Pest Bost Contest for January 2019! December 31, 2018 2:39 PM   Subscribe

Happy New Year! We've swapped months for the annual contest; out with December and in with January. So now it's time for the Mefite's Choice Best Post Contest! As always, Vote by flagging posts with the Fantastic Flag -- all month long, as many as you want. We'll have winners every week. Mefites can offer individual awards in categories of their choosing too.

If you want to offer an award, put it in the comments here and we can add it to this post. You get to set the terms, and say whether you're offering a tangible or intangible prize.

Overall:
Most Fantastic-flagged post of each week (you can only win once, just to give everybody a chance), awarded on Saturdays and on January 31
Most Fantastic-flagged post of the entire month at the end of the month (we usually recognize the top five)

First/Second-Time Posters:
If you've been waiting to post, this is your moment! All month we'll be recognizing first- and second-time posters in the weekly award threads, and at the end of the month we'll recognize the most-fantastic'd first- and second-time posts! You can tag your post "FirstPost" or "SecondPost" as applicable, or we'll add that tag for you (frimble made us a tool to find them).

Individual prizes, where "best" is up to the prize-offerer's discretion:
Using TAGS helps award-givers find your posts! (Historically Eyebrows has tried to run through every post and throw best post contest tags on them, but sometimes she misses some.)

Any user can offer an award! You can send a tangible prize, or just highlight great posts, up to you. Tell us in this thread what you'd like your award to be, and we'll add it below. Note that there's a bit of finesse in picking a good category: You don't want something overwhelmingly broad ("Art" almost gave cortex conniptions a couple contests ago because there were SO MANY qualifying posts), but not so narrow that it's unlikely to get many posts ("Teapot manufacture in Qing China" is too narrow -- but "Chinese art" might work, or "ceramics." You might get lucky with "teapots" but that would probably also be too narrow). Similarly, if you offer an award for a topic that you frequently post about, you might not get any posts, because everyone subconsciously expects those sorts of posts to come from you! (This happened to Fizz when he offered a video game post award.) As Eyebrows has to go through and tag all the posts, she reserves the right to change your extremely clever tag if she's never going to remember it or can't spell it.

The categories!

LobsterMitten wants to see your best shortish post about history -- prize: my sincere regard and a postcard (Tag: history)

Eyebrows is after the "post that most engages my kids" -- prize: uhhhhh let me get back to you on that (Tag: kids)

hippybear is interested in the best non-US post -- prize: 3 arty prizes (no specific tag)

Wordshore wants, for whatever reason, to hear about poop, literal or metaphorical -- prize: mystery (Tag: poop)

rangefinder 1.4 is continuing the tradition of rewarding the best post about not-so-famous women doing awesome things! With bonus consideration for underrepresented women -- prize: postcards (Tags: awesomewomen, representation)

filthylightthief is Keeping MeFi Weird by looking for posts about oddities and unusual topics -- prize: The Happy Mutant Handbook (Tags: KeepMefiWeird, Oddity)

filthylightthief ALSO wants to see your posts about local history (and not necessary local to you!) -- prize: unused postcards (Tag: TourGuide)

Meatbomb is offering the coveted "Phoned It In" award to the lastest minute lowest effort post submitted on or around midnight last day of the month. (no tag)

capricorn is offering the Taciturn Award to the best single-link post in January. To be eligible, links must have zero or minimal commentary and no "more inside" section -- prize: a postcard with a single word on it (Tag: singlelink)
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) to MetaFilter-Related at 2:39 PM (54 comments total) 12 users marked this as a favorite

I'm going to offer a Best Non-US-Centric Post award. I'm not going to do weekly awards like I have in the past, but I will offer up Three Top Prizes of a choice of small watercolor or bar-napkin-weird-humor-doodle from an artist friend of mine [he gifted me a bunch of art a while back to do with as I wish].

I'll select winners within the first week of February, and any post that is entirely non-US-centric will be read by me and sorted out until only three remain. I will undoubtedly highlight Honorable Mentions in my round-up.
posted by hippybear at 3:37 PM on December 31, 2018 [7 favorites]


Individual prizes, where "best" is up to the prize-offerer's discretion...

In this category, Wordshore will award three 'mystery' prizes (all of which will be sent/delivered during 2019), comprising of a winners prize and two prizes for runners up, for (in his humble opinion) the best post that has been defecated onto the blue about some aspect of ... poo or poop. You may interpret this literally, or perhaps take a more sideways or holistic approach. (Tag: poo)(Tag: poop)

Similar to hippybears approach, I will select the three during the first week of February.
posted by Wordshore at 3:57 PM on December 31, 2018 [9 favorites]


Hooray! I am so excited because this is one of my favorite MeFi events ever. Thank you, mods! Here's my category:

I'd like to see posts about a not-so-famous woman (or women) doing awesome things! Bonus consideration for diversity and under-represented people. Definition of "not-so-famous" is basically whether I am familiar with the person or not. (This is an attempt to make the category more manageable, since I expect January will be pretty intense for me schedule-wise.)

Tags: must have "awesomewomen"; optional: "representation"

I will award prizes for a handful of winners. I'll send you a postcard with a handwritten message, even if you're not located in the US. Bonus winner will also get a MetaFilter sticker (which are apparently now sold out).

Thank you again to ocherdraco for originating the awesome women category and allowing me to continue it.
posted by rangefinder 1.4 at 4:34 PM on December 31, 2018 [5 favorites]


Yaah!

I like oddities and unusual topics, so tag something KeepMeFiWeird or Oddity for a chance to get a copy of The Happy Mutant Handbook.

I'm offering a pack of random, unused postcards and cards to my favorite post about a bit of local history. It doesn't have to be your current locale, so it's really about any bit of history tied to a specific region or location. Please tag posts TourGuide.

Also, if you have any hesitation about posting, I'll say don't worry! Post that thing! Well, after making sure it hasn't already been posted. Don't rely on the link checker, especially for YouTube videos or broad topics. You can check tags. Even then, if you post a double, you can try again in 24 hours.

And if you botch a link or make a mess of something, mods can help and fix things (I've done this in a number of my recent posts -- thanks, mods!). You can also reach out to other MeFites whose posts you like to ask for a read-over or review, I don't know if anyone would decline. I've done it a few times, and I'm happy to help again!
posted by filthy light thief at 7:10 PM on December 31, 2018 [2 favorites]


Pest Bost!!
posted by infinitewindow at 7:55 PM on December 31, 2018 [2 favorites]


the idea is that the person who created the post can add a tag to bring it to the award category's attention? I can't nominate someone else's post?
posted by Cozybee at 12:01 AM on January 1, 2019


In the case of Non-US-Centric posts, I'm not relying on tags. I will read every post and pull those which qualify into the competition.

If you feel a post needs attention for a prize, mention it in the comments and then flag your comment so the mods can add the tag. That's my suggestion.
posted by hippybear at 1:39 AM on January 1, 2019


Cozybee, I don't think nomination has been discussed before. Award presenters are generally the ones who pick their favorites, other than Most Favorited Posts. I guess folks could mention their favorites for categories in the end of the month wrap-up thread? That's my initial thought.
posted by filthy light thief at 6:15 AM on January 1, 2019


Meatbomb is offering the coveted "Phoned It In" award to the lastest minute lowest effort post submitted on or around midnight last day of the month. Some conditions apply.
posted by Meatbomb at 6:31 AM on January 1, 2019 [10 favorites]


This happened to Fizz when he offered a video game post award.

Hoisted by my own petard!
posted by Fizz at 6:41 AM on January 1, 2019 [1 favorite]


Dang it, Wordshore. As a biologist, I really feel honor bound and obligated to make you a really good poop post. As a recently-defended PhD trying to finish the revisions and get the damn thing submitted before my paycheck runs out, I know that I don't have time. … but I've got like, five poop tabs open already....
posted by Made of Star Stuff at 7:13 AM on January 1, 2019 [11 favorites]


MetaFilter: I've got like, five poop tabs open already.
posted by hippybear at 7:31 AM on January 1, 2019 [14 favorites]


I have a main window that I use for MetaFilter with separate tabs for each post I am continuing to follow. I close the tab when the thread is no longer interesting/active.

I am now calling them poop tabs for the rest of my life.
posted by hippybear at 7:32 AM on January 1, 2019 [3 favorites]


Cozybee - about adding tags to posts-
To me, the tags thing is mostly just a shortcut to help make the huge task of sorting thru a month's worth of posts manageable, so people can be loosey-goosey about eligibility. You could mefimail someone directly if you thought there was a post they should see, and they can choose to include it in their consideration even if it doesn't have a tag.

(Just for general info in case anyone doesn't know this) There are three ways posts get tagged:
- Posters can add the relevant tags to their own posts, at the time of posting or later
- Mods can add tags - Eyebrows often does this systematically for the whole contest (big job, and that's why she wears a laurel wreath and rides in a sedan chair the whole rest of the year)
- Mutual contacts (two members who have made each other "contacts" on their profile pages) can add tags to each other's posts.
If you see a post that you think should have a certain tag, you can let the mods or the poster or the contest-category-judger know directly.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 9:49 AM on January 1, 2019


Yep, you can definitely contact me and say "hey, I think this post needs *whatever* tag" if you're not mutual contacts!
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 10:06 AM on January 1, 2019


Unfortunately, the only news from the home of the stool scale about poop so far this year is a (figuratively, not literally) deathly dull mixing bleach and drain cleaner mistake, which has nothing on my favourite pun of my own from last year, the gert flush post.

So I'm probably not going to post in the poop category this month. Looking forward to seeing the results. Thanks all.
posted by ambrosen at 11:01 AM on January 1, 2019 [1 favorite]


And if you botch a link or make a mess of something, mods can help and fix things (I've done this in a number of my recent posts -- thanks, mods!).

*waves arms*

For first-time posters: this is totally a thing! I've screwed up links, posted glaring typos, etc. in the past, and will likely do so in the future. A quick note to the mods via the contact form specifying the mistake (e.g., giving them a URL that I left out and the text it belongs to as a hyperlink) will get it fixed in a jiffy.

They're good like that, so don't hesitate to ask!
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 12:07 PM on January 1, 2019 [3 favorites]


I will offer any (available) game from Button Shy Games to the author of the Best Gaming Post, as judged entirely by me (maybe this will also trigger a new NetHack release).
posted by Etrigan at 12:32 PM on January 1, 2019


rangefinder 1.4 is continuing the tradition of rewarding the best post about not-so-famous women doing awesome things! With bonus consideration for underrepresented women -- prize: postcards (Tags: awesomewomen, representation)

Rats, wish I had known before I posted this in December!
posted by nightrecordings at 1:32 PM on January 1, 2019 [4 favorites]


Are you eligible for first-time poster if you've made posts but they were the politics megathread and someone had to do it?
posted by Merus at 3:23 PM on January 1, 2019 [1 favorite]


Tag yourself as FirstPost just so we can all be like "yay!" and I'll do my best to remember to highlight you even though it's not in the tool's output!
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 7:37 PM on January 1, 2019 [2 favorites]


Merus: yes.
posted by Meatbomb at 8:25 PM on January 1, 2019 [1 favorite]


The politics megathreads are not required, and nobody has to do them.
posted by hippybear at 8:32 PM on January 1, 2019 [4 favorites]


I'd like to offer the Taciturn Award to the best single-link post in January. To be eligible, links must have zero or minimal commentary and no "more inside" section. Please tag them singlelink! The poster of my favorite single-link FPP will receive a postcard with a single word on it.
posted by capricorn at 9:03 AM on January 2, 2019 [7 favorites]


capricorn's challenge is made more difficult as you have to have a zero or minimal commentary post that also does not fall foul of the mods. Mine, after taking many hours* of careful design and elaborate construction, survived for six minutes before it was deleted. Though it still got a comment during its extremely brief day in the sun, so there's that. Good luck, other contestants!

{suddenly realises cannot now post for another 23 hours and 50 minutes or so; utters old Anglo-Saxon phrases in the general direction of Portland}

*May be a slight exaggeration.
posted by Wordshore at 4:09 PM on January 2, 2019 [5 favorites]


Wordshore, I laughed!

(Shout-out to my fellow overly-literal people out there; this is an example of what I meant by "zero or minimal commentary". I meant outside the link text! Whoops!)
posted by capricorn at 4:30 PM on January 2, 2019 [2 favorites]


Worshore, I feel you! I thought I was being exceedingly clever, but my meta post linking back to metafilter was deleted with "This post was deleted for the following reason: Do you want to go to prom with me? Check one Y[] N[]". C'mon, I bet no-one has ever thought of doing that!
posted by QuakerMel at 4:32 PM on January 2, 2019 [3 favorites]


Dare the depths, risk the grue!
posted by cortex (staff) at 4:33 PM on January 2, 2019 [5 favorites]


My neighbour, who has never seen MetaFilter before, looked at my deleted post (and the sole comment and mod deletion reason), got really confused and said “Are these the moves in the world’s shortest chess game?”
posted by Wordshore at 4:34 PM on January 2, 2019 [8 favorites]


Mornington Crescent.
posted by Etrigan at 4:31 AM on January 3, 2019 [3 favorites]


Finchley Central.

What do I win? (Oh damn, I outted myself as a Yank.)
posted by filthy light thief at 6:40 AM on January 3, 2019


My comment in Wordshore’s deleted post just got a second favorite from BEYOND THE GRAVE.


posted by Huffy Puffy at 11:25 AM on January 4, 2019 [5 favorites]


Right: in the middle of another MeTa thread that was getting a little tense, some participants tried to introduce a tangent to lighten the mood a bit, and over the course of that tangent A Fiendish Thingy suggested that we introduce a "This Post Was Butt" challenge, for posts about butts or butt-related topics.

It was further established that the existing Poop challenge does not overlap it (as cgc373 stated, "Poop is but poop, while butts do far, far more than poop alone"), and I realized that I'm one of the Mefites best equipped to judge (although I will gladly share judging duties with others), so:

Announcing the "This Post Was Butt" challenge. Tag: "JanuaryButt." Prize: ...I'll get a bar of the "Buffy The Backside Slayer" exfoliating moisture bar from LUSH or some other similar butt-related body care product.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:37 PM on January 4, 2019 [6 favorites]


Upon skimming I saw only the link in bold and was horrified that someone would give a television parody backdoor porn away as a prize, but apparently that's not what "backside slayer" is referring.
posted by hippybear at 3:43 PM on January 4, 2019 [2 favorites]


Must admit I'm slightly crestfallen that there has not been a shitload of posts about poop (or poo) so far; just one tagged as such. Especially as there are so many easy stories in the news that could becoming posts.

Still, it's only the 4th, so plenty of time I guess.
posted by Wordshore at 3:52 PM on January 4, 2019 [1 favorite]


Reminder to everyone, get out there and vote! Be sure to use the Fantastic Flag (not favorites). You can vote for as many posts as you like, all month long.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 10:23 AM on January 5, 2019


Yeah, I’m just gonna claim my Taciturn Award now, what with getting one post and two MeTas out of a single link.
posted by Etrigan at 5:52 PM on January 5, 2019 [1 favorite]


Speaking of the Taciturn Award, an additional clarification: I've decided that "here's one link in two formats" e.g. twitter + threadreader still counts as a single link!
posted by capricorn at 1:17 PM on January 7, 2019 [1 favorite]


Holy crap, y'all! I knew when I offered this prize I would become more aware of how many posts on The Blue aren't about the US, but I think you're outdoing yourselves right now even compared to last year, and I bet you don't even know it!

MetaFilter has become a much more international place than most of you realize. Revel in the non-US posts, as they are amazing! I might end up doing a complete month round-up as a separate post from prizes I award, just so everyone can notice everything I noticed.

Such a fun exercise for me! Thanks everyone!
posted by hippybear at 8:42 PM on January 8, 2019 [2 favorites]


Here to check if someone had created some sort of Cheese category based on recent MeFi posts, but I guess it's just the general love of cheese here.

capricorn, the Taciturn category and prize are brilliant and I wish I'd thought of the idea myself. You've actually gotten me considering making a post now, when I hadn't planned on it this month.
posted by rangefinder 1.4 at 1:07 AM on January 10, 2019 [1 favorite]


Announcing the "This Post Was Butt" challenge.

Given the so far surprisingly hostile responses to my entry, I guess I will not be winning the prize. Alas! Even a goofy article about idiot hockey babies falls prey to the grumpy beanplating curse.
posted by a fiendish thingy at 8:51 AM on January 10, 2019 [3 favorites]


aw, I like the hockey butt post.

I considered doing a single-link post on this story for both the "this post is butt" and "taciturn" awards, but I was worried I'd be accused of

(•_•)
( •_•)>⌐■-■
(⌐■_■)

shitposting.
posted by duffell at 9:45 AM on January 10, 2019 [4 favorites]


Fiendish Thingy: The tide has turned, and right now you're also the only contestant in the "this Post Is Butt" contest anyway. Fret not!
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:52 AM on January 10, 2019


Linking to tags, for folks who want to relive and review past posts:
  • First/Second-Time Posters: FirstPost or SecondPost
  • LobsterMitten wants to see your best shortish post about history
  • Eyebrows is after the "post that most engages my kids"
  • hippybear is interested in the best non-US post (no specific tag)
  • Wordshore wants, for whatever reason, to hear about poop, literal or metaphorical
  • rangefinder 1.4 is continuing the tradition of rewarding the best post about not-so-famous women doing awesome things! With bonus consideration for underrepresented women -- Tags: AwesomeWomen, representation
  • filthylightthief is Keeping MeFi Weird by looking for posts about oddities and unusual topics -- Tags: KeepMefiWeird, oddity
  • filthylightthief ALSO wants to see your posts about local history (and not necessary local to you!) -- Tag: TourGuide
  • capricorn is offering the Taciturn Award to the best single-link post with zero or minimal commentary and no "more inside" section --Tag: SingleLink
  • I will offer any (available) game from Button Shy Games to the author of the Best Gaming Post -- Tag: ?
  • EmpressCallipygos announced the "This Post Was Butt" challenge. Tag: JanuaryButt.
  • Meatbomb is offering the coveted "Phoned It In" award to the lastest minute lowest effort post submitted on or around midnight last day of the month (no tag)
posted by filthy light thief at 10:53 AM on January 10, 2019 [1 favorite]


•I will offer any (available) game from Button Shy Games to the author of the Best Gaming Post -- Tag: ?

No tag. My job has very fits-and-starts, and I have chronic insomnia. I read every story on the Blue and most of the comments.
posted by Etrigan at 10:58 AM on January 10, 2019 [2 favorites]


Damn, copy-edit fail: "I will offer any (available) game from Button Shy Games to the author of the Best Gaming Post -- Tag: ?" -- this is Etrigan's offer, not mine.
posted by filthy light thief at 10:59 AM on January 10, 2019 [1 favorite]


Acute Constipation Alert - no poop for the last week, alas :(

As they say (no-one ever says who 'they' are, but, nevermind) you've got to be in it (the poop?) to win it (prizes! three of them!). There is so much poop in the news and online - one example of many - so have a go at making a post and maybe you will win!

And to publicly answer one MeFite messenger: the prizes are not 'poop in a box' than you very much. Classier than that.
posted by Wordshore at 10:57 AM on January 14, 2019 [1 favorite]


Wordshore, I went ahead and decided to give a shit at last. Behold.
posted by duffell at 5:30 PM on January 14, 2019 [1 favorite]


And to publicly answer one MeFite messenger: the prizes are not 'poop in a box' than you very much. Classier than that.

You expect us to believe only one person asked you this question?

Is the prize 'fake poop in a box'?
posted by Emmy Rae at 8:16 AM on January 15, 2019


My lawyer has advised me to invoke the fifth amendment and not to answer that question.
posted by Wordshore at 9:59 AM on January 15, 2019


I was on vacation, Wordshore. Be of good cheer; you are not up shit creek without a paddle. I will be making more shitposts. I find I cannot help myself.
posted by Bella Donna at 2:41 AM on January 18, 2019 [3 favorites]


I'm going to leave this here out of general "this post was butt" interest, though I am loath to make an FPP out of something that is essentially an advertisement for a mostly unresearched and unverified medical intervention: Everyone should put weed in their butt. (The Stranger)
posted by duffell at 12:52 PM on January 18, 2019 [1 favorite]


Hey everyone, in case you haven't seen these yet:

Week 1 winners thread

Week 2 winners thread

(Mods, I mentioned this in the week 1 thread but there weren't any first-time/second-time post winners mentioned. I know I've seen at least a few first-time posters so I hope they get recognized. I know there was a tool from frimble but let me know if I can help in some way.)
posted by rangefinder 1.4 at 3:59 PM on January 20, 2019 [1 favorite]


Yes, first/second timers should be part of it -- we'll be recognizing them at the end of the month. Thanks for asking, and for linking those two posts here!
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 6:49 PM on January 21, 2019


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