Would it be possible to get a deletion explanation for the top of axed AxMe threads? March 21, 2005 3:19 PM Subscribe
Would it be possible to get a deletion explanation for the top of axed AxMe threads? I'm stumped for a reason why someone's "Can anyone tell me what Van Morrison's song Madame George is about?" question got killed.
Or because the person who asked the question asked Matt to kill it.
posted by dios at 3:37 PM on March 21, 2005
posted by dios at 3:37 PM on March 21, 2005
The poster asked matt to delete it.
On preview, what dios said.
posted by muddgirl at 3:43 PM on March 21, 2005
On preview, what dios said.
posted by muddgirl at 3:43 PM on March 21, 2005
He linked a site, then noticed that the site he linked had the answer to his question, and posted "Matt, please delete this."
posted by agropyron at 3:44 PM on March 21, 2005
posted by agropyron at 3:44 PM on March 21, 2005
tellurian : "Maybe because it's too easily Googled?"
Understood. The circle is complete.
posted by Bugbread at 3:45 PM on March 21, 2005
Understood. The circle is complete.
posted by Bugbread at 3:45 PM on March 21, 2005
Damn, I was all ready to get angry at Matt.
posted by greasy_skillet at 3:45 PM on March 21, 2005
posted by greasy_skillet at 3:45 PM on March 21, 2005
I've not wanted to start a separate thread on the issue because of the anticipated hostility it would elicit, however, a simple comment. It seems there are MANY AskMi posts that could be solved via 1/2 hour or less google session. Not that it overly irritates me, but ... *shrug*
posted by edgeways at 3:46 PM on March 21, 2005
posted by edgeways at 3:46 PM on March 21, 2005
Freebird!
/but seriously
As for the initial question, is there a reason why deleted AskMe posts don't have quick explanations added to the "Nothing to see here" pages, like deleted FPPs? (Other than the obvious "It would be more work for Matt.")
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:50 PM on March 21, 2005
/but seriously
As for the initial question, is there a reason why deleted AskMe posts don't have quick explanations added to the "Nothing to see here" pages, like deleted FPPs? (Other than the obvious "It would be more work for Matt.")
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:50 PM on March 21, 2005
Again, it was deleted because the poster asked for it to be deleted.
But as to edgeways: not to get off on that tangent, but some people aren't pros at googling and some questions aren't easily answered by a singular explanation. Thus, "its google-able" is not a sufficient rebuke of some questions, especially subjective ones. One might argue that all questions are googleable; e.g. Matt's question immediately following the deleted one.
Take the question at hand: "what are the words of a song trying to say." There are different interpretations to that, and finding Lester Bangs' explanation is not answering the question. Lester Bangs might explain that the song is about love or something, but he doesn't explain who "they" are in the ninth line. Or if it is the kids buying cigarettes. Or what Ford and Fitzroy are. Or some other question about a song other than Bangs' explanation of what the song means to him. So the question will generate some answers off of google, but not necessarily an exhaustive best answer that brilliant mefi denizens seem adept at providing.
posted by dios at 4:06 PM on March 21, 2005
But as to edgeways: not to get off on that tangent, but some people aren't pros at googling and some questions aren't easily answered by a singular explanation. Thus, "its google-able" is not a sufficient rebuke of some questions, especially subjective ones. One might argue that all questions are googleable; e.g. Matt's question immediately following the deleted one.
Take the question at hand: "what are the words of a song trying to say." There are different interpretations to that, and finding Lester Bangs' explanation is not answering the question. Lester Bangs might explain that the song is about love or something, but he doesn't explain who "they" are in the ninth line. Or if it is the kids buying cigarettes. Or what Ford and Fitzroy are. Or some other question about a song other than Bangs' explanation of what the song means to him. So the question will generate some answers off of google, but not necessarily an exhaustive best answer that brilliant mefi denizens seem adept at providing.
posted by dios at 4:06 PM on March 21, 2005
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:50 PM PST on March 21 [!]
Sorry for the tangent, but: Best. Username. Ever.
posted by ChrisTN at 4:21 PM on March 21, 2005
Sorry for the tangent, but: Best. Username. Ever.
posted by ChrisTN at 4:21 PM on March 21, 2005
It was Newsfilter! Death to Newsfilter!
posted by orthogonality at 5:03 PM on March 21, 2005
posted by orthogonality at 5:03 PM on March 21, 2005
It seems there are MANY AskMi posts that could be solved via 1/2 hour or less google session. Not that it overly irritates me, but ... *shrug*
Maybe you should create a sockpuppet to start a "How do you google?" AskMe.
That issue's been discussed here before, and dios has ably summed up the anti-google contingent. Or the pro-google contingent, whichever it might be (the contingent that favors not snubbing people who have failed to google). Some people attempt to make the point more subtly by using a link to a google search. I like that strategy because you never know whether the subtext is "just trying to be helpful!" or "if you weren't such an idiot, you'd have figured this out!"
posted by anapestic at 5:58 PM on March 21, 2005
Maybe you should create a sockpuppet to start a "How do you google?" AskMe.
That issue's been discussed here before, and dios has ably summed up the anti-google contingent. Or the pro-google contingent, whichever it might be (the contingent that favors not snubbing people who have failed to google). Some people attempt to make the point more subtly by using a link to a google search. I like that strategy because you never know whether the subtext is "just trying to be helpful!" or "if you weren't such an idiot, you'd have figured this out!"
posted by anapestic at 5:58 PM on March 21, 2005
Thanks for the info. It seemed like an interesting possibility for a thread but then it was gone.
posted by yerfatma at 5:59 PM on March 21, 2005
posted by yerfatma at 5:59 PM on March 21, 2005
I remember a Morrison interview by Happy Traum, where Vam The Man claimed it was about a cheese sandwich. But consesus seems to be that it's about an aging drag queen.
posted by jonmc at 6:46 PM on March 21, 2005
posted by jonmc at 6:46 PM on March 21, 2005
Perhaps there should be a primer on How to Google on the page that people that people submit their question from. Maybe have it explain a few simple google ideas, such as putting things in parenthesis or searching on a specific site, etc.
posted by Arch Stanton at 7:01 PM on March 21, 2005
posted by Arch Stanton at 7:01 PM on March 21, 2005
I believe the problem goes deeper than that, Arch. Also, nobody would read it anyway.
posted by mischief at 7:06 PM on March 21, 2005
posted by mischief at 7:06 PM on March 21, 2005
It's a bit of a shame, since I learned a lot on that thread (short as it was) and ended up ordering Lester Bangs' "Psychotic Reactions And Carburetor Dung" before the afternoon was over; so I belatedly thank the poster.
posted by BoringPostcards at 7:35 PM on March 21, 2005
posted by BoringPostcards at 7:35 PM on March 21, 2005
Odd side note: I recommended The Last Waltz to a coworker last Friday. She saw it and loved it especially Van The Man's performance of "Caravan," but we both couldn't help sharing a laugh at that hideous purple jumpsuit he wore in the film.
posted by jonmc at 7:48 PM on March 21, 2005
posted by jonmc at 7:48 PM on March 21, 2005
Oh, man, jonmc, that thing is TERRIBLE. Hilariously so.
posted by PhatLobley at 9:12 PM on March 21, 2005
posted by PhatLobley at 9:12 PM on March 21, 2005
Yeah, but he is forgiven, because he is Van Morrison, and doubly so because he's singing with The Band.
posted by jonmc at 9:21 PM on March 21, 2005
posted by jonmc at 9:21 PM on March 21, 2005
Also, a quick google search does not necessarily provide the 'best' answer to a question. I got a google-link answer of mine this afternoon (for which I'm grateful) but it does not answer the full question. Any answer is not necessarily The answer.
posted by figment at 10:23 PM on March 21, 2005
posted by figment at 10:23 PM on March 21, 2005
Forgiven? Hell, I wasn't mad in the first place.
posted by PhatLobley at 11:15 PM on March 21, 2005
posted by PhatLobley at 11:15 PM on March 21, 2005
It was Newsfilter! Death to Newsfilter!
If you want to make inroads on this subject, try something more engaging than caricaturing the opposition at every turn. There's room for debate there, as long as it's actual debate. Hurling stones across the long-delineated newsfilter divide is kinda like rattling the border between the US and Mexico. It ain't gonna move.
posted by scarabic at 1:45 AM on March 22, 2005
If you want to make inroads on this subject, try something more engaging than caricaturing the opposition at every turn. There's room for debate there, as long as it's actual debate. Hurling stones across the long-delineated newsfilter divide is kinda like rattling the border between the US and Mexico. It ain't gonna move.
posted by scarabic at 1:45 AM on March 22, 2005
Thanx yerfatma. Another 3 hour sojourn into the mystical underbelly of the 'net. I've been a great fan of Van for many many years and had not gone in for explication or even bio chasing until now. Enlightenment !
[In fact, some of the lyrics were a bit of a shock - much like Dylan, I'd got used to being ignorant about some lines/verses/songs - I put it down to artistic license. Ahhhh how much smarter I would be if I'd grown up with the internetz].
posted by peacay at 2:24 AM on March 22, 2005
[In fact, some of the lyrics were a bit of a shock - much like Dylan, I'd got used to being ignorant about some lines/verses/songs - I put it down to artistic license. Ahhhh how much smarter I would be if I'd grown up with the internetz].
posted by peacay at 2:24 AM on March 22, 2005
Perhaps there should be a primer on How to Google
Nyet. I will fight this attitude on the beaches . . . what if we put up a primer on "How to fix your car" and "Slim Goodbody's Guide to Knowing Your Body"? Would questions that could be answered thusly be out of bound? Just because we're all surfing the Information Superhighway in real time in our twenty-something lives doesn't mean everyone knows how to use Google or will ever be as good as you. In fact, maybe that's the bulk of how you can help on AskMe, Googling for things other people can't find. Maybe other people can answer car questions, etc.
posted by yerfatma at 5:51 AM on March 22, 2005
Nyet. I will fight this attitude on the beaches . . . what if we put up a primer on "How to fix your car" and "Slim Goodbody's Guide to Knowing Your Body"? Would questions that could be answered thusly be out of bound? Just because we're all surfing the Information Superhighway in real time in our twenty-something lives doesn't mean everyone knows how to use Google or will ever be as good as you. In fact, maybe that's the bulk of how you can help on AskMe, Googling for things other people can't find. Maybe other people can answer car questions, etc.
posted by yerfatma at 5:51 AM on March 22, 2005
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posted by Bugbread at 3:22 PM on March 21, 2005