Links to slashdot

October 1, 2003 4:17 PM

"Aren't links to slashdot, especially to slashdot discussions, officially discouraged? And if not, shouldn't they be?"
posted by namespan to Etiquette/Policy at 4:17 PM (28 comments total)

It was a pretty lame post, but it could have been salvaged by googling for a better link and burying the slashdot stuff as supplemental links or in a (more inside). In any event the discussion topic was good and quite relevant for MeFi.
posted by PrinceValium at 4:20 PM on October 1, 2003

I've linked to things via slashdot in a FPP before, and probably even linked to discussions or comments in my MeFi comments... I'm a frequent slashdot reader and semi-frequent poster there. I certainly don't want either place to become the other, nor do I want to contribute to blog solipsism, but think there's certainly enough overlap in things that would qualify as interesting to both places that banning or frowning on cross linking doesn't make much sense to me.

Although the need to make fun of slashdot makes sense.
posted by namespan at 4:22 PM on October 1, 2003

We aren't better than they are, pretending to be makes us look silly.

That said, perhaps the story being the main link in the post was a bad call, but officially discouraging slashdot is a little bit much, IMO.
posted by Space Coyote at 4:27 PM on October 1, 2003

but we are better than FARK, right?
posted by crunchland at 4:29 PM on October 1, 2003

I am so better than you are. Loser.
posted by eyeballkid at 4:31 PM on October 1, 2003

Isn't it more a question of what we're too good for rather than who we're better than?
posted by namespan at 4:34 PM on October 1, 2003

+1 .... something
posted by seanyboy at 4:47 PM on October 1, 2003

I actually figured I'd get picked on for pointing to slashdot. What I could've and should've done was point to more studies and things, like the 2 at the end.
But really, I see no harm in pointing to an interesting slashdot post, as long as there are some other intersting links, over all I'd say it's not my finest effort, but far from my worst.
The topic itself seemed like an interesting idea for discussion here at mefi, something we are good at from time to time when we're not busy picking on others, and defending ourselves. -1 Troll on all of you.
posted by Blake at 4:51 PM on October 1, 2003

My point is that pointing to a discussion on another site and then asking everyone here what they think is really lame. If the topic is really post-worthy then do a little research and build an interesting post. Then you'll get a related, yet parallel discussion.

Or, to look at it another way, I found the style of the post annoying, even though the subject matter was interesting.

And yes, I realize I should have taken it to MeTa rather than crapping in the thread, especially since I've given people shit about that before. Color me lazy.
posted by bshort at 5:00 PM on October 1, 2003

You have found the magic sword of superiority: 3d6+8, 1d6 Fire Damage.
posted by The God Complex at 5:04 PM on October 1, 2003

I would have skipped it either way. ;-P
posted by mischief at 6:37 PM on October 1, 2003

maybe if something's already discussed, people feel it doesn't need to be discussed here too? Just like here, other places use a link to jumpstart a discussion--why not just post the link?
posted by amberglow at 7:22 PM on October 1, 2003

(casts rune spell)
OUCH!
posted by clavdivs at 7:29 PM on October 1, 2003

Slashdot lets you link to individual comments if you like. So a useful post might be one that introduces the topic, contains a few links to other outside sites, and perhaps in the 'more inside' bit the poster could link to one or two especially enlightening comments from within the thread instead of just throwing the whole discussion, 500+ posts and all, at the reader as the main link.
posted by Space Coyote at 8:38 PM on October 1, 2003

Miscast! Your Orc bodyguard takes the brunt of the magic attack! Roll 2d6+4 for damage and lose two friendship points!
posted by The God Complex at 8:39 PM on October 1, 2003

(Score: -1, Ripped off from Slashdot)
posted by angry modem at 8:43 PM on October 1, 2003

i only just realized that it was linkless, too, skallas--nevermind.
Space Coyote had a good idea tho.

And actually, i've never seen that Ask Slashdot feature--it's not bad. (we could do an Ask Mefi, but miguel pretty much does that anyway) : >
posted by amberglow at 8:46 PM on October 1, 2003

I don't read slashdot, but I do occasionally read Fark (big surprise, no?) and I just hope that if this sort of cross-posting becomes more common that the active users on the relevant sites at least adopt different handles for each site. Every time I see "mr_crash_davis" in a Fark comment, I get that weird little cognitive dissonance thing for just a moment.
posted by yhbc at 8:52 PM on October 1, 2003

The MeFi Tribe at tribe.net was supposed to act as the Ask MeFi site amberglow, but it seems to have died a death of disinterest :-(
posted by dg at 8:55 PM on October 1, 2003

you just reminded me to go visit there again, dg
posted by amberglow at 9:09 PM on October 1, 2003

You found 6 GP!
posted by sharpener at 9:11 PM on October 1, 2003

"Every time I see "mr_crash_davis" in a Fark comment, I get that weird little cognitive dissonance thing for just a moment."

Especially on "Weeners" threads, I bet.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 9:21 PM on October 1, 2003

Your favorite blog sucks.
posted by signal at 9:30 PM on October 1, 2003

Color me lazy.

More like color you an asshole. Yet another community member who shits on any form of discussion that isn't tailor-made to your own neurotic specifications.
posted by troybob at 10:34 PM on October 1, 2003

Well, that's a little excessive.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 11:49 PM on October 1, 2003

Sounded spot-on to me, stav.
posted by mischief at 12:51 AM on October 2, 2003

You have found the sword of excess. Roll 2dVicodin.
posted by The God Complex at 1:11 AM on October 2, 2003

dg, amberglow.... I was kind of psyched about the idea of something like an "ask /." thing with tribe.net, but it seems if something isn't either done onsite here, or at least prominently and directly linked from here, it just doesn't make it. In the meantime, I've forgotten my tribe.net password, evidently, and even though they say they will send me a new one, it hasn't been forthcoming, so I can't even log on.

One of the things that I love about mefi is that I literally haven't had to log in since I first established my membership (I only post from home). Yum, yum, kiss, kiss.

Back on topic, I didn't scrutinize the post that much, but it seems like maybe Blake wouldn't have drawn fire if he had posted "Is print dead?" with his last links first, and the /. discussion link last? I can see where a discussion of a discussion can be kind of silly, but there were other links included, so is it more a problem of the link hierarchy within the post?
posted by taz at 4:54 AM on October 2, 2003