AskMe in Lifehacker

February 1, 2005 11:27 AM

Lifehacker (another in the Gawker empire), has a roundup of askmefi threads. We're all on our best behavior, right?
posted by mileena to MetaFilter-Related at 11:27 AM (22 comments total)

No, because they make the money off the ads and we get jacked. So no we're not on our best behaviour.
posted by riffola at 11:33 AM on February 1, 2005

All I know for sure is that I really want to buy some Sony products.
posted by mmcg at 11:34 AM on February 1, 2005

Yeah, I'm not really thrilled about Denton selling ads off of Ask MetaFilter's content.
posted by Steve_at_Linnwood at 11:35 AM on February 1, 2005

I'm fine with anyone linking to Ask MetaFilter, and I think it's cool that they're rounding up the best questions/answers that are useful to folks.

I don't care if they have ads on the blog, it's just links to Ask MeFi, they're not lifting entire passages and displaying it as their own content (with ads). Are we supposed to get worked up over who links to us now?

I don't understand what the "best behavior" question is about. Were those bad threads? They seem fine to me.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 11:38 AM on February 1, 2005

Are we supposed to get worked up over who links to us now?
Nah, if they continue to do so it would be nice if they contribute to the MeFi fund.
posted by riffola at 11:41 AM on February 1, 2005

But they're just links to this site. Should I start collecting from every site with google ads that links to us? How about Wired News, which posts a link to MeFi once a month or so? Are we entitled to a cut from the latest Adobe or HP ads they run?

The internet is a massively distributed information network allowing links between any two pages without prior agreement, and that's what really makes it work. I still say this is fine and dandy and I don't see what anyone is getting upset about.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 11:43 AM on February 1, 2005

You're absolutely right Matt, my initial reaction was based solely on the fact that it's another Gawker Media site. Putting things into perspective, you are right they are just links, not ripping off the entire content or anything.
posted by riffola at 11:48 AM on February 1, 2005

I don't understand what the "best behavior" question is about. Were those bad threads? They seem fine to me.

Yeah, this isn't exactly a closed community. If folks are airing their dirty laundry on AskMe and don't realise this then they do now.

Wonder if the number of anon posts will go up now.
posted by terrapin at 11:52 AM on February 1, 2005

Why should we change our behavior just because another blog, which just happens to be commercial, links to us? We've been quoted all over the media and that hasn't changed things.

And aren't we supposed to be on our best behavior in AskMe anyway?
posted by me3dia at 11:53 AM on February 1, 2005

Is Gina a member here?
posted by Quartermass at 11:55 AM on February 1, 2005

I recently linked to a couple of non-commercial blogs on the front page of the blue, which has advertising. Should those blogs be pissed as MeFi is collecting advertising off those links, so to speak?
posted by liam at 12:19 PM on February 1, 2005

Does anyone else think Lifehacker sucks so far? Bugmenot? That's news? And having to look at a half-screen's-worth of Sony advertisements is certainly a value-add...
posted by chasing at 12:30 PM on February 1, 2005

I don't understand what the "best behavior" question is about.

That was mileena's tongue-in-cheek way of saying, "The Internets are watching us now.
Shine your shoes, put on some clean clothes, and get a fuckin' haircut."
posted by Smart Dalek at 12:37 PM on February 1, 2005

I think Lifehacker is trying to be a bit more mainstream than standard run of the mill geek tips site. So yeah, bugmenot and dropload aren't exactly new, but if I hadn't heard of them before I would be totally blown away by it.

I'd say about a third of the posts have something new for me, but I figure they're still getting started, in effect blogging a backlog of years worth of tiny tips that seem like old hat to us.

Personally, the ads are ok with me since they're all the same so I can filter them out visually in a short amount of time. I think they get in the way a bit more at gizmodo, because they're all different and doing different things.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 12:38 PM on February 1, 2005

It seems fine to me. I mean, Matt makes some money off this site and nobody (as far as I know) has come after him for linking to, my god, hundreds of thousands of sites.
posted by The God Complex at 1:28 PM on February 1, 2005

Sorry, I didn't mean to come off as complaining. I actually just thought it was neat (and wanted to point out) that askme has become such a resource that we're blog fodder on a Denton site.

And what Smart Dalek said.
posted by mileena at 1:39 PM on February 1, 2005

Lifehacker does suck, and don't get me started on that Travel site--ugh. I think he should put more resources and support into his existing sites before launching new ones.
posted by amberglow at 1:46 PM on February 1, 2005

I think he should put more resources and support into his existing sites before launching new ones.

Both are advertiser sponsored -- sort of full-on versions of the Nike "art of speed" blog. Nick probably just hired a writer and designer and pointed them in a direction.
posted by me3dia at 2:00 PM on February 1, 2005

Funny, members of a link site complaining of a link site.

However, you all could just link back! ;-P
posted by mischief at 2:03 PM on February 1, 2005

I hate the designs of those sites. They're heinous, ugly, slow-loading, and just lame in general. But they do have a presence and they do look different from pretty much any other group of blogs.

The content of lifehacker is fairly hack-neyed (haha) but you've got to remember that if you've seen all or most of that stuff before, you're in the upper 2% of web users. This site would be very useful for the vast majority who don't spend that much time online.
posted by chaz at 2:04 PM on February 1, 2005

I still say this is fine and dandy and I don't see what anyone is getting upset about.

Nor do I, so long as they stick to linking not copying content. The internet model is that they may drive more traffic to this site, increasing any ad revenue here.
posted by rushmc at 2:59 PM on February 1, 2005

Mathowie made a great point about things like bugmenot and dropload being great finds to people who somehow hadn't heard of them before...

...which I can confirm since I hadn't heard of dropload before he posted that. Let me say that many people I know are going to be thrilled with that. Once again, I accidentally learn something around here when I least expected it.
posted by Stunt at 6:23 PM on February 1, 2005