Blatantly misleading FPP.

September 28, 2003 10:10 AM

Blatantly misleading FPP.
posted by squirrel to Etiquette/Policy at 10:10 AM (19 comments total)

Well since the posting guidelines clearly state that Iraq-related posts are frowned upon, then one should reasonably expect something that isn't about Iraq to not have to spell it out.

I think it's an interesting thought experiment to think about the gut reaction one has reading the headline and clicking the link.
posted by Space Coyote at 10:13 AM on September 28, 2003

Waah! I didn't immediately understand the post without bothering to click on it or look at the comments or think for half a second!

For heaven's sake, doesn't MeFi have enough problems without inventing them? It was perfectly obvious to me, reading the post (I know this is a lost cause, but someone so stringent about MeFi standards should know that Matt doesn't like "FPP"), that it was a parody, designed to look like a "hey, they found Iraq's WMD!" post while actually being about the US or one of its allies. I'm sure you could have done the same if you hadn't had your outrage set to "hair-trigger."
posted by languagehat at 10:52 AM on September 28, 2003

I thought it was clever. I too jumped to the obvious conclusion before clicking on the link.

I imagine that's the point. What exactly is your problem with it? There isn't anything untrue in it and if you feel mislead it's only due to your preconceptions.

Bad insomnia_lj, you didn't cater to my world view, how dare you!
posted by cedar at 11:09 AM on September 28, 2003

languagehat, that 'waah' stuff is beneath your abilities. cedar, it's clear you don't know much about my world view. I get the joke, but I find it manipulative.
posted by squirrel at 11:30 AM on September 28, 2003

No, you feel foolish for jumping to conclusions and would rather describe the post as 'manipulative' than take responsibility for your reaction.

No big deal, I imagine that the majority of the people reading it figured Iraq filter... what the majority of other people didn't do is come whining to MeTa about it. If there was something untrue about it I could see your point, but there isn't. The post represents the linked story quite well.
posted by cedar at 11:40 AM on September 28, 2003

It was a great post, and if it was a dig at people who don't click the links, so be it. I'm frequently one of those people and I'll be more careful now, especially in the WarFilter threads.
posted by PrinceValium at 11:48 AM on September 28, 2003

deliberately stupid front page reader.
posted by quonsar at 1:09 PM on September 28, 2003

All right. I can see I jumped the gun. I thought that a lot of readers would feel the way I did, and I wanted to have the discussion here, rather than in the thread. It seems I have instead stepped on some intelligent people's corns, and triggered a potential avalanche of abusive yahoos. In an effort to head-off a tiresome flame storm, I withdraw my flag with apologies.

On preview, I guess I was at least partly right. Others noticed.
posted by squirrel at 1:33 PM on September 28, 2003

Where's the avalanche of abusive yahoos? Aside from q, from whom you expect it, no one did anything besides voice their disagreement.
posted by Space Coyote at 2:20 PM on September 28, 2003

Poetntial avalanche. The yahoos... they quiver on the brink...
posted by squirrel at 2:28 PM on September 28, 2003

{and don't spellcheck}
posted by squirrel at 2:29 PM on September 28, 2003

Or a posse of pusillanimous poetasters will potentitate your pudenda.
posted by y2karl at 2:48 PM on September 28, 2003

As parody, it is so formulaic that I knew it was about the British by the word 'pigs'. Bad FPP, and just as bad MeTalk callout.
posted by mischief at 3:05 PM on September 28, 2003

It's an ironic stab at the vehement black & white condemnations of Saddam in a world that's muddy grey, undermining the espoused moral superiority of the leaders of America & Britain.

Squirrel, you're telling us you're to dim to get that, is that it?
posted by Blue Stone at 3:25 PM on September 28, 2003

*scratches head, ponders complicated question*
posted by squirrel at 4:25 PM on September 28, 2003

Blatantly misleading FPP.

Absolutely.

And very nicely done! Kudos, and points for breaking up the monotony!
posted by Shane at 6:13 PM on September 28, 2003

<tosses squirrel a nut, and tickles him under the tail chin>
posted by Blue Stone at 8:02 PM on September 28, 2003

You people are funny
posted by asok at 6:23 AM on September 29, 2003

blatant assholery.

Quonsar: Aren't you getting a little bit old to play the rotten-mannered child everyone's learned to expect bad manners from?
posted by scarabic at 4:13 PM on September 29, 2003