October 2012 Archives (all archives)
October 31
halloween
This Halloween, if you could decorate your home or office as any movie or T.V. set, what would it be? [more inside]
October 30
GISHWHES scavenger hunt team 2012
We formed a GISHWHES 2012 team, of sorts. Did you want to see what we are up to? [more inside]
Hurricane Sandy Rowboat Check-In Thread
Hurricane Sandy Rowboat: Check in and let us know you came through okay. [more inside]
MetaFilter covering election day, vote counting, subsequent wrangling
Assuming any MetaFilter users are interested in writing posts or comments during voting and counting, how will this bloggie handle what will be its 4th US presidential election? [more inside]
October 29
I Can't Believe I'm Complaining About Long Threads, but Here we are.
The Hurricane Sandy thread is crashing my browser on my home computer. [more inside]
It's not every day you get to help launch a time machine.
Look, I know G+ is a dead zone socially for a lot of people, but you can help change that! Come argue with me about what to do next over on shakespeherian's page there, where he's just started a brand new Choose Your Own Adventure By Committee. And it's about time travel!!! [more inside]
October 28
Abbot and Costello meet Frankenstorm
Mandatory evacuations for the hurricane are beginning in NYC, so I figure a hurricane information/safety/calm-each-other-down thread (like last year) is warranted.
October 27
MeFi Scroll Tag Being Flaky
I know that Plutor's MeFi ScrollTag extension is a 3rd party thing and not officially supported here, but..has anyone else found that it has stopped working correctly on the Blue, and only on the Blue? (relevant info: Mac, Snow Leopard, Chrome Version 22.0.1229.94) [more inside]
October 26
Lead me to my people.
Joe in Australia wrote:
"A while back there was a thread in which people described their awkward obliviousness to social or sexual advances. There were accounts like "She said "Would you like me to take my shirt off?" and I replied "No, I think it looks nice."" "Anyone able to identify the post?
A little iOS love in the user profile
Seeing the thread on letterpress, I thought to seek out other MeFites and also let them know how to find me in GameCenter.
We have a thread here about this, but I would like to request a pony in the form of adding GameCenter to the Social Apps section of the user profile.
Please?
sort the beans into four categories, decide each one is the less-preferred option.
After a few wonderful years on MetaFilter, I think I've picked up on a frequent thing that we tend to do when discussing power inequalities, i.e. sexism, racism, class and wealth, etc. I'd like to propose a 2x2 model for describing the possible perspectives that the analysis of the problem can take. Based on this model, I believe I have discovered something that MeFi "doesn't do well" - all possible conclusions are shot down as talking about the wrong thing. Hopefully, as a community we can recognize this and either "solve" the problem presented by the model, find alternative conclusions when using it, or at the very least stop using the model in the future. [more inside]
Everyone needs to respect what MeTa is for and remember to use it.
If something needs to go to Metatalk, it seems to me it doesn't need mods discussing it in thread while paying lip-service to the Blue/Grey distinction. If people need to defend their decisions, they can surely just direct the conversation here, not do what looks a bit like a drive-by on a Blue thread.
HTML buttons on Edit Profile Page?
Small feature request: Can we have B, I and Link buttons in the Personal Info portion of the Edit Profile Page? It would make it slightly easier to edit that section.
October 25
Please?
I just posted an AskMe with a dumb typo. Any chance of getting an edit window for Ask as well? [more inside]
October 24
NaNoWriMo 2012
National Novel Writing Month is almost here. Discuss. [more inside]
The MeFi 2012/2012 "Hookers And Blackjack" Fantasy Basketball League
After some discussion here, it appears that A) there is a desire among MeFites to play fantasy basketball and B) although there may or may not be a league this year already, in either case there is clearly interest for fantasy basketball that is not satisfied. [more inside]
October 23
and god damn you for suggesting I should just suck that up
Can we please stop with the sexism, it demeans the supposedly open, safe, inclusive nature of metafilter. [more inside]
Red Pull
Should posts linking to ads say so upfront? [more inside]
Deadpan links to satire sites considered harmful
The politics threads contain lots of comments that are single links to news articles. Also people post links to satirical sites like The Onion, which is fine by me. It seems to have become a thing to post the latter links as if they were real, though, with no prefatory "Satire:" or "Onion:" or what have you. I personally find this irritating, so I was wondering what the community consensus was. [more inside]
You will get caught
Metafilter makes the national TV news in Finland (sort of)! A story in the Sunday edition of the nation's biggest daily paper Helsingin Sanomat about paranoia in the workplace was found to contain plagiarized quotes by a local blogger. The comment of mefite Schroder turns into a 37-year-old Finn named "Timo". The story contained two other quotes, also lifted and translated from English-language websites. The national broadcasting corporation YLE featured the case in the main news broadcast, and the newspaper has published an apology and a corrected online version of the story with all three plagiarized quotes removed.
October 22
Mormon temple ceremonies
I think other versions of this post linking to a video of Mormon temple ceremonies ought to stand if they're offered. [more inside]
October 21
looking for a thread about communication
I remember (and am trying to find) an AskMe thread about communication/conversation which included a comment that described the following scenario: [more inside]
Substantiating AskMeFi comments
Quick question about protocol on the human relationships section of AskMeFi. If someone asks a question there which can potentially be answered by just a yes/no answer, is it okay to just answer it with a yes/no, or should one always add reasoning to your answer? [more inside]
Immediate derail material
This is a way that many posts about independent games tend to go, where it is almost immediately sidetracked in to a discussion about Windows vs. everything else. Part of the solution is probably to put a windows only notification on the post, and part of the solution is probably just to move on without commenting if you're a mac user.
October 20
The best thread on eating well?
Suggestions for one or two good comprehensive threads on nutrition and eating well. Blue or Green, but something comprehensive to recommend to someone that kind of covers the current thinking about diet, diet related to health and well being, and eating well. [more inside]
October 19
Recommending involuntary commitment is going too far here
I ibeg people to think twice, then think again, then think a fourth time before suggesting that an AskMe questioner get someone involuntarily committed to a mental hospital. [more inside]
Weird image embed in the RSS feed
Did something change in the embedded image in ask.mefi RSS feeds? [more inside]
Post about limits to online education out of bounds?
Minnesota attempts limit access to free online education (Cousera) and somehow its out of bounds for the FP? [more inside]
October 18
Missing out on Projects?
I've looked at the Projects section maybe once or twice during my time in the Metaverse; am I missing out on anything solid these days?
Movin' On Up
Have you had success in changing your Metafilter persona in some way? Have you taught yourself to be kinder, gentler, fairer, less angry, or less bullheaded toward other Mefites? If so, how? [more inside]
October 17
warning: flurries inside
is it just me, or is the metaphor of "snowflake" overused in AskMe? as in, unique details only relevant to the asker's situation. only, the details are often not that unique, and everyone has some details that makes their story at least a little different from someone else's, but it often doesn't warrant a "snowflake" warning. i think it's over indulgent and cutsie and more about basking in the attention about how wonderfully unique I am! I only ask that people refrain from using the metaphor unless they are about to describe a details that they have truly never seen before.
October 16
My job is not to worry about those threads
The Sarah Palin thread has been surpassed. this is now Metafilter's longest thread. Happy Election Season everyone!
It's like a second chance to avoid opening your mouth and removing all doubt.
What about an "on second thought, maybe it'd be better not to have said anything at all" window? [more inside]
SuperMeFites
Any Mefites getting Superbetter? [more inside]
Markup Markdown Mark It All Around
I know that similar topics have been brought up in the past, but how about supporting Markdown on Metafilter? [more inside]
October 15
The New Shirts Are Here!
October 14
Grammar InSpecter
How about a spelling/grammar reason to flag FPPs? [more inside]
I like updates.
I like post updates. [more inside]
Baumgartner is finally up up and away ...
Looks like the Felix Baumgartner skydive is on. They have started to inflate the helium balloon. Live feed. The existing thread is still up. [more inside]
October 13
Good luck serving Spider-Man with supoena!
October 12
Something I never thought I'd see here
Edit?...Edit!?!...EDIT!! Are pigs flying now? Is Ahab no longer Ahab? Or I meant to say-- "Thank you for the new 'Typo? Edit your post' button which I only now just noticed." [more inside]
October 11
It was not Treaty of Westphalia length
What is the maximum character length for a tag? [more inside]
What's the meetup record?
There are three (1, 2, 3) NYC meetups scheduled for next Saturday. Is that the same-day same-city record? [more inside]
October 10
Alpha Blue
With last night's fascinating FPP on Mark Pauline, homunculus now has made the most front page posts (1176!) to the Blue. Formerly, that distinction was held by mathowie. Congratulations homunculus, and thank you!
zarq's 500th post
In the beginning...
What are the most frequent first words in an FPP/equivalent across all of MeFi? How about the most frequent first words of comments/answers?
Happy 40th birthday, user #1 (Mathowie)
Happy 40th birthday, Matthew. But, what does one get as a 'significant birthday' present for he who separated the light from the darkness, and verily created the blue? [more inside]
October 8
How can we improve access to primary research on MetaFilter?
Is there a community consensus about best practices for disseminating subscription-only journal material in threads? Also, what can we do to improve access within the community to primary research? Blasdelb's excellent comment in the Lenski thread prompted me to ask about this. [more inside]
OCD is, like, a real thing.
October 8-12 is OCD Awareness Week. I think this is as good a time as any to talk about an issue that MetaFilter doesn't handle very well. [more inside]
AskMe saved me. Seriously.
AskMe saved me. Seriously. [more inside]
Bananas in the Break Room
This has been driving me nuts: where is the post about bananas in the break room? [more inside]
October 7
Suicide Prevention By Committee
I'm disappointed in the quality and tone of advice to the OP in this question, and I think mefites need a reminder that these scenarios aren't telenovelas or group therapy sessions. The stakes for you as a commenter are very low, but to the poster they are extremely high. [more inside]
October 6
Overthinking Oglaf
It's a cartoon by Oglaf that could have been drawn for Metafilter! [First link is a work safe image at the current time, site as a whole is totally nsfw.]
October 5
i know you mean well but
Edited to add. [more inside]
Page views! Page views! Page views!
It was inevitable: BuzzFeed has discovered AskMe. (But we are just 17, if you know what I mean.)
Questions About Moderation in Boy Scouts post
As part of the discussion for the recent post about the Boy Scouts not giving an Eagle Badge to a gay scout, we were talking about Eagle Scouts returning their badges. I have a question about the moderation in that thread. [more inside]
October 4
73: Direct to DVD
Episode 73 of the podcast is up and recaps the best of September from all aspects of MetaFilter. It was recorded on October 1st and runs about one hour fifteen minutes long [more inside]
Hooray for Issa Rae
Hello! Any Mefites also Alpha.net members?
So, who is a Mefite and also a subscriber (or developer) over at App.net?
I am here (as you can tell) and there, and go by Faintdreams at both locations.
I was just wondering who else might also fit into the thin slice of technical Venn?
A refactoring of the subscription system and the release of Netbot (an Alpha mobile client from the makers of Tapbot), has caused a mini surge in activity over at App.net.
If you too are over there, feel free to find me and say 'ello'.
::waves::
Where can I find the Silly Talk About Science thread?
I'm looking for an old Metafilter thread with discussion about Silly Talk About Science, a blog post about how laymen misunderstand science. [more inside]
October 3
metafilter dating media
Apparently Metafilter one way to "organic[ally] meet people online.. and maybe further adventures in dating", according to the Time Out Melbourne DIY Internet Dating article on alternative ways to find people to date.
Long thread is long
With the political season upon us like a vicious ape clinging to our backs, our long, long coupla thousand comment threads are a beast to load, especially on mobile devices. Is there a way to have a user-set preference to fold all but the last, say, 100 comments so that they don't have to load up each time? [more inside]
Lies, Liars, and Politicians: Let the debates begin!
In previous election debates, we have occasionally had a thread where live-blogging the event happened. Those threads are often entertaining and informative, but I'm not sure it's something the mods want on the front page. In anticipation of tonight's debate, and the likely liveblogging thereupon, would it be better to create a metatalk or other off-blue thread for said event?
October 2
Can I easily retrieve the HTML of a deleted post?
You tell me how to retrieve the HTML from a post that got deleted plz kthx? (I posted something on the front page last night, and it got deleted for too much personal commentary. I'm fine with that.) User Goofyy and deleting admin kaz suggested that I re-post sans commentary. This is moderation, it's not racism. So is there an easy way to get the HTML of my post back, or will I have to just re-type it all? [more inside]
No, YOU'RE saying it wrong!
Iiamkimiam AKA Kim Witten has finally completed her exhaustive research effort in trying to document and determine How Mefites Pronounce Metafilter?
Adder
October 1
Comment Editing
We just added the ability to edit comments for five minutes across all MetaFilter sites. [more inside]
New Mod Monday
It's New Mod Monday! (actually they'll filter in over the next two weeks, but anyway ...semantics!) [more inside]
Failure at the mediumest levels
You tell me how the first part of this post wasn't relevant to the second part? It's a story of triumph over adversity and every news article about those awesome kids mentioned where, specifically, they lived.
This is moderation, it's racism, pure and simple.
Sometimes, it's good to celebrate the wins
Bearing in mind how this AskMeFi query turned out in the end, is there a word, saying, acronym or something that means "A win for the MetaFilter community"? If not, could or should there be one?
What's the deal with meetups?
What's the format for meetups? [more inside]