20 Years on Metafilter February 21, 2020 9:29 AM Subscribe
Today is my 20th anniversary of joining Metafilter, and I just wanted to say: you're all flagged as fantastic!
I've spent the entirety of my adult life – and the majority of my entire life – as a member of Metafilter. Scary, yes. And there are few days in those twenty years where I haven't visited the blue or scanned through the RSS feeds.
Other online communities have come and gone, but Mefi has remained a key part of my life. It's given me so much inspiration and joy, it's helped me write two books and counting, and through discussions about emotional labour, racism, sexism, and through perspectives from people from all background and from around the world, it's helped me become a better person.
I've been proud to support the site financially and help get the wiki up and running, but it was only a year or two ago where I made the conscious decision to start posting and commenting more often. Metafilter isn't just about lurking, and while it can be scary to post and comment – even for someone who's been a member for two decades – it's very rewarding and really the best way you can contribute to the community.
(Sidebar: Holy shit, I only discovered the awesome power of Recent Activity a few months ago, and it's no exaggeration to say that it's transformed the way I use the site. It makes it way easier to track conversations and take part in discussions!)
Thank you to everyone who works on Metafilter and associated sites; to the posters and commenters who've stuck with the site through thick and thin; and to everyone who sails the blue, the green, the purple, the dark grey, and the lands of our professional white backgrounds.
I've spent the entirety of my adult life – and the majority of my entire life – as a member of Metafilter. Scary, yes. And there are few days in those twenty years where I haven't visited the blue or scanned through the RSS feeds.
Other online communities have come and gone, but Mefi has remained a key part of my life. It's given me so much inspiration and joy, it's helped me write two books and counting, and through discussions about emotional labour, racism, sexism, and through perspectives from people from all background and from around the world, it's helped me become a better person.
I've been proud to support the site financially and help get the wiki up and running, but it was only a year or two ago where I made the conscious decision to start posting and commenting more often. Metafilter isn't just about lurking, and while it can be scary to post and comment – even for someone who's been a member for two decades – it's very rewarding and really the best way you can contribute to the community.
(Sidebar: Holy shit, I only discovered the awesome power of Recent Activity a few months ago, and it's no exaggeration to say that it's transformed the way I use the site. It makes it way easier to track conversations and take part in discussions!)
Thank you to everyone who works on Metafilter and associated sites; to the posters and commenters who've stuck with the site through thick and thin; and to everyone who sails the blue, the green, the purple, the dark grey, and the lands of our professional white backgrounds.
I'm in the middle of reading your book "A History of the Future in 100 Objects" and it is so great! Thanks for being here.
posted by Rhaomi at 9:53 AM on February 21, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by Rhaomi at 9:53 AM on February 21, 2020 [3 favorites]
This site has been so lucky to have such great and dedicated members over the years. Thank you for this post, and for increasing your participation in the last year - I've been happy to see you around more. Happy anniversary!
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 10:16 AM on February 21, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 10:16 AM on February 21, 2020 [4 favorites]
Happy MeFiVersary!
posted by briank at 10:33 AM on February 21, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by briank at 10:33 AM on February 21, 2020 [1 favorite]
Congrats!! Here's to 20 more!! :)
posted by Fizz at 10:34 AM on February 21, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by Fizz at 10:34 AM on February 21, 2020 [3 favorites]
Happy Anniversary! Also, I feel VERY OLD NOW! But that's not your fault! HAPPY HAPPY!
posted by xingcat at 10:58 AM on February 21, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by xingcat at 10:58 AM on February 21, 2020 [2 favorites]
There should be a commemorative bathrobe for the 20 Year Club.
posted by bondcliff at 11:06 AM on February 21, 2020 [15 favorites]
posted by bondcliff at 11:06 AM on February 21, 2020 [15 favorites]
You know, I believe there's a reasonably good chance that this site could go for another twenty years. More reasonable than Facebook, for example, which while it may still exist in some MySpace-y shell of its former "self" will likelier than not collapse or implode or otherwise effectively disappear. That's pretty remarkable, and it's a credit to the people who want it to stay around and stay alive and be important to them.
posted by cgc373 at 11:07 AM on February 21, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by cgc373 at 11:07 AM on February 21, 2020 [4 favorites]
Thank you everyone, and for the kind words about my book Rhaomi! I forgot to add that the community here was a huge encouragement to me last week when I shared an excerpt from a book I’m writing on gamification. I wasn’t sure it’d be received and it blew me away to see people so interested - that’s incredible fuel as I usually don’t share work in progress. At least I’ll have some Mefi readers ;)
posted by adrianhon at 11:19 AM on February 21, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by adrianhon at 11:19 AM on February 21, 2020 [3 favorites]
Happy Mefi anniversary, adrianhon, you crazy kid! This place would be poorer without your contributions!
Psst! My 20th Mefi anniversary is coming up on April 11th!
posted by Lynsey at 12:00 PM on February 21, 2020 [2 favorites]
Psst! My 20th Mefi anniversary is coming up on April 11th!
posted by Lynsey at 12:00 PM on February 21, 2020 [2 favorites]
13 years for me. Where does the time go?
posted by jquinby at 1:53 PM on February 21, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by jquinby at 1:53 PM on February 21, 2020 [1 favorite]
I had no idea MeFi had been around that long. Wow.
posted by DrAstroZoom at 2:21 PM on February 21, 2020
posted by DrAstroZoom at 2:21 PM on February 21, 2020
There should be a commemorative bathrobe for the 20 Year Club.
With a wedding anniversary coming up, I did the standard google search for “what’s the supposed standard gift for this anniversary,” and having seen the bathrobe comment, I’m all in for a list of commemorative items by year of membership, year one to year whatever. Something like
Year Ten: Commemorative Sock Puppet. If you haven’t made a sock puppet account yet, maybe it’s time!
Year Twenty-one: The date and time of the cabal meeting times, with the password for entry
posted by Ghidorah at 2:59 PM on February 21, 2020 [5 favorites]
With a wedding anniversary coming up, I did the standard google search for “what’s the supposed standard gift for this anniversary,” and having seen the bathrobe comment, I’m all in for a list of commemorative items by year of membership, year one to year whatever. Something like
Year Ten: Commemorative Sock Puppet. If you haven’t made a sock puppet account yet, maybe it’s time!
Year Twenty-one: The date and time of the cabal meeting times, with the password for entry
posted by Ghidorah at 2:59 PM on February 21, 2020 [5 favorites]
I see a white dress!
I'll always remember that. Cheers!
posted by clavdivs at 4:57 PM on February 21, 2020 [1 favorite]
I'll always remember that. Cheers!
posted by clavdivs at 4:57 PM on February 21, 2020 [1 favorite]
Hey hey my 20 year MeFiVersary just came a few weeks ago (and I missed it!). Happy times everyone.
posted by jessamyn (temp) at 5:26 PM on February 21, 2020 [20 favorites]
posted by jessamyn (temp) at 5:26 PM on February 21, 2020 [20 favorites]
Hey hey my 20 year MeFiVersary just came a few weeks ago (and I missed it!). Happy times everyone.
That's an incredibly polite way of calling him a newb. ;)
posted by Literaryhero at 5:53 PM on February 21, 2020 [8 favorites]
That's an incredibly polite way of calling him a newb. ;)
posted by Literaryhero at 5:53 PM on February 21, 2020 [8 favorites]
13 years for me. Where does the time go?
.....to 20 bucks, same as in town?
posted by lalochezia at 6:49 PM on February 21, 2020 [4 favorites]
Congrats!
posted by GenjiandProust at 2:09 PM on February 22, 2020
posted by GenjiandProust at 2:09 PM on February 22, 2020
Mine's coming up on 4 June.
Adrian, I have been also enjoying your photos (and silliness) on Instagram of late. Thanks.
And coincidentally, I just finished Andrhia's book "Revision" this past weekend and saw you (Adrian) received an acknowledgement.
posted by terrapin at 12:44 PM on February 24, 2020 [1 favorite]
Adrian, I have been also enjoying your photos (and silliness) on Instagram of late. Thanks.
And coincidentally, I just finished Andrhia's book "Revision" this past weekend and saw you (Adrian) received an acknowledgement.
posted by terrapin at 12:44 PM on February 24, 2020 [1 favorite]
I'm only 15 like the other $5 n00bs but also feel like it has been "all my life". My feelings are bittersweet about this place, but also hoping it will be here forever. KEEP ON TRUCKIN" DOODS!!!!!
And congrats, oldtimer!
posted by Meatbomb at 5:04 AM on February 25, 2020 [3 favorites]
And congrats, oldtimer!
posted by Meatbomb at 5:04 AM on February 25, 2020 [3 favorites]
“Year Twenty-one: The date and time of the cabal meeting times, with the password for entry”
Look I’m just shy of 16 years here myself, but even a noob like me knows there is no cabal
(The first rule of cabal club is...)
posted by caution live frogs at 5:10 AM on February 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
Look I’m just shy of 16 years here myself, but even a noob like me knows there is no cabal
(The first rule of cabal club is...)
posted by caution live frogs at 5:10 AM on February 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
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posted by cortex (staff) at 9:30 AM on February 21, 2020 [4 favorites]