So far on MeFi today: 16 posts, 57 links (external). August 21, 2002 11:34 AM Subscribe
So far on MeFi today: 16 posts, 57 links (external).
Just an observation.
Just an observation.
I was waiting to see if today was going to be the long awaited day when every single post would have a news story as its primary link. But that Altoids thread dashed my hopes (and was followed by a spate of non-news posts).
In retrospect, in looks like that good-for-nothing vacapinta queered the deal from the get-go (12:37 am) with his (typically) great post about Frans Masereel.
posted by Shadowkeeper at 11:43 AM on August 21, 2002
In retrospect, in looks like that good-for-nothing vacapinta queered the deal from the get-go (12:37 am) with his (typically) great post about Frans Masereel.
posted by Shadowkeeper at 11:43 AM on August 21, 2002
Everybody has a different take on this. I think three links per post indicates suckage. And I thought the Altoids post should have been pulled.
The Altoids post is like an advert directly from the marketing department. I hope they're paying Matt big bucks for this.
And while the extra links sometimes add background, I think more often they just confuse the issue and promote a shotgun approach to the discussion. Point to your link, focus the topic, and then just END IT!
posted by y6y6y6 at 12:13 PM on August 21, 2002
The Altoids post is like an advert directly from the marketing department. I hope they're paying Matt big bucks for this.
And while the extra links sometimes add background, I think more often they just confuse the issue and promote a shotgun approach to the discussion. Point to your link, focus the topic, and then just END IT!
posted by y6y6y6 at 12:13 PM on August 21, 2002
I posted this, which features 6 links, all of which helped me understand the issue better. If you feel that that's five too many, don't click on 'em.
posted by monkeymike at 1:33 PM on August 21, 2002
posted by monkeymike at 1:33 PM on August 21, 2002
"If you feel that that's five too many, don't click on 'em."
Exactly. I don't. Which makes me feel like I can't comment because I haven't done the right thing and studied all of the source material. I don't have time to read all that shit. But I still have an opinion. I just can't spit it out because the people who have studied all the backgrounders are probably talking about something completely different.
I find it annoying. But that's just me. I don't want to have a rule or anything. I think it's good enough as is. Just saying my piece.
My point is that when you include all this background material you alienate a lot of members who just don't have the time.
posted by y6y6y6 at 1:46 PM on August 21, 2002
Exactly. I don't. Which makes me feel like I can't comment because I haven't done the right thing and studied all of the source material. I don't have time to read all that shit. But I still have an opinion. I just can't spit it out because the people who have studied all the backgrounders are probably talking about something completely different.
I find it annoying. But that's just me. I don't want to have a rule or anything. I think it's good enough as is. Just saying my piece.
My point is that when you include all this background material you alienate a lot of members who just don't have the time.
posted by y6y6y6 at 1:46 PM on August 21, 2002
My point is that when you include all this background material you alienate a lot of members who just don't have the time.
Referring to well-researched posts as "all that shit" is not exactly a group-hug either.
posted by Shadowkeeper at 2:06 PM on August 21, 2002
Referring to well-researched posts as "all that shit" is not exactly a group-hug either.
posted by Shadowkeeper at 2:06 PM on August 21, 2002
Exactly. I don't. Which makes me feel like I can't comment because I haven't done the right thing and studied all of the source material
y6y6y6:
We clearly have a completely different impression of what this site is about. You seem to (and let me know if I'm misunderstanding) see it as primarily about the discussion. Posts should be simple and to the point so people can get the run down and jump in and start discussing?
This is directly related to the single link news site posts from a few days back and the "newsfilter" phenom in general. We could pretty easily flood the mefi front page with single-link posts to every interesting news story. Mefi becomes a proxy discussion site for news sites that don't have their own "comments" link.
I still think it sucks, a lot.
Topical news items and other bite sized chunks people can read and jump in and comment promote a certain kind of discussion. The political sort tends to fill them up with boring partisan debates, and the others just fill up with pedastrian forum-style uninformed musings.
All well and good, but the multilink posts (like the aforementioned vacapinta's) are an entirely different, and to my mind, much better, thing. The people who post in the threads tend to be the ones who already know the background or do have the time to do some reading. This results in much more readable threads.
So, to bring my overly long post to a conclusion:
Is MeFi more about consuming content or producing content? Your goal seems to be the producing, but if if all 15000 users did that, the site would fall apart.
Better that its more about reading threads, and contributing/posting on topics you have a deep/special knowledge of or have the time to read some links about a topic. Don't have time? just sit back and enjoy.
posted by malphigian at 2:09 PM on August 21, 2002
y6y6y6:
We clearly have a completely different impression of what this site is about. You seem to (and let me know if I'm misunderstanding) see it as primarily about the discussion. Posts should be simple and to the point so people can get the run down and jump in and start discussing?
This is directly related to the single link news site posts from a few days back and the "newsfilter" phenom in general. We could pretty easily flood the mefi front page with single-link posts to every interesting news story. Mefi becomes a proxy discussion site for news sites that don't have their own "comments" link.
I still think it sucks, a lot.
Topical news items and other bite sized chunks people can read and jump in and comment promote a certain kind of discussion. The political sort tends to fill them up with boring partisan debates, and the others just fill up with pedastrian forum-style uninformed musings.
All well and good, but the multilink posts (like the aforementioned vacapinta's) are an entirely different, and to my mind, much better, thing. The people who post in the threads tend to be the ones who already know the background or do have the time to do some reading. This results in much more readable threads.
So, to bring my overly long post to a conclusion:
Is MeFi more about consuming content or producing content? Your goal seems to be the producing, but if if all 15000 users did that, the site would fall apart.
Better that its more about reading threads, and contributing/posting on topics you have a deep/special knowledge of or have the time to read some links about a topic. Don't have time? just sit back and enjoy.
posted by malphigian at 2:09 PM on August 21, 2002
You know, y6y6y6, you could also start your comment with something like: "I only had time for the first link, but it raised an interesting point..."
I seriously doubt you'd get any shit for that.
posted by mediareport at 2:36 PM on August 21, 2002
I seriously doubt you'd get any shit for that.
posted by mediareport at 2:36 PM on August 21, 2002
I have to say I'm torn. I'm glad there are people who are enthusiastic about posting so much, but I have noticed that my attendance here has fallen off with the increase in numbers of threads. I can't seem to wade through them all. Whether that's because the front page has changed or I have is up to debate.
I do feel that quantity v. quality is a terribly subjective argument (people like well-researched threads, people like one-liners, people like chat, people like the links, etc), but my own feeling is that I got more out of MetaFilter when there were fewer threads and (gasp) fewer posts.
This is not intended as a slam on newbies; far from it (I am more of a newbie than many 14-ers due to my very limited posting). I just feel that "quantity" has overwhelmed my desire to find the threads that are interesting to me (which can be posted by anyone: oldie, newbie, who cares?)
posted by readymade at 3:14 PM on August 21, 2002
I do feel that quantity v. quality is a terribly subjective argument (people like well-researched threads, people like one-liners, people like chat, people like the links, etc), but my own feeling is that I got more out of MetaFilter when there were fewer threads and (gasp) fewer posts.
This is not intended as a slam on newbies; far from it (I am more of a newbie than many 14-ers due to my very limited posting). I just feel that "quantity" has overwhelmed my desire to find the threads that are interesting to me (which can be posted by anyone: oldie, newbie, who cares?)
posted by readymade at 3:14 PM on August 21, 2002
"not exactly a group-hug"
This is true. I'm not group hug type person. At all. True true.
"We clearly have a completely different impression of what this site is about."
I tend to disagree with most people. About most things. I always assume I must be full of crap. You may assume the same. I wouldn't blame you.
I've been very vocal over the years about how I think Metafilter is and how it should be. Most times I get responses that make me think I need to just shut up and deal. I think I do "just deal" for the most part, but you'll still hear me peeping up about it now and then.
No, I don't want the entire userbase to jump quickly into the thread and start making fluffy comments. And I'd be happiest if news stories were banned from the site.
But there's nothing more deflating than having someone responsd to your carefully prepared comment with, "Dude, you didn't even bother to read the fourth link did you?"
Yes, I think it's primarily about discussion, and no, I don't think multi-link posts lead to better discussion.
posted by y6y6y6 at 3:18 PM on August 21, 2002
This is true. I'm not group hug type person. At all. True true.
"We clearly have a completely different impression of what this site is about."
I tend to disagree with most people. About most things. I always assume I must be full of crap. You may assume the same. I wouldn't blame you.
I've been very vocal over the years about how I think Metafilter is and how it should be. Most times I get responses that make me think I need to just shut up and deal. I think I do "just deal" for the most part, but you'll still hear me peeping up about it now and then.
No, I don't want the entire userbase to jump quickly into the thread and start making fluffy comments. And I'd be happiest if news stories were banned from the site.
But there's nothing more deflating than having someone responsd to your carefully prepared comment with, "Dude, you didn't even bother to read the fourth link did you?"
Yes, I think it's primarily about discussion, and no, I don't think multi-link posts lead to better discussion.
posted by y6y6y6 at 3:18 PM on August 21, 2002
I'd be interested in the statistics of number posts by 14k+ members to all other members. Alot of days it seems like newer members make an equal number of posts compared to all other users combined.
It does make sense that new members would post more since many older members may have stopped coming to and posting to metafilter. I just thought it would be an interesting stat if anyone wants to script it.
posted by jonah at 4:37 PM on August 21, 2002
It does make sense that new members would post more since many older members may have stopped coming to and posting to metafilter. I just thought it would be an interesting stat if anyone wants to script it.
posted by jonah at 4:37 PM on August 21, 2002
"The Altoids post is like an advert directly from the marketing department."
i'm a sucker for those kinds of posts - but not at mefi.
posted by dabitch at 5:02 PM on August 21, 2002
i'm a sucker for those kinds of posts - but not at mefi.
posted by dabitch at 5:02 PM on August 21, 2002
The multiple-link posts become almost too much trouble for those of us on slow connections. By the time all the links have been opened and digested, the discussion is finished and everyone has gone to bed.
Now, if you could limit the number of new posts somehow, things may be different.
posted by dg at 6:00 PM on August 21, 2002
Now, if you could limit the number of new posts somehow, things may be different.
posted by dg at 6:00 PM on August 21, 2002
Wow, I much prefer the multi-link threads simply because multiple links usually means a more well-rounded viewpoint. I seldom click on all the links right away, however. I usually check out the main link and then look at the discussion below. If the subject captures my interest, I go back and read more.
About the number of newbie posts. I suspect that many of the "14ers" waited a long time to get in and so therefore had a long time to think of the post(s) they wanted to write.
As for me it will be a very long time until I come up with a front page post (if ever). I have an idea in mind, but I don't have any time to do the research involved because I spend all my time reading Metafilter. So you see many links is a good thing.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 7:06 PM on August 21, 2002
About the number of newbie posts. I suspect that many of the "14ers" waited a long time to get in and so therefore had a long time to think of the post(s) they wanted to write.
As for me it will be a very long time until I come up with a front page post (if ever). I have an idea in mind, but I don't have any time to do the research involved because I spend all my time reading Metafilter. So you see many links is a good thing.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 7:06 PM on August 21, 2002
Yeah, somewhere along the line a bunch of people got the idea that well researched, multi-link posts showed the member had given it more thought and some how elevated the quality of the thing. Truth is, most of the time I don't happen across even 1 link much less 5, 6, 50 links that I'd want to put on MeFi's front page.
The way I scan the front page, I tend to read the link text and decide if I'm going to read the supplemental text and then decide if I'm going to click into the thread to review comments and then decide if I'm going to click through the links. Other people do it other ways I'm sure. Obviously there's no right way, but when there are so many links in a post, I tend to blast right past it. Too tough to quickly sort out which link is supposed to be the headline.
If you want to go into super research mode, I'd rather you just had a first post with the primary link and a follow-up first comment with all your support links, but again, just 1 opinion. There are bigger problems on MeFi than that, so whatever you want to do you know...
posted by willnot at 7:12 PM on August 21, 2002
The way I scan the front page, I tend to read the link text and decide if I'm going to read the supplemental text and then decide if I'm going to click into the thread to review comments and then decide if I'm going to click through the links. Other people do it other ways I'm sure. Obviously there's no right way, but when there are so many links in a post, I tend to blast right past it. Too tough to quickly sort out which link is supposed to be the headline.
If you want to go into super research mode, I'd rather you just had a first post with the primary link and a follow-up first comment with all your support links, but again, just 1 opinion. There are bigger problems on MeFi than that, so whatever you want to do you know...
posted by willnot at 7:12 PM on August 21, 2002
If you consider multi-link posts a sin, then this Mefier is surely going to Hell. Oh wait, he's already there.
Quality beats quantity any old day. Reminds me of a joke about advice from bad art teachers: Make it bigger. If that doesn't work, paint it red. And if all else fails, make lots of 'em. Dump 'em on the floor. Call it an installation.
posted by evanizer at 7:32 PM on August 21, 2002
Quality beats quantity any old day. Reminds me of a joke about advice from bad art teachers: Make it bigger. If that doesn't work, paint it red. And if all else fails, make lots of 'em. Dump 'em on the floor. Call it an installation.
posted by evanizer at 7:32 PM on August 21, 2002
y63:
I don't know what 'Filter yer readin, but last time I checked this here is a blog. Going by rebeccablood's definition of a blog, I would say a bevy of links are generally a good thing, although they do force selectiveness. Also, if there is a raging debate, it is usually over one issue (covered in one or two links). Further, even more links are provided on the fly as the discussion takes place.
posted by insomnyuk at 9:38 PM on August 21, 2002
I don't know what 'Filter yer readin, but last time I checked this here is a blog. Going by rebeccablood's definition of a blog, I would say a bevy of links are generally a good thing, although they do force selectiveness. Also, if there is a raging debate, it is usually over one issue (covered in one or two links). Further, even more links are provided on the fly as the discussion takes place.
posted by insomnyuk at 9:38 PM on August 21, 2002
I'll agree with you Evan. Especially with my favorite post ever. Not because I like Bollywood but because it was linked at a time when Mefi would be pissed off by too many links. PS, I think it's a "she".
posted by geoff. at 10:25 PM on August 21, 2002
posted by geoff. at 10:25 PM on August 21, 2002
Oops. She, then. No gender listed on profile page + Metafilter Boyzone + Secret desire that everyone was a boy= default 'he'.
posted by evanizer at 10:54 PM on August 21, 2002
posted by evanizer at 10:54 PM on August 21, 2002
i ? evanizer.
posted by adampsyche at 4:07 AM on August 22, 2002
posted by adampsyche at 4:07 AM on August 22, 2002
gah! it worked on preview!
posted by adampsyche at 4:07 AM on August 22, 2002
posted by adampsyche at 4:07 AM on August 22, 2002
Tamim's no lady. Seems like he's the go-to guy for crack around these parts, too. I had no idea.
From his user page: "Before things get out of hand and guys start emailing me under mistaken assumptions, I should clarify that I am a heterosexual male. Geoff was smitten by the much more prettier female Tamim of American University of Beirut during a chat session at #mefi. "
posted by iconomy at 5:34 AM on August 22, 2002
From his user page: "Before things get out of hand and guys start emailing me under mistaken assumptions, I should clarify that I am a heterosexual male. Geoff was smitten by the much more prettier female Tamim of American University of Beirut during a chat session at #mefi. "
posted by iconomy at 5:34 AM on August 22, 2002
You have to paste the code in over the symbol after preview--once you see a symbol, that means you'll get a question mark or some other PERMANENT CODING GLITCH upon posting unless you repaste whatever ♠ ↑ £ ¬ µ Â you chose.
posted by y2karl at 5:38 AM on August 22, 2002
posted by y2karl at 5:38 AM on August 22, 2002
off topic: tamim also wields a search engine like nobody's business.
posted by juv3nal at 6:48 AM on August 22, 2002
posted by juv3nal at 6:48 AM on August 22, 2002
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posted by o2b at 11:35 AM on August 21, 2002