Metafilter is the #8 blog of the year.

December 22, 2004 8:11 PM

"For staying above the fray, Metafilter is the #8 blog of the year." Even if do we seem a bit collectively self-loathing sometimes, somebody still loves us! Hooray!
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken to MetaFilter-Related at 8:11 PM (52 comments total)

That should be '...we do...'

*slaps forehead*
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 8:12 PM on December 22, 2004

In your face, "Drudge Report!"
posted by Saucy Intruder at 8:16 PM on December 22, 2004

1) Cool.
2) GreenCine's front page is a blog?
3) Engadget over Gizmodo?
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 8:23 PM on December 22, 2004

i guess that's good... i don't read any of the others on that list so i can't compare us to them.
posted by t r a c y at 8:25 PM on December 22, 2004

Not to mention slash dot.....

Only Number 8, though... maybe letting the new blood in was a desperation move on Matt's part?
posted by Doohickie at 8:26 PM on December 22, 2004

Six places behind Wonkette. It's like finishing in the top ten, but lagging behind Garfield: The Movie.
posted by Kwantsar at 8:26 PM on December 22, 2004

I think Engadget's better than Gizmodo these days, too, for what it's worth.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 8:27 PM on December 22, 2004

I thought MetaFilter was all about being in the fray and getting punched in the eye for it. Repeatedly.
posted by DaShiv at 8:28 PM on December 22, 2004

you made me laugh out loud. thanx kwantsar.
posted by Stynxno at 8:29 PM on December 22, 2004

I think Engadget's better than Gizmodo these days, too, for what it's worth.

In fairness, it has been awhile since I've checked it out, but at the time it seemed like they were both giving me the same info, but Gizmodo had better writing.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 8:34 PM on December 22, 2004

I thought MetaFilter was all about being in the fray and getting punched in the eye for it. Repeatedly.

I thought that was kind of ironical-like, which is why I used it as the anchor text.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 8:38 PM on December 22, 2004

I wish your participants had done some of the same unique investigative work we found on places like DailyKos and Power Line this year (your community is certainly smarter than theirs), but you were always there with the context that made the story resonate.
Were we? I'd say no.
posted by amberglow at 8:45 PM on December 22, 2004

(your community is certainly smarter than theirs)

I've followed MeFi for a long time before getting in the door. That quote resonates for me. Despite the occasional snarks and the pre-election asshattery, the community here is diverse, dynamic, and of above-average intelligence. It would appear that the (posting) majority is left of center, but those on the right generally have good arguments for why they believe what they do.

It helps that it's a general-interest sort of blog, not specific to tech or politics or what-have-you; I can come here and find a wide array of topics from Genetically-modified Glowing Zebrafish to Labyrinthine Earthworks.

But the level of discourse here is what really hooked me. I appreciate things that make me think. MeFi wins, on that criterion.
posted by exlotuseater at 8:49 PM on December 22, 2004

Our fray is all self-inflicted.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 8:57 PM on December 22, 2004

frayed knot.
posted by soyjoy at 9:20 PM on December 22, 2004

#8? This is the only blog that matters! to me, at least.
posted by puke & cry at 9:25 PM on December 22, 2004

But the level of discourse here is what really hooked me. I appreciate things that make me think. MeFi wins, on that criterion.

Ditto.
posted by ludwig_van at 9:27 PM on December 22, 2004

Oh, and:

11) Kottke.org.

SUCK IT, KOTTKE!

I keed, I keed. I don't even know who this Kottke person is.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 9:27 PM on December 22, 2004

Boing Boing beat Metafilter? Whatever drugs this person is doing, I want dropped into the DC water supply.
posted by QIbHom at 9:30 PM on December 22, 2004

Yay MeFi!
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 9:57 PM on December 22, 2004

You take it where you can get it, XQUZYPHYR.

I thought the essay was linkworthy, and nice words are nice, especially when they're about your very own gang of freaks and geeks.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 10:09 PM on December 22, 2004

But the level of discourse here is what really hooked me. I appreciate things that make me think. MeFi wins, on that criterion.

I'll third that. If you can ignore the wank (I'll admit it's tough at times) this place is pretty terrific.
posted by LeeJay at 10:15 PM on December 22, 2004

This is the only website that actually matters.
posted by interrobang at 10:23 PM on December 22, 2004

This is the only website that actually matters.
Except, of course, all the thousands of others that MeFi links to...
posted by dhruva at 11:10 PM on December 22, 2004

POWERLINE?????? Ugh.

I know MF has it's share of, shall we say; "right-leaning folk" but it does a hell of a job of balancing itself out over time. Powerline is all righty, all the time.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 11:28 PM on December 22, 2004

We're Number Eight!

Fimoculous is pretty cool, and arguably the best online aggregator of year-end lists, so it isn't like this list came from someplace completely unknown.

We're Number Eight!

We're Number Eight!
posted by subgenius at 12:05 AM on December 23, 2004

it has been awhile since I've checked it out, but at the time it seemed like they were both giving me the same info, but Gizmodo had better writing.

Maybe it has been a while: I think Engadget stole Gizmodo's original author. And I would agree with E before G in this case. And at least one other.
posted by yerfatma at 3:49 AM on December 23, 2004

XQUZYPHYR! This is to inform you I am suing the hell out of you for the suffering endured as a result of reading your post. A post which caused the Sprite that was currently in my throat to explode upwards through my nose which resulted in horrible third degree sinus carbonation tingles and guffaw ending choking feelings.
posted by mortisimo at 4:06 AM on December 23, 2004

The guy at Gizmodo seems less ignorant than the one at Engadget, and seems better at reading the articles he links to, though sometimes I think the other way around. They both suck though.
posted by cillit bang at 5:02 AM on December 23, 2004

"For staying out of the fire, but well in the frying pan..."
posted by Wolfdog at 5:16 AM on December 23, 2004

"For fraying with style, in much the same manner as a beloved old cashmere sweater..."
posted by orange swan at 6:51 AM on December 23, 2004

As for not doing the same "investigative work" as PowerLine,

POWERLINE?????? Ugh.

---

What's the difference between Powerline & DailyKos? One is cheese & macaroni, the other macaroni & cheese. Considering their similarities in tone, format & intent, isn't one's own bias the only thing that distinguishes between them? Bonus points for honest answers.

And congrats MeFi. Drudge & Gawker don't deserve to be mentioned in the same list as us.
posted by dhoyt at 7:13 AM on December 23, 2004

MetaFilter: Our fray is all self-inflicted.
posted by Dr. Wu at 7:24 AM on December 23, 2004

Yay for us. In an election year no less.
posted by geekyguy at 7:47 AM on December 23, 2004

So who is Rex Sorgatz, anyway? Why would anyone care about his list? Not a snark, I've just never heard of him.
posted by iconomy at 7:55 AM on December 23, 2004

Nevermind.
posted by iconomy at 7:59 AM on December 23, 2004

wait, Matt is a grandpa already? i haven't even properly congratulated him on fatherhood yet.
posted by danOstuporStar at 8:01 AM on December 23, 2004

They grow so fast.
posted by chicobangs at 8:29 AM on December 23, 2004

As an independent, I think that DailyKos and PowerLine are equally tendentious, but DailyKos is better-written and better-organized.
posted by Sidhedevil at 8:41 AM on December 23, 2004

Honest answer for a straw man question.
posted by y2karl at 9:37 AM on December 23, 2004

Is a number 8 what a four assed monkey would call making dookie?
posted by fenriq at 9:43 AM on December 23, 2004

What's the difference between Powerline & DailyKos?

One is cheese & macaroni, the other macaroni & cheese. Considering their similarities in tone, format & intent, isn't one's own bias the only thing that distinguishes between them? Bonus points for honest answers.

None that I know of. One is left and the other is right.

I was speaking to MetaFilter and Powerline in relation to each other. Daily Kos makes me ill sometimes too with it's refusal to consider both sides of an issue but I tend to gravitate toward it because of my own preferences. MetaFilter on the other hand; man I've questioned my own beliefs as a result of reading well reasoned and some not so well reasoned arguments on both side. I think thats a good thing. Kos and PL are simply one-note wonders whereas MetaFilter is a crazy sounding orchestra.

Do I get teh bonus?
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 10:10 AM on December 23, 2004

Above the fray?

hahahhahahahahhaha
posted by graventy at 10:10 AM on December 23, 2004

Last year we were #2, and the year before we were at the bottom of the list and Rex said something like how he was disappointed in how crappy it had been and I was with him 100% on that and surprised we even made his list then.

Rex is a great guy, works in the newspaper/online industry and is right up there with waxy on finding obscure great links and writes good essays to boot.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 10:33 AM on December 23, 2004

Thanks for the background info, Matt.
posted by iconomy at 11:40 AM on December 23, 2004

Dammit, Dr. Wu! I was gonna say:

MetaFilter: It's all self-inflicted
posted by deborah at 1:47 PM on December 23, 2004

Hmm. Pitchfork is not a blog in any way. And it's a bit much to describe that as a list of 'best blogs'. Maybe for a easily-impressed sligthly-naive American who really thinks blogs can change the world.
posted by ascullion at 1:58 PM on December 23, 2004

Only seven blogs to kill before we win, comrades!
posted by Jimbob at 3:03 PM on December 23, 2004

Gosh I'm not sure whether to pat myself on the head, kick myself in the butt, or masturbate.

Signed,
Muddled in Metafilter
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 5:47 PM on December 23, 2004

I say you masturbate. Make some Secret Life of Gravy gravy.
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 7:47 PM on December 23, 2004

#8, #schmeit! Like so many other similar lists (I'm looking at you, Jason Kottke, just for instance), almost all of these choices are ones already known to everyone. If you want to get my interest (and I'm not saying you do, hardly anyone does), give me a list of great sites that get 50, 100, 200 hits a day, undiscovered gems. MetaFilter won't be on it but then again pretty much everyone who would be interested (who would see fimoculous and kottke's list) already know about it.
posted by billsaysthis at 8:36 PM on December 23, 2004

Round up the usual suspects.
posted by Fat Buddha at 12:02 PM on December 24, 2004