And how much worse have we seen now! March 30, 2001 8:07 AM   Subscribe

This comment in the longest thread ever seems inappropriate. Is this some inside joke, wholly out of line, or both?
posted by norm to Etiquette/Policy at 8:07 AM (20 comments total)

I assume holloway is being sarcastic so that we'll look at our action in a different light.

123 Cheap Hosting didn't learn that Metafilter is a solid community that is willing to speak up for what's right. They learned that Metafilter is a rude mob that likes to use the word "fuck."

We like to have someone to beat up. We don't want to look past the obvious, we just want to follow. We're more than happy to "go off" at a moments notice.

I don't think it's reasonable (or respectful) to compare us to the Nazis, but I think the perspective is worth considering.
posted by y6y6y6 at 8:53 AM on March 30, 2001


Now, see, in my alternate reality, a quote like:
Re: JasonK, no you're wrong - bile is good... everyone needs a jew!
Would be the semi-English phrase to set off an "AYBABTU" meme. Can anyone figure out what the hell he meant?
posted by anildash at 11:46 AM on March 30, 2001


He just explained it. I don't think I will be using it in future conversations, however.
posted by rcade at 2:34 PM on March 30, 2001


the explanation still rankles. it would be nice, one day, to read a thread on mefi where "Jew" wasn't shorthand for either "racist Palestinian basher" or "Nazi target".
posted by judith at 3:01 PM on March 30, 2001


Anildash: I can explain. Bile is good - everyone needs someone to hate.

This is to be taken sarcastically, not orally. I agreed with Kottke.

Judith: I find playing up anti-semitism to be an excellent way of making clear the stereotypes and why these ideas are so flawed. The Metafilter thread didn't stretch to 255 comments out of "oh bother, they've swiped our design!" but instead a gleeful violent mob with a just cause and dozens of (apparently) very rude emails. So yeah, Mefi were a mob. Or, in another way, if the central MeFi discussion was removed and each one of you happened to stumble on the stolen design - would you have had the same passion? I doubt it.

ENAJ wasn't a term I made up - it was a jewish friend's silly remark. I just liked it.

A longer explanation of 'Everyone needs a Jew'
posted by holloway at 5:29 PM on March 30, 2001



And, as Matt kinda sez, invoking godwins law is always fun.
posted by holloway at 5:34 PM on March 30, 2001


It's not *that* fun though. Especially when it happens close to daily on MeFi and several other list/community things I participate in. It gets tiresome. Most of the time I don't raise the anti-Semitism flag - and you're probably getting some cumulative wrath here rather than what is probably deserved for something that wasn't a big deal to you. What I'm saying is that I'm really, really tired of Godwin's law. And that I'd like to think better of the people in this community, specifically.
posted by judith at 7:04 PM on March 30, 2001


In holloway's defense, I've heard the phrase before too, usually in a humourous self-mocking tone from jewish friends.

Still, probably not the best thing to say in a community such as this. It's pretty much guaranteed to induce invectives.


posted by cCranium at 7:27 PM on March 30, 2001

Still, probably not the best thing to say in a community such as this. It's pretty much guaranteed to induce invectives.
Hey... take it elsewhere, buddy. We're all come here as unique people with unique beliefs... we don't have to obey your freakin' rules, man. I'm a person, she's a person too - we're all different and you have no right to make generalisations about metafilter, ever. It makes an ass out of you and me. Freakin' hell man - don't you even care? About the birds, the trees? It's getting like a freakin' hitler youth camp round here, [shakes his fists] CONFORM man... CONFORM!


posted by holloway at 8:19 PM on March 30, 2001


toro, toro!

*sigh*

rcb
posted by rebeccablood at 8:47 PM on March 30, 2001


Exactly.
posted by holloway at 9:07 PM on March 30, 2001


Well, that's kinda what I was thinking, but I didn't recognize (recognise) the phrase and it made no sense except as vaguely discriminatory. I mean, hell, when "niggling" gets its own thread ... ?

"you have no right to make generalisations about metafilter, ever. It makes an ass out of you and me."

Hear, hear. Especially the generalisation where you think we all catch your obscure reference.
posted by norm at 10:00 PM on March 30, 2001


I think I'm starting to get holloway's sense of humour. It takes a while.
posted by lagado at 10:34 PM on March 30, 2001


holloway, since assumptions are bad, tell me: were you joking in your response to me?
posted by cCranium at 1:08 PM on March 31, 2001


holloway, I've been trying to respond to your email and blame my above bitchy response on lack of sleep and too much work, but I keep getting weird bounces. I think it's on my end too, which is even worse. Anyway, no harm no foul.
posted by cCranium at 7:06 AM on April 1, 2001


cCranium: WHAT? WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU? OK GOOD IDEA YOU'LL BE OVER THERE CHANGING KITTENS? THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE SORRY CAN YOU REPEAT YOURSELF? WHAT? ARE THEY WEARING NAPPIES? WHAT? WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU WHAT? WHAT? IT WASN'T A BITCHY RESPONSE I HAVE WEATHERED MORE THAN WHAT? SORRY YOU'LL HAVE TO SPEAK UP THE SNOW IS POUNDING MY TIN ROOF KITTENS? THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE WHAT? WHAT?
posted by holloway at 10:28 PM on April 1, 2001


shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhsillygithhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hh hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
posted by cCranium at 6:19 AM on April 2, 2001


cCranium: OK GOOD IDEA
posted by holloway at 2:47 PM on April 2, 2001


yeah, I knew I wasn't being clear. That was supposed to be static noise. Like on sitcoms and stuff where people make "sshhh" noise and say "I'm going under a bridge" to get off the phone, y'know?

Static noise. It's funny. Honest.
posted by cCranium at 5:50 AM on April 3, 2001


cCranium: OK GOOD IDEA
posted by holloway at 3:45 PM on April 3, 2001


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