WHY ARE YOU ON METAFILTER IF YOU HATE IT SO MUCH? August 12, 2011 5:18 AM Subscribe
Typical MetaFilter...
I've noticed a lot of Mefites griping about some mythical "usual MetaFilter response" to pretty much everything. Such comments are obnoxious, lazy, hypocritical noise and make the site increasingly unbearable.
Could that behaviour be discouraged, please?
I've noticed a lot of Mefites griping about some mythical "usual MetaFilter response" to pretty much everything. Such comments are obnoxious, lazy, hypocritical noise and make the site increasingly unbearable.
Could that behaviour be discouraged, please?
So you're complaining about the usual Metafilter response to the usual Metafilter response?
posted by octothorpe at 5:20 AM on August 12, 2011 [10 favorites]
posted by octothorpe at 5:20 AM on August 12, 2011 [10 favorites]
So you're complaining about the usual Metafilter response to the usual Metafilter response?
In the usual Metafilter way.
posted by supercres at 5:26 AM on August 12, 2011 [6 favorites]
In the usual Metafilter way.
posted by supercres at 5:26 AM on August 12, 2011 [6 favorites]
This is one of the (many) reasons we're rolling out threaded discussions starting tomorrow. We'll start in MetaTalk for testing purposes and gradually expand to the other sites. Stand by.
posted by Meatbomb at 5:26 AM on August 12, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by Meatbomb at 5:26 AM on August 12, 2011 [3 favorites]
So, are you suggesting that the mods should start deleting comments like that? Or is this a request to set up a re-education camp somewhere?
posted by crunchland at 5:27 AM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by crunchland at 5:27 AM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
How much meta could a mefite filter if a mefite could filter meta?
/ I don't know, it just seemed to fit.
posted by tomswift at 5:28 AM on August 12, 2011 [7 favorites]
/ I don't know, it just seemed to fit.
posted by tomswift at 5:28 AM on August 12, 2011 [7 favorites]
Maybe we're looking at different MetaFilters. The one I look at has not become increasingly unbearable. The good and great here far outweighs the stuff that makes me roll my eyes. So much so that I have a hard time even remembering any examples of the hypocritical noise you speak of. Your mileage may differ, but people bitching or being lazy is not my personal takeaway from this place.
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 5:29 AM on August 12, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 5:29 AM on August 12, 2011 [3 favorites]
Don't get me wrong, Slack-a-gogo, I agree completely that on the whole this is a great place, which is precisely why I find those comments so grating.
posted by Sys Rq at 5:31 AM on August 12, 2011
posted by Sys Rq at 5:31 AM on August 12, 2011
Typical Metafilter authoritarians
It is to LOL.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 5:32 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
It is to LOL.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 5:32 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
WHY ARE YOU ON METAFILTER IF YOU HATE IT SO MUCH?
posted by joannemullen at 5:34 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by joannemullen at 5:34 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
It's the political and news posts that bring out the "typical metafilter" stuff. If you post something about the rich or class differences, yeah, you are going to get typical Metafilter comments.
posted by smackfu at 5:36 AM on August 12, 2011
posted by smackfu at 5:36 AM on August 12, 2011
That's an ironic question.
posted by DU at 5:36 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by DU at 5:36 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
I came for the links, but stayed for the grar.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 5:37 AM on August 12, 2011 [6 favorites]
posted by Admiral Haddock at 5:37 AM on August 12, 2011 [6 favorites]
On the other hand, the problem could just be The Decline of MetaFilter—as it is now the site is nothing compared to how it used to be. Is it me, or (CLASSIC CONSTRUCTION) does the site seem not as awesome as it was when I started writing this comment?
posted by carsonb at 5:39 AM on August 12, 2011 [7 favorites]
posted by carsonb at 5:39 AM on August 12, 2011 [7 favorites]
Horace Rumpole: "Typical Metafilter authoritarians
It is to LOL."
That thread is a great example of why the mods don't usually allow posts with a single link to an editorial on alternet.
posted by octothorpe at 5:42 AM on August 12, 2011
It is to LOL."
That thread is a great example of why the mods don't usually allow posts with a single link to an editorial on alternet.
posted by octothorpe at 5:42 AM on August 12, 2011
I mean, how is it productive or helpful to start a comment with, "Everyone on this site is a bunch of assholes except me"? It's trolling, pure and simple. It does nothing but increase fightiness and GRAR.
posted by Sys Rq at 5:44 AM on August 12, 2011
posted by Sys Rq at 5:44 AM on August 12, 2011
We're all sliding slowly into the infinite abyss.
posted by crunchland at 5:44 AM on August 12, 2011
posted by crunchland at 5:44 AM on August 12, 2011
We're all sliding slowly into the infinite abyss.
You say that like it's a bad thing.
posted by Meatbomb at 5:46 AM on August 12, 2011 [3 favorites]
You say that like it's a bad thing.
posted by Meatbomb at 5:46 AM on August 12, 2011 [3 favorites]
The abyss ain't all bad.
posted by The Whelk at 5:48 AM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 5:48 AM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
And its winking back at me.
But yeah, I've been feeling of late that its become grarier and fightier and nastier of late.
posted by infini at 5:50 AM on August 12, 2011
But yeah, I've been feeling of late that its become grarier and fightier and nastier of late.
posted by infini at 5:50 AM on August 12, 2011
MetaTalk: come for the links, stay for the grar
posted by slogger at 5:51 AM on August 12, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by slogger at 5:51 AM on August 12, 2011 [3 favorites]
Horace Rumpole: "Typical Metafilter authoritarians
You are missing a critical "the".
posted by DU at 5:52 AM on August 12, 2011
You are missing a critical "the".
posted by DU at 5:52 AM on August 12, 2011
There seemed to be an increase in Grar around may, hitting a height in min July and now it seems to be tapering off.
Or maybe I'm just not going into threads I know will annoy me as much. Eh.
posted by The Whelk at 5:54 AM on August 12, 2011
Or maybe I'm just not going into threads I know will annoy me as much. Eh.
posted by The Whelk at 5:54 AM on August 12, 2011
But yeah, I've been feeling of late that its become grarier and fightier and nastier of late.
Isn't that just the usual lead up to the epic grardiator months of late autumn and early winter?
I can't wait for this year's Thanksgiving weekend meltdown.
posted by Think_Long at 5:55 AM on August 12, 2011
Isn't that just the usual lead up to the epic grardiator months of late autumn and early winter?
I can't wait for this year's Thanksgiving weekend meltdown.
posted by Think_Long at 5:55 AM on August 12, 2011
Maybe we just need to turn Thanksgiving into a massive battle royale where the victors will feast on the flesh of the damned.
posted by The Whelk at 5:58 AM on August 12, 2011 [4 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 5:58 AM on August 12, 2011 [4 favorites]
It's tempting fate, to say this. The Markov guys will write something that can actually give the Typical MetaFilter Response to any particular post. THEN THE ABYSS WILL RISE UP AND SWALLOW US ALL.
posted by XMLicious at 5:59 AM on August 12, 2011
posted by XMLicious at 5:59 AM on August 12, 2011
Oo-ooh yeah *finger click*
Hmmmm-mmm, woo-ooo *finger click*
Aah Metafilter, now don't you fight
I know you can keep me up all night
With yo cussin' and yo hurtin' and su-uch
***TOOT TOOTY SAXOPHONE TOOT***
Oow, Metafilter, but when you feel pain
Baby, I feel that same pain to-oo (YES HE DOES!)
So maybe sometimes you gotta stop all the fighting
And let me make sweet love to you-oo (LO-VE TO YOU-OO!)
***TOOTY TOOTY BLAARP BOOP!***
Because I wanna fuck you! Fuck you, Metafilter -
Fuck you all day and night! (FUCK YEAH!)
I wanna fuck you so hard, wanna fuck you in the yard
I'll fuck you 'til you fe-eel alright (ALRIGHT!)
***XYLOPHONE BREAK***
posted by the quidnunc kid at 6:00 AM on August 12, 2011 [4 favorites]
Hmmmm-mmm, woo-ooo *finger click*
Aah Metafilter, now don't you fight
I know you can keep me up all night
With yo cussin' and yo hurtin' and su-uch
***TOOT TOOTY SAXOPHONE TOOT***
Oow, Metafilter, but when you feel pain
Baby, I feel that same pain to-oo (YES HE DOES!)
So maybe sometimes you gotta stop all the fighting
And let me make sweet love to you-oo (LO-VE TO YOU-OO!)
***TOOTY TOOTY BLAARP BOOP!***
Because I wanna fuck you! Fuck you, Metafilter -
Fuck you all day and night! (FUCK YEAH!)
I wanna fuck you so hard, wanna fuck you in the yard
I'll fuck you 'til you fe-eel alright (ALRIGHT!)
***XYLOPHONE BREAK***
posted by the quidnunc kid at 6:00 AM on August 12, 2011 [4 favorites]
Is it okay to still make "typical MetaFilter" jokes (ala overweight Palestinians de-clawing cats)?
posted by charred husk at 6:01 AM on August 12, 2011
posted by charred husk at 6:01 AM on August 12, 2011
WHY ARE YOU ON METAFILTER IF YOU HATE IT SO MUCH?
I don't know, to give people shit in a condescending manner?
posted by Wolof at 6:03 AM on August 12, 2011 [7 favorites]
I don't know, to give people shit in a condescending manner?
posted by Wolof at 6:03 AM on August 12, 2011 [7 favorites]
Typical for Metafilter, Normal for Norfolk.
posted by Abiezer at 6:04 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Abiezer at 6:04 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
Typical Mefites....
Post too quickly
Typical Mefites...
Stand by their grar
Typical Mefites...
posted by The Whelk at 6:05 AM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
Post too quickly
Typical Mefites...
Stand by their grar
Typical Mefites...
posted by The Whelk at 6:05 AM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
Isn't that just the usual lead up to the epic grardiator months of late autumn and early winterTHE ENTIRE TRI-STATE AREA!?
posted by DU at 6:06 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by DU at 6:06 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
I don't know, to give people shit in a condescending manner?
Typical pinko response. I bet you loved Stalin.
posted by pompomtom at 6:07 AM on August 12, 2011 [4 favorites]
Typical pinko response. I bet you loved Stalin.
posted by pompomtom at 6:07 AM on August 12, 2011 [4 favorites]
I loved the ballet, but found the musical lacking piquancy.
posted by Wolof at 6:09 AM on August 12, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by Wolof at 6:09 AM on August 12, 2011 [3 favorites]
Can we also get rid of all the "I have an ip?d!" comments?
Sorry about typos, this was written from the swimming pool of my private jet while having sex with supermodels.
posted by CautionToTheWind at 6:09 AM on August 12, 2011 [11 favorites]
Sorry about typos, this was written from the swimming pool of my private jet while having sex with supermodels.
posted by CautionToTheWind at 6:09 AM on August 12, 2011 [11 favorites]
Angle the tablet off the blond's back.
posted by The Whelk at 6:11 AM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 6:11 AM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
A swimming pool on a jet would be quite a feat of engineering. How do you prevent sloshing? Maybe the way Scotty did: convert the entire fuselage (or in his case, deck) to a contained tank with transparent aluminum.
Computer. Computer.
posted by DU at 6:14 AM on August 12, 2011 [3 favorites]
Computer. Computer.
posted by DU at 6:14 AM on August 12, 2011 [3 favorites]
Maybe we just need to turn Thanksgiving into a massive battle royale where the victors will feast on the flesh of the damned.
You know how that's going to pan out? When society is completely divided between a single rich man and the well cleaned bones of the poor, and our civilisation is just a cache of meaningless memory in the hands of three cybernetic librarians clustered around the last working tablet capable of running the last copy of Chow's iphone app?
The rich man is going to approach the librarians, and ask "Does that thing have that recipe for Whelk on it? He was tasty, that one.."
posted by Ahab at 6:14 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
You know how that's going to pan out? When society is completely divided between a single rich man and the well cleaned bones of the poor, and our civilisation is just a cache of meaningless memory in the hands of three cybernetic librarians clustered around the last working tablet capable of running the last copy of Chow's iphone app?
The rich man is going to approach the librarians, and ask "Does that thing have that recipe for Whelk on it? He was tasty, that one.."
posted by Ahab at 6:14 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
Sys Rq: "I've noticed a lot of Mefites griping about some mythical "usual MetaFilter response" to pretty much everything. Such comments are obnoxious, lazy, hypocritical noise and make the site increasingly unbearable."
Sys Rq: "I mean, how is it productive or helpful to start a comment with, "Everyone on this site is a bunch of assholes except me"? It's trolling, pure and simple. It does nothing but increase fightiness and GRAR."
posted by Plutor at 6:15 AM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
Sys Rq: "I mean, how is it productive or helpful to start a comment with, "Everyone on this site is a bunch of assholes except me"? It's trolling, pure and simple. It does nothing but increase fightiness and GRAR."
posted by Plutor at 6:15 AM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
With supermodels, sloshing is a feature, not a bug.
posted by CautionToTheWind at 6:15 AM on August 12, 2011
posted by CautionToTheWind at 6:15 AM on August 12, 2011
How do you prevent sloshing?
Gimbals. Solved problem.
posted by pompomtom at 6:29 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
Gimbals. Solved problem.
posted by pompomtom at 6:29 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
Gimlets.
posted by The Whelk at 6:31 AM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 6:31 AM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
Gimlis.
posted by namewithoutwords at 6:34 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by namewithoutwords at 6:34 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
Gills.
posted by FAMOUS MONSTER at 6:39 AM on August 12, 2011
posted by FAMOUS MONSTER at 6:39 AM on August 12, 2011
Gs.
posted by Threeway Handshake at 6:42 AM on August 12, 2011
posted by Threeway Handshake at 6:42 AM on August 12, 2011
It seems to me that, if you hold a minority view (or a self-perceived minority view) in an at least somewhat contentious debate, you are likely to anticipate being shouted down, even if "being shouted down" just amounts to having a lot of people say "um, no, you are wrong." One solution to the obvious sense of futility this can engender is a preemptive declaration that you will be shouted down (especially by the "hive mind*") and are, therefore, a martyr rather than someone with a (possibly) unpopular opinion. It's not a great tactic, but it's evidently somewhat appealing.
* which is, at least, a step above typing "sheeple**" without (or even with) irony***.
** or, worse, "SHEEPLE"
*** I think I may have to hate myself for the rest of the day.
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:42 AM on August 12, 2011 [4 favorites]
* which is, at least, a step above typing "sheeple**" without (or even with) irony***.
** or, worse, "SHEEPLE"
*** I think I may have to hate myself for the rest of the day.
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:42 AM on August 12, 2011 [4 favorites]
Sorry, you may return to your jets, pools, and blonds (of the gender/genders of your choice).
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:43 AM on August 12, 2011
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:43 AM on August 12, 2011
i have been loving FIAMO. i see something that annoys me, where my fingers just itch to tell someone how dumb and wrongheaded they are, then i just hit the flag button (usually noise or derail) and move on. sometimes i go back and the comment/post is gone and sometimes it's not. when it's not, i think, "huh, guess it's just me then, oh well, where did i put my coffee." when it does get deleted i think "man, i'm glad i flagged instead of responding."
it's not a perfect system, but it has managed to make me feel less grar. it also helps me stay out of threads i think are awful. if i've flagged it, i feel like a hypocrite commenting.
posted by nadawi at 6:47 AM on August 12, 2011 [3 favorites]
it's not a perfect system, but it has managed to make me feel less grar. it also helps me stay out of threads i think are awful. if i've flagged it, i feel like a hypocrite commenting.
posted by nadawi at 6:47 AM on August 12, 2011 [3 favorites]
The Whelk: "The abyss ain't all bad"
It's a looker, anyway.
posted by notsnot at 6:49 AM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
It's a looker, anyway.
posted by notsnot at 6:49 AM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
if i've flagged it, i feel like a hypocrite commenting.
You use your emotions on the internet‽ You've installed encryption, right?
posted by carsonb at 6:49 AM on August 12, 2011 [3 favorites]
You use your emotions on the internet‽ You've installed encryption, right?
posted by carsonb at 6:49 AM on August 12, 2011 [3 favorites]
Is this post intentionally ironic?
posted by J. Wilson at 6:57 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by J. Wilson at 6:57 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
The Whelk: "The abyss ain't all bad."
infini: "And its winking back at me."
The Abyss: Will you people quit staring into me? It makes me nervous. Just wait until I put the new curtains up.
posted by Splunge at 6:59 AM on August 12, 2011 [3 favorites]
infini: "And its winking back at me."
The Abyss: Will you people quit staring into me? It makes me nervous. Just wait until I put the new curtains up.
posted by Splunge at 6:59 AM on August 12, 2011 [3 favorites]
It's a looker, anyway.
You are thinking of the Abbess. And you shouldn't harbor those kinds of thoughts about people in holy orders; it's disrespectful and it creeps them out.
And, when the Abbess stares back at you, you will know it.
posted by GenjiandProust at 7:01 AM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
You are thinking of the Abbess. And you shouldn't harbor those kinds of thoughts about people in holy orders; it's disrespectful and it creeps them out.
And, when the Abbess stares back at you, you will know it.
posted by GenjiandProust at 7:01 AM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
How about keeping the water inside an "egg" made of a flexible, transparent, rubber-like material, that is strong enough to hold shape for the amount of water in it. Then that would be suspended inside the plane by shock absorbers in every direction.
posted by CautionToTheWind at 7:07 AM on August 12, 2011
posted by CautionToTheWind at 7:07 AM on August 12, 2011
typical metafilter reliance on unobtainium
posted by DU at 7:13 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by DU at 7:13 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
Oow, Metafilter, but when you feel pain
Baby, I feel that same pain to-oo (YES HE DOES!)
So maybe sometimes you gotta stop all the fighting
And let me make sweet love to you-oo (LO-VE TO YOU-OO!)
Every once in a while I get disoriented and am not sure if I am reading Metafilter or a Thomas Pynchon novel.
posted by aught at 7:17 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
Baby, I feel that same pain to-oo (YES HE DOES!)
So maybe sometimes you gotta stop all the fighting
And let me make sweet love to you-oo (LO-VE TO YOU-OO!)
Every once in a while I get disoriented and am not sure if I am reading Metafilter or a Thomas Pynchon novel.
posted by aught at 7:17 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
Great response, Plutor. I'd favorite it, but i have no need to bookmark it for later.
posted by terrapin at 8:05 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by terrapin at 8:05 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
This seems premised on a misreading. I saw "... the frosty reception from the typical Metafilter authoritarians and wordlier-than-thou types..." and took that to be referring to a particular and very small group of people, not the site's users as a whole.
Or, in other words, this whole MeTa seems like the result of typical Metafilter lazy reading.
posted by rusty at 8:06 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
Or, in other words, this whole MeTa seems like the result of typical Metafilter lazy reading.
posted by rusty at 8:06 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
metatalk doesn't do threads like this one well.
posted by cjorgensen at 8:07 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by cjorgensen at 8:07 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
It must be this heat wave hitting the US. It's been like Do The Right Thing right before the riot scene at the end around here lately.
posted by reenum at 8:09 AM on August 12, 2011
posted by reenum at 8:09 AM on August 12, 2011
WHY AREN'T YOU ON METAFILTER IF YOU HATE IT SO MUCH?
posted by Salmonberry at 8:12 AM on August 12, 2011
posted by Salmonberry at 8:12 AM on August 12, 2011
metatalk doesn't do threads like this one well.
Just wait for the new site "MetaGesture;" it's where MeTa threads that have broken down will go, and comments will be limited to emoticons and ASCII art of hand gestures. Nothing will go well there, and the mods will be licensed to kill.
posted by GenjiandProust at 8:15 AM on August 12, 2011
Just wait for the new site "MetaGesture;" it's where MeTa threads that have broken down will go, and comments will be limited to emoticons and ASCII art of hand gestures. Nothing will go well there, and the mods will be licensed to kill.
posted by GenjiandProust at 8:15 AM on August 12, 2011
I'll ask again. Sys Rq: What do you want us to do about it? I mean, besides making psuedo witty banter and recycling old in-jokes in the typical metatalk way?
posted by crunchland at 8:15 AM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by crunchland at 8:15 AM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
One solution to the obvious sense of futility this can engender is a preemptive declaration that you will be shouted down (especially by the "hive mind*") and are, therefore, a martyr rather than someone with a (possibly) unpopular opinion.
Or, if the whole reason you are here is to troll the effete liberal trash of the internet, it's not a sense of futility driving it, rather a loathsomely inflated sense of self-importance and a deep love of being a giant trolly mctrollalot.
posted by winna at 8:15 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
Or, if the whole reason you are here is to troll the effete liberal trash of the internet, it's not a sense of futility driving it, rather a loathsomely inflated sense of self-importance and a deep love of being a giant trolly mctrollalot.
posted by winna at 8:15 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
anything by CCR
posted by clavdivs at 8:34 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by clavdivs at 8:34 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
Metafilter will always be stuck in Online Grar 101. It's a gateway drug.
posted by Ardiril at 8:35 AM on August 12, 2011
posted by Ardiril at 8:35 AM on August 12, 2011
Freebird (!)
posted by Meatbomb at 8:49 AM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Meatbomb at 8:49 AM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
"We're all sliding slowly into the infinite abyss."
Speak for yourself, buddy. Me, I'm doing everything I can to bring about the eventual Heat Death of the Universe as soon as possible.
posted by Eideteker at 8:51 AM on August 12, 2011
Speak for yourself, buddy. Me, I'm doing everything I can to bring about the eventual Heat Death of the Universe as soon as possible.
posted by Eideteker at 8:51 AM on August 12, 2011
Immanentize the Eschaton!
posted by Admiral Haddock at 8:54 AM on August 12, 2011 [4 favorites]
posted by Admiral Haddock at 8:54 AM on August 12, 2011 [4 favorites]
Point, plutor?
I found his point clear enough.
You object to the phrase "typical MetaFilter" (and variants) on the grounds that it refers to something "mythical" and that comments using the phrase constitute "obnoxious, lazy, hypocritical noise." I disagree with the first part: It isn't mythical. Some things are very "typical MetaFilter." For instance, a NewsFilter about US politics is going to attract lots of early, highly favorited comments about the inhumanity of Republicans. That's not myth; it's fact. And I don't see anything "hypocritical" about pointing it out.
posted by cribcage at 9:05 AM on August 12, 2011
I found his point clear enough.
You object to the phrase "typical MetaFilter" (and variants) on the grounds that it refers to something "mythical" and that comments using the phrase constitute "obnoxious, lazy, hypocritical noise." I disagree with the first part: It isn't mythical. Some things are very "typical MetaFilter." For instance, a NewsFilter about US politics is going to attract lots of early, highly favorited comments about the inhumanity of Republicans. That's not myth; it's fact. And I don't see anything "hypocritical" about pointing it out.
posted by cribcage at 9:05 AM on August 12, 2011
As for irony, yes, the bit above the fold should be read as being between invisible quotation marks.
I'll ask again. Sys Rq: What do you want us to do about it? I mean, besides making psuedo witty banter and recycling old in-jokes in the typical metatalk way?
The thing I said in the post: "Could that behaviour be discouraged, please?" That is, use the usual methods of flagging, "self-policing,"and just plain cutting it out to generally nip it in the bud. And, seeing as how I brought it to MeTa for discussion, it's probably a fair bet that I might've liked to see it discussed, too; some indication that this is a real thing that other people have noticed would be nice.
If that wasn't apparent enough, I apologize.
This seems premised on a misreading. I saw "... the frosty reception from the typical Metafilter authoritarians and wordlier-than-thou types..." and took that to be referring to a particular and very small group of people, not the site's users as a whole.
Or, in other words, this whole MeTa seems like the result of typical Metafilter lazy reading.
This MeTa is not based on that comment. It's based on a sitewide trend. (I considered calling out one user in particular who does it a lot, but it's not just her.)
metatalk doesn't do threads like this one well.
Yes, those too! Bah!
And Plutor, I still don't see what you were trying to get at. If it's that I've contradicted myself, well, no, I haven't. Griping about a specific issue is not the same as griping about the entire site and all its users as a rebellious pose. If you were pointing out that the post is also obnoxious, fair enough.
posted by Sys Rq at 9:06 AM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
I'll ask again. Sys Rq: What do you want us to do about it? I mean, besides making psuedo witty banter and recycling old in-jokes in the typical metatalk way?
The thing I said in the post: "Could that behaviour be discouraged, please?" That is, use the usual methods of flagging, "self-policing,"and just plain cutting it out to generally nip it in the bud. And, seeing as how I brought it to MeTa for discussion, it's probably a fair bet that I might've liked to see it discussed, too; some indication that this is a real thing that other people have noticed would be nice.
If that wasn't apparent enough, I apologize.
This seems premised on a misreading. I saw "... the frosty reception from the typical Metafilter authoritarians and wordlier-than-thou types..." and took that to be referring to a particular and very small group of people, not the site's users as a whole.
Or, in other words, this whole MeTa seems like the result of typical Metafilter lazy reading.
This MeTa is not based on that comment. It's based on a sitewide trend. (I considered calling out one user in particular who does it a lot, but it's not just her.)
metatalk doesn't do threads like this one well.
Yes, those too! Bah!
And Plutor, I still don't see what you were trying to get at. If it's that I've contradicted myself, well, no, I haven't. Griping about a specific issue is not the same as griping about the entire site and all its users as a rebellious pose. If you were pointing out that the post is also obnoxious, fair enough.
posted by Sys Rq at 9:06 AM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
I don't see anything "hypocritical" about pointing it out.
The hypocritical part is that you are on MetaFilter and of MetaFilter when you complain that MetaFilter--all of MetaFilter!--does whatever it is you disagree with. Can't it be more specific? If it's, to go with your example, the anti-Republican wing of MetaFilter you have a problem with, say so. Ripping on the site as a whole when you're a part of it is just...yeah, those words I used.
posted by Sys Rq at 9:13 AM on August 12, 2011
The hypocritical part is that you are on MetaFilter and of MetaFilter when you complain that MetaFilter--all of MetaFilter!--does whatever it is you disagree with. Can't it be more specific? If it's, to go with your example, the anti-Republican wing of MetaFilter you have a problem with, say so. Ripping on the site as a whole when you're a part of it is just...yeah, those words I used.
posted by Sys Rq at 9:13 AM on August 12, 2011
Stereotyping is a psychological development construct, not a social construct, an innate action to seek out patterns and then communicate those findings to others. Metafilter is easily profiled.
posted by Ardiril at 9:13 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Ardiril at 9:13 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
... and yeah, the lack of nesting only makes classification easier.
posted by Ardiril at 9:15 AM on August 12, 2011
posted by Ardiril at 9:15 AM on August 12, 2011
The Abyss actually was a terrible movie. And it featured a pool of sorts. A portal pool?
posted by bquarters at 9:18 AM on August 12, 2011
posted by bquarters at 9:18 AM on August 12, 2011
It would be nice if people would opt away from broad generalizations and sort of sweeping, non-specific indictments of the site or the userbase or unstated subsections of it in griping comments in those cases where that happens, yeah. Making a specific or substantial comment about what has actually occurred or is actually occurring is basically always going to be more useful and less distracting to the conversation.
It's sort of fuzzy stuff, but there is a degree to which griping about the site or griping about the userbase is something that needs to be a metatalk thread you start instead of a comment you drop into a thread. Especially so if it's a recurring thing. It would be great if people kept that more in mind: metacommentary goes in Metatalk. If your random grumble about people you don't like on the site or things you perceive to be systemic annoyances doesn't merit starting a metatalk thread, it probably doesn't merit beefing about it at whoever is reading whichever random thread on the blue or the green you're killing time in.
How much meta could a mefite filter if a mefite could filter meta?
How much meh could a mefite fight if a mefite could fight meh.
posted by cortex (staff) at 9:22 AM on August 12, 2011 [6 favorites]
It's sort of fuzzy stuff, but there is a degree to which griping about the site or griping about the userbase is something that needs to be a metatalk thread you start instead of a comment you drop into a thread. Especially so if it's a recurring thing. It would be great if people kept that more in mind: metacommentary goes in Metatalk. If your random grumble about people you don't like on the site or things you perceive to be systemic annoyances doesn't merit starting a metatalk thread, it probably doesn't merit beefing about it at whoever is reading whichever random thread on the blue or the green you're killing time in.
How much meta could a mefite filter if a mefite could filter meta?
How much meh could a mefite fight if a mefite could fight meh.
posted by cortex (staff) at 9:22 AM on August 12, 2011 [6 favorites]
I agree these aren't necessarily "typical", in that the MeFi userbase is fairly diverse and there is not necessarily such a thing as a "typical MeFite", but yeah, you can always pretty much count on these three or four showing up.
While I'm not sure this is the case all or even most of the time, but I do think some users can and do sort of pigeon-hole themselves into a particular persona. Maybe this is done unintentionally, or maybe it arises because there are only a handful of subjects someone might want to discuss. But it's happened often enough to where there have been users who close their accounts and start anew because of it. I think it might be these self-typecast users who, however unintentionally, could be contributing to the impression of an overall "typical Metafilter response".
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 9:30 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
While I'm not sure this is the case all or even most of the time, but I do think some users can and do sort of pigeon-hole themselves into a particular persona. Maybe this is done unintentionally, or maybe it arises because there are only a handful of subjects someone might want to discuss. But it's happened often enough to where there have been users who close their accounts and start anew because of it. I think it might be these self-typecast users who, however unintentionally, could be contributing to the impression of an overall "typical Metafilter response".
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 9:30 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
I agree with Sys Rq on this one.
I hate when someone insists metafilter on a whole has a specific opinion about anything.
I also hate when people comment about how a thread will go before it's even started. Seriously, if your first contribution to a thread is going to be "this won't go well" or "getting in my stupid threadshit comment before this thread goes away" then highly consider not commenting.
The worst start a thread can have, in my opinion, is a discussion about the framing of the post, whether the subject matter is truly "metafilter worthy", or people making sure everyone knows they are above the topic at hand. Yes, that's three worsts. cortex said that was permissible.
I honestly do not understand why people click into something just to tell people about how little interest they have in said subject.
posted by cjorgensen at 9:30 AM on August 12, 2011 [10 favorites]
I hate when someone insists metafilter on a whole has a specific opinion about anything.
I also hate when people comment about how a thread will go before it's even started. Seriously, if your first contribution to a thread is going to be "this won't go well" or "getting in my stupid threadshit comment before this thread goes away" then highly consider not commenting.
The worst start a thread can have, in my opinion, is a discussion about the framing of the post, whether the subject matter is truly "metafilter worthy", or people making sure everyone knows they are above the topic at hand. Yes, that's three worsts. cortex said that was permissible.
I honestly do not understand why people click into something just to tell people about how little interest they have in said subject.
posted by cjorgensen at 9:30 AM on August 12, 2011 [10 favorites]
I know what we could do---we could implement a system of community based policing, wherein users can "upvote" things they support and "downvote" things they do not. Of course, witty, sarcastic, and lulzy comments will probably get more "upboats" and "upgoats" and "stayafloats" than actual real responses, but I think that's really for the better. "Downboated" comments would disappear, only to reappear when clicked. Also, the comments will be threaded.
We shall call the new site MetaReddit. Oh wait.
In other news:
It's EZ 2 B Anti. Check your own posting history and see how much of it is "anti" for the sake of noise and opposition and reevaluate. All of us are just voices in the noise.
posted by TomMelee at 9:33 AM on August 12, 2011
We shall call the new site MetaReddit. Oh wait.
In other news:
It's EZ 2 B Anti. Check your own posting history and see how much of it is "anti" for the sake of noise and opposition and reevaluate. All of us are just voices in the noise.
posted by TomMelee at 9:33 AM on August 12, 2011
I honestly do not understand why people click into something just to tell people about how little interest they have in said subject.
God yes. "I thought this was pretty meh." Really? That's swell. Thanks so much for taking the time to drop by and announce to everyone in the thread that the subject at hand doesn't interest you at all. Later, we're all going to go to Catholic mass, poke our head in the door and yell, "Not Catholic over here!" and then leave.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 9:33 AM on August 12, 2011 [10 favorites]
God yes. "I thought this was pretty meh." Really? That's swell. Thanks so much for taking the time to drop by and announce to everyone in the thread that the subject at hand doesn't interest you at all. Later, we're all going to go to Catholic mass, poke our head in the door and yell, "Not Catholic over here!" and then leave.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 9:33 AM on August 12, 2011 [10 favorites]
Also, I don't really think that's a valid line of reasoning. Someone can enjoy the site, and still wish it were better in some ways.
Well, yeah; case in point: me, this post. But when I see someone in some random thread railing against an imaginary unified MetaFilter, that's the all-caps question I have to hold myself back from posting in flashing, underlined, bold italics with a lot more question marks. (Luckily, by the time I squeeze my gradually de-greening thighs into a fresh, untattered pair of trousers, that urge has usually subsided.)
posted by Sys Rq at 9:36 AM on August 12, 2011
Well, yeah; case in point: me, this post. But when I see someone in some random thread railing against an imaginary unified MetaFilter, that's the all-caps question I have to hold myself back from posting in flashing, underlined, bold italics with a lot more question marks. (Luckily, by the time I squeeze my gradually de-greening thighs into a fresh, untattered pair of trousers, that urge has usually subsided.)
posted by Sys Rq at 9:36 AM on August 12, 2011
How much meh could a mefite fight if a mefite could fight meh.
How much ME, dammit!
posted by Sys Rq at 9:41 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
How much ME, dammit!
posted by Sys Rq at 9:41 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
Could that behaviour be discouraged, please?
Ugh, is there no rest? Fine, fine, just... keep your fresh pants on.
Ahem.
People? Listen up people. This behavior? This "typical metafilter response" lazy throwaway answer behavior? It is discouraged, okay? We are discouraging that now. Got it?
All right, that ought to take care of it. Sys Rq, you owe me a solid. Not one of those "wrecked another pair of trousers" solid. I mean a serious favor.
posted by nanojath at 9:48 AM on August 12, 2011
Ugh, is there no rest? Fine, fine, just... keep your fresh pants on.
Ahem.
People? Listen up people. This behavior? This "typical metafilter response" lazy throwaway answer behavior? It is discouraged, okay? We are discouraging that now. Got it?
All right, that ought to take care of it. Sys Rq, you owe me a solid. Not one of those "wrecked another pair of trousers" solid. I mean a serious favor.
posted by nanojath at 9:48 AM on August 12, 2011
"I thought this was pretty meh."
Very often, these comments refer to the content of the link, not the topic, and thus, these comments are not at all meta. Far too often, an otherwise interesting FPP is undermined by bad content on the other side of the link. Such comments are not threadshits, and they should be actively encouraged.
posted by Ardiril at 9:49 AM on August 12, 2011
Very often, these comments refer to the content of the link, not the topic, and thus, these comments are not at all meta. Far too often, an otherwise interesting FPP is undermined by bad content on the other side of the link. Such comments are not threadshits, and they should be actively encouraged.
posted by Ardiril at 9:49 AM on August 12, 2011
I assumed plutor was pointing out that you started out your meta by insulting mefites as
"obnoxious, lazy, hypocritical noise and make the site increasingly unbearable."
But then said,
"I mean, how is it productive or helpful to start a comment with, "Everyone on this site is a bunch of assholes except me"
posted by nomisxid at 9:50 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
"obnoxious, lazy, hypocritical noise and make the site increasingly unbearable."
But then said,
"I mean, how is it productive or helpful to start a comment with, "Everyone on this site is a bunch of assholes except me"
posted by nomisxid at 9:50 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
I was referring to a subset of Mefites, not all of them. ("A lot" was really a poor choice of words, I'll admit.)
posted by Sys Rq at 9:54 AM on August 12, 2011
posted by Sys Rq at 9:54 AM on August 12, 2011
...and I was describing their behaviour, not insulting them as people.
posted by Sys Rq at 9:56 AM on August 12, 2011
posted by Sys Rq at 9:56 AM on August 12, 2011
Very often, these comments refer to the content of the link, not the topic, and thus, these comments are not at all meta.
Well the point still stands: this person didn't like the content linked in the FPP, and felt we should all know that they were indifferent about it. Why? Just seems like a pointless little pile of rabbit turds to squeeze out in the thread.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 9:59 AM on August 12, 2011
Well the point still stands: this person didn't like the content linked in the FPP, and felt we should all know that they were indifferent about it. Why? Just seems like a pointless little pile of rabbit turds to squeeze out in the thread.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 9:59 AM on August 12, 2011
GRRRRAAARRRRR
GRRRAAARRR
GRAR GRAR GRAR GRAR GRAR!
GRARARARARAR!!!
GRRRRAAAAAAAARRRRRRR!
Am I doing this right yet?
posted by Mister Fabulous at 10:04 AM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
GRRRAAARRR
GRAR GRAR GRAR GRAR GRAR!
GRARARARARAR!!!
GRRRRAAAAAAAARRRRRRR!
Am I doing this right yet?
posted by Mister Fabulous at 10:04 AM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
This place could stand to be a bit less echo-chambery.
posted by Eideteker at 10:05 AM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Eideteker at 10:05 AM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
What he said ^
posted by Eideteker at 10:05 AM on August 12, 2011 [5 favorites]
posted by Eideteker at 10:05 AM on August 12, 2011 [5 favorites]
We should totally drop links to Metafilter at FreeRepublic.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 10:10 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 10:10 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
Could that behaviour be discouraged, please?
Sure, we'd like it if people wouldn't do it. It's lazy, frequently thread-shitty, and the few instances where I've seen people do it lately, it's been used repeatedly by the same person in the same thread as what looks like a conversation-chiller.
If people don't like it here, that's their right. If they don't like it here and continue to stay here and grouse at the people who do like it here, I don't quite understand that but the place to do that sort of thing is MetaTalk and not in someone else's thread. This goes for AskMe as well as MeFi, when we see it in AskMe it's more clearly deletable since it's not an answer to the question.
People make MeFi fit their own version of what they need it to be, I've found. Some people need a support group, some people need a list-generating machine, some people need an outlet for their creativity. And some people need some sort of imaginary enemy.
But yeah, we don't expect everyone to be nice all the time, certainly, but we expect people to at least be trying to be part of a conversation.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 10:19 AM on August 12, 2011 [5 favorites]
Sure, we'd like it if people wouldn't do it. It's lazy, frequently thread-shitty, and the few instances where I've seen people do it lately, it's been used repeatedly by the same person in the same thread as what looks like a conversation-chiller.
If people don't like it here, that's their right. If they don't like it here and continue to stay here and grouse at the people who do like it here, I don't quite understand that but the place to do that sort of thing is MetaTalk and not in someone else's thread. This goes for AskMe as well as MeFi, when we see it in AskMe it's more clearly deletable since it's not an answer to the question.
People make MeFi fit their own version of what they need it to be, I've found. Some people need a support group, some people need a list-generating machine, some people need an outlet for their creativity. And some people need some sort of imaginary enemy.
But yeah, we don't expect everyone to be nice all the time, certainly, but we expect people to at least be trying to be part of a conversation.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 10:19 AM on August 12, 2011 [5 favorites]
Oh waiter, there's too much grar in my meh!
posted by ApathyGirl at 10:20 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by ApathyGirl at 10:20 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
Eponysterical.
posted by EvaDestruction at 10:26 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by EvaDestruction at 10:26 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
And the portions are so small!
posted by Meatbomb at 10:34 AM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Meatbomb at 10:34 AM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
The other day I was reading a post on MetaFilter about The Onion. A bunch of people responded about how much they don't like The Onion. So I thought, "Huh. MetaFilter doesn't like The Onion." Then I realized that I am also MetaFilter, and I do like The Onion. Though somehow that didn't cause me to post my support for The Onion.
posted by wondermouse at 10:47 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by wondermouse at 10:47 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
Has someone deleted their account yet?
if not, why is this here?
posted by GuyZero at 10:48 AM on August 12, 2011
if not, why is this here?
posted by GuyZero at 10:48 AM on August 12, 2011
You can't delete your account. You can only disable it.
You should know this! Flagging your comment.
posted by cjorgensen at 10:59 AM on August 12, 2011
You should know this! Flagging your comment.
posted by cjorgensen at 10:59 AM on August 12, 2011
Oh, right. You can check out anyt ime you want, but you can never leave.
Welcome to the Hotel Meta-Filter... such a lovely place...
posted by GuyZero at 11:05 AM on August 12, 2011
Welcome to the Hotel Meta-Filter... such a lovely place...
posted by GuyZero at 11:05 AM on August 12, 2011
This place could stand to be a bit less echo-chambery.
And less hyperbaric chambery, in that there is sometimes a lot of unnatural pressure which only occasionally has a therapeutic application.
posted by GenjiandProust at 11:13 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
And less hyperbaric chambery, in that there is sometimes a lot of unnatural pressure which only occasionally has a therapeutic application.
posted by GenjiandProust at 11:13 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
It's annoying, but sort of understandable - people really do have the same arguments about the same things over and over and over again here.
The funny thing is people always seem to identify the side of any perennial argument they disagree with as the "usual MetaFilter response". (I even do this myself in my head, especially with art threads, thinking "Oh, here we go, the Daily Mailist 'it's just a pile of bricks and my kid could do that' brigade are out in force as usual", when I could just as easily think "Oh, here we go, the lower sixth formers who've recently read about Duchamp's readymades are out in force as usual".)
posted by jack_mo at 11:14 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
The funny thing is people always seem to identify the side of any perennial argument they disagree with as the "usual MetaFilter response". (I even do this myself in my head, especially with art threads, thinking "Oh, here we go, the Daily Mailist 'it's just a pile of bricks and my kid could do that' brigade are out in force as usual", when I could just as easily think "Oh, here we go, the lower sixth formers who've recently read about Duchamp's readymades are out in force as usual".)
posted by jack_mo at 11:14 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
The abyss ain't all bad.
posted by The Whelk at 1:48 PM on August 12
Yes it is. It's abyss mal.
posted by Decani at 11:19 AM on August 12, 2011 [6 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 1:48 PM on August 12
Yes it is. It's abyss mal.
posted by Decani at 11:19 AM on August 12, 2011 [6 favorites]
What I love most about Metafilter is that even the tossers write beautifully. You just can't get that on YouTube.
posted by Decani at 11:20 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Decani at 11:20 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
thx decani! i luv ur writtin 2!! :)
posted by maryr at 11:21 AM on August 12, 2011 [7 favorites]
posted by maryr at 11:21 AM on August 12, 2011 [7 favorites]
The problem here is that 'typical mefite' is just too course grained. We need to implement 'circles' so we more conveniently put mefites into categories so that we can casually dismiss their opinions with more specificity.
posted by empath at 11:33 AM on August 12, 2011
posted by empath at 11:33 AM on August 12, 2011
And less hyperbaric chambery, in that there is sometimes a lot of unnatural pressure which only occasionally has a therapeutic application.
It's pronounced a-NAL-reh-pist.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 11:35 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
It's pronounced a-NAL-reh-pist.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 11:35 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
I'm getting annoyed with the thing where someone makes a dumb snark and then gets all huffy when someone calls them on their dumb snark, and then go and make another dumb snark.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 11:38 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 11:38 AM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
Bitching about it on Metatalk is a lot less great than flagging stuff. All of those comments have been flagged exactly zero times which means I didn't even see them until now.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 11:53 AM on August 12, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 11:53 AM on August 12, 2011 [3 favorites]
This callout is too vague. Let's spice it up with some my own Beanplate Insane inducing behaviors:
"Is this something I need to have a (thing) to understand?"
"Threads about (thing) don't do well on Metafilter."
Male user insisting female user could not possibly have experienced (thing) she's described.
Female user calling out male/female user who disagrees with (their opinion about thing) as sexist.
Male user who calls out other male user as "faux feminist" for supporting female users, or suggests he "just wants to get laid".
Any user who assumes all feminist/minority/political affiliation/religious belief/income level members are exactly the same.
posted by misha at 12:19 PM on August 12, 2011
"Is this something I need to have a (thing) to understand?"
"Threads about (thing) don't do well on Metafilter."
Male user insisting female user could not possibly have experienced (thing) she's described.
Female user calling out male/female user who disagrees with (their opinion about thing) as sexist.
Male user who calls out other male user as "faux feminist" for supporting female users, or suggests he "just wants to get laid".
Any user who assumes all feminist/minority/political affiliation/religious belief/income level members are exactly the same.
posted by misha at 12:19 PM on August 12, 2011
The problem here is that 'typical mefite' is just too course grained. We need to implement 'circles' so we more conveniently put mefites into categories so that we can casually dismiss their opinions with more specificity.
Not just any ordinary circles, empath. VENN DIAGRAM CIRCLES.
posted by Salmonberry at 12:20 PM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
Not just any ordinary circles, empath. VENN DIAGRAM CIRCLES.
posted by Salmonberry at 12:20 PM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
Eeep.
And now I see Jessamyn's comment right above mine (I previewed, I swear!) against bitching in Metatalk and I feel bad. It's like you knew what I was going to post before I even posted it.
Must be one of those "usual Metafilter response" thingies I keep hearing about!
posted by misha at 12:23 PM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
And now I see Jessamyn's comment right above mine (I previewed, I swear!) against bitching in Metatalk and I feel bad. It's like you knew what I was going to post before I even posted it.
Must be one of those "usual Metafilter response" thingies I keep hearing about!
posted by misha at 12:23 PM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
(Because one of them is actually a thing.)
As long as we're calling for bans that are never going to happen, how about if we ban calling something "a thing"? It's meaningless.
posted by John Cohen at 12:25 PM on August 12, 2011
As long as we're calling for bans that are never going to happen, how about if we ban calling something "a thing"? It's meaningless.
posted by John Cohen at 12:25 PM on August 12, 2011
I've noticed a lot of Mefites griping about some mythical "usual MetaFilter response" to pretty much everything. Such comments are obnoxious, lazy, hypocritical noise and make the site increasingly unbearable.
Could that behaviour be discouraged, please?
I concur, and it's even more annoying when people do it a) preemptively, like a new version of "Wendell," or b) when no one has said anything remotely "typical MeFi-ish." I FIAMO every time, but it makes me puff some at my desk.
posted by FelliniBlank at 12:28 PM on August 12, 2011
Could that behaviour be discouraged, please?
I concur, and it's even more annoying when people do it a) preemptively, like a new version of "Wendell," or b) when no one has said anything remotely "typical MeFi-ish." I FIAMO every time, but it makes me puff some at my desk.
posted by FelliniBlank at 12:28 PM on August 12, 2011
It's meaningless.
I'm not so sure. To me saying "Suchandsuch is a thing" is actually saying something. I feel like it originally came from saying something was "a thing" where you were implying that there was a problem or other issue with whatever was going on. Now it's just saying that you're noting something and other people have also noted it.
Handlebar moustaches is a thing.
is different from saying
Handlebar moustaches exist.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 12:31 PM on August 12, 2011
I'm not so sure. To me saying "Suchandsuch is a thing" is actually saying something. I feel like it originally came from saying something was "a thing" where you were implying that there was a problem or other issue with whatever was going on. Now it's just saying that you're noting something and other people have also noted it.
Handlebar moustaches is a thing.
is different from saying
Handlebar moustaches exist.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 12:31 PM on August 12, 2011
I'm so over handlebar mustaches. Typically because they're accompanied by a top hat, pocket watch, and a waterfall of conversation about Metropolis.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 12:50 PM on August 12, 2011
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 12:50 PM on August 12, 2011
The sort of 'MeFi snark' and the (as you put it) 'usual Metafilter response' that exists here can sometimes make it really difficult for a new user like myself to actually want to participate here.
Isn't the point of this site to read about cool/new stuff on the internet and encourage discussion - not discourage it? Perhaps there would be a much less 'usual Metafilter response' to posts and questions if other members of the site felt like they'd be able to join in.
Who knows, they might actually bring in a new point of view or new thought that other users haven't already heard a thousand times over. The lack of participation on this site from certain members is a real shame.
Anyway, don't get me wrong - I love this site and a lot of the posts are great. I gave y'all my 5$ for a reason, and I'd like to get some use out of it god-damnit!
posted by Bron-Y-Aur at 1:02 PM on August 12, 2011
Isn't the point of this site to read about cool/new stuff on the internet and encourage discussion - not discourage it? Perhaps there would be a much less 'usual Metafilter response' to posts and questions if other members of the site felt like they'd be able to join in.
Who knows, they might actually bring in a new point of view or new thought that other users haven't already heard a thousand times over. The lack of participation on this site from certain members is a real shame.
Anyway, don't get me wrong - I love this site and a lot of the posts are great. I gave y'all my 5$ for a reason, and I'd like to get some use out of it god-damnit!
posted by Bron-Y-Aur at 1:02 PM on August 12, 2011
Isn't the point of this site to read about cool/new stuff on the internet and encourage discussion - not discourage it? Perhaps there would be a much less 'usual Metafilter response' to posts and questions if other members of the site felt like they'd be able to join in.
Who knows, they might actually bring in a new point of view or new thought that other users haven't already heard a thousand times over. The lack of participation on this site from certain members is a real shame.
Absolutely.
But that's just it. It's one thing to express a dissenting opinion; you might take some flak for it, but then again, you might not. Preemptively slagging off the entire community who would read that opinion only serves to antagonize them into a pileon, alienating yourself and scaring off anyone who might have agreed with you. You've then effectively silenced your own side and made it unwelcome; you've made MetaFilter more of an echo chamber, not less, and that's pretty much the worst possible outcome.
posted by Sys Rq at 1:30 PM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
Who knows, they might actually bring in a new point of view or new thought that other users haven't already heard a thousand times over. The lack of participation on this site from certain members is a real shame.
Absolutely.
But that's just it. It's one thing to express a dissenting opinion; you might take some flak for it, but then again, you might not. Preemptively slagging off the entire community who would read that opinion only serves to antagonize them into a pileon, alienating yourself and scaring off anyone who might have agreed with you. You've then effectively silenced your own side and made it unwelcome; you've made MetaFilter more of an echo chamber, not less, and that's pretty much the worst possible outcome.
posted by Sys Rq at 1:30 PM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
Who knows, they might actually bring in a new point of view or new thought that other users haven't already heard a thousand times over. The lack of participation on this site from certain members is a real shame.
No one's stopping you brah. Jump in, the water's fine. There's really no bad result of good-faith participation.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 1:32 PM on August 12, 2011
No one's stopping you brah. Jump in, the water's fine. There's really no bad result of good-faith participation.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 1:32 PM on August 12, 2011
Ardiril writes "Very often, these comments refer to the content of the link, not the topic, and thus, these comments are not at all meta. Far too often, an otherwise interesting FPP is undermined by bad content on the other side of the link. Such comments are not threadshits, and they should be actively encouraged."
And often they are completely uniformed. Post about a brilliant artist like Picasso or Ansel Adams or Roman Polanski or Michelangelo or Antonio Stradivari and it's 50-50 that someone whose art appreciation doesn't rise above the Sunday "funnies" will post a "Meh!" or "This doesn't do anything for me". And they are able to drop it in the first couple of comments because they are able to make a snap decision. It's /. hot grtis level commenting that I think we can do without. If you are going to go to the effort of posting something negative elucidate more than a stock Metafilter meme answer.
posted by Mitheral at 1:53 PM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
And often they are completely uniformed. Post about a brilliant artist like Picasso or Ansel Adams or Roman Polanski or Michelangelo or Antonio Stradivari and it's 50-50 that someone whose art appreciation doesn't rise above the Sunday "funnies" will post a "Meh!" or "This doesn't do anything for me". And they are able to drop it in the first couple of comments because they are able to make a snap decision. It's /. hot grtis level commenting that I think we can do without. If you are going to go to the effort of posting something negative elucidate more than a stock Metafilter meme answer.
posted by Mitheral at 1:53 PM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
It's a thing.
posted by Sys Rq at 3:03 PM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Sys Rq at 3:03 PM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
Handlebar mustaches are unsanitary.
SLANDER
Not more than an hour ago I steamed and shampooed mine. It is the very picture of bristly cleanliness. You could eat off this thing.
posted by EatTheWeek at 3:11 PM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
SLANDER
Not more than an hour ago I steamed and shampooed mine. It is the very picture of bristly cleanliness. You could eat off this thing.
posted by EatTheWeek at 3:11 PM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
Interesting timing, given today's post/comments about U.S. military action. Is anyone surprised by the comments and people who made them? Whether it's good, bad, neither, etc., there's no trivial number of subjects for which the comments seem to end up being remarkably similar.
posted by ambient2 at 3:22 PM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by ambient2 at 3:22 PM on August 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
Before I retire I would just like to interject a concept. Here it is.
It is possible to enjoy disliking something.
Okay, goodnight.
posted by Decani at 3:40 PM on August 12, 2011
It is possible to enjoy disliking something.
Okay, goodnight.
posted by Decani at 3:40 PM on August 12, 2011
It is possible to enjoy disliking something.
Sure, I don't think this is news to most folks. Probably the biggest problem that arises from one liking-disliking-something is the fact that other people aren't going to necessarily like very much being exposed to that bit of personally satisfying dislike.
So, if I dislike something, and I get some pleasure out of disliking it, goodie for me. Consenting adults, closed doors, all that. But if I go out of my way to noisily dislike something (or, maybe, decline to make the effort to keep my dislike to myself), other people may get annoyed by my spectacle. "Yes, but I really like making a fuss about this" isn't likely to make them feel any less annoyed about it.
Self-centered behavior is self-centered regardless of whatever sort of stew of conflicted emotions might be driving it, basically. Whether someone drops chaff into a conversation because they're happy or sad or angry or happymad or angrylaughing or whatever else, it's still chaff. Dead-weight comments born of liking disliking Metafilter or some of the people on it or some of the things people have said on it are still dead weight.
posted by cortex (staff) at 4:22 PM on August 12, 2011 [3 favorites]
Sure, I don't think this is news to most folks. Probably the biggest problem that arises from one liking-disliking-something is the fact that other people aren't going to necessarily like very much being exposed to that bit of personally satisfying dislike.
So, if I dislike something, and I get some pleasure out of disliking it, goodie for me. Consenting adults, closed doors, all that. But if I go out of my way to noisily dislike something (or, maybe, decline to make the effort to keep my dislike to myself), other people may get annoyed by my spectacle. "Yes, but I really like making a fuss about this" isn't likely to make them feel any less annoyed about it.
Self-centered behavior is self-centered regardless of whatever sort of stew of conflicted emotions might be driving it, basically. Whether someone drops chaff into a conversation because they're happy or sad or angry or happymad or angrylaughing or whatever else, it's still chaff. Dead-weight comments born of liking disliking Metafilter or some of the people on it or some of the things people have said on it are still dead weight.
posted by cortex (staff) at 4:22 PM on August 12, 2011 [3 favorites]
It is possible to enjoy disliking something.
And it is certain that the conduct that flows out of such a hobby will be tedious and obnoxious.
posted by EatTheWeek at 5:10 PM on August 12, 2011
And it is certain that the conduct that flows out of such a hobby will be tedious and obnoxious.
posted by EatTheWeek at 5:10 PM on August 12, 2011
It is possible to enjoy disliking something.
♪ It's okay to not like things!♫
posted by winna at 6:01 PM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
♪ It's okay to not like things!♫
posted by winna at 6:01 PM on August 12, 2011 [2 favorites]
charred husk Is it okay to still make "typical MetaFilter" jokes (ala overweight Palestinians de-clawing cats)?
Best to cover all the bases when you make a joke like that.
posted by mlis at 7:35 PM on August 12, 2011
Best to cover all the bases when you make a joke like that.
posted by mlis at 7:35 PM on August 12, 2011
There is certainly a pattern here, but I like it. It is comforting. It is like how Commander Data defines freindship, I am paraphrasing here "You receive repetitive stimulation to your neural pathways, soon you become accustomed to such stimulation and even miss it when it is no longer present."
Kind of like how you can get upvoats on any comment on reddit by prefeacing it with "Fuch Yeah!"
posted by Ad hominem at 7:46 PM on August 12, 2011
Kind of like how you can get upvoats on any comment on reddit by prefeacing it with "Fuch Yeah!"
posted by Ad hominem at 7:46 PM on August 12, 2011
[observational comment]
posted by Ceiling Cat at 8:12 PM on August 12, 2011
posted by Ceiling Cat at 8:12 PM on August 12, 2011
Bitching about it on Metatalk is a lot less great than flagging stuff. All of those comments have been flagged exactly zero times which means I didn't even see them until now.
I had to leave for work, so it was a choice between bitching and flagging. It would be nice if I had a job that would allow for both, but I've made some bad choices and it's too late for me to do anything about that now.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 8:52 PM on August 12, 2011
I had to leave for work, so it was a choice between bitching and flagging. It would be nice if I had a job that would allow for both, but I've made some bad choices and it's too late for me to do anything about that now.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 8:52 PM on August 12, 2011
It's not so bad to say something sucks, conversationally. Get two people who are enthusiastic about any area together, and at some point they'll find some example that they disagree about. This applies to metalheads and to theology professors, and it often leads to fun and interesting discussion.
The problematic comments are the ones which say "this is uninteresting to me" (with the clear subtext that it is uninteresting generally, and that those taking the trouble to engage are slack-jawed dullards: this is sometimes text), because there's absolutely nowhere to go from there. I guess it survives because it's a very safe gambit - "I'm too cool/smart/sophisticated for X".
posted by Wrinkled Stumpskin at 12:36 AM on August 13, 2011
The problematic comments are the ones which say "this is uninteresting to me" (with the clear subtext that it is uninteresting generally, and that those taking the trouble to engage are slack-jawed dullards: this is sometimes text), because there's absolutely nowhere to go from there. I guess it survives because it's a very safe gambit - "I'm too cool/smart/sophisticated for X".
posted by Wrinkled Stumpskin at 12:36 AM on August 13, 2011
It pleases me that the only hit for "usual MetaFilter response" is this thread.
posted by scruss at 5:26 AM on August 13, 2011
posted by scruss at 5:26 AM on August 13, 2011
Typical Metafilter: a long reasonable discussion exploring all the nuances of a complicated subjects along with a few witty on-topic quips.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 6:37 AM on August 13, 2011
posted by Potomac Avenue at 6:37 AM on August 13, 2011
"It's EZ 2 B Anti. Check your own posting history and see how much of it is "anti" for the sake of noise and opposition and reevaluate. All of us are just voices in the noise."
posted by TomMelee at 9:33 AM on August 12
EZ 2 B Hard.
"Typical Metafilter: a long reasonable discussion exploring all the nuances of a complicated subjects along with a few witty on-topic quips."
posted by Potomac Avenue at 9:37 AM on August 13
You forgot to mention the links to tangential subjects and badly written personal blogs decisively refuting the FPP under discussion, as well as the occasional revelatory ASCII art, and the recipes.
Mmmmm. The recipes.
posted by paulsc at 8:55 AM on August 13, 2011
posted by TomMelee at 9:33 AM on August 12
EZ 2 B Hard.
"Typical Metafilter: a long reasonable discussion exploring all the nuances of a complicated subjects along with a few witty on-topic quips."
posted by Potomac Avenue at 9:37 AM on August 13
You forgot to mention the links to tangential subjects and badly written personal blogs decisively refuting the FPP under discussion, as well as the occasional revelatory ASCII art, and the recipes.
Mmmmm. The recipes.
posted by paulsc at 8:55 AM on August 13, 2011
All our posts are done
Here but now they're gone
The mods don't fear the grar
Nor do the wind or the sun or the rain
We can be like they are.
La la la la la
Come on baby
Don't Grar on Metafilter
Mods are gonna kill your post
Don't Grar on Metafilter
Just flag and move on
Something something cortex and jessamyn...
Insert cowbells as required.
posted by humanfont at 10:00 AM on August 13, 2011
Here but now they're gone
The mods don't fear the grar
Nor do the wind or the sun or the rain
We can be like they are.
La la la la la
Come on baby
Don't Grar on Metafilter
Mods are gonna kill your post
Don't Grar on Metafilter
Just flag and move on
Something something cortex and jessamyn...
Insert cowbells as required.
posted by humanfont at 10:00 AM on August 13, 2011
I want a bike with moustache handlebars.
posted by Decani at 12:13 PM on August 13, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Decani at 12:13 PM on August 13, 2011 [1 favorite]
Come on people now
Grar on your brother
Everybody flag together
Try to de-claw one another
Right now
posted by Splunge at 1:41 PM on August 13, 2011 [4 favorites]
Grar on your brother
Everybody flag together
Try to de-claw one another
Right now
posted by Splunge at 1:41 PM on August 13, 2011 [4 favorites]
grar on the blue
grar on the grey
grar
rumours of grar
posted by stinkycheese at 7:51 PM on August 13, 2011
grar on the grey
grar
rumours of grar
posted by stinkycheese at 7:51 PM on August 13, 2011
How much meh could a mefite fight if a mefite could fight meh.
Surely this oughta be "How much me could a mefite fight if a mefite could fight me?"
To which the answer is, "100% of me," because getting in a fight with like three quarters of a person would be awkward.
posted by nebulawindphone at 8:45 PM on August 13, 2011
Surely this oughta be "How much me could a mefite fight if a mefite could fight me?"
To which the answer is, "100% of me," because getting in a fight with like three quarters of a person would be awkward.
posted by nebulawindphone at 8:45 PM on August 13, 2011
The Black Knight would beg to differ.
posted by crunchland at 9:02 AM on August 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by crunchland at 9:02 AM on August 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
We All live on a grar-y-submarine, a grar-y submarine.
We All live on a grar-y-submarine, a grar-y submarine.
~
Help! I need some grar-y,
Help! Not just any grar-y,
Help!! I really need some GRAR!!
HEE-LLLP!!!
When I was grar-y so much grar-ier than today,
I never needed to grar-y in any way.
~
She grar-ed me YEAH YEAH!!
She grar-ed me YEAH YEAH!!
SHE GRAR-ED ME YEAH, YEAH, YEEAAAHH!!!!
---Typical METAGRAR-Y-Mania Medley
posted by Skygazer at 3:34 PM on August 14, 2011
We All live on a grar-y-submarine, a grar-y submarine.
~
Help! I need some grar-y,
Help! Not just any grar-y,
Help!! I really need some GRAR!!
HEE-LLLP!!!
When I was grar-y so much grar-ier than today,
I never needed to grar-y in any way.
~
She grar-ed me YEAH YEAH!!
She grar-ed me YEAH YEAH!!
SHE GRAR-ED ME YEAH, YEAH, YEEAAAHH!!!!
---Typical METAGRAR-Y-Mania Medley
posted by Skygazer at 3:34 PM on August 14, 2011
I want a bike with moustache handlebars.
I want to ride my bike to a bar, that serves Bloody Mary's, in big mugs with handles that leave delicious tomato red vodka and horseradish, mustaches.
posted by Skygazer at 3:41 PM on August 14, 2011
I want to ride my bike to a bar, that serves Bloody Mary's, in big mugs with handles that leave delicious tomato red vodka and horseradish, mustaches.
posted by Skygazer at 3:41 PM on August 14, 2011
You forgot to mention the links to tangential subjects and badly written personal blogs decisively refuting the FPP under discussion, as well as the occasional revelatory ASCII art, and the recipes.
Mmmmm. The recipes.
posted by paulsc at 11:55 AM on August 13 [+] [!]
And typical mefites schooling you on politics and economics after you pull the "after all, this is metafilter" bullshit in threads?
Still want to shoot Obama for mugging you last week?
posted by empath at 4:03 PM on August 14, 2011
Mmmmm. The recipes.
posted by paulsc at 11:55 AM on August 13 [+] [!]
And typical mefites schooling you on politics and economics after you pull the "after all, this is metafilter" bullshit in threads?
Still want to shoot Obama for mugging you last week?
posted by empath at 4:03 PM on August 14, 2011
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posted by Aizkolari at 5:20 AM on August 12, 2011 [47 favorites]