Pony Request: Math is hard! January 6, 2014 12:36 PM Subscribe
Last week I was going to make an FPP and got the "too soon!" message. I see this often because I tend to post in bursts, so I look up the last posting time and do some mental math.
Since the form knows I've already posted in the last 24 hours, would it be possible to just have it tell me at what time I can make the next post?
On attempted posting preview: I was notified that I had posted a MeTa within the last seven days so this had to wait, too. Maybe this pony could ride across the whole site.
I was going to say the same thing as Jahaza. Maybe we should delete his comment and put mine up instead because I wanted to say something as soon as I could only I wasn't able to because I was doing other things instead of reading MetaTalk?
posted by Curious Artificer at 12:46 PM on January 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Curious Artificer at 12:46 PM on January 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
When you try to post a new AskMe too soon it tells you exactly how long you have to wait down to the last minute. I just assumed it was the same across the site. If someone reeeeeeally wants to post something so bad that their little finger hovers over the "post" button until the second they're allowed to press it, then why should that be discouraged?
posted by billiebee at 12:48 PM on January 6, 2014
posted by billiebee at 12:48 PM on January 6, 2014
I would wash, feed, curry, brush, style, shoe, saddle and exercise the hell out of this pony.
posted by zarq at 12:51 PM on January 6, 2014 [5 favorites]
posted by zarq at 12:51 PM on January 6, 2014 [5 favorites]
billiebee: "If someone reeeeeeally wants to post something so bad that their little finger hovers over the "post" button until the second they're allowed to press it, then why should that be discouraged?"
In my case it isn't always that I'm so eager to post immediately, although sometimes that's definitely the case. Checking the formatting on larger posts takes a while and when the post page isn't available it takes several clicks to figure out when I'll have access to it again for that (hopefully) final review step.
posted by zarq at 1:05 PM on January 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
In my case it isn't always that I'm so eager to post immediately, although sometimes that's definitely the case. Checking the formatting on larger posts takes a while and when the post page isn't available it takes several clicks to figure out when I'll have access to it again for that (hopefully) final review step.
posted by zarq at 1:05 PM on January 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
Checking the formatting on larger posts takes a while
Well, that's what you get for posting ridiculously well-researched and link-filled posts that inform and entertain. Much less stressful to follow my own posting pattern which involves mostly single links, and has covered such weighty topics as a kitten meeting a hedgehog and some dancers portraying chicken sperm.
posted by billiebee at 1:25 PM on January 6, 2014 [9 favorites]
Well, that's what you get for posting ridiculously well-researched and link-filled posts that inform and entertain. Much less stressful to follow my own posting pattern which involves mostly single links, and has covered such weighty topics as a kitten meeting a hedgehog and some dancers portraying chicken sperm.
posted by billiebee at 1:25 PM on January 6, 2014 [9 favorites]
I'd love it if you could still preview posts even if you can't post them yet. Being locked out of the various site-specific preview pages, double post searches, etc. for a day (or a week) is kind of annoying.
posted by Rhaomi at 1:26 PM on January 6, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Rhaomi at 1:26 PM on January 6, 2014 [2 favorites]
We can think about this, yeah. I think previously the objection has been more along the lines of "really, it's all of a day and you can do the math in ten seconds if you really need to know" than anything. It's a bit of an eye-roll for me, basically, but then so are lots of things.
I'd love it if you could still preview posts even if you can't post them yet. Being locked out of the various site-specific preview pages, double post searches, etc. for a day (or a week) is kind of annoying.
The thing about building a preview-but-then-you-can't-post function is it's taking a step down the road to "okay but then can I save my post" and an internal draft-management system, which we really don't particularly want to do.
Search for doubles is doable already just by tossing a url into the site search box; do that with the core link or two of your post and you'll know whether and where they've appeared before without having to create a full draft of the post. (This is what I do whenever I think about posting something to the front page. 80% of the time I end up cursing the skies because someone else got there first.)
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:50 PM on January 6, 2014
I'd love it if you could still preview posts even if you can't post them yet. Being locked out of the various site-specific preview pages, double post searches, etc. for a day (or a week) is kind of annoying.
The thing about building a preview-but-then-you-can't-post function is it's taking a step down the road to "okay but then can I save my post" and an internal draft-management system, which we really don't particularly want to do.
Search for doubles is doable already just by tossing a url into the site search box; do that with the core link or two of your post and you'll know whether and where they've appeared before without having to create a full draft of the post. (This is what I do whenever I think about posting something to the front page. 80% of the time I end up cursing the skies because someone else got there first.)
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:50 PM on January 6, 2014
billiebee: "...and some dancers portraying chicken sperm."
Oh, how did I miss a post about Dancing Your PhD? And about chicken sperm!!! I love it!
Thanks! That was very kind of you to say. :)
posted by zarq at 2:05 PM on January 6, 2014
Oh, how did I miss a post about Dancing Your PhD? And about chicken sperm!!! I love it!
Thanks! That was very kind of you to say. :)
posted by zarq at 2:05 PM on January 6, 2014
It's a bit of an eye-roll for me
Honestly, it's an eye-roll for me, too. I'm poor at doing anything but rote math in my head so it's just one of life's tiny frustrations that make me aggro. Thinking about it, I actually see the benefit of keeping a tiny hurdle-not-really-a hurdle to posting on the Gray and the Green.
posted by Room 641-A at 2:12 PM on January 6, 2014
Honestly, it's an eye-roll for me, too. I'm poor at doing anything but rote math in my head so it's just one of life's tiny frustrations that make me aggro. Thinking about it, I actually see the benefit of keeping a tiny hurdle-not-really-a hurdle to posting on the Gray and the Green.
posted by Room 641-A at 2:12 PM on January 6, 2014
ok, I added the next post time to the MetaFilter and MetaTalk new post pages.
posted by pb (staff) at 2:18 PM on January 6, 2014 [10 favorites]
posted by pb (staff) at 2:18 PM on January 6, 2014 [10 favorites]
ok, I added the next post time to the MetaFilter and MetaTalk new post pages.
This is nice, but I do find it fairly easy to just look at the date stamp on my last post. It says I posted yesterday at 10:13am? That means I can't post again until today at 10:13am. What's so mathematically challenging about that?
posted by paleyellowwithorange at 2:54 PM on January 6, 2014 [2 favorites]
This is nice, but I do find it fairly easy to just look at the date stamp on my last post. It says I posted yesterday at 10:13am? That means I can't post again until today at 10:13am. What's so mathematically challenging about that?
posted by paleyellowwithorange at 2:54 PM on January 6, 2014 [2 favorites]
Too soon.
posted by laconic skeuomorph at 3:53 PM on January 6, 2014
posted by laconic skeuomorph at 3:53 PM on January 6, 2014
It says I posted yesterday at 10:13am? That means I can't post again until today at 10:13am. What's so mathematically challenging about that?
May I refer you to this excellent post?
posted by aubilenon at 5:44 PM on January 6, 2014 [4 favorites]
May I refer you to this excellent post?
posted by aubilenon at 5:44 PM on January 6, 2014 [4 favorites]
It says I posted yesterday at 10:13am? That means I can't post again until today at 10:13am. What's so mathematically challenging about that?
Sure, if you're not posting at 4:20.
posted by Room 641-A at 6:28 PM on January 6, 2014
Sure, if you're not posting at 4:20.
posted by Room 641-A at 6:28 PM on January 6, 2014
It seems like it would be easier to just institute a queue system. Oh, wait. We already went over that.
posted by sacrifix at 7:29 PM on January 6, 2014
posted by sacrifix at 7:29 PM on January 6, 2014
I read that queuing comment at least once every three months. So good.
posted by Chrysostom at 7:44 PM on January 6, 2014
posted by Chrysostom at 7:44 PM on January 6, 2014
Displaying the next post time is just giving in. It could be changed so that you can only make a new FPP twenty four hours after the last attempt.
posted by ceribus peribus at 8:06 PM on January 6, 2014 [9 favorites]
posted by ceribus peribus at 8:06 PM on January 6, 2014 [9 favorites]
It could be made so that you can only make a new FPP twenty four hours after the last attempt.
Oh that's cruel.
posted by paleyellowwithorange at 8:08 PM on January 6, 2014
Oh that's cruel.
posted by paleyellowwithorange at 8:08 PM on January 6, 2014
hmmm.... Apparently to see this new feature in action I need to make my yearly FPP..... History of cheez-whiz, anyone?
posted by kaibutsu at 8:38 PM on January 6, 2014
posted by kaibutsu at 8:38 PM on January 6, 2014
I got that mixed up with the can of Silly String once.
posted by Mr. Yuck at 8:58 PM on January 6, 2014
posted by Mr. Yuck at 8:58 PM on January 6, 2014
I think you also got Cheez Whiz mixed up with Easy Cheese once.
posted by aubilenon at 9:50 PM on January 6, 2014
posted by aubilenon at 9:50 PM on January 6, 2014
80% of the time I end up cursing the skies because someone else got there first
ok see the problem is your cursing is poorly targeted
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 10:15 PM on January 6, 2014 [3 favorites]
ok see the problem is your cursing is poorly targeted
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 10:15 PM on January 6, 2014 [3 favorites]
...eye roll...
e-mail alerts would be the next thing, or iCal syncing. I'm thinking, we're anyway evolving into the kind of rotund, immobile humans as depicted in WALL-E, so why not speed up the works?
(related: is there a low-carb alternative for eye rolls?)
posted by Namlit at 5:15 AM on January 7, 2014
e-mail alerts would be the next thing, or iCal syncing. I'm thinking, we're anyway evolving into the kind of rotund, immobile humans as depicted in WALL-E, so why not speed up the works?
(related: is there a low-carb alternative for eye rolls?)
posted by Namlit at 5:15 AM on January 7, 2014
"really, it's all of a day and you can do the math in ten seconds if you really need to know"
While I don't care much about this feature and do not in any way expect MeFi to cater to every possible edge-case user scenario or even to care about them, I would just like to add a point of information, which is that somewhere between 3% and 6% of users will not be able to do this math in ten seconds or potentially at all. I probably couldn't. Perfectly functional adults with learning disabilities are everywhere.
posted by DarlingBri at 5:40 AM on January 7, 2014
While I don't care much about this feature and do not in any way expect MeFi to cater to every possible edge-case user scenario or even to care about them, I would just like to add a point of information, which is that somewhere between 3% and 6% of users will not be able to do this math in ten seconds or potentially at all. I probably couldn't. Perfectly functional adults with learning disabilities are everywhere.
posted by DarlingBri at 5:40 AM on January 7, 2014
I'd just like to point out that pb added this functionality in less than 2 hours from the request. I never post enough to warrant the use of a timer (unless it's the Long Now clock), but I don't get this level of service from organisations I give significantly more money to.
posted by arcticseal at 7:20 AM on January 7, 2014
posted by arcticseal at 7:20 AM on January 7, 2014
I'd just like to point out that pb added this functionality in less than 2 hours from the request
I think we should have a clock that shows how long it takes for MeTa requests to be implemented.
no?
posted by billiebee at 7:31 AM on January 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
I think we should have a clock that shows how long it takes for MeTa requests to be implemented.
no?
posted by billiebee at 7:31 AM on January 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
This was first requested 7 years ago and not implemented back then. Interestingly enough, the concerns raised then were mostly the same as those brought up here.
posted by zarq at 8:14 AM on January 7, 2014
posted by zarq at 8:14 AM on January 7, 2014
I'm not trying to downplay pb's awesomeness, of course. He's incredible. Just noting that it was brought up before, awhile back.
posted by zarq at 8:16 AM on January 7, 2014
posted by zarq at 8:16 AM on January 7, 2014
We had fewer staff back then and the idea of helping people post more was viewed in less of a positive light. Now it's not as big of a deal.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 8:19 AM on January 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 8:19 AM on January 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
I would just like to add a point of information, which is that somewhere between 3% and 6% of users will not be able to do this math in ten seconds or potentially at all.
Say what now? Are you seriously saying that people otherwise competent to use a computer, read posts, make posts, etc, are unable to process "I posted at 11:22AM yesterday. It is now 11:22, I can post again"? That seems, um, excessive to me.
It's not math. It's knowing what time of day it is.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 8:23 AM on January 7, 2014 [2 favorites]
Say what now? Are you seriously saying that people otherwise competent to use a computer, read posts, make posts, etc, are unable to process "I posted at 11:22AM yesterday. It is now 11:22, I can post again"? That seems, um, excessive to me.
It's not math. It's knowing what time of day it is.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 8:23 AM on January 7, 2014 [2 favorites]
jessamyn: "Now it's not as big of a deal."
For which I am (sincerely!) quite grateful.
posted by zarq at 8:36 AM on January 7, 2014
For which I am (sincerely!) quite grateful.
posted by zarq at 8:36 AM on January 7, 2014
Okay, I've been thinking about it, because it does seem obvious. It's not just:
posted by Room 641-A at 3:51 PM on January 7, 2014
"I posted at 11:22AM yesterday. It is now 11:22, I can post again"? That seems, um, excessive to me."because I do know how to tell time. Even with clocks with hands. But something in my thought process was complicating things because "so I look up the last posting time and do some mental math." is not about looking at my watch or telling time. I guess it's just something I'm weird about, but at least I'm in good company!
posted by Room 641-A at 3:51 PM on January 7, 2014
You should make people click something to reveal the next post time, and charge a buck. Moneteyes roll
posted by lordaych at 6:32 PM on January 7, 2014
posted by lordaych at 6:32 PM on January 7, 2014
Also market and sell next post time watches that also tell you that no matter how many steps yoi took that day, you could do more. And it's antimicrobial and out gasses pure LSD
posted by lordaych at 6:34 PM on January 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by lordaych at 6:34 PM on January 7, 2014 [1 favorite]
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posted by Jahaza at 12:42 PM on January 6, 2014 [8 favorites]