[MeFi Site Update] January 26th January 26, 2022 12:45 PM Subscribe
Happy 2022 Metafilter!
With this update we’re resuming the usual bi-weekly schedule for site updates. Thank you for waiting! Please find more details on the state of the site below.
Reminder: I will be the only mod monitoring this thread so please be patient as I reply to your feedback and questions.
- Marketing Deck/Plan
I’m still working on the Brand & Marketing deck and overall Marketing Strategy plan. This is a slow process as this will define how we want MetaFilter to be perceived for prospecting new members in Social Media and other places.
- BIPOC Advisory Board
Thyme has reached out to every Board member with the goal of resuming the board meetings in February and defining an ongoing schedule moving forward. I will be supporting these efforts as well.
In order to make these meetings more agile, we’ve proposed to move the next meetings to Zoom and can continue using email and messaging when necessary.
- Improvements to the Signup flow
Hoping to complete the final draft in the next couple of weeks.
- Flagging (UX) Changes
This is still ongoing. I’ll let you know as soon as the first changes go into production.
- Removing the limit of questions you can post in ASK
This should be pushed to the website soon, waiting for frimble to work out the details. I’ll keep you posted.
- Fee waiver changes
We’re discussing some tweaks to the Fee waiver process to make it easier to block spam accounts
- Free Threads on the front page.
We are experimenting with some link-free posts to allow for more relaxed and social conversations. These are supplemental to metatalktails and not a replacement for them.
- Site Changes
- https://fanfare.metafilter.com/books now has a ‘See All Books’ link.
- Fixed some email blocking problem for the contact us form
- Added some Fanfare fixes to stop assuming that media has unique titles. This will make sure that if the query has more than one item with the same title all options show up.
- frimble is working on extra moderation tools for specific threads, that way Mods can catch up faster at the beginning of their shifts.
- Several minor fixes for redirects and other background stuff.
If you have any questions or feedback not related to this particular update, please Contact Us instead. If you want to discuss a particular subject not covered here with the community, you’re welcome to open a separate MetaTalk thread for it.
Reminder: I will be the only mod monitoring this thread so please be patient as I reply to your feedback and questions.
- Marketing Deck/Plan
I’m still working on the Brand & Marketing deck and overall Marketing Strategy plan. This is a slow process as this will define how we want MetaFilter to be perceived for prospecting new members in Social Media and other places.
- BIPOC Advisory Board
Thyme has reached out to every Board member with the goal of resuming the board meetings in February and defining an ongoing schedule moving forward. I will be supporting these efforts as well.
In order to make these meetings more agile, we’ve proposed to move the next meetings to Zoom and can continue using email and messaging when necessary.
- Improvements to the Signup flow
Hoping to complete the final draft in the next couple of weeks.
- Flagging (UX) Changes
This is still ongoing. I’ll let you know as soon as the first changes go into production.
- Removing the limit of questions you can post in ASK
This should be pushed to the website soon, waiting for frimble to work out the details. I’ll keep you posted.
- Fee waiver changes
We’re discussing some tweaks to the Fee waiver process to make it easier to block spam accounts
- Free Threads on the front page.
We are experimenting with some link-free posts to allow for more relaxed and social conversations. These are supplemental to metatalktails and not a replacement for them.
- Site Changes
- https://fanfare.metafilter.com/books now has a ‘See All Books’ link.
- Fixed some email blocking problem for the contact us form
- Added some Fanfare fixes to stop assuming that media has unique titles. This will make sure that if the query has more than one item with the same title all options show up.
- frimble is working on extra moderation tools for specific threads, that way Mods can catch up faster at the beginning of their shifts.
- Several minor fixes for redirects and other background stuff.
If you have any questions or feedback not related to this particular update, please Contact Us instead. If you want to discuss a particular subject not covered here with the community, you’re welcome to open a separate MetaTalk thread for it.
I just want to say the Free Threads are AWESOME and I'm so glad you started doing them, and I'm so glad people are participating in them. They have greatly enhanced my personal feeling of community here.
I kind of want to ask that you (the mods in general) post some details about the extra moderation tools frimble is working on, just because I'm curious and it's always fun to geek out about technical stuff, but that's really a very very non-essential task for a very overloaded mod team. (But hey, frimble, if you're ever bored and feel like just yammering on about cool fixes and tools you're working on, you'd have an enthusiastic audience!)
Thanks for the update, loup!
posted by kristi at 10:18 PM on January 26, 2022 [10 favorites]
I kind of want to ask that you (the mods in general) post some details about the extra moderation tools frimble is working on, just because I'm curious and it's always fun to geek out about technical stuff, but that's really a very very non-essential task for a very overloaded mod team. (But hey, frimble, if you're ever bored and feel like just yammering on about cool fixes and tools you're working on, you'd have an enthusiastic audience!)
Thanks for the update, loup!
posted by kristi at 10:18 PM on January 26, 2022 [10 favorites]
"Removing the limit of questions you can post in ASK" I used to not ask in ASK because of FOMO, so that's nice.
posted by Chrysopoeia at 5:12 AM on January 27, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by Chrysopoeia at 5:12 AM on January 27, 2022 [4 favorites]
I would also like these updates to get back on a regular schedule since the last one was over a month ago. Prioritizing regular updates is a way of showing respect for the membership who have limited ways of knowing what is going on behind the scenes and literally the only way short of asking to know that things are "in process."
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 11:52 AM on January 27, 2022 [14 favorites]
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 11:52 AM on January 27, 2022 [14 favorites]
OOn the topic of marketing, the front page side blog that keeps track of site news and notable posts last made note of a post on January 2 and the time before that was in August. It’s feeling a little sleepy.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 6:57 PM on January 27, 2022 [6 favorites]
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 6:57 PM on January 27, 2022 [6 favorites]
Mod note: Thank you all for the feedback and support. It means a lot to me and to the team.
- I'll ask about the FanFare cover images loading and check that this is both being worked on and make sure the team is aware.
- We are all enjoying the Free Threads and we're glad you like them to!
- Talking in detail about moderation tools is a tricky one, both for privacy and security reasons, but we may be able to share some details. Let me bring it up to the other mods.
- Yes, regular updates are fully back to the normal schedule and will keep being a priority.
- Yes, the sidebar can get some extra love and attention. I'll bring it up to the team and report back.
Please keep the feedback coming.
posted by loup (staff) at 11:41 AM on January 28, 2022
- I'll ask about the FanFare cover images loading and check that this is both being worked on and make sure the team is aware.
- We are all enjoying the Free Threads and we're glad you like them to!
- Talking in detail about moderation tools is a tricky one, both for privacy and security reasons, but we may be able to share some details. Let me bring it up to the other mods.
- Yes, regular updates are fully back to the normal schedule and will keep being a priority.
- Yes, the sidebar can get some extra love and attention. I'll bring it up to the team and report back.
Please keep the feedback coming.
posted by loup (staff) at 11:41 AM on January 28, 2022
I just want to say go team, I feel like the general vibe, the free threads, the introduce yourself thread, etc., all make me feel like there's a better energy in the site than there has been in a while.
posted by signal at 4:25 PM on January 28, 2022 [8 favorites]
posted by signal at 4:25 PM on January 28, 2022 [8 favorites]
Re: 'Removing the limit of questions you can post in ASK' -- I see two posts in a row by the same person today. Is it safe to assume that the limit has been lifted?
posted by daisyace at 5:09 PM on January 28, 2022
posted by daisyace at 5:09 PM on January 28, 2022
Mod note: Is it safe to assume that the limit has been lifted?
No, not yet, frimble is working on it.
Let me know if you have more questions or feedback.
posted by loup (staff) at 1:22 PM on February 2, 2022
No, not yet, frimble is working on it.
Let me know if you have more questions or feedback.
posted by loup (staff) at 1:22 PM on February 2, 2022
I see two posts in a row by the same person today. Is it safe to assume that the limit has been lifted?
But I believe the limit was changed to two questions a week a ways back?
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 1:24 PM on February 2, 2022
But I believe the limit was changed to two questions a week a ways back?
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 1:24 PM on February 2, 2022
Regarding the regular schedule -- what is it at this point? Every other Wednesday?
(ETA: never mind, looks like that's right. Sorry!)
posted by trig at 1:31 PM on February 2, 2022
(ETA: never mind, looks like that's right. Sorry!)
posted by trig at 1:31 PM on February 2, 2022
Seconding the sidebar getting some attention. I've noticed a few folks noting in their FPPs that they are first-time posters--could be a nice thing to highlight thereof.
posted by youarenothere at 5:07 AM on February 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by youarenothere at 5:07 AM on February 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
Sidebar stuff: make a 'chatfilter' type side widget-ish thing similar to the 'US Politics' one (sidenote: move US Politics down below the others; prominence of placement has implications for any hypothetical newer visitor eyeballs). That's where you put links to the weekly free threads, lighter metatalktales, etc.)
This frees up 'New and Noteworthy' for ongoing highlighted best-of content. Like site updates, focus on sticking to a regular cadence for it. At least weekly at minimum. Good blue posts, good AskMe questions. Highlighted great comments and answers. All that good stuff. Some of it could be partially automated behind-the-scenes--something collecting a ton of favorites? Filter that up to mod-view for quick sidebar-vetting (that terrible pun that just hit at the exact timing to get a hundred updoots should probably not rate by any automatic sense). Promote awareness of the rather buried "flag as fantastic" option which otherwise doesn't visibly connect to much utility, because it really should factor right into "this content right here deserves highlighting." Less frequently but still periodically, do data deep dives to blast-from-the-past of Mefi's deep well of fantastic content of yesteryear.
posted by Drastic at 8:18 AM on February 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
This frees up 'New and Noteworthy' for ongoing highlighted best-of content. Like site updates, focus on sticking to a regular cadence for it. At least weekly at minimum. Good blue posts, good AskMe questions. Highlighted great comments and answers. All that good stuff. Some of it could be partially automated behind-the-scenes--something collecting a ton of favorites? Filter that up to mod-view for quick sidebar-vetting (that terrible pun that just hit at the exact timing to get a hundred updoots should probably not rate by any automatic sense). Promote awareness of the rather buried "flag as fantastic" option which otherwise doesn't visibly connect to much utility, because it really should factor right into "this content right here deserves highlighting." Less frequently but still periodically, do data deep dives to blast-from-the-past of Mefi's deep well of fantastic content of yesteryear.
posted by Drastic at 8:18 AM on February 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 2:58 PM on January 26, 2022