They had the web in 2004? July 17, 2012 5:22 PM Subscribe
Is there a statue of limitations for something being a double post?
This post was deleted as a double. I'm not questioning the deletion, it certainly was a repeat. But the previous post was eight years ago. Is there some point at which we can assume that very few MeFites would remember the original, and it might be a valuable thing to revisit? What if there was some new content at the linked site, as hippybear noted there was in this case?
It has not escaped my attention that this MeTa is sort of a double itself.
This post was deleted as a double. I'm not questioning the deletion, it certainly was a repeat. But the previous post was eight years ago. Is there some point at which we can assume that very few MeFites would remember the original, and it might be a valuable thing to revisit? What if there was some new content at the linked site, as hippybear noted there was in this case?
It has not escaped my attention that this MeTa is sort of a double itself.
Speaking for me, if it's more than 4-5 years I tend to not care. When the OP says "Hey it's a double" sometimes I'd go in and delete without peeking too closely at the dates. Might be a while before taz is up but that's usually how I look at them. Doesn't come up too often.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 5:29 PM on July 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 5:29 PM on July 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
I hadn't heard of this before, and it's a fun and interesting little piece of internet thing that happened and is totally harmless. No need to delete it.
posted by Dumsnill at 5:42 PM on July 17, 2012
posted by Dumsnill at 5:42 PM on July 17, 2012
Ehn.
Also, "Deus Meus! Securis in capite meo est." Man, that takes me back, to a 2400 baud modem.
posted by the man of twists and turns at 5:57 PM on July 17, 2012
Also, "Deus Meus! Securis in capite meo est." Man, that takes me back, to a 2400 baud modem.
posted by the man of twists and turns at 5:57 PM on July 17, 2012
desjardins: "statue of limitations"
Well, hell. And it's spelled right in the tags, too.
posted by Chrysostom at 5:59 PM on July 17, 2012 [2 favorites]
Well, hell. And it's spelled right in the tags, too.
posted by Chrysostom at 5:59 PM on July 17, 2012 [2 favorites]
I don't think this post should have been deleted. Eight years is an eternity a very long time in the history of Metafilter. Plus, there is new content on the page.
It's probably too late to undo the deletion, but I'd encourage Taz to encourage Hippybear to repost it. I think people would enjoy it.
posted by alms at 6:39 PM on July 17, 2012
It's probably too late to undo the deletion, but I'd encourage Taz to encourage Hippybear to repost it. I think people would enjoy it.
posted by alms at 6:39 PM on July 17, 2012
Is there a statue of limitations
It’s 30 or so foot high and sits in the courtyard of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It has the "Twist" symbol on it.
posted by bongo_x at 6:42 PM on July 17, 2012
It’s 30 or so foot high and sits in the courtyard of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It has the "Twist" symbol on it.
posted by bongo_x at 6:42 PM on July 17, 2012
The key is to cite the previous post and emphasize the amount of new content. To wit.
posted by Egg Shen at 6:42 PM on July 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Egg Shen at 6:42 PM on July 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
Now, how does one say "Oh my FSM, my post got the axe!" in a bunch of different languages?
(Also, that was an awesome post. I enjoyed it immensely. I love little nuggets of Internet history. Makes me wonder if we'll all get nostalgic about lolcats and other memes in 40 years.)
posted by smirkette at 6:43 PM on July 17, 2012
(Also, that was an awesome post. I enjoyed it immensely. I love little nuggets of Internet history. Makes me wonder if we'll all get nostalgic about lolcats and other memes in 40 years.)
posted by smirkette at 6:43 PM on July 17, 2012
Zombie posts have happened before, I think that since this page has been continuously updated over the past 8 years, in addition to featuring more information about the meme, also since it's at a new home, it should be brought back to life...
To slurp up that little bit of a brain bleed you've got going on there.
posted by carsonb at 6:44 PM on July 17, 2012
To slurp up that little bit of a brain bleed you've got going on there.
posted by carsonb at 6:44 PM on July 17, 2012
If Team Mod say it's okay, I'll repost without the stuff that set off an early derail and with reference to the earlier thread, once I pass my 24-hour point.
posted by hippybear at 6:47 PM on July 17, 2012 [8 favorites]
posted by hippybear at 6:47 PM on July 17, 2012 [8 favorites]
I think that would be a good idea and a great compromise. Thanks hippybear.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 6:56 PM on July 17, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 6:56 PM on July 17, 2012 [3 favorites]
I've a couple of posts kindly saved from deletion as doubles by Jessamyn over the years. It has made me quite grateful that the mods assess each post on its individual merits.
Especially since I spent so much time compiling this one. ;)
posted by zarq at 9:18 PM on July 17, 2012
Especially since I spent so much time compiling this one. ;)
posted by zarq at 9:18 PM on July 17, 2012
Yeah, I was not going to delete initially because it had been so long and because the post indicated there was also new/updated material, but in checking out the site, it seems they moved the site but have not actually updated since 2004. But it was a fun thing, and I'm fine with it being reposted... maybe the attention will even encourage the site archivists to add the newer stuff.
posted by taz (staff) at 10:01 PM on July 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by taz (staff) at 10:01 PM on July 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
Statute of limitations. It's not a statue.
posted by John Cohen at 8:29 AM on July 18, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by John Cohen at 8:29 AM on July 18, 2012 [1 favorite]
I know! It was just a typo, I spelled it correctly in the tags!
posted by Chrysostom at 9:56 AM on July 18, 2012
posted by Chrysostom at 9:56 AM on July 18, 2012
Instead of deleting doubles in these cases, maybe it would be enough just to change the title or opening text to let anyone that cares know they might have seen it already, years ago.
Maybe add some tag like SLYT that warns those people who might not like it, without having the rest of us miss out on something we'd have appreciated seeing.
posted by philipy at 10:59 AM on July 18, 2012
Maybe add some tag like SLYT that warns those people who might not like it, without having the rest of us miss out on something we'd have appreciated seeing.
posted by philipy at 10:59 AM on July 18, 2012
We've got a very longstanding "We never edit posts except for small fixit stuff" policy that's unlikely to change for small-stakes stuff like this.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 11:11 AM on July 18, 2012
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 11:11 AM on July 18, 2012
I think a reasonable statute of limitations for doubles would be however long a post stays open for comments. What is that, a year?
posted by Maisie at 11:46 AM on July 18, 2012
posted by Maisie at 11:46 AM on July 18, 2012
Sometimes it feels like a year.
posted by cjorgensen at 1:26 PM on July 18, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by cjorgensen at 1:26 PM on July 18, 2012 [3 favorites]
When I am a multi-millionaire ('Bring me cake! And fine wine!') I will commission an artist to make a statue of limitations. And it won't be some abstract cluster of bulges and angles. It will be a thing that everyone can agree is indubitably about limitations.
It may have my face on it.
posted by Ritchie at 6:09 PM on July 18, 2012
It may have my face on it.
posted by Ritchie at 6:09 PM on July 18, 2012
AskMes stay open for a year. Not FPPs.
posted by IndigoRain at 11:24 PM on July 18, 2012
posted by IndigoRain at 11:24 PM on July 18, 2012
"We never edit posts except for small fixit stuff" policy
If that was a reply to me, deleting things is a pretty big "edit". So adding a simple markup would be a much smaller edit if you were otherwise going to delete.
Personally I'm quite happy for the things of this sort to stand as they are, neither deleted nor marked up. In my case, chances are I never saw the original in the first place, and even if I did, it's no big deal to see it again.
i.e. I'm relaxed about doubles, the suggestion was by way of encouraging more of them to be allowed.
posted by philipy at 7:24 AM on July 20, 2012
If that was a reply to me, deleting things is a pretty big "edit". So adding a simple markup would be a much smaller edit if you were otherwise going to delete.
Personally I'm quite happy for the things of this sort to stand as they are, neither deleted nor marked up. In my case, chances are I never saw the original in the first place, and even if I did, it's no big deal to see it again.
i.e. I'm relaxed about doubles, the suggestion was by way of encouraging more of them to be allowed.
posted by philipy at 7:24 AM on July 20, 2012
deleting things is a pretty big "edit"
No, deleting things is deleting things. Editing something to change it from what was originally written is editing. They're not the same.
As much as it might sting to have something deleted, that's better than winding up in an argument where one party's position would be "THAT IS NOT WHAT I WROTE DAMMIT" and everybody else's position would be "that's sure what it looks like you wrote" and then things devolve into bickering that would probably last even longer than the arguing about deletions does.
posted by Lexica at 10:41 AM on July 20, 2012
No, deleting things is deleting things. Editing something to change it from what was originally written is editing. They're not the same.
As much as it might sting to have something deleted, that's better than winding up in an argument where one party's position would be "THAT IS NOT WHAT I WROTE DAMMIT" and everybody else's position would be "that's sure what it looks like you wrote" and then things devolve into bickering that would probably last even longer than the arguing about deletions does.
posted by Lexica at 10:41 AM on July 20, 2012
Since we're talking about adding a tag, to indicate "this is a double, in case anyone cares", a short acronym like SLYT, I can't see why it would provoke argument. It's not as it is changing the meaning of what someone wrote, any more than fixing a broken link.
But, hey... it was meant to be a constructive suggestion so people who would like to allow doubles and people who get upset by them could all be happy.
Anyway, my interest in discussing the topic has been exhausted.
posted by philipy at 11:43 AM on July 20, 2012
But, hey... it was meant to be a constructive suggestion so people who would like to allow doubles and people who get upset by them could all be happy.
Anyway, my interest in discussing the topic has been exhausted.
posted by philipy at 11:43 AM on July 20, 2012
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posted by desjardins at 5:25 PM on July 17, 2012 [18 favorites]