like 75 or 80 favorites, and I didn't think it was even an especially good comment. If it had gotten just 1 or 2 favorites, I wouldn't have been surprised, and I've written comments that got 0 or 1 or 2 favorites that would have been more deserving than that one of getting 75 favorites.
I don't think this happens at random, and it's not that I think Mefites have terrible taste in comments. But a comment getting massively favorited usually has less to do with whether it contains a brilliant insight and more to do with whether it appears early in the thread, is phrased in a way to draw more attention than other comments that make similar points, is worded with a startling amount of aggression, is unusually long or extremely short and pithy, etc.
posted by John Cohen at 3:46 PM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
I agree with you about that general phenomenon. I just don't think the ask/guess comment is a good example. It gave a great insight about human behavior; it deserved the 1,000+ favorites.
Yeah...it's entirely possible I'm missing the brilliance of that comment because it seems like a re-tread to me of things you get in therapy 101.
But...let's agree to disagree and not quibble about that one ("50000000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong" after all). I'm basically with you 100% on how you laid out the sort of "favoriting" pattern that happens here. It drives me a little (too) crazy sometimes, but it is understandable. I've also had items favorited a lot that were pretty insubstantial compared to others that I thought were pretty great.
Of course, this all leads to the question of how much the crowd is a better judge of what should be favorited than those posting the comments...and one thing that is often pointed to—that I generally agree with actually—is that when an Ask MeFi question has a particular answer that the asker seem to be uninterested in but gets a tremendous number of favorites, then usually that means the asker is missing the boat a bit.
Well, anyways, all food for thought. Thanks for the thoughtful response John Cohen. Don't know why I felt like ranting, just one of those days I guess!
posted by dubitable at 4:00 PM on February 7, 2011
Yeah...it's entirely possible I'm missing the brilliance of that comment because it seems like a re-tread to me of things you get in therapy 101.
But...let's agree to disagree and not quibble about that one ("50000000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong" after all). I'm basically with you 100% on how you laid out the sort of "favoriting" pattern that happens here. It drives me a little (too) crazy sometimes, but it is understandable. I've also had items favorited a lot that were pretty insubstantial compared to others that I thought were pretty great.
Of course, this all leads to the question of how much the crowd is a better judge of what should be favorited than those posting the comments...and one thing that is often pointed to—that I generally agree with actually—is that when an Ask MeFi question has a particular answer that the asker seem to be uninterested in but gets a tremendous number of favorites, then usually that means the asker is missing the boat a bit.
Well, anyways, all food for thought. Thanks for the thoughtful response John Cohen. Don't know why I felt like ranting, just one of those days I guess!
posted by dubitable at 4:00 PM on February 7, 2011
I've also had items favorited a lot that were pretty insubstantial compared to others that I thought were pretty great.
Your favorite favorite sucks.
posted by Rock Steady at 4:15 PM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
Your favorite favorite sucks.
posted by Rock Steady at 4:15 PM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
This is a classic case of Notices Favorites Culture meets Doesn't Notice Favorites Culture
For some users, you end up noticing the number of favorites, and you think that everybody else does too. Then you assign a lot of meaning to those you assign and those you receive. This is Notices Favorites Culture.
In Doesn't Notice Favorites Culture, a user might use Favorites as a bookmark for later or to get something in their Recent Activity or even because you realize that other people track them and you want to say something about something clever somebody has written but "right on!" isn't something that people do here (or in this decade) But still, when people start writing about how this thing that has X number of favorites is a sign of this, that, or the other or how favorites are really bringing down the quality of this, that, or the other, you are completely baffled. Because you never look at favorites that way. At all.
(Obviously, I'm just fucking around here. But seriously, I'm also obviously in the latter camp. And am amazed at the former, just like the whole example of Ask and Guess Culture seem to be at odds without knowing it.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 4:47 PM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
For some users, you end up noticing the number of favorites, and you think that everybody else does too. Then you assign a lot of meaning to those you assign and those you receive. This is Notices Favorites Culture.
In Doesn't Notice Favorites Culture, a user might use Favorites as a bookmark for later or to get something in their Recent Activity or even because you realize that other people track them and you want to say something about something clever somebody has written but "right on!" isn't something that people do here (or in this decade) But still, when people start writing about how this thing that has X number of favorites is a sign of this, that, or the other or how favorites are really bringing down the quality of this, that, or the other, you are completely baffled. Because you never look at favorites that way. At all.
(Obviously, I'm just fucking around here. But seriously, I'm also obviously in the latter camp. And am amazed at the former, just like the whole example of Ask and Guess Culture seem to be at odds without knowing it.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 4:47 PM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
I noticed after-the-fact, I was listening to this song about 5 minutes before the question was posted. Read the question and didn't think I knew the answer, then came back 30 mins later, read the correct answer and said, "hey, didn't I just listen to that?"
posted by nomisxid at 4:54 PM on February 7, 2011
posted by nomisxid at 4:54 PM on February 7, 2011
In Doesn't Notice Favorites Culture, a user might use Favorites as a bookmark for later or to get something in their Recent Activity...
MCMikeNamara, you know, you just made me realize that I favorite comments because I agree with them or like what they're saying or something essentially expressing approval, whereas I favorite posts only if I want to remember them and come back to them later. I never thought about this behavior before though. Huh.
Also, I favorited your comment.
posted by dubitable at 5:21 PM on February 7, 2011
MCMikeNamara, you know, you just made me realize that I favorite comments because I agree with them or like what they're saying or something essentially expressing approval, whereas I favorite posts only if I want to remember them and come back to them later. I never thought about this behavior before though. Huh.
Also, I favorited your comment.
posted by dubitable at 5:21 PM on February 7, 2011
Can we turn this thread into another rehashing of why I think favorites are insidious and should be renamed "bookmarks"?
posted by Admiral Haddock at 5:29 PM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Admiral Haddock at 5:29 PM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
Also, since I love a good derail, what was the shortest time between a best answer and a subsequent reasking of the same question (or very similar).
I'm thinking in particular of "What was the name of that short film where it rains all the time and then there's this girl and everyone locks her in a closet while it's sunny and stuff?" but I'm sure there have been other good examples.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 5:36 PM on February 7, 2011
I'm thinking in particular of "What was the name of that short film where it rains all the time and then there's this girl and everyone locks her in a closet while it's sunny and stuff?" but I'm sure there have been other good examples.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 5:36 PM on February 7, 2011
Definitely Citizen Kane.
posted by pianomover at 6:13 PM on February 7, 2011
posted by pianomover at 6:13 PM on February 7, 2011
Also, since I love a good derail, what was the shortest time between a best answer and a subsequent reasking of the same question (or very similar).
Admiral Haddock, that's not fair, that's like you're basically bringing us back on topic or something, wtf dude?
posted by dubitable at 6:13 PM on February 7, 2011
Admiral Haddock, that's not fair, that's like you're basically bringing us back on topic or something, wtf dude?
posted by dubitable at 6:13 PM on February 7, 2011
What is the most irritatingly over-used Monty Python gag, cinematic division? Does it say 'Ni!' again to you?
posted by Mister_A at 8:29 PM on February 7, 2011
posted by Mister_A at 8:29 PM on February 7, 2011
What is the shortest time between an Ask question and a correct answer.
Solve for what.
Say
posted by Joe in Australia at 8:35 PM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
Solve for what.
Say
whatagain. Say
whatagain. I dare you, I double dare you motherfucker, say
whatone more Goddamn time!
posted by Joe in Australia at 8:35 PM on February 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
Try bicarb.
posted by flabdablet at 3:38 AM on February 8, 2011
posted by flabdablet at 3:38 AM on February 8, 2011
dubitable: "I favorite comments because I agree with them or like what they're saying or something essentially expressing approval, whereas I favorite posts only if I want to remember them and come back to them later."
Me too! I favourite comments because I agree with them or found them funny. Ifavourite posts when there's something I want to bookmark, even if that thing is way down in the comments.
Basically I'm one of the people who would really appreciate a way to tag or categorise favourites.
I would also like some way of marking the really bad puns. I'm thinking something halfway between a favourite and a flag.
posted by the latin mouse at 12:57 AM on February 10, 2011
Me too! I favourite comments because I agree with them or found them funny. Ifavourite posts when there's something I want to bookmark, even if that thing is way down in the comments.
Basically I'm one of the people who would really appreciate a way to tag or categorise favourites.
I would also like some way of marking the really bad puns. I'm thinking something halfway between a favourite and a flag.
posted by the latin mouse at 12:57 AM on February 10, 2011
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posted by Joe Beese at 10:17 AM on February 7, 2011