It's a Favorites-Off March 15, 2012 2:00 PM   Subscribe

I made Griphus and Greg Nog race to 30,000 faves. And the winner is...

Griphus!

The loser of the race was supposed to do... something undetermined but probably embarrassing. What shall Greg Nog's fate be?
posted by functionequalsform to MetaFilter-Related at 2:00 PM (186 comments total) 3 users marked this as a favorite

wut
posted by slogger at 2:03 PM on March 15, 2012 [1 favorite]


He has to favorite everything Griphus says. Always. Within minutes preferable.
posted by fuq at 2:03 PM on March 15, 2012 [3 favorites]


sigh
posted by Justinian at 2:04 PM on March 15, 2012 [3 favorites]


Oh yeah - "undetermined yet probably embarrassing thing" can be IRL too.
posted by functionequalsform at 2:05 PM on March 15, 2012


fate should probably involve some sort of embarrassing dance routine
posted by elizardbits at 2:06 PM on March 15, 2012


maybe with those ribbon-onna-stick things
posted by elizardbits at 2:07 PM on March 15, 2012 [2 favorites]


Can we close this, and then never ever do anything like it again?
posted by Chuckles at 2:10 PM on March 15, 2012 [37 favorites]


FAVORITE THIS IF YOU VOTE FOR RITUAL SLAUGHTER.
posted by Think_Long at 2:10 PM on March 15, 2012 [14 favorites]


BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD
posted by griphus at 2:11 PM on March 15, 2012 [7 favorites]


Wearing a MeFi t-shirt, the losing contestant shall choose a worthy local landmark and commence photographic documentation of said losing contestant in the poses described in the sub-categories segment on the Photo Fad meme page. Also hunkering.
posted by carsonb at 2:12 PM on March 15, 2012 [1 favorite]


ROUND NUMBERS HAVE MAGICAL PROPERTIES
posted by shakespeherian at 2:18 PM on March 15, 2012


Today must be CMPD (Cryptic MeTa Post Day).
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 2:19 PM on March 15, 2012


I've said it before but I'd like to be explicit: there are a large number of people who find the competition aspect of favorite-gathering on MetaFilter to be especially unsavory. So while I understand that people do it and yeah mathowie maybe should have called them bookmarks way back when, making a big explicit deal out of favorite-grubbing is something that is not going to be considered a good thing by everyone.

So, hey, people have to find their little gamification thrills where they can get them but the whole idea that people comment here for some other purpose than just interacting with the community and helping people solve problems fills me with a bit of wintertime ennui. So I will do what I usually do at times like these and assume you are joking instead of serious.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 2:20 PM on March 15, 2012 [38 favorites]


Totally joking, of course!
posted by functionequalsform at 2:21 PM on March 15, 2012


indeed, I do embarrassing things all day, every day. If any of you have ever met me, I'm sure you can attest that I did so within minutes!

I've never even met Greg Nog and I can attest to this.
posted by shakespeherian at 2:22 PM on March 15, 2012 [2 favorites]


I'm embarrassed just thinking about him.
posted by Think_Long at 2:25 PM on March 15, 2012


I revere and respect Jessamyn, of course, but henceforth I shall visualize her as Sam the Eagle.
posted by Madamina at 2:26 PM on March 15, 2012 [10 favorites]


I already think of Greg Nog as Sweetums.
posted by shakespeherian at 2:27 PM on March 15, 2012 [4 favorites]


I've said before, but I'll say it again - I often use favourites as a way to let someone I've been discussing something with in a thread know that I've seen and understand whatever their response is to something I've said. For me, anyway, it's a way to acknowledge someone, without me having the last word.
posted by KokuRyu at 2:29 PM on March 15, 2012 [10 favorites]


I've said it before, and I'll say it again, life moves pretty fast, if you don't stop and take a look around once in a while, you could miss it.
posted by soundofsuburbia at 2:34 PM on March 15, 2012 [3 favorites]


Most of the time if you talk to someone trying to sell you managed favorites picks is trying to beat the average, which in my opinion is an exercise in futility. The smart strategy is to try to match the returns of the market as much as possible (because the overall market tends to have good returns since few people de-favorite posts) while keeping your costs down. That's why my low-cost index favorites fund is good. You don't want to get into betting on individual favorites because that isn't as diversified.
posted by michaelh at 2:35 PM on March 15, 2012 [2 favorites]


/checks favourites, finds he exceeds 30,000 by an embarassing amount.

I'm wasting my life.
posted by Artw at 2:37 PM on March 15, 2012 [1 favorite]


If any of you have ever met me, I'm sure you can attest that I did so within minutes!

I first met Greg Nog in Jeanette's Bistro, in Paris. The year was 1924 and we had both recently moved there to join the growing expatriate community. I came from the dirty streets of Brooklyn, and he from a fishing town in New Hampshire. We had met at the airport, flying in and became fast friends.

On our first night on the town, we met a very nice couple named Tim and Ezzy. Tim and Ezzy would, of course, soon be known across the globe as T.S. Eliot and Ezra Pound. Tim was nose-deep into his Bible and Ezzy was, yet again, trying to find something, the fault of which he would hang on the Jews. This time, it was the poor service at the bistro and after a few awkward minutes of listening to him rant, Tim gave him a shove and he calmed down. We proceeded to have a very nice and enlightening conversation about Chinese poetry.

As we were getting up to leave, a burly and drunk young man approached Greg and asked him something in French. I wasn't up on the language yet and, I was soon to discover, neither was Greg. Within a half-second of his reply, the burly young man had socked Greg right in the eye. It was all a misunderstanding of course; it turns out the French phrase for "the coffee here isn't very good" is very similar to the phrase for (and I am translating roughly, so pardon any inaccuracies) "your sister is a goat." Thanks to a timely discovery, on the assaulter's behalf, that we all spoke English, the air was quickly cleared. The young man, whose name we would discover to be Ernie, helped Greg up and we all went off to drink together. Ernie was, of course, Ernest Hemingway.
posted by griphus at 2:38 PM on March 15, 2012 [13 favorites]


JUST KEEP TWEETING, GREG #TWURT
posted by to sir with millipedes at 2:38 PM on March 15, 2012 [2 favorites]


Wait why was TS Eliot going by Tim everything else makes perfect sense
posted by shakespeherian at 2:41 PM on March 15, 2012 [1 favorite]


In 1924, "Tim" was short for "Thomas."
posted by griphus at 2:44 PM on March 15, 2012 [3 favorites]


The more you know
☆==============
posted by shakespeherian at 2:45 PM on March 15, 2012 [11 favorites]


This is unsavory. Someone add sausage.
posted by mullacc at 2:50 PM on March 15, 2012 [2 favorites]


/checks favourites, finds he exceeds 30,000 by an embarassing amount.

I'm wasting my life.


#humblebrag
posted by inigo2 at 2:51 PM on March 15, 2012 [4 favorites]


Once I caused Jessamyn to say "dildarse".

Favourites are NOTHING to me now.
posted by Sallyfur at 2:53 PM on March 15, 2012 [3 favorites]


Metafilter: wintertime ennui, 24-7-365
posted by lalochezia at 2:54 PM on March 15, 2012 [2 favorites]


Flagged as sausagezone.
posted by nebulawindphone at 2:54 PM on March 15, 2012


ISIBBIWSIA
posted by edgeways at 2:56 PM on March 15, 2012


wintertime ennui

Heh. I totally forgot it was still wintertime.

*slathers salve on sunburn*
posted by Sys Rq at 2:58 PM on March 15, 2012


Also, I too would like to make clear that there was no actual contest to be had, and rather just some timely silliness about a numerical coincidence.
posted by griphus at 3:07 PM on March 15, 2012


in 1924 you would have taken a boat, you great big faker
posted by elizardbits at 3:08 PM on March 15, 2012 [1 favorite]


I'm just going to assume this is a stealth "hey, griphus and Greg Nog are pretty great, aren't they?" post. So, yes, they are both pretty great.
posted by Errant at 3:10 PM on March 15, 2012 [7 favorites]


SECONDED. And favourited.
posted by Artw at 3:14 PM on March 15, 2012 [1 favorite]


in 1924 you would have taken a boat, you great big faker

Back then they used to call me "Oysters Rockefeller."

...but mainly because I smelled like brine and kerosene.
posted by griphus at 3:22 PM on March 15, 2012 [1 favorite]


fills me with a bit of wintertime ennui

Surely it's too late for wintertime ennui?

"Springtime ennui" on the other hand sounds like a perfume.
posted by philipy at 3:27 PM on March 15, 2012


I've said it before but I'd like to be explicit: there are a large number of people who find the competition aspect of favorite-gathering on MetaFilter to be especially unsavory.

Somewhat unsavoury, yes. *looks grave, scans room with 1000-yard stare*
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 3:30 PM on March 15, 2012


I just hit 3000 favorites. Celebrating by being sick and watching...30 Rock
posted by hellojed at 4:07 PM on March 15, 2012


I dig getting favorites but, I made most of my comments before favorites existed, so I realize that I'll always be behind. Thankfully I have my good looks and genius to fall back on.
posted by jonmc at 4:08 PM on March 15, 2012 [2 favorites]


Wait. Griphus and Gregnog are those two kids in that Highlights magazine, right?
posted by crunchland at 4:09 PM on March 15, 2012 [15 favorites]


I've said it before but I'd like to be explicit: there are a large number of people who find the competition aspect of favorite-gathering on MetaFilter to be especially unsavory. So while I understand that people do it and yeah mathowie maybe should have called them bookmarks way back when, making a big explicit deal out of favorite-grubbing is something that is not going to be considered a good thing by everyone.

Bookmarking this so hard. I would bookmark this multiple times if I could.
posted by tumid dahlia at 4:16 PM on March 15, 2012 [5 favorites]


Neither one is close to The Whelk--who can post "I'm scratching my nuts" and get 100 "bookmarks" for it. Only God knows why.
posted by rain at 4:18 PM on March 15, 2012 [3 favorites]


Wait. Griphus and Gregnog are those two kids in that Highlights magazine, right?

Heh. Greg Nog has brought me moxie, sold my store books and stumbled upon my drunk Popeye's eating ass on the subway. Me and griphus have shot the shit via email. I'll let you sort out who's who.
posted by jonmc at 4:20 PM on March 15, 2012


Wait. Griphus and Gregnog are those two kids in that Highlights magazine, right?

Exactly.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 4:24 PM on March 15, 2012 [4 favorites]


Wait, the Whelk is scratching his nuts?

WHERE
posted by Sallyfur at 4:32 PM on March 15, 2012


Favouriting something because you like it is cool; I thought the real problem was people making quips and jokes at the beginning of a thread (and those derailing intelligent conversation) in order to scrounge favourites.
posted by KokuRyu at 4:38 PM on March 15, 2012 [1 favorite]


Well it's a good thing that I didn't just drop by your store and inadvertantly offered a description of someone else's userpic that was apparently close enough to you to be told you already left, jon.
posted by griphus at 4:43 PM on March 15, 2012


I dunno, I don't always want to have to read deep into a thread to find the jokes.
posted by .kobayashi. at 4:45 PM on March 15, 2012


really? Who'd you ask? (and just ask for jon m, they'll know)
posted by jonmc at 4:45 PM on March 15, 2012


So I have a question that is going to make me sound like I'm a complete imbecile (yeah, yeah, what else is new?) but I didn't even know that you could find out how many people, in toto, had favorited bookmarked mashed the little button on your comments or your posts or whatever.

And nobody tell me how you do it, either.
posted by Sidhedevil at 4:47 PM on March 15, 2012


Young woman, straight shoulder-length brown hair. I'm going to Webster Hall for a show and figured I'd drop in.
posted by griphus at 4:48 PM on March 15, 2012


The "toto" referred to above is not the rock band best known for their hit "Rosanna", by the way. I don't really care if those guys favorite me or not, because I have fucking hated their song "Africa" for almost 30 years now.
posted by Sidhedevil at 4:49 PM on March 15, 2012


That could be a couple people. Next time you're by go to the "Staff Picks" table. Sticking out of a book you'll see a familiar face.
posted by jonmc at 4:49 PM on March 15, 2012


I have fucking hated their song "Africa" for almost 30 years now.

"Hold The Line" redeems them, I think.
posted by jonmc at 4:50 PM on March 15, 2012 [2 favorites]


People really care about favorites in any measure whatsoever?

Good grief. Today is my 3-year signup anniversary, and I already have nearly 28,000 favorites. Is this something I really am supposed to be invested in? Because I'm not, and it's silly that others are too.

Either that, or the Cabal is real and I'm completely outside of it.
posted by hippybear at 4:50 PM on March 15, 2012


Gabba Gabba we accept you one of us
posted by jonmc at 4:52 PM on March 15, 2012 [2 favorites]


If Greg Nog did lose a bet, I would want him to post a 1:100 time lapse video on YouTube of him constructing small hats out of prosciutto for his cats with an audio overlay of him making up impromptu lyrics to go with the Law & Order theme. I am thankful no actual bets were involved as I doubt his abilities as a milliner. Sorry, it's not a value judgment on you as a person.
posted by BrotherCaine at 4:52 PM on March 15, 2012 [2 favorites]


If I ever lose a bet I want to be on the other side of the Thin Wall Challenge. Line forms to the left, ladies, it will only take a couple of minutes out of your day.
posted by tumid dahlia at 5:05 PM on March 15, 2012


The real takeaway here is jonmc's accidental revelation that he has confused Freaks with Gabba Gabba Hey!
posted by shakespeherian at 5:05 PM on March 15, 2012


jonmc's accidental revelation that he has confused Freaks with Gabba Gabba Hey!

Ummm. what? You do realize that the former was the source of the latter, right?
posted by jonmc at 5:07 PM on March 15, 2012


Unfortunately for both competitors, Greg Nog and Griphus, the testing samples came back hot. You'll have to return your blue jerseys and your names will be stricken from the record books.
posted by Atreides at 5:19 PM on March 15, 2012 [3 favorites]


People really care about favorites in any measure whatsoever?

Good grief. Today is my 3-year signup anniversary, and I already have nearly 28,000 favorites. Is this something I really am supposed to be invested in? Because I'm not, and it's silly that others are too.


Haha sorry hippybear, but this comment really reminds me of an AskMe question where a woman was upset about getting a lower score than she expected on an IQ test, and a bunch of people responded by posting their super high scores and being all "That silly test? Pay it no mind. I mean, I got 158 on it. But don't worry about it!"
posted by cairdeas at 5:21 PM on March 15, 2012 [23 favorites]


I got a 127 on mine.

*drives short bus into wall*
posted by jonmc at 5:23 PM on March 15, 2012


I got a 127 on mine.

*drives short bus into wall*


Misses.
posted by inigo2 at 5:25 PM on March 15, 2012 [8 favorites]


Dang
posted by jonmc at 5:25 PM on March 15, 2012


Sorry, that was kind of bitchy. I just get a little prickly at what seems like being proud of one's faves and even touting them while simultaneously kind of shaming other people who are proud of them. I know some people find it dorky or unseemly or annoying to be proud of them. But I think it's totally human to glow a little at that kind of concrete positive feedback and I don't think people should be shamed for that.
posted by cairdeas at 5:36 PM on March 15, 2012 [2 favorites]


I love getting favorites. It incentivizes me.

I am mildly ashamed of those feelings, though, is the problem.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 5:42 PM on March 15, 2012 [1 favorite]


I am also ashamed of using the word 'incentivize' unironically.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 5:43 PM on March 15, 2012 [6 favorites]


Ummm. what? You do realize that the former was the source of the latter, right?

Freaks is 'Gooble gobble,' and The Ramones turned it into 'Gabba gabba.' Then there was a kids' show.
posted by shakespeherian at 5:43 PM on March 15, 2012


I am mildly ashamed of those feelings, though, is the problem.

I am also ashamed of using the word 'incentivize' unironically.


You are mildly ashamed of being human.

The technical term for that conditon is: being human.
posted by philipy at 5:45 PM on March 15, 2012 [2 favorites]


SHAKES FIST FROM DARK TOWER

"CURSES GREG NOG AND GRIPHUS! CURSES!"
posted by The Whelk at 5:46 PM on March 15, 2012 [1 favorite]


I'LL GET YOU NEXT TIME, METAFILTER
posted by The Whelk at 5:47 PM on March 15, 2012 [1 favorite]


Favorites are killing MetaFilter please rename them bookmarks
posted by Eideteker at 5:48 PM on March 15, 2012


I am mildy ashamed that I am mildly embarrassed to mention that I was mildly pleased to pass the 1,000 faves mark today.

*goes to check current count* *mildly*
posted by philipy at 5:51 PM on March 15, 2012 [1 favorite]


This kinda sucks cuz I was well on my way to 30k also. Not too long I went out a couple times with this woman I met on okcupid. She seemed kind of off right from the start, but it developed into a sort of NSA type relationship. After the third or fourth time she came over I woke up in the morning to find she was gone most of my favorites were missing. She left a note that she needed my favorites to make a fresh start and she would find a way to pay me back but I haven't heard from her since.
posted by Ad hominem at 5:52 PM on March 15, 2012 [3 favorites]


developed into a sort of NSA type relationship

What is an NSA type relationship? Does it mean they decrypt all your documents?
posted by philipy at 5:57 PM on March 15, 2012


I could tell you about NSA relationships, but then I'd have to kill you
posted by The Whelk at 5:59 PM on March 15, 2012 [3 favorites]


I think you want to go ask in the "we hate acronyms" thread down the hall.

it means no strings attached
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 6:00 PM on March 15, 2012 [1 favorite]


She left a note that she needed my favorites to make a fresh start and she would find a way to pay me back but I haven't heard from her since.

The usual way to deal with this is to write a terrible folk song on your terrible acoustic guitar. Bonus points for slant-rhyming "love" with e.g. "rough".
posted by cortex (staff) at 6:07 PM on March 15, 2012


Sounds more like Blues to me....

My baby gone and left me...
Took all my faves from Me-fi...
posted by philipy at 6:10 PM on March 15, 2012


and yeah mathowie maybe should have called them bookmarks way back when - jessamyn

YES!
YES!
YES!

(punches air, does little victory dance)
posted by flabdablet at 6:10 PM on March 15, 2012


you write "I HAVE REMOVED YOU FROM MY CONTACTS" on lipstick on the mirror.
posted by The Whelk at 6:10 PM on March 15, 2012 [4 favorites]


The Whelk, I'm racing you to 100k, okay?
posted by empath at 6:15 PM on March 15, 2012 [1 favorite]


READY


SET
posted by The Whelk at 6:17 PM on March 15, 2012


GO
posted by The Whelk at 6:17 PM on March 15, 2012 [1 favorite]


"Springtime ennui" on the other hand sounds like a perfume.

Actually, Springtime Ennui is exactly what I was looking for to paint my living room.
posted by davejay at 6:18 PM on March 15, 2012 [1 favorite]


unlike you lot i prefer giving favorites to getting favorites.

Favorites for everyone! Yay!
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 6:18 PM on March 15, 2012 [1 favorite]


Greg Nog is the color in the front hallway
posted by davejay at 6:19 PM on March 15, 2012


in the morning, when we rise
posted by The Whelk at 6:21 PM on March 15, 2012


Metafiler: Subtle seasonal ennui for your home.
posted by philipy at 6:25 PM on March 15, 2012


Wait, is it still technically winter?

WINTER IS LEAVING.
posted by sonika at 7:24 PM on March 15, 2012 [2 favorites]


Universal hate.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 7:33 PM on March 15, 2012


Haha sorry hippybear, but this comment really reminds me of an AskMe question

Honestly, I never look at my profile to check my counts unless someone else has made a post like this one. I don't care how many favorites I have or how many comments I've made or whatever but for some reason I seem to be a pretty active member on the site and I'm always surprised when someone else holds up a tape measure like this and I look and discover that I'm somehow in the same general area despite my recent join date.

Yeah, I know, it can come across as if I give a shit, but seriously -- I never look unless prompted by something like this kind of post. So, if people don't want me to mention what I don't pay attention to, they should stop doing posts like this which remind me to look.
posted by hippybear at 8:03 PM on March 15, 2012


I just came in here to say I have a large penis.
posted by mazola at 9:04 PM on March 15, 2012


I just came in here to confirm that. It's huge.
posted by Bunny Ultramod at 9:08 PM on March 15, 2012 [4 favorites]


[This thread is closed to new comments]
posted by mazola at 9:24 PM on March 15, 2012 [1 favorite]


It's not the size that matters, it's how many people have marked it as a favorite.
posted by philipy at 9:35 PM on March 15, 2012 [2 favorites]


:(
posted by mazola at 9:41 PM on March 15, 2012


Isn't it great when a user name suddenly makes perfect sense?
posted by taz (staff) at 10:09 PM on March 15, 2012


NSA = Noncommitted Sex Amigo
posted by a humble nudibranch at 10:11 PM on March 15, 2012 [1 favorite]


This is everything that is wrong with the something.
posted by joe lisboa at 10:23 PM on March 15, 2012


No, seriously. This is undetermined but probably embarrassing.
posted by joe lisboa at 10:24 PM on March 15, 2012


Ahem.

Favourites inevitably tended to incur the envy and loathing of the rest of the nobility, and monarchs were sometimes obliged by political pressure to dismiss or execute them; in the Middle Ages nobles often rebelled in order to seize and kill a favourite.

Too close a relationship between monarch and favourite was seen as a breach of the natural order and hierarchy of society. Since many favourites had flamboyant "over-reaching" personalities, they often led the way to their own downfall with their rash behaviour.

As the opinions of the gentry and bourgeoisie grew in importance, they too often strongly disliked favourites. Dislike from all classes could be especially intense in the case of favourites who were elevated from humble, or at least minor, backgrounds by royal favour.

Titles and estates were usually given lavishly to favourites, who were compared to mushrooms because they sprang up suddenly overnight, from a bed of excrement. The King's favourite Piers Gaveston is a "night-grown mushrump" (mushroom) to his enemies in Christopher Marlowe's Edward II.[4]

Their falls could be even more sudden, although after about 1650, executions tended to give way to quiet retirement.

posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 10:42 PM on March 15, 2012 [4 favorites]


The only solution is an immediate embargo on favouriting The Whelk, griphus, Greg Nog and hippybear.

The other solution is a cage match, fight to the death Thunderdome style, and then when the last one is standing we release the John Carter gorilla monsters.

In conclusion, we should not pay attention to favourites and I have almost 9,ooo which is pretty good.
posted by Meatbomb at 11:24 PM on March 15, 2012 [1 favorite]


I simply want to applaud all of you who are spelling favourites properly.
posted by arcticseal at 11:34 PM on March 15, 2012 [2 favorites]


And you all have such lovely handwriting.
posted by arcticseal at 11:35 PM on March 15, 2012


The loser of the race was supposed to do... something undetermined but probably embarrassing. What shall Greg Nog's fate be?

You're almost making someone like me hate favorites, and that's an accomplishment in itself. Congratulations!
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 11:58 PM on March 15, 2012


Change his name to Egg Nog as it should be.
posted by Splunge at 12:29 AM on March 16, 2012 [1 favorite]


I look at my favorites all the time, because I'm fascinated by what the community seems to enjoy and I like knowing when I've said something that other people agree with. I'm generally really bad at knowing when I'm off on my own and when I'm in accord, and favorites are an imperfect but often useful system for recalibrating myself. If you'd like me to be embarrassed about that, you'll have to wait a minute.
posted by Errant at 1:43 AM on March 16, 2012 [1 favorite]


I like favorites, but I amsomtimes perplexed at which comments of mine get favorites. But that is part of the Eternal Seething Mystery that is MetaFilter....
posted by GenjiandProust at 2:35 AM on March 16, 2012 [1 favorite]


WHAT
HATH
MATT
WROGHT?
posted by crunchland at 4:27 AM on March 16, 2012 [1 favorite]


nothing really exists, is what i keep telling myself
posted by This, of course, alludes to you at 4:54 AM on March 16, 2012 [1 favorite]


Could you please try to use capital letters and punctation?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:41 AM on March 16, 2012


I'm sorry , but "left me" does not rhyme with "mee fie" in any way, shape or form.
posted by Devils Rancher at 5:49 AM on March 16, 2012


TO THE PAIN
posted by seanmpuckett at 5:51 AM on March 16, 2012 [1 favorite]


/checks favourites, finds he exceeds 30,000 by an embarassing amount.

I know that feel, bro. But ever so slightly more than you, I want to point out. And be embarrassed for pointing it out.
posted by empath at 6:08 AM on March 16, 2012


Whenever this sort of ego measuring shows up, I like to remember that however many favorites I have, mathowie, the creator of this website, has far less. But it's clear he has impacted and mattered more than any of us, because he built and maintained the site not for profit or ease of mind, but for sheer love.

Turning favorites into a popularity contest is like crapping on that ideal and bothers me intensely. Don't get me wrong, I look at my favorites and those of others a lot. But to think they are anything more than a vague and finicky voice of the mob and that mobs aren't the best measure of anything is a huge folly, in my humble and correct opinion.

Now get your goddamn badges outta here, I'm mayor of this lawn.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 7:17 AM on March 16, 2012 [2 favorites]


Pretty sure I have favorited Griphus recently. Had I known there was a race, maybe I would not have. The race gives any fave I might (w)rite an unwanted context.

However, if Greg Nog changes to Egg Nog, then favorites everyday.
posted by Lesser Shrew at 7:39 AM on March 16, 2012


The usual way to deal with this is to write a terrible folk song on your terrible acoustic guitar.

I wrote sixty-three songs this year. They're all about Joe, and I'm going to play every single one of them tonight.

"That'll never be me, that'll never be me, that'll never be, never be me NO...."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:02 AM on March 16, 2012 [2 favorites]


When I was a child, I understood as a child and counting the little gas station logos on the road map was the best part of traveling. But when I grew to be a man, I put away these childish things and then I counted favorites instead.
posted by octobersurprise at 8:19 AM on March 16, 2012 [1 favorite]


On a slightly more serious note... the other day I was watching something about how ant colonies make decisions. (For example: We need to find a new home, where's the best spot in the vicinity?)

Of course it has relevance for the workings of a hive-mind, like so...

We as individual ants go out foraging on the web. We find something that looks good to us, and come back to the colony and say: "Hey, check this out!" Then another ant or two go check it out, and come back. Maybe they say "Meh", or maybe they say to a few other ants "That was good, you should go check it out." And so it goes on, and pretty soon, the colony has figured out where the best spot for a new nest is, or where to find the choicest food, or what have you.

The point being that signaling "I like this" to your fellow ants (or Mefites) actually serves an important purpose in allowing us to collectively process lots of information and make good decisions about where to spend our time and energy.

Side note... when you have a system where one person doing something increases (however slightly) the chance of another person doing it, that gives rise to a pattern where for example most posts and most posters get a few favorites, but there is a small number of posts and posters that get a massive amount. (Sometimes called a power law, though not always accurately.)
posted by philipy at 8:57 AM on March 16, 2012


When you're doing your favorite-count measuring, it's instructive to remember that some folks use them to mark things they really don't like, in order to go back and find them and use them against you.
posted by Nabubrush at 9:35 AM on March 16, 2012 [2 favorites]


ROTOCS
Rolling on the office chair shrugging.
posted by obscurator at 9:58 AM on March 16, 2012 [1 favorite]


some folks use them to mark things they really don't like

Yes, but as long as most people use it to mean "I like this" most of the time, the small number of people who were doing something else in specific instances doesn't much change the overall picture of what is most liked.

One of the advantages of processing information in ant-colony fashion is that the collective hive-mind conclusions are pretty robust in the face of the quirky behavior of individual ants.

Btw, it's not just ants. Neurons in the brain do this kind of thing too.
posted by philipy at 10:15 AM on March 16, 2012


HEY

HEY

HEY

Someone dropped an ice cream cone on the sidewalk, we should get some of that.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 10:17 AM on March 16, 2012 [1 favorite]


/checks favourites, finds he exceeds 30,000 by an embarassing amount.

I know that feel, bro. But ever so slightly more than you, I want to point out. And be embarrassed for pointing it out.


Race ya' to 50000, and the plateau of ennui.
posted by Artw at 10:18 AM on March 16, 2012


Who wants to race me to lose 1,000 favourites?
posted by the quidnunc kid at 10:32 AM on March 16, 2012


Load it. Read. it. Click it. Fave it.
posted by The Whelk at 10:34 AM on March 16, 2012


The King's favourite Piers Gaveston is a "night-grown mushrump" (mushroom)

Given what we know about Piers Gaveston's life, they may not have meant "mushroom" at all there.
posted by Sidhedevil at 10:35 AM on March 16, 2012


nothing really exists, is what i keep telling myself

I promise you that your shift key exists. Also the period/full stop key. Seriously, they're both right there on your computer.
posted by Sidhedevil at 10:36 AM on March 16, 2012 [3 favorites]


Maybe the keyboard was stolen from pyramid termite.
posted by shakespeherian at 10:48 AM on March 16, 2012


keyboard? I interact with the site using movement and odor.
posted by The Whelk at 10:49 AM on March 16, 2012 [2 favorites]


Well ain't you a stinker.
posted by shakespeherian at 10:59 AM on March 16, 2012


Goddamn Kinect hacks.
posted by Artw at 11:02 AM on March 16, 2012


the young rope-rider: I mind people piling on a relatively inoffensive poster much, much more than I mind comments with non-standard capitalization and punctuation.

I'm not sure if taking a look at the poster's entire history here will change your mind, but please do so. There's nothing inoffensive about it; this isn't Twitter or YouTube, nor do we need the site looking like a six year old got ahold of their parent's account.
posted by gman at 11:49 AM on March 16, 2012 [2 favorites]


Pfffffffff.

Get over yourself, dude.
posted by Artw at 12:07 PM on March 16, 2012 [2 favorites]


Knowing what crowds of people like, agree with, or find interesting, or want to bookmark, is a really fascinating thing to know. It is insane how much you can start learning when you pay attention to it over a long period of time. I don't think it is stupid or meaningless, I think it is information just like any other piece of information, and it can tell you some very valuable things, and make you realize things you might not ever have otherwise. So when people say faves are meaningless I think they are so, so wrong. Sure, it's unseemly to use them as a popularity contest or get weird about them. But meaningless, not at all.
posted by cairdeas at 12:26 PM on March 16, 2012 [1 favorite]


I'm not sure if taking a look at the poster's entire history here will change your mind, but please do so. There's nothing inoffensive about it; this isn't Twitter or YouTube, nor do we need the site looking like a six year old got ahold of their parent's account.

To whom are you alluding?
posted by Sys Rq at 12:30 PM on March 16, 2012


Given what we know about Piers Gaveston's life, they may not have meant "mushroom" at all there.

It's weenors, right? It's totally got to be weenors.
posted by elizardbits at 12:31 PM on March 16, 2012


Artw: Get over yourself, dude.

Oh that's rich. Remember that the next time you have a shit fit in MeTa and close your account over people spoiling fuckin' television programs. Having seen your Tweets after your last temper tantrum, it's not hard to understand why the "six year old got ahold of their parent's account" line might have touched a nerve.
posted by gman at 12:33 PM on March 16, 2012 [1 favorite]


Note: Everyone needs a hug.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 12:37 PM on March 16, 2012 [3 favorites]


They can have a hug when they use correct punctuation?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 12:45 PM on March 16, 2012 [1 favorite]


Man people are angry today. I'll just be over here circumcising a lobster.
posted by shakespeherian at 12:47 PM on March 16, 2012 [1 favorite]


...and once again a perfectly nice thread devolves into a rehash of the Spoilers vs. Punctuation debate. Do you guys remember what happened the last time? i_shot_jr was a beloved MeFite who just couldn't take it anymore and left. We don't need another casualty.
posted by griphus at 12:48 PM on March 16, 2012


I thought it was Maggie Simpson who shot J.R.
posted by shakespeherian at 12:49 PM on March 16, 2012


No, Maggie shot Smithers.
posted by griphus at 12:50 PM on March 16, 2012


Smithers was dead the whole time. Watch for the red doorknob.
posted by shakespeherian at 12:53 PM on March 16, 2012


But if Smithers was dead the whole time...

...THEN WHO WAS PHONE?
posted by griphus at 12:55 PM on March 16, 2012


OH THANKS A LOT
posted by nickmark at 12:56 PM on March 16, 2012


...THEN WHO WAS PHONE?

OH SHIT the phone was coming from inside the sled!
posted by shakespeherian at 12:57 PM on March 16, 2012 [2 favorites]


Nobody likes a Twitter stalking weirdo.
posted by Artw at 1:17 PM on March 16, 2012


I'm super angry too and I don't get it. Maybe I need a road trip. Customers are pissing me off, vendors are pissing me off, passersby, iTunes, the shop that couldn't sell me an iPad even tho I have one on order anyway, the cat, everything. The only thing that doesn't, is that annoying as fuck Philip Glass soundtrack from Koyaanisqatsi. Seems just right.
posted by seanmpuckett at 1:28 PM on March 16, 2012


However, I suspect this is not so much about that as it is about you wanting to pick on someone, which is your perpetual shtick.

For whatever it's worth, gman wasn't the only one expressing dismay at "This, of course, allies to you's intentional lack of punctation, so I'm not sure why you're focusing on him.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 1:35 PM on March 16, 2012


Probably because he started railing against artw, too.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 1:41 PM on March 16, 2012


He certainly upped the ante. And let's face it, he does very little on the the site except try and get up peoples noses with this same routine.

(Also he drew attention to the fact that he's the guy who likes taking swipes at me by grabbing sections of Twitter conversations out of context, so fuck that guy forever, basically.)
posted by Artw at 1:45 PM on March 16, 2012


Can you both reel it in a bit, maybe? You two are among our best posters, and I'm sure a lot of us value both of your contributions, and find shit like this incredibly tiresome and unproductive.
posted by SpiffyRob at 1:49 PM on March 16, 2012


Probably because he started railing against artw, too.

Artw thrust himself into that one, so it's perfectly natural that gman responded to him.

And let's face it, he does very little on the the site except try and get up peoples noses with this same routine.

The dude has more posts on the site than me and all them are about interesting stuff. As for the Twitter thing, it's a public forum and frankly your comments to which he was referencing were pointed out to me on two emails and in a MeTa thread. Calling him a stalker is frankly bullshit. Nobody said had to like him but at least get the facts straight.

That said, everyone should walk away from the thread for a bit and' This, of course, alludes to you' should try to put capitals and punctuation in his comments.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 1:55 PM on March 16, 2012 [1 favorite]


Oh extremely. Which is why I;ve taken breaks from the site in the past.

Why gman would want to wear taking part in a rather cowardly pile-on during one of those times is beyond me, but there you go. He wants that to be what he's known for, so be it.
posted by Artw at 1:55 PM on March 16, 2012


Seriously, knock it off you two. Act like adults or move on.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 1:56 PM on March 16, 2012 [2 favorites]


Why gman would want to wear taking part in a rather cowardly pile-on during one of those times is beyond me

I strongly suggest you look to your own actions in those episodes, rather than ascribing negative motives to others.

He wants that to be what he's known for, so be it.

You are making shit up now and should cut it out, because you're looking foolish.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 2:05 PM on March 16, 2012 [1 favorite]


This thread is all about people getting favorites, and I've managed, so far, not to ride my usual Metatalk hobby horse about them, and what I think they've done to the site. If I can be a big boy about it, so can you fuckers, so give it a rest.
posted by crunchland at 2:28 PM on March 16, 2012 [1 favorite]


What about the lickers, biters and suckers, what should they do?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 2:34 PM on March 16, 2012


Oh, they can just carry on, I guess.
posted by crunchland at 2:40 PM on March 16, 2012


I have one favourite.
posted by blueberrypicasso at 2:44 PM on March 16, 2012 [2 favorites]


Brandon Blatcher - Another user asked me why I was taking a break from the site, I responded. I was also aware via another user that there was some kind of meta pile on happening in my absence, and mentioned that too. I probably wasn't very kind about it. gman, and from what you say others, then took the opportunity to misrepresent that conversation, which i had not initiated, as some kind of broadly broadcast outcry, which it wasn't. You're now repeating that misrepresentation, which I would ask you not to.

This, of course, alludes to you' should try to put capitals and punctuation in his comments.

This, of course, alludes to you - please continue to do whatever the fuck you like.
posted by Artw at 2:44 PM on March 16, 2012


You're now repeating that misrepresentation, which I would ask you not to.

I'm not misrepresenting a thing, you actually were being a dick on MeTa and Twitter and it was noted in both places. You then played the victim card and refused to even consider any other possibility than everyone else was wrong and being mean to you.

If bringing this up presents a problem, I'd suggest either not being dick and/or trying to pretend you were done wrong, because it isn't factually true and you can expect to called out on that shit.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 3:07 PM on March 16, 2012 [1 favorite]


I wish we could all stop lecturing each other.

(Yes, I recognize the hypocrisy in that sentence. But really, can we go back to having a fun thread again?)
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 3:08 PM on March 16, 2012 [1 favorite]


EVERYONE CLAP AND HUG
posted by The Favorites Fairy at 3:15 PM on March 16, 2012 [2 favorites]


Brandon Blatcher - Well, what can I say?I think you;re wrong and TBH right now I hope the same happens to you some day.
posted by Artw at 3:23 PM on March 16, 2012


WE NEED BABY GOATS RIGHT NOW
posted by The Whelk at 3:27 PM on March 16, 2012


[curry joke]
posted by Sys Rq at 3:37 PM on March 16, 2012


I agree that there are an awful lot of people who post interesting and useful and insightful things on this site using non-standard punctuation and capitalization. Which is why I never* complain about those posters' punctuation or capitalization choices.

With This, of course, alludes to you, my experience has been that the medium is the message. Or something like that. I honestly don't understand what This, of course, alludes to you is doing with their posts--it's like some kind of performance art to me, performance art that I don't get. So I engage with it, if I engage with it, with the tools I have in my toolbox.

*Or perhaps almost never, because I am definitely an asshole about this stuff sometimes. And lots of other stuff.
posted by Sidhedevil at 3:39 PM on March 16, 2012


I think you;re wrong and TBH right now I hope the same happens to you some day.

Thank you Artw, for seeing the humanity in your fellow and making the effort to raise above the squabbles that separate us, while reaching for the M4 Pulse Rifle of unity and love.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 3:58 PM on March 16, 2012


Well, you know, I didn't take more than a glance at that thread to see who was a participant in it, but now it's been brought up again my level of good will is roughly equal towards all that did.
posted by Artw at 4:03 PM on March 16, 2012


Okay, look. What if that thread didn't even exist? Did you ever think about that? I didn't know! So now, if I went and made a major callout situation withit, everybody steps in. Moderators step in, and there are no exclusive rights for anybody; nobody wins. So I made a decision, and it was wrong. It was a bad call, Artw. It was a bad call.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:12 PM on March 16, 2012


Yes, but as long as most people use it to mean "I like this" most of the time, the small number of people who were doing something else in specific instances doesn't much change the overall picture of what is most liked.

Oh hell, I don't care much about what is liked. I'm just warning people, is all.
posted by Nabubrush at 5:44 PM on March 16, 2012


I actively encourage universal dislike of this invented personna. Call me crazy.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 5:58 PM on March 16, 2012


I was also aware via another user that there was some kind of meta pile on happening in my absence,

"I was court-martial in my absence, and sentenced to death in my absence, so I said they could shoot me in my absence."

- Brendan Behan.
posted by sgt.serenity at 6:09 PM on March 16, 2012


I'm going to bookmark this thread because its my favorite thing to do.
posted by Sailormom at 8:30 PM on March 16, 2012


I'd rather be favouriting recipes than reading more GRAR.
posted by arcticseal at 2:26 AM on March 17, 2012


I'm coming up on 10000 favourites...it's kind of like watching the odometer on your car click over.
posted by The Card Cheat at 7:37 AM on March 17, 2012


I like to embarrass myself so that I can imagine what it's like to be in Greg Nog's skin. Not his actual skin--that would be wrong!--but perhaps grown in a laboratory on a bespoke basis. I've tried to talk to Greg about this, but I'm afraid that we've gone beyond polite refusals and restraining orders to the point where he's training dogs that are part wolf to recognize my scent. If only I had Greg's cloned skin around me, they'd lick my hand, I bet.
posted by Halloween Jack at 11:59 AM on March 21, 2012


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