Gratuitous self-link, or a legitimate part of the question?

December 5, 2004 2:00 PM

Gratuitous self-link, or a legitemate part of the question?

It's not quite as bad as this one, since in this case the self-link has at least a theoretical connection to the question being asked, but it still feels to me more like bwerdmuller is hoping that "the best way to find new business fast" is to post a link to his own work on a popular forum and see if anyone bites.

Am I just being grumpy? Where should we draw the line on self-promotion within AskMe?
posted by ook to Etiquette/Policy at 2:00 PM (26 comments total)

Beg pardon. "this one" link should point to the thread, not the person.
posted by ook at 2:02 PM on December 5, 2004

In the past, I've seen deletions in the case of:

"Hey I just created this new site, what do you all think of it? Would you use something like this? How can I make it better? How do you like my design?"

There's no real question there, just the unveiling of a new project with some invitations to use it and give feedback.

However, in this case, it does appear that the questioner is asking something specific (and unrelated to the new site). You don't have to visit his link to answer his question. And he put it inside the thread, labelled appropriately.

The question is a little thin, I'll grant you. "I'm working on THIS NEW PROJECT and want to make extra dough on the side. How do I make extra dough on the side?" But it's not flagrantly terrible.
posted by scarabic at 2:06 PM on December 5, 2004

On second thought, neither is it necessary to his question, so I guess I would have to call it "gratuitous," which, in principle, is bad.
posted by scarabic at 2:08 PM on December 5, 2004

In both cases the question could have been clearly asked and answered without the self-link. In this case

I'm a web programmer/designer. Has anyone tried services like elance [link] from the programmer's perspective? Can anyone recommend the best way to find new busines fast?

would have been fine. As written it comes across as a deceptive sales/promo pitch which is misuse of AskMe any way you look at it.
posted by Cryptical Envelopment at 2:17 PM on December 5, 2004

Meh. It might be deliberately deceptive adversiting. It might be perfectly innocent. It might be something in between. Let's give him (?) the benefit of the doubt. I don't think it's a big deal.
posted by gd779 at 2:22 PM on December 5, 2004

Him. The self link goes to his online CV which he provides as an example of his "new project" which is CV/portfolio publishing.
posted by Cryptical Envelopment at 2:39 PM on December 5, 2004

Isn't Matt creating an area of the site where people can showcase projects? If so, what's the problem with linking to it in AskMe?
posted by xammerboy at 2:45 PM on December 5, 2004

Because AskMe isn't that place, xammerboy.
posted by ook at 2:52 PM on December 5, 2004

I think it was pretty ballsy to link it, since his mobile phone number is on it.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 3:11 PM on December 5, 2004

I didn't mean to link it as a project link; I meant it as an illustration of the kinds of projects I do, which could affect the answer.

Apologies, though, for coming across as a Mefi freeloader. I've been a member for a while and I wouldn't want to undermine the site.
posted by bwerdmuller at 3:38 PM on December 5, 2004

(But thanks for pointing out the mobile number. That was supposed to be hidden.)
posted by bwerdmuller at 3:42 PM on December 5, 2004

For a data point, my motives were also questioned in Metatalk (too lazy to search out the link) when I posted this question to AskMe. In hindsight, I should have probably just said (see my site, linked from my profile, for details on the property).

[For what it's worth, the mortgage has since been foreclosed on and the lodge taken away, and my folks would be homeless without the help of some good friends in my hometown, so my linking to the thread should not be construed as trying to create more free advertising.]
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 3:50 PM on December 5, 2004

'(But thanks for pointing out the mobile number. That was supposed to be hidden.)'

Mmm, bad coding.

:)
posted by mr_crash_davis at 3:50 PM on December 5, 2004

Damnit, if I refute you I'm going to be jumped on for further advertising. Bah and humbug to you, sir. ;P
posted by bwerdmuller at 4:01 PM on December 5, 2004

I think this would be an especially good use for the anonymous submission option.
posted by Space Coyote at 4:14 PM on December 5, 2004

Isn't Matt creating an area of the site where people can showcase projects? If so, what's the problem with linking to it in AskMe?

What ook said. Why would Matt make a special place for such things if it was ok in AskMe?
posted by scarabic at 4:17 PM on December 5, 2004

What gd779 said. Might be calculated, but I'm not grabbing my Coleman fuel in the hopes that someone's already tied him to the stake and laid kindling.
posted by Mayor Curley at 4:29 PM on December 5, 2004

Oh, chill out. I'm tired of all this paranoia about "self-links". What's the big deal? So long as someone's not trying to sneak an advertisement onto Metafilter under the guise of a proper link, why does it matter?
posted by Mars Saxman at 5:48 PM on December 5, 2004

I wouldn't hire someone that carelessly leaves private numbers open for everyone to oggle.
posted by euphorb at 5:55 PM on December 5, 2004

I wouldn't hire someone that carelessly leaves private numbers open for everyone to oggle.

Well, for heaven's sake, they could just Goggle him.
posted by Sidhedevil at 6:37 PM on December 5, 2004

On self-links in general: I look forward to Matt's project announcement feature as much as anyone, I've got my own stuff I'd like the world to see. But it's difficult for me as it would be for anyone to be an objective judge of the quality of my own work, and I know if the self-link rule weren't in place I'd have posted some really sub-par stuff here over the years. And that x 20,000 would make MetaFilter really a lot less interesting to read. So that's why I'm paranoid about them.

On this one in particular: bwerdmuller sounds sincere, and I apologize for suspecting any bad motive if none was intended.
posted by ook at 8:13 PM on December 5, 2004

I didn't mean to link it as a project link;

Yes you did: a clickable href is rarely a typo. You were after my click and you got it.

I meant it as an illustration of the kinds of projects I do, which could affect the answer.

Bullshit. You linked to your personal CV page when you could have linked to your project home page.
posted by Cryptical Envelopment at 8:22 PM on December 5, 2004

The nerve of some people. /wink
posted by geekyguy at 9:26 PM on December 5, 2004

Yeah, posting a question in an attempt to get your name/resume out there is kind of lame. It's been deleted.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 11:43 PM on December 5, 2004

Okay, apologies once again. I will be more stringent in future.

Would it be bad form to repost a streamlined version of the question? Because, like, it is a valid question, and other people might also find the answer helpful ...
posted by bwerdmuller at 1:02 AM on December 6, 2004

Oh, chill out. I'm tired of all this paranoia about "self-links". What's the big deal? So long as someone's not trying to sneak an advertisement onto Metafilter under the guise of a proper link, why does it matter?

3000 new sign ups + say 1000 old active members. If each active member posts just a single self link to AskMe each month we have 133 posts per day that Matt would have to pass judgement on. Self advertising kills practically all open communities that don't have rules limiting it. A look at any unmoderated Usenet forum will give you a taste of the possible horror.
posted by Mitheral at 7:30 AM on December 6, 2004