When is a self link not a self link/ October 28, 2011 8:44 AM   Subscribe

Do you think it's okay to make a post about a band that I'll be playing with?

I'd like to do a post about a cross-dressing misfits cover band that's playing their tenth anniversary show tonight. Problem is my band is playing with them.

Is that kosher? I promise not to put a ticket link or anything, I just think knowing about them is one of those things MeFi people would dig.
posted by lumpenprole to Etiquette/Policy at 8:44 AM (42 comments total) 1 user marked this as a favorite

Nope. Anything to do with you or your friends won't work. You're too close to the subject to be objective.
posted by crunchland at 8:45 AM on October 28, 2011 [2 favorites]


But I would like to mention that they're playing their tenth anniversary show. That's why I'm conflicted.
posted by lumpenprole at 8:45 AM on October 28, 2011


You're conflicted, that means you can't make the post. "Conflict of Interest".
posted by Think_Long at 8:46 AM on October 28, 2011 [4 favorites]


Yeah, okay. Fair enough.
posted by lumpenprole at 8:47 AM on October 28, 2011


It just seems like a weird black hole because I can't post it in 'Projects' since it's not my project, but since I'm friends with the people involved I can't main page it.
posted by lumpenprole at 8:48 AM on October 28, 2011


Rest assured that many of us have been there. If that makes you feel any better.
posted by Namlit at 8:50 AM on October 28, 2011 [1 favorite]


I've had a somewhat similar conflict before, and the answer was a resounding 'no.'
posted by shakespeherian at 8:50 AM on October 28, 2011


Also
Metafilter: a weird black hole because I can't post it...
posted by Namlit at 8:51 AM on October 28, 2011


Could you post it in IRL?
posted by dywypi at 8:52 AM on October 28, 2011 [7 favorites]


Yeah, actually that does make me feel better. Thanks.
posted by lumpenprole at 8:53 AM on October 28, 2011


If it's meant to be, and the rest of us will surely enjoy it, then someone else will find it and post it. (And, if the past is any indication, there are those who can't help but subvert the system, and they'll probably contact you via memail and offer to post it for you.)
posted by crunchland at 8:53 AM on October 28, 2011


Good idea dywypi, I'll do just that.
posted by lumpenprole at 8:54 AM on October 28, 2011


IRL would be perfect because it would promote your band as well.
posted by Think_Long at 8:55 AM on October 28, 2011


Rest assured that many of us have been there. If that makes you feel any better.

So true. If I had a nickel for everytime I couldn't post about my friends celebrating their tenth anniversary as a cross-dressing Misfits cover band...
posted by Hoopo at 9:01 AM on October 28, 2011 [17 favorites]


It just seems like a weird black hole because I can't post it in 'Projects' since it's not my project, but since I'm friends with the people involved I can't main page it.

Life is tricky this way, yeah. What you can do is suggest to your friends that they get a metafilter account, and then they can make a Projects post like anyone else. Ethical and agentive dilemmas resolved! Just make sure they understand how not to get themselves in trouble and make you look silly in the process.

And yeah, an IRL performance post is fine in any case.
posted by cortex (staff) at 9:03 AM on October 28, 2011 [1 favorite]


The 10th anniversary of a cover band is otherwise MeFi worthy content?

Must be one hell of a band.
posted by spitbull at 9:09 AM on October 28, 2011


Thanks for talking me down, you folks are the best. IRL post made.
posted by lumpenprole at 9:10 AM on October 28, 2011


It just seems like a weird black hole because I can't post it in 'Projects' since it's not my project, but since I'm friends with the people involved I can't main page it.

Yes, projects that are done not by you, but by someone you're closely affiliated with, are things you can't post to Metafilter anywhere. This might be "weird," but it's not a very onerous restriction. The same content could be posted to the front page by someone who isn't biased. The band itself could post the link to Projects. You could post it in lots of other places on the internet. So there's a huge amount of freedom to post it, with just a tiny exception that helps prevent Metafilter from being indundated with shameless plugs for friends/family of Mefites. That seems like a good balance.
posted by John Cohen at 9:19 AM on October 28, 2011


Correction: as you said, you actually you can post about it, it just has to be in IRL.
posted by John Cohen at 9:21 AM on October 28, 2011


you folks are the best

Thanks! I try really hard.
posted by slogger at 9:40 AM on October 28, 2011 [1 favorite]


You could also make a recording and post it to music. No one ever remembers music.
posted by Jahaza at 10:01 AM on October 28, 2011


I've posted my band's stuff to music. This isn't my band.
posted by lumpenprole at 10:07 AM on October 28, 2011


No one ever remembers music.

I nominate this as the single saddest thing ever written on MeTa.
posted by The Bellman at 11:16 AM on October 28, 2011 [3 favorites]


I nominate this as the single saddest thing ever written on MeTa.

James Hetfield Voice: SAD BUT TRU-UE
posted by Hoopo at 11:47 AM on October 28, 2011 [4 favorites]


Hey, I can still remember how the music used to make me smile.
posted by maryr at 12:00 PM on October 28, 2011 [1 favorite]


I clicked on the Music link but all I got was a live performance of the sounds of Austrian hills.

There was also a surfing nun, but that was another matter all together and completely unsuitable for this topic.
posted by Atreides at 12:33 PM on October 28, 2011


Yes, projects that are done not by you, but by someone you're closely affiliated with, are things you can't post to Metafilter anywhere. This might be "weird," but it's not a very onerous restriction.

I've actually become friends with a few people because I posted about their stuff on Metafilter. I think a "link to your friends' stuff" site could be kind of fun. I'm not suggesting a MeFi subsite, mind you. More like an offshoot site.
posted by roll truck roll at 12:41 PM on October 28, 2011


Wait, if you're not a member of the band and just happen to be playing a show with them tonight, wouldn't it be ok to make a post about them tomorrow?
posted by mannequito at 1:58 PM on October 28, 2011


No. If the link concerns you or your friends, you're too close to the subject to be objective about whether the link is good enough to be featured on the front page.
posted by crunchland at 2:04 PM on October 28, 2011


ok. the OP doesn't say anything about friends, just that they're playing a show together.
posted by mannequito at 2:48 PM on October 28, 2011 [1 favorite]


the OP doesn't say anything about friends, just that they're playing a show together.

We don't want to have to go too down the rabbit hole with how we define "friends" but what I usually say is if you've exchanged phone calls, texts or emails with them and they know who you are, then it's probably a good idea not to post about them to MeFi. We are aware this may mean we will sometimes not get people posting links to really good stuff but it's our opinions that there is always more stuff to link to and this is an okay downside to the upside of not having to evaluate each different type of "I know this guy" post to determine if there's any angle to it or not.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 4:57 PM on October 28, 2011


yeah fair enough. also I missed lumenprole saying in their third comment that these were indeed friends.

my thinking was simply that, since I play music as well, in the future there could be a scenario where I share a bill with a band that really blows me away, and it should be ok for me to then put together some links and offer it up to the MeFi Masses.
posted by mannequito at 6:42 PM on October 28, 2011


That's what facegoogle+ is for!
posted by rtha at 7:05 PM on October 28, 2011


I'd like to do a post about a cross-dressing misfits cover band that's playing their tenth anniversary show tonight. Problem is my band is playing with them.

Colour me intrigued: Which Misfits?

Other than that, this:

The 10th anniversary of a cover band is otherwise MeFi worthy content?
posted by Sys Rq at 7:32 PM on October 28, 2011 [1 favorite]


Can you post about an institution you're "friends" with. Like, if the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra has released a bunch of cool recordings -- and I'm a member of the Friends of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra -- am I allowed to post a link to the site with the free recordings?
posted by GnomeChompsky at 7:35 PM on October 28, 2011


The US Supreme Court says that corporations are people, so I think, technically, the answer is 'no.'
posted by crunchland at 7:38 PM on October 28, 2011


That was a serious question for serious people, crunchland. I'm not interested in what the US Supreme Court has to say. Now... the Law Lords with those funny wigs. Them I listen to. Except... I think Tony Blair disbanded them or something.
posted by GnomeChompsky at 7:42 PM on October 28, 2011


I'm a member of the Friends of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra

No? Maybe? We hate these games. Make the post or don't, there is no try.

but I'm leaning towards don't, if by "friends" you mean that you donate money to them or something
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 8:02 PM on October 28, 2011


Thanks, Jessamyn. And that question was actually a fairly serious one. I'm a member of a lot of large organizations that publish interesting information/content.
posted by GnomeChompsky at 8:04 PM on October 28, 2011


Yeah feel free to use the contact form and run it by us but we try to use the litmus "Well if this organization benefits from this, do *I* benefit in some material or immaterial way?" Really we're not going to ban you for it, but we would be sort of pissed. This is, of course, different if you're talking about a friends of the local library group as opposed to a Friend of Disneyland or Milwaukee or some giant megacorp or whatever. But generally, if you're a member then yeah, no.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 8:11 PM on October 28, 2011


*deletes post about band opening for Amazonian women covering Bad Company songs*
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 7:58 AM on October 29, 2011


Thanks to MetaFilter I'm now friends or spouse to so many people doing so many wide varied and interesting things, all that's left for me is to make obscure FPPs on absolutely random topics which no one wants to talk about.
posted by infini at 3:24 AM on October 30, 2011


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