Anybody have a good story? March 24, 2005 9:55 PM   Subscribe

Anybody have a good story?
posted by stupidsexyFlanders to Etiquette/Policy at 9:55 PM (59 comments total)

This sounds like a good story and I really would like to subscribe to his blog.
posted by Arch Stanton at 10:01 PM on March 24, 2005


I got a flat tire at school and had to walk walmart, buy a lug wrench and jack, walk back and change the tire.

That's not a very good story
posted by puke & cry at 10:12 PM on March 24, 2005


OMG you wont believe but I saw a dead body once a while ago and then after the nausea passed, I was filled with an urge to dry-hump it so i tried to but then a big lion came out of nowhere and was like 'hay this is my corpse to snack on so you can just fuck off' but then a vulture flew down and wanted to eat it too so they fought over it and guess who won guys? guess! oh yeah also a swarm of ants came over and they were like 'this is our meal you guys can go screw' so the ants won! lols-royce!
posted by naxosaxur at 10:15 PM on March 24, 2005


One typical reaction to trauma, such as being held hostage, or being witness to a robber attaching a bomb to the person standing next to you, is a desire to talk it out with one's friends and acquaintances.

One typical response of Mefites to someone breaking the rules is to call it out in MetaTalk, often without taking extraordinary circumstances like for Christ sake, the guy's just been held hostage and rather than think to say to him, "hey, are you ok", you make a call-out in MetaTalk?

MetaTalk: please check your humanity, empathy, and compassion at the door.
posted by orthogonality at 10:16 PM on March 24, 2005


is a desire to talk it out with one's friends and acquaintances.

Right, but MetaFilter shouldn't be treated as anyone's therapy.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 10:17 PM on March 24, 2005


Before anyone says "just flag it and move on" I think it's worth having a discussion about whether we've sunk to the level of every other internet garbage repository where you can crap your malformed, misspelled thoughts with not only the medium's universal impunity, but perhaps greater-than-average hopes of interesting feedback. Garbage in, gold out. Or so some seem to think. But that won't last long if it lasts at all. I'm not one to raise the alarm that MetaFilter is dying, but are we at a low ebb or what?
posted by scarabic at 10:19 PM on March 24, 2005


What the shit?

I don't see how that question was much different than this.
posted by keswick at 10:22 PM on March 24, 2005


In my post i questioned it's very merit. Sorry.
posted by schyler523 at 10:24 PM on March 24, 2005


schyler523 admits his own doubt regarding the relevance of the thread. What's the problem here?

on preview: spot-on deletion, and scarabic eloquates my identical/inherent concerns.
posted by naxosaxur at 10:27 PM on March 24, 2005


Mathowie: "is a desire to talk it out with one's friends and acquaintances."

Right, but MetaFilter shouldn't be treated as anyone's therapy.


Sorry, i do not mean to treat metafilter as such. I honestly wondered whether other people had experienced something like that. I was wrong.
posted by schyler523 at 10:29 PM on March 24, 2005


schyler, i'm not sure if you saw a reply before Il Duce deleted it, but I've been in a similar situation. My IM is in my profile if you want to talk.

PS: fuck the hall monitors.
posted by keswick at 10:33 PM on March 24, 2005


He should come over to Monkeyfilter and Curious George it with us.
posted by Muffpub at 10:46 PM on March 24, 2005


so what the hell was it, anyway?
posted by blacklite at 11:17 PM on March 24, 2005


Sorry, i do not mean to treat metafilter as such. I honestly wondered whether other people had experienced something like that. I was wrong.

Fuck 'em, man. Take it to Monkeyfilter. It's a friendlier joint, there, trust me.
posted by AlexReynolds at 11:22 PM on March 24, 2005


What was the question for those late to the party?
posted by Quartermass at 11:39 PM on March 24, 2005


"This evening i was a witness in a bank robbery, and in addition to being fairly freaked out, i wondered how many people have been in a situation like that. Anybody have a good story?

The robber attached a bomb to the teller that had been helping me, so i was 3 feet from 4 sticks of dynamite. (sorry if this doesn't fit AskMe, delete if inappropriate.)"
posted by mathowie (staff) at 11:40 PM on March 24, 2005


"is a desire to talk it out with one's friends and acquaintances." posted by orthogonality at 10:16 PM

Right, but MetaFilter shouldn't be treated as anyone's therapy. posted by mathowie at 10:17 PM

Why not? I would agree it shouldn't be abused as therapy. But are we a community, or what? Why shouldn't we help each other?

The very act of putting thoughts into words is therapeutic. Doing so with a helpful and knowledgeable discussion group is even more so.

However, I'm talking in general terms, not specifically about this AskMe post, which I haven't seen and won't see unless someone pastes it here from their cache.

Again: I'm not debating the deletion. Just talking about the group experience of a good community-orientated site being good therapy.

Sometimes - if not most times - it's better therapy then could be bought at any price. When it's done right you're among real peers you have something in common with, which always helps.

However, this web-therapy also seems to work best when it's not overt, but subtle and as a beneficial side-effect of the interaction of the web community as a whole - and certainly not when it's of the dramatic, self-absorbed sort.


On preview: Thanks for posting the question, Matt.

Can we make it a policy for people to post the offending thread head inside the MeTa thread when they post callouts for stuff doomed to deletion? I know that this has been asked before, but maybe if I and others keep asking people will remember when posting to MeTa and maybe it'll just become natural and expected to do so.
posted by loquacious at 11:45 PM on March 24, 2005


Why not? I would agree it shouldn't be abused as therapy. But are we a community, or what? Why shouldn't we help each other?

It's been abused many times in the past, so I tend to err on the safe side when something truly looks like someone in search of therapy. We've had many people (ab)use the site to make themselves feel better, often degrading the experience for everyone else. I don't know if this specific instance was going to lead to that, but I gotta have some low standards for what constitues a ask metafilter post and "anyone have any good stories" doesn't quite get over that bar.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 12:04 AM on March 25, 2005


Agreed.

*writes "I will not abuse MetaFilter for my own pleasure/therapy" on the chalkboard several hundred times

Move along.
posted by schyler523 at 12:07 AM on March 25, 2005


I just want to point out that if the post had read:

"This evening I was a witness in a bank robbery, and now I'm fairly freaked out; what can I do to deal with this? Has anyone else been in a similar situation, and if so, how did you deal with it afterwards?"

it would not have been deleted.

I think we can all agree that we don't want an AskMe populated by posts such as "My boyfriend just dumped me... I need hugs!" But I also believe that we can handle questions of emotional stress in terms of giving advice.

If you're experiencing some sort of emotional difficulty, and you need help, go ahead and ask how to deal, but don't make a post that's just an experience/opinion poll. And yes, I understand that one or two of the most popular AskMe posts ever were just that, but one of those (childhood discipline) was incredibly helpful for new/to-be parents, and the other was a wonderful aberration. Expecting perfect and absolute conformity and consistency is unrealistic, but the truth remains that most things can be broached on AskMe if the formulation is such that it invites useful responses that somebody else might also find helpful.
posted by taz at 12:10 AM on March 25, 2005


You're right taz, it's all in the delivery.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 12:38 AM on March 25, 2005


did the poster ask for money as well? I bet she/he could have raised 250 bucks in minutes
posted by matteo at 2:13 AM on March 25, 2005


I bet she/he could have raised 250 bucks in minutes

Only if the poster was female.
posted by justgary at 2:40 AM on March 25, 2005


Hmm best to delete it , you can get bad advice as well as good here.
posted by sgt.serenity at 3:45 AM on March 25, 2005


Take it to Monkeyfilter. It's a friendlier joint, there, trust me.

I disagree with the premise that AskMe and Monkeyfilter are the same thing, except that one is more friendly than the other. MoFi is a cool place and I hope the poster does launch this discussion over there, it'd be interesting reading.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 4:15 AM on March 25, 2005


Hmm best to delete it , you can get bad advice as well as good here.

If that's the criteria for a delete, AskMe might as well not exist at all.
posted by orange swan at 5:20 AM on March 25, 2005


Right, but MetaFilter shouldn't be treated as anyone's therapy.

that's why i'm here, much of the time. don't know about the rest of you.
posted by andrew cooke at 5:54 AM on March 25, 2005


And how does that make you feel, andrew cooke?
posted by dabitch at 6:22 AM on March 25, 2005


Anybody have a good story?

I was born a small black child...
posted by jonmc at 6:36 AM on March 25, 2005 [1 favorite]


the thing is, i had several good stories about this ... but the thread was gone before i could post them

oh, well
posted by pyramid termite at 6:42 AM on March 25, 2005


Actually, I'd have flagged the alternate delivery, too, since it's just AskPollFilter. But then, I'm kind of a dick when it comes to misuse of Ask, which is the greatest thing since leavened bread.
posted by majick at 6:57 AM on March 25, 2005


I propose that that future callouts of pending AskMe deletions include for future reference a blockquote of the FPP as a [more inside].
posted by mischief at 7:01 AM on March 25, 2005


proposal seconded.

so it is written, so it shall be done.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 7:19 AM on March 25, 2005


so it is written, so it shall be done.

...I’m sent here by the chosen one
So let it be written
So let it be done
To kill the first born pharaoh son
I’m creeping death....
posted by jonmc at 7:24 AM on March 25, 2005


jonmc, wanna split a twizzler?
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 7:35 AM on March 25, 2005


[!]
posted by fire&wings at 7:36 AM on March 25, 2005


I prefer Pixy Stix, thanks.
posted by jonmc at 7:54 AM on March 25, 2005


So what did the question say? I missed it.

and: This one time, at band camp....
posted by amberglow at 8:03 AM on March 25, 2005


MonkeyFilter will not let me post there, yet. When i can, i'll make all you rubberneckers on the info superhighway happy...

look forward to your stories pyramid termite.
posted by schyler523 at 8:25 AM on March 25, 2005


You're right taz, it's all in the delivery.

Because the delivery sets the tone for what's to follow. "Anybody got a good story?" is a wide-open solicitation for just about anything. And it doesn't get any chattier than that.
posted by scarabic at 8:26 AM on March 25, 2005


I got a great story about this date I went on one time. When I get some time, I'll post it on my lunchbreak. You're going to love it!
posted by dios at 8:31 AM on March 25, 2005


So what did the question say? I missed it.

Then you need to scroll slower.

posted by soyjoy at 8:33 AM on March 25, 2005


...I’m sent here by the chosen one
So let it be written
So let it be done
To kill the first born pharaoh son
I’m creeping death....


Can we get a CrapMetalFilter flag?
posted by AlexReynolds at 8:35 AM on March 25, 2005


*glowers*
posted by jonmc at 8:45 AM on March 25, 2005


*casts magic mullet missle at jonmc*
posted by loquacious at 8:47 AM on March 25, 2005




jon, thanks for getting Wayward Son stuck in my head with that chorus.... grr....
posted by dios at 8:58 AM on March 25, 2005


dios writes "I got a great story about this date I went on one time."

Only one time? That explains a lot.

;)

Happy Good Friday!
posted by orthogonality at 8:59 AM on March 25, 2005


jon, thanks for getting Wayward Son stuck in my head with that chorus.... grr....

you may want to consult your mullet-rock manual, cos that ain't Kansas I quoted, dios.
posted by jonmc at 9:01 AM on March 25, 2005


jon, I know its not Kansas. But with associative thinking/insanity my eyes read the "Carry on" chorus to the backdrop of Wayward Son. It's sick... I know.

And orthongality: you'll understand when I tell the story.
posted by dios at 9:04 AM on March 25, 2005


Was that the date with Mary, Dios?
posted by orange swan at 9:15 AM on March 25, 2005


My story: I was robbed by three black guys when I was the night auditor at an inn. My description of the gunman was apparently so bad that I was not called as a witness. Not that they needed my testimony, all three were convicted anyway.
posted by mischief at 9:26 AM on March 25, 2005


orange swan , there are just some things that unqualified and inexperienced people should not give advice on and this is one of them.
posted by sgt.serenity at 9:36 AM on March 25, 2005



posted by breezeway at 10:48 AM on March 25, 2005


This isn't a real community. When will you people get it?
posted by konolia at 8:21 AM on March 26, 2005


I reckon whether it qualifies as a real community varies a lot by member, konolia. I think that for people with families and/or an offline community such as a church, MetaFilter seems like a pretty pale imitation of a community. But there are plenty of people here who are, for reasons of geography or something else, remote from any group of like-minded people, and this is what they have. And there are clearly other people who go to meetups and interact with other MeFites beyond the interaction that we see here, and for those people, it's certainly at least a gateway to a community.

Contrariwise, the interaction here is not what I have come to expect from a community (online or off), which doesn't make it a bad place, but means that if possible, people should probably find a community that better meets more of their needs. But opinions vary, and if people feel like their needs for community are met through MeFi, then more power to them, as long as they don't use the idea of community as a means to hammer the people who come here more for a pleasant diversion.
posted by anapestic at 9:26 AM on March 26, 2005


Anapestic, you missed my point.

There are lots of online communities. Metafilter was not originally designed to be one, and most of the things (chattiness, bringing up personal circumstances,etc.) repeatedly are pointed out by Matt as things he does not want for this site. So I guess you could call it a fauxcommunity.

One reason I am mostly not around anymore is that all of this got too confusing. And places like Monkeyfilter and other sites were created precisely because Mother Meta is NOT a real community.

I like TWOP. TWOP is a discussion place, but except for specially designated threads is NOT a community. TWOP is not confused about what it is.

On the other hand, I like community sites. I was a former denizen at a Usenet group which was totally community. It was wild, wooly, but also family. It's the only place from which I have ever met someone offline.

Metafilter? Neither fish nor fowl, and I can never quite categorize it in my mind. My original metatroubles stemmed from that early confusion, but by that time I was an official site nutcase and by then it made little difference.

Matt has an original vision for this place but he is also one who likes to avoid conflict. He could either choose to have it totally his way (pissing off a lot of people) or he could adjust his personal vision (pissing off himself.) What we have now is a delicate balance of trying to avoid either, and it is an unstable balance.
posted by konolia at 2:31 PM on March 26, 2005


Hey, konolia! Glad to see you're back! (at least, temporarily.)
posted by graventy at 8:39 AM on March 27, 2005


...and it is an unstable balance

An "unstable balance" that's managed to survive for a good number of years, it should be added. Me, I love a nice, tight tightrope, and this place is one of the more beautiful online balancing acts I've ever seen.
posted by mediareport at 10:56 PM on March 27, 2005


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