Why are threads deleted? August 21, 2002 6:05 AM Subscribe
What causes threads to be removed? Deep-linking problems, threats by lawyer or is it someone's political sensibilities?
Redundancy is a good criterion for termination.
posted by Darth Vader at 6:19 AM on August 21, 2002
posted by Darth Vader at 6:19 AM on August 21, 2002
Spend a few minutes and browse back through the MetaTalk archives, Doc. All will be revealed to those who assiduously seek the truth.
The short answer : what Darth said.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 6:24 AM on August 21, 2002
The short answer : what Darth said.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 6:24 AM on August 21, 2002
I posted a thread about some lyrics composed by Cam'ron and rapped by Juelz Santana. I won't bother to requote the lyrics (it would be a waste of my time) but the gist was that they felt Muhammad Atta was a hero for destroying the WTC. I felt this was too much, so I posted the link to the site where I found it.
Today it was gone. It wasn't a repost, because I looked it up and couldn't find anything.
posted by drstrangelove at 6:59 AM on August 21, 2002
Today it was gone. It wasn't a repost, because I looked it up and couldn't find anything.
posted by drstrangelove at 6:59 AM on August 21, 2002
Dr. Love,
Perhaps it's because your primary link went to a page that would eventually change. Future MetaFiltarians reading through the sacred archives would find your post and be all, "Wherez the part about the rap stuff?" Links that don't change (or don't change for a while) are preferred.
Or maybe...I don't know. That's the last of my guesses.
This has been made possible by lofi.mefi.
posted by ColdChef at 7:06 AM on August 21, 2002
Perhaps it's because your primary link went to a page that would eventually change. Future MetaFiltarians reading through the sacred archives would find your post and be all, "Wherez the part about the rap stuff?" Links that don't change (or don't change for a while) are preferred.
Or maybe...I don't know. That's the last of my guesses.
This has been made possible by lofi.mefi.
posted by ColdChef at 7:06 AM on August 21, 2002
drstrangelove: I only glanced at the comments in your post briefly, but I seem to recall that they were getting ugly and veering towards personal attacks. Our Beloved Chairman, Mr. Haughey, tends to frown upon that sort of thing and typically deletes the thread if it doesn't look like it's going to produce any useful discussion.
posted by MrBaliHai at 7:08 AM on August 21, 2002
posted by MrBaliHai at 7:08 AM on August 21, 2002
Yeah, what ColdChef said. Neither link went to a specific thing, about which, as it is written in the guidelines, "most people haven't seen it before, there is something interesting about the content on the page, and it might warrant discussion from others".
posted by yhbc at 7:13 AM on August 21, 2002
posted by yhbc at 7:13 AM on August 21, 2002
This is the only really negative post I saw:
But I will add, with front page posts like this, Metafilter sure is going down the drain though.
posted by crasspastor at 8:37 PM PST on August 20
(I'm still leaning towards the "link" theory, though.)
posted by ColdChef at 7:14 AM on August 21, 2002
But I will add, with front page posts like this, Metafilter sure is going down the drain though.
posted by crasspastor at 8:37 PM PST on August 20
(I'm still leaning towards the "link" theory, though.)
posted by ColdChef at 7:14 AM on August 21, 2002
I had a metatalk bug thread deleted a couple weeks ago; I was asking why lofi doesn't let you post replies to a thread (it tells you to log in, even tho you are logged in). Maybe the answer was obvious, but not to me and I got no explanation. I don't mind threads being deleted, I just wish Matt could drop a PM explaining why.
I suppose I could have asked Matt why, though, just as easily, if I really cared. Strangelove, did you try that before posting to MeTa?
posted by luser at 7:18 AM on August 21, 2002
I suppose I could have asked Matt why, though, just as easily, if I really cared. Strangelove, did you try that before posting to MeTa?
posted by luser at 7:18 AM on August 21, 2002
ColdChef: Perhaps it's because your primary link went to a page that would eventually change. Future MetaFiltarians reading through the sacred archives would find your post and be all, "Wherez the part about the rap stuff?"
I'm a big fan of the 1 year ago page and guess roughly 90% of the links are no longer there. For the most part I seldom bother trying the links and just enjoy the discussion alone...although it can be pretty cryptic. I have often wished for some sort of one sentence description. Which is another good reason not to use one word or nonexplanatory posts.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 7:28 AM on August 21, 2002
I'm a big fan of the 1 year ago page and guess roughly 90% of the links are no longer there. For the most part I seldom bother trying the links and just enjoy the discussion alone...although it can be pretty cryptic. I have often wished for some sort of one sentence description. Which is another good reason not to use one word or nonexplanatory posts.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 7:28 AM on August 21, 2002
I thought there could be another explanation, and the "link theory," in retrospect, could be the problem. The only link I had was to the frontpage of whitetrashrepublic, and you had to scroll down a few lines to the Aug 2 entry. That could be the problem, which didn't occur to me before.
As for personal attacks- there are personal attacks on GWB (including mine) almost everyday. If it is acceptable to attack the President, then it should be OK to attack some guy who praises Muhammad Atta.
posted by drstrangelove at 7:45 AM on August 21, 2002
As for personal attacks- there are personal attacks on GWB (including mine) almost everyday. If it is acceptable to attack the President, then it should be OK to attack some guy who praises Muhammad Atta.
posted by drstrangelove at 7:45 AM on August 21, 2002
drstrangelove, I think MrBaliHai was referring to personal attacks among posters within the thread, not an attack on public figures.
I was honestly looking forward to that thread when I woke up this morning, hoping it had turned into an interesting discussion on the state of hip-hop, the degree of its controvery/insurgency, what should be tolerated, the First Amendment, and so on. But now I'm just as confused as drstrangelove as to why the thread was nuked.
posted by dhoyt at 7:56 AM on August 21, 2002
I was honestly looking forward to that thread when I woke up this morning, hoping it had turned into an interesting discussion on the state of hip-hop, the degree of its controvery/insurgency, what should be tolerated, the First Amendment, and so on. But now I'm just as confused as drstrangelove as to why the thread was nuked.
posted by dhoyt at 7:56 AM on August 21, 2002
But now I'm just as confused as drstrangelove as to why the thread was nuked.
posted by ColdChef at 8:00 AM on August 21, 2002
posted by ColdChef at 8:00 AM on August 21, 2002
I have to admit that in the "Save Karyn" thread I started getting nasty, but mostly towards Karyn. Regardless, in the hip-hop thread I never attacked anyone except Cam'ron and Juelz Santana.
I'm starting to think that this was a linking problem, as was suggested earlier.
posted by drstrangelove at 8:08 AM on August 21, 2002
I'm starting to think that this was a linking problem, as was suggested earlier.
posted by drstrangelove at 8:08 AM on August 21, 2002
Maybe you could start over again and post a new link from a more direct source? I'd like to see what kind of conversation it sparks.
Coldchef: heh heh, nice reference..
posted by dhoyt at 8:12 AM on August 21, 2002
Coldchef: heh heh, nice reference..
posted by dhoyt at 8:12 AM on August 21, 2002
I have to admit that in the "Save Karyn" thread I started getting nasty, but mostly towards Karyn. Regardless, in the hip-hop thread I never attacked anyone except Cam'ron and Juelz Santana.
I'm starting to think that this was a linking problem, as was suggested earlier.
save karyn was double-posted. that's one of the main criteria for thread deletions. attacks on others isn't necessarily going to get a thread yanked: what does it is the tone and mood of the post. if you're picking on george bush, your thread may be ok. if you're calling him a lying, fat sonovabitch, your thread is probably gone.
posted by moz at 8:25 AM on August 21, 2002
I'm starting to think that this was a linking problem, as was suggested earlier.
save karyn was double-posted. that's one of the main criteria for thread deletions. attacks on others isn't necessarily going to get a thread yanked: what does it is the tone and mood of the post. if you're picking on george bush, your thread may be ok. if you're calling him a lying, fat sonovabitch, your thread is probably gone.
posted by moz at 8:25 AM on August 21, 2002
Actually, I looked for a source more, umm, known, and more direct but couldn't find one. I have written to Mr. Haughey, and until I find out what I did wrong, I will not repost.
posted by drstrangelove at 8:31 AM on August 21, 2002
posted by drstrangelove at 8:31 AM on August 21, 2002
When I saw the post, I couldn't find what you were linking to in the first place, it just look like some random kid's blog (you should have linked to a permalink, or wherever the person was linking to and credited them as the source), and I saw a couple complaints in the thread about the quality of it, so I cut it.
Frankly, there are too many things being posted now that we have all these new members, so I've been less forgiving, in an effort to shorten the front page. When there are more than 30 threads a day, I can barely read half of them, even if I check in hourly, so anything that is being complained about or not linking correctly will get the ax.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 9:07 AM on August 21, 2002
Frankly, there are too many things being posted now that we have all these new members, so I've been less forgiving, in an effort to shorten the front page. When there are more than 30 threads a day, I can barely read half of them, even if I check in hourly, so anything that is being complained about or not linking correctly will get the ax.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 9:07 AM on August 21, 2002
Fair enough. Sorry for the troubles.
posted by drstrangelove at 9:11 AM on August 21, 2002
posted by drstrangelove at 9:11 AM on August 21, 2002
Until I clicked on the link I assumed you meant freerepublic when you said whitetrashrepublic. Good idea for a post, but we here at Metafilter like our links meatier than this.
I find it ironic that the blog entry directly under the one mentioned is about Dontsavekaryn.com. And the circle is complete.
posted by euphorb at 10:18 AM on August 21, 2002
I find it ironic that the blog entry directly under the one mentioned is about Dontsavekaryn.com. And the circle is complete.
posted by euphorb at 10:18 AM on August 21, 2002
I actually commented in the thread that the permalink was broken. Instructions as to where the post was would have been helpful in light of this. Also, a website linking to Cam'ron and some of his lyrics would have been quite helpful as well. You know, for fact checking, if possible.
posted by insomnyuk at 11:17 AM on August 21, 2002
posted by insomnyuk at 11:17 AM on August 21, 2002
I didn't know I was a reporter, needing to get several sources before I could post something. I have read plenty of posts here that weren't from the best of sources, or plain lousy ones, and I assumed (wrongly, I guess) that anything of interest was fair game here. Perhaps stories about orgasms in swimming pools and He-Man are more appropriate for metafilter (judging from crasspastor's comments.)
posted by drstrangelove at 11:37 AM on August 21, 2002
posted by drstrangelove at 11:37 AM on August 21, 2002
dr: do you want to just be one of the pack or the lead dog?
posted by insomnyuk at 11:56 AM on August 21, 2002
posted by insomnyuk at 11:56 AM on August 21, 2002
And research would have been especially relevant in your case. The obscure store type stories about sex in pools won't really be helped by a link to a pool manufacturer, or a 'sexpert'. In your case, though, a link to a Cam'Ron website where we could read the lyrics of the entire song, or listen to the song for ourselves (like in the website I just linked to which took me 2 seconds to find with Google). I'm not trying to be critical or snarky, I'm just saying, in the future, it's worth considering.
posted by insomnyuk at 11:58 AM on August 21, 2002
posted by insomnyuk at 11:58 AM on August 21, 2002
*or listen to the song for ourselves, would have been nice
posted by insomnyuk at 11:59 AM on August 21, 2002
posted by insomnyuk at 11:59 AM on August 21, 2002
(judging from crasspastor's comments.)
Fret not good doctor. Since the thread has been killed I'll reveal my secret.
Irony.
You said something to the effect of, "Is this how far hip-hop has sunk?"
I said something to the effect of "This thread is an example of Metafilter going down the drain".
That the thread was pulled is sheer coincidence.
posted by crasspastor at 12:21 PM on August 21, 2002
Fret not good doctor. Since the thread has been killed I'll reveal my secret.
Irony.
You said something to the effect of, "Is this how far hip-hop has sunk?"
I said something to the effect of "This thread is an example of Metafilter going down the drain".
That the thread was pulled is sheer coincidence.
posted by crasspastor at 12:21 PM on August 21, 2002
Perhaps I'm a redneck.
posted by drstrangelove at 2:11 PM on August 21, 2002
posted by drstrangelove at 2:11 PM on August 21, 2002
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posted by ColdChef at 6:16 AM on August 21, 2002