March 2005 Archives (all archives)
March 31
Is it OK to post a yearly best/worst of every year?
Just a general question, not a call out per se.
Are annual events ok to post to each time they occur?
Question prompted by the latest 50 loathsome New Yorkers thread. I flagged and mentioned it in the thread as being a double from last year, then Arch Stanton mentioned it was run here in 2003 as well.
Does this mean I can repost Geek Prom, because, you know, its next year already. (don't worry it will not be a FPP, just making a point)
Are annual events ok to post to each time they occur?
Question prompted by the latest 50 loathsome New Yorkers thread. I flagged and mentioned it in the thread as being a double from last year, then Arch Stanton mentioned it was run here in 2003 as well.
Does this mean I can repost Geek Prom, because, you know, its next year already. (don't worry it will not be a FPP, just making a point)
Chop your wife into pieces
Andrew Cooke: if she keeps laughing, i'm thinking you could chop your wife into pieces and use the bags to store the remains. sounds about right for a couple of pieces of arm, say.
Is it just me, or does someone need a vacation?
Is it just me, or does someone need a vacation?
Cleveland Meetup
Cleveland Meetup Reminder! • Sunday April 3, at 7:00pm; Great Lakes Brewing Company. [+]
Most used tags by user
Searched and didn't find any reference to this, but it would be interesting to see a list of users' most-used tags on their user pages..
Try the Schiavo tag
The sideblog says:
>If you're looking for info on the Schiavo case, try the Schiavo tag. It's been talked about quite a bit, so please direct comments there instead of new posts.
Then there's this post. It's already spawning a fair few comments, so I guess it'll be stuck there. Is this a violation? How strict is the policy?
>If you're looking for info on the Schiavo case, try the Schiavo tag. It's been talked about quite a bit, so please direct comments there instead of new posts.
Then there's this post. It's already spawning a fair few comments, so I guess it'll be stuck there. Is this a violation? How strict is the policy?
March 30
Sydney Meetup
Sydney Meetup Reminder: 1st April, The Erko, Erskineville at 7 pm. Details here.
Portland Meetup
Dang, I was supposed to plan the next Portland, OR MeFi gathering. So how about it? 9th of April OK with everyone? Any suggestions as to place? Prefereably a brewpub environment that's quiet enough to talk in on westide downtown, has beer, and where those under the magic age of 21 are permitted.
Have we become too big to have a meaningful conversation anymore
489 comments, 207 comments, 139 comments, 129 comments, and on, and on. . . . Have we become too big to have a meaningful conversation anymore? Who can read and process 489 comments and then make a meaningful contribution? Are we becoming just like Slashdot and Fark, where only the heartiest of souls have the energy to follow the multi-hundred comment threads?
Happy 1000th, Matt!
Philadelphia Meetup
Philadelphia Meetup - Sunday April 10th. Standard Tap, North 2nd Street
5pm.
I'm a lousy organizer...but my email can be found in my profile here - contact me so I can warn Standard Tap about how many people are showing up.
More details inside (like google map links + Standard Tap link)
5pm.
I'm a lousy organizer...but my email can be found in my profile here - contact me so I can warn Standard Tap about how many people are showing up.
More details inside (like google map links + Standard Tap link)
Newsfilter posts to well-trafficked can be good (with an example)
OK, I'm going to start a flamewar. This is why one-link Newsfilter FPPs from well-trafficked websites aren't evil. (The via doesn't count as part of the post for me.) The poster added context and teased the story. Bravo.
What's to gain from posting a negative comment?
Say you see a FPP, and say it sucks. What's to gain from posting a negative comment? Many comments I see are not only negative, they're downright vicious. If it's a double post, or a self-link, chances are it will be deleted. Furthermore - personally, if I see a post that's been there for a while and there are only a few comments, I'm not going to read the comments, simple as that. I'd bet many of you follow this as well. So why bash a lousy post?
Some of us seem extremely mindful of MetaFilter's integrity. Does it only hurt it further to barrage a poster with bitching? (PS - I'm aware of the fact that this very post could be a repeat, but it was hard to search for this - the ironing would be delicious).
Some of us seem extremely mindful of MetaFilter's integrity. Does it only hurt it further to barrage a poster with bitching? (PS - I'm aware of the fact that this very post could be a repeat, but it was hard to search for this - the ironing would be delicious).
Stop referring to yourself in the third person, buttwipe.
Stop referring to yourself in the third person, buttwipe.
Unless you're Ricky Henderson. And if you are, prove it. And if you prove it, my sincere apologies because I do believe that you (and only you) are entitled to do that.
Unless you're Ricky Henderson. And if you are, prove it. And if you prove it, my sincere apologies because I do believe that you (and only you) are entitled to do that.
March 29
deliberately cryptic commenting is annoying as hell
In the interest of avoiding further derail of the Aryan Justice thread, I am going to accept amberglow's invitation to bugbread and state that deliberately cryptic commenting is annoying as hell and is counterproductive to the idea of communication.
User on CNN
I've banninated my television and just caught wind of adampsyche on CNN about 10 minutes ago.
This must be seen, did anyone tivo it?
This must be seen, did anyone tivo it?
Problems with the wiki / FAQs.
The Wiki/FAQ has been pornified. I'd revert it to a previous version but I can't seem to figure out how. Could someone who knows how this stuff works please revert it and then let us know how it's done? (AskMe or Meta, when in doubt take it to Meta)
LA meetup proposal
So I'm coming to LA between the dates of May 18-21 for E3. I would like to meet any LA Mefites if possible.
March 28
Should banned users' profiles reflect the reason for their status?
If a user is banned for blatantly violating the no-self-link rule, would it be a good idea to either a) note the banning on that person's user page or b) delete the user page entirely? Seems strange to keep a user page from someone who took a dump on the community.
AskMe followup and thank you.
AskMe Followup
THANK YOU
I've been back in school since January, and I love it. I'm carrying 19 units and I think I will probably have a GPA of 3.85+ this semester. My brain has come back from the brink of death! The finances just kind of took care of themselves. I'm taking out a college loan, the university threw in a grant, and I just landed a nice job on campus. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the advice and support.
THANK YOU
I've been back in school since January, and I love it. I'm carrying 19 units and I think I will probably have a GPA of 3.85+ this semester. My brain has come back from the brink of death! The finances just kind of took care of themselves. I'm taking out a college loan, the university threw in a grant, and I just landed a nice job on campus. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the advice and support.
Montreal Meetup?
CanadianMeetup#2: Montreal--this Thurs-Sun?
Self-link? Or double post? Or a bit of both?
Edmonton Skydiving Meetup
Metafilter Edmonton (Sorta) Skydiving meetup idea.
I've never been to one, and someone was trying to organize one a while back in the early days of the $5 signups. However, it never came to pass, or at least never came to my attention. So, I'd like to have a MESS Meetup (inspired by this thread) happen. I'm already organizing a group jump on May 14th, and I'd love to add any MeFi members from the area who are interested in a different sort of meetup. Bring cameras, but I promise no falling cars.
My contact info is on my user page (Extra link for those too lazy to move the mouse 1 line down)
I've never been to one, and someone was trying to organize one a while back in the early days of the $5 signups. However, it never came to pass, or at least never came to my attention. So, I'd like to have a MESS Meetup (inspired by this thread) happen. I'm already organizing a group jump on May 14th, and I'd love to add any MeFi members from the area who are interested in a different sort of meetup. Bring cameras, but I promise no falling cars.
My contact info is on my user page (Extra link for those too lazy to move the mouse 1 line down)
Scriptural mythos without atheists
In the same way we want to avoid people's pet theories on pornography invading threads on pubic shaving (old gray/green thread, wish I could remember the URLs), I wish Metafilter's multitude of strident atheists would extend the courtesy of keeping their unhelpful but oh-so-clever snarks [6,6,6] out of otherwise cogent discussions on scriptural mythos. We can talk about these things objectively without being vilified as damn fundies, right? Thanks, and Happy Easter.
Chicago Meetup
April Copynight. I'm trying to put together a copynight gathering in Chicago next month (the March event is tomorrow night and I doubt I can get it thrown together by then). While not a per se metafilter event, I think some Chicago area mefis would be interested. I'd like to pick a venue near the loop to make it easy for the postwork crowd. My short list includes Monk's Pub, Fado and Manhattan's.
March 27
London meet-up follow-up
There was a MeFi Meetup in London yesterday. Here is the photographic evidence.
March 26
Temporary moritorium on Schiavo posts?
SchiavoFilter. Could we impose a temporary moritorium on Schiavo posts until all of the currrent Schiavo FPPs have scrolled off the front page?
Could this question be edited a bit please?
Impulsive skim-reading foodies could be hurt by cooking with tobacco. Could this question be edited a bit please?
Troll vs. good poster?
Excuse me ignorance for a few moments, but I in all honesty cannot for the life of me understand why bevets is being considered a troll/flamer in this thread about evolution.
Now, I am a full proponent of the Theory of Evolution. However, that said, all bevets is doing is disagreeing with the Theory. Some people like orthogonality decide to actually respond to bevets' ideas. Not to pick on any one user, but then you get bshort who sounds more like a troll than bevets by not even thoughtfully responding to bevets' creationist ideas.
In all honestly, if byver wants to have an open dialogue about this topic, what is the problem? Does that make him a troll if he earnestly wants to discuss the topic, even if you all think he sucks at it because if so, then a whole LOT of users would be trolls with whom the masses just happen to agree with.
*note* I do NOT intend this thread to be a pileon over bevets (enough of that happened in the thread), but rather what makes a troll vs. a good poster since all I see here is a very strong disagreement in ideologies.
Now, I am a full proponent of the Theory of Evolution. However, that said, all bevets is doing is disagreeing with the Theory. Some people like orthogonality decide to actually respond to bevets' ideas. Not to pick on any one user, but then you get bshort who sounds more like a troll than bevets by not even thoughtfully responding to bevets' creationist ideas.
In all honestly, if byver wants to have an open dialogue about this topic, what is the problem? Does that make him a troll if he earnestly wants to discuss the topic, even if you all think he sucks at it because if so, then a whole LOT of users would be trolls with whom the masses just happen to agree with.
*note* I do NOT intend this thread to be a pileon over bevets (enough of that happened in the thread), but rather what makes a troll vs. a good poster since all I see here is a very strong disagreement in ideologies.
Pony: "this is fake" flag
Does anyone else want "this is fake" added as a reason on the flag-this-post form?
March 25
Pre-MeMail email etiquette question
Last week I posted a music question to AskMe. To be honest, I really, really wanted one particular user to answer (he/she did) because I know from their previous answers that they know a lot about recording/playing music. What I want to know, though, is whether it would have been considered bad etiquette to email this person directly, after hunting down their address via the home URL on their profile. Basically - an unsolicited email. If you received such an email from a fellow Mefite would you consider it spamming and/or somehow taking advantage of the "community"?
Where do I ask a question about MetaFilter and how it's used?
Do I ask this here (or has it been asked before) ??
I want to ask people just how they organize their MeFi/MeTa/AskMe screens/feeds/time - I'm not actually asking yet as I want to think about framing the question a bit more (so it might become wider surfing focussed or not), but should it go here or in AskMe?
(but people might answer anyway so it could be a moot point I guess)
I want to ask people just how they organize their MeFi/MeTa/AskMe screens/feeds/time - I'm not actually asking yet as I want to think about framing the question a bit more (so it might become wider surfing focussed or not), but should it go here or in AskMe?
(but people might answer anyway so it could be a moot point I guess)
Self-link, it seems
I'd just like to take a moment to thank Dreama
I'd just like to take a moment to thank Dreama for organizing and pulling off the MeFi Swap, which, at least for me, went off swimmingly. Good music (Coloratura 4-eva) all-around, and I look forward to another swap in the future...so, umm, yeah...thanks!
March 24
Anybody have a good story?
Mountain Mefi/Mofi meetup
It's the first irregular (but previously attempted) Mountain Mefi/Mofi meetup: Friday April 8th, 7pm, Flying Frog Cafe, Asheville, NC. Out under the awning if the weather's nice. Watch the waiter to the spinning plate trick. Good times!
London Meetup
Meetup: ~18h00 UTC, Saturday. Downstairs, The Fitzroy Tavern, 16 Charlotte Street, LONDON, W1T 2NA, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Newsfilter as flag?
This is getting irritating. Could "newsfilter" please be added to to the list of flag terms?
GYOBFW
March 23
Edit removes questionable joke: poster would appreciate some followup
A questionable joke (in terms of humor, not [I think] taste) was edited out of my post. I'm not questioning the decision, I'm wondering if it would be a good idea to email or otherwise message to the poster saying "I edited your post because..." so that we can all learn and do better next time.
you can't have everything2
March 22
Is this what MetaFilter is for?
I recently had an Ask MetaFilter comment deleted. The topic was Asperger syndrome, and why so many brilliant people had it. My comment went something like this:
Call it what you want.
Difficulty with mundane, linear tasks promotes lateral, creative thinking.
Poor social skills promote self-reliance.
Weakness becomes strength.
I don't agree with the deletion, but I can live with it.
The standard explanation for FPP deletion is: "This is not what MetaFilter is for."
But now you have an FPP with about sixty comments that debates how many five-year-olds you can maim or kill. Weapons are being mentioned. I understand this is supposed to be funny. I think this is not only not funny, but in extremely bad taste. Substitute "women" for "five-year-olds", and how long would this FPP last? Is this what MetaFilter is for? Matt?
Call it what you want.
Difficulty with mundane, linear tasks promotes lateral, creative thinking.
Poor social skills promote self-reliance.
Weakness becomes strength.
I don't agree with the deletion, but I can live with it.
The standard explanation for FPP deletion is: "This is not what MetaFilter is for."
But now you have an FPP with about sixty comments that debates how many five-year-olds you can maim or kill. Weapons are being mentioned. I understand this is supposed to be funny. I think this is not only not funny, but in extremely bad taste. Substitute "women" for "five-year-olds", and how long would this FPP last? Is this what MetaFilter is for? Matt?
Thanks for not feeding the trolls
March 21
I don't think this is how page views are supposed to work.
So when I look at a user's answers in AskMe, they are divided up into a certain number of pages. Yet when I go to the next page of comments, it only adds them to the previous page, and so on, until at the last page I have all their answers in one window. The header and address would say I'm looking at say, comments 51-100, when all 100 are being displayed. I don't think this is how page views is supposed to work.
Would it be possible to get a deletion explanation for the top of axed AxMe threads?
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.
Anonymous questions are gone?
Am I missing something, or did the anonymous-question feature on ask metafilter disappear? When? Why? I can't find any explanation on metatalk.
Poster and tags in RSS
I'd like to see the poster and tags for each post in my RSS newsreader. Do you think the RSS feeds could be updated to include them in the
and
tags?I can't see any comments when I click on them
thebabelfish's post works fine and there are supposed to be eight comments but I can't see any when I click on them.
March 20
Philly meetup!
I'm curious - having had such a good time at a DC meetup; I was wondering if there was interest in a Philadelphia Meetup?
Spoiler alert
Eek, I tried to name this thread The ending of "The Good Thief" and the AskMe RSS feed truncated it before my first double-quote which means people will click it and be spoiled! O please, please fix it!
Plaintext AskMe and MeTa
There's also a plain-text theme for metafilter, with a white background.
posted by mathowie at 12:26 PM PST on March 20
I've always wanted to ask this question, how do I get the nifty white background in Metatalk and Ask Metafilter? The white background theme seems only to work on the main page. Am I missing something? Thanks!
posted by mathowie at 12:26 PM PST on March 20
I've always wanted to ask this question, how do I get the nifty white background in Metatalk and Ask Metafilter? The white background theme seems only to work on the main page. Am I missing something? Thanks!
What happened to my MeFi question?
Earlier today I posted a question about MeFi (how to turn off background color) in the main Ask MeFi area, which appeared for a few minutes then vanished. Did it likely get moved somewhere else, or just censored? for being in the wrong place? for expressing (in mild terms) dislike of a Mefi feature (I can't see text on colored background). Or did it just vanish into the ether?
Lost & Found
I'm confused by this Ask Mefi question and just as confused by the "best" answers. Although a question is asked in the first sentence, the focus of the post is to use Ask Mefi as some sort of artsy fartsy lost and found.
Will London Mefiites be at the Fitzroy this coming Saturday?
Will London Mefiites be at the Fitzroy this coming Saturday or will they all be at home watching the new Doctor Who?
March 19
Photos of last night's San Francisco meetup.
Newsfilter
March 18
Polling the membership... is not a good post
Polling the membership to see what they think about a big-media story is not a good post, especially when there are no good links offered in the post, and the subject matter is hot-button, right-to-life kind of stuff. Besides: double-post.
hate site link warning
The first link on this thread The Seven Dwarfs of Auschwitz is to a Nazi site, pushing a holocaust denial agenda. Can the FPP be edited to flag this up, so people know what they're clicking on? It turned out that the poster had a good reason for giving that link, but I would have preferred to have had that explanation up front. The lack of explanation led to a derail on the thread. In general, I think it would be courteous to flag up links to neo-nazi sites, so people can make an informed decision about whether to visit them.
Is there need for a reasonable limit on FPP length?
Is there need for a reasonable limit on FPP length ?
March 17
Meet me in San Francisco
MeFiSF: Couldn't be at SXSW this year? Come cry in your beer at at Martin Mack's! This Irish bar has food and is located at 1568 Haight St (between Ashbury and Clayton). Come on over anytime after 6 PM.
Alexa statistics
What does this tell you about the quality and appeal of posts on Metafilter over the last few months?
By comparison Monkeyfilter, Memepool, Slashdot.
By comparison Monkeyfilter, Memepool, Slashdot.
Just curious - How is this a double post?
Just curious - How is this a double post? I know earlier I had flagged a double comment I had made, but when I checked back to see if any new comments had been added the thread was gone.
HTML and CSS cleanup in aisle 40502
Spell with flickr = screwed up thread. HTML and CSS cleanup in aisle 40502, please. (Somehow the font is stuck small, the margin is borked, and I can't even figure out why. Nothing major, but it needs fixin'.)
Comment count does not match actual comments
3067 != 3202 ; 443 != 471 ; 426 != 432 ; but 11 == 11. An old user thing? Or a massive cover-up? Follow the money!
mefi chess?
I play chess regularly at Game Knot, but only on an individual basis. Any other mefites playing there and if so does anyone fancy forming a team?
new approach to web application design
Introducing COMA. (You're soaking in it.)
Add link to contact??
Wouldn't it be neat if you could link to a specific comment or post when you were adding someone as a contact. Perhaps the post/comment was a moment of infatuation or a particularly representative post. This would allow us to track and share exactly why we get that warm fuzzy feeling (or itchy, burn-y feeling) when we see certain usernames. What do you think?
Has MeFi ever gone green in the blue for St. P's Day?
Has MeFi ever gone green in the blue for St. P's Day?
March 16
this AskMe thread totally breaks the guidelines
C'mon, I like cats too, but I think this AskMe thread totally breaks the guidelines. It's chatfilter, impossible to produce a "best answer", and by no means fits the criteria of being able to produce interesting discussion.
A lone voice cries out in the darkness
February 13 - March 12, 2005: A lone voice cries out in the darkness, and Jim Jones's tale of woe and madness is born. (The saga of his plight was unearthed here.)
Should I report every error message I get from the site?
Metaquettefilter: When I see things like "Parameter 2 of function Right which is now 0 must be a positive integer" when I'm trying to get my nigh-hourly dose of ask.mefi, should I just assume a wizard did it, and it'll all get taken care of, or should I report it? I *hate* the idea of being the 3000th person to complain about something and thereby be part of what's keeping it from getting fixed....
Posts get deleted, but tags stick around.
Quonsar! Horowitz! Matrioshkadolls!
Huh?
Yikes, my eyes! Whaaaa. Posts get deleted, but tags stick around.
Huh?
Yikes, my eyes! Whaaaa. Posts get deleted, but tags stick around.
Pepsi Bluest of the Web
BBbuddy questions
So. Omega has a wonderful FPP about BBbuddy, and now I'm tempted to join BBbuddy because I like the concept.
So here are two questions:
BBbuddy allows the creation of labels, and I think Metafilter should have one... what would we like it to be? "Mefi"? "Metafilter"? Should Metatalk and AskMefi have separate labels?
In order to track one's posts, it appears that BBbuddy asks its users to insert a link into the posts users wish to archive. Are there bandwidth implications for Metafilter if large numbers of Mefites become BBbuddy users? Are there other concerns?
So here are two questions:
BBbuddy allows the creation of labels, and I think Metafilter should have one... what would we like it to be? "Mefi"? "Metafilter"? Should Metatalk and AskMefi have separate labels?
In order to track one's posts, it appears that BBbuddy asks its users to insert a link into the posts users wish to archive. Are there bandwidth implications for Metafilter if large numbers of Mefites become BBbuddy users? Are there other concerns?
March 15
lofi mefi's busted.
lofi mefi's busted.
Error Executing Database Query.
[Macromedia][SQLServer JDBC Driver][SQLServer]Invalid column name 'link_day'.
Error Executing Database Query.
[Macromedia][SQLServer JDBC Driver][SQLServer]Invalid column name 'link_day'.
Imagine if MeFi were ONLY links
Nothing but links... [+]
Is there a way we can delete our own comments?
Is there a way we can delete our own comments? I understand that this could lead to confusing threads if people commented on a subsequently-removed comment, so if it needs to be limited to instances where the commenter left the last comment on a thread, that could work.
How to deal with partisan posts on MeFi.
Metafilter is not Wikipedia. There's no expectation of neutrality here. So instead of telling the poster to get his own blog, why not read the links, then add more links and observations from your own perspective. That's why they call them comments.
Maximizing AskMe
Ok, I couldn't find this anywhere but it seems fairly straightforward: When is the best time to post a question to AskMe, when is the questioner most likely to get the most answers? Or, what days/times of the week are the most answers posted to AskMe?
example of everything not to do in an AskMe thread
Fanboy chatfilter in AskMe + snarky derail + fanboy calling derailer an "azzhole" = example of everything not to do in an AskMe thread.
March 14
Death Valley is in bloom for the first time in decades.
Death Valley is in bloom for the first time in decades. It'd make an awesome FPP if someone puts some time into it. Alas, I have not the time. Take the idea and run with it, someone, please! [no more inside]
MeTa "review" on GreenCine
I came across the following adline on the GreenCine main page:
"The best thing in entertainment since cave paintings!" -Metatalk posting
Previously noted in passing on the green here. Google isn't helping me locate where they might have gotten this quote from any MeFi posting. Any ideas?
"The best thing in entertainment since cave paintings!" -Metatalk posting
Previously noted in passing on the green here. Google isn't helping me locate where they might have gotten this quote from any MeFi posting. Any ideas?
Putting a quotemark in a page title breaks said title
Putting a quotemark in a page title breaks said title.
Atheists, when did you lose your faith?
Not to beat a dead horse, but I thought threads like this were deemed chat filter and not appropriate for Ask MeFi.
Connection timeout members
A little bug on the front page. Top right reads "Connection Timeout members | You are logged in as ..." or merely "Connection Timeout members" if I'm not logged in.
March 13
Could I suggest that e-mail addresses are hidden...?
[My Little Pony] There seems to be a little concern now that registrations are open again, that for the bargain price of five dollars a spammer could get access to a large number of e-mail addresses. Could I suggest that e-mail addresses are hidden and a posting form put in it's place so we can remain easily contactable?
Find the urban look link
Several months ago, there was a link posted to a site where people were reviewing other's "urban looks" ie if they were wearing the right color of du-rag for the dress they had on. I've forgotten what the site was called and where it was.. can anyone help? (and should I have posted this to ask.meta instead?)
March 12
What is your job?
So, what is your job? Are you a baker, candle stick maker or a whatnot?
I've searched but can't find it.
There was a post in the last few months that was a link to a photography site, mostly girls of a goth theme. The first few letters were "Phil" or something of that nature. It also mentioned Suicide Girls. I've searched but can't find it. Anybody remember the post and enough of the link to allow me to find it again? I'm trying to show it to a friend.
Complete silence theatre
I had a crazy idea that I mentioned, off the cuff, in this thread. It seems there are many of us who hate it when people talk during movies. My idea: theatres should have special "complete silence" shows. During these shows, you would not be allowed to talk or munch popcorn. There would be an usher stationed in the theatre to enforce the rules. The theatre would charge double the normal ticket price (to pay for the usher and as a further deterrent to talkers).
I was surprised so many were into it. What if we contacted a theatre an proposed the idea? If we get enough people interested, they might go for it. There are many of us in the NYC area. And we could, perhaps, partner with other sites like ainitcool.com. What do you guys think?
I was surprised so many were into it. What if we contacted a theatre an proposed the idea? If we get enough people interested, they might go for it. There are many of us in the NYC area. And we could, perhaps, partner with other sites like ainitcool.com. What do you guys think?
Don't get snarky just because you don't like the answers.
Why do some Metafilter features appear in Firefox but not Safari?
I’m a rookie Mac user and pretty new around this site. I’ve noticed while computer hopping that when I use a PC there is a small toolbar in the lower-right corner of the message windows on this site. It’s the one with the Bold, Italic and Link buttons. When I use this site on my iMac, there is no such tool bar. Is this a settings thing or just a “feature” of using a Mac? Also, is this an appropriate use of MetaTalk or should I post things like this in Ask MetaFilter?
Spock...get your own damn.......blog
Spock...get your own damn.......blog
Complaining that all pants are made for fat people is offensive
Could we please blame fat people for everything that doesn't go our way more often? It's awesome and not at all bitchy.
March 11
SXSW/Austin meetup March 2005
SXSW (Austin) Meetup: There seemed to be lot of interest a few days ago, but that thread died out. So, now that SXSW is here, anyone interested?
pages after the first show the wrong range of comments
When you show all comments by a user on Ask Metafilter, the pages after the first show the wrong range of comments. For instance, this page says it's showing comments 101-150, but it's really showing comments 1-150. It works fine on the blue.
Is anything automatic ever done with the email field in our profiles?
Matt is anything automatic ever done with the email field in our profiles? [the more she is inside]
Raleigh Durham meetup?
Raleigh/Durham Meetup! • Who, What, Sunday the 20th, Where, I'll be in town/why not?, How.
In short, I'll be down in the Research Triangle area, staying in Raleigh, and would like to get together for biscuits/food/etc. with Marxchivist and others [MeFibrarian Posse or no] next Sunday either lunchish or lateish. Anyone got a good location or other ideas?
In short, I'll be down in the Research Triangle area, staying in Raleigh, and would like to get together for biscuits/food/etc. with Marxchivist and others [MeFibrarian Posse or no] next Sunday either lunchish or lateish. Anyone got a good location or other ideas?
A marriage of like minds - they met at a Meetup!
Anybody else have something fun or strange or lifechanging happen to them as the result of a MeFi meetup? Under "all of the above," for example, the ultimate outcome of this meetup for me was my engagement to NortonDC last weekend! So, thanks, Metafilter. You rock.
askme medical questions
Criminy! We need a way to flag askMe posts as: Go to a doctor, goofball!
Can we have a 'via' field on the posting page?
Minor feature request: a via field on the blue's posting page. As part of the redesign, I'd love to see an optional field for including a "via" link. Two reasons: (1) it would encourage posters to acknowledge the source of the link, if applicable; and (2) it would allow some interesting statistics to be generated from the aggregation of via data.
Will time zone tweaking apply to Metatalk and Askme?
Time Zones don't appear to have been mentioned much in recent times.
And I was wondering whether migration of time zone tweaking to MeTalk and AskMeFi would still be going ahead? I get so confuzzled down here at times.
And I was wondering whether migration of time zone tweaking to MeTalk and AskMeFi would still be going ahead? I get so confuzzled down here at times.
March 10
Pick four MeFites and describe your mental picture of them when reading their posts.
Here's a fun game I played today: Pick four MeFites and describe your mental picture of them when reading their posts.
Doesn't count if you've actually seen their picture (i.e. NickDouglas). In fact, no one is allowed to talk about NickDouglas in this post. It's a rule. For my game.
Doesn't count if you've actually seen their picture (i.e. NickDouglas). In fact, no one is allowed to talk about NickDouglas in this post. It's a rule. For my game.
MeFis of Avalon
And lo, when the spammers did rear their ugly heads, the valiant Sir RichardP did smite them. Mighty was his sword, and thus was the Kingdom of Wiki spared the ugly wrath of pr0n.
(where's the "accolades" category?)
(where's the "accolades" category?)
Pittsburgh Meetup
Pittsburgh Meetup! • Who, What, When, Where, Why, How. (Thanks, Sciurius.)
Hooray! Ask MetaFilter is finally on the Front Page Menu!
Hooray! Ask MetaFilter is finally on the Front Page Menu! (And you thought we wouldn't notice, Matt... What? It's been there for how many weeks?)
Cleveland Meetup
Cleveland Meetup! • Who, What, When, Where, Why, How.
Total Comments in AskMe and MeTa
When looking at a MetaFilter post, the line under the description looks like this:
posted by too_many_notes at 4:56 AM EST (13 comments total) ( feature_request ) [!]
However, in both MetaTalk and AskMetaFilter the "(13 comments total)" is missing. I find this information useful in the thread. Could the green and gray be more like the blue?
posted by too_many_notes at 4:56 AM EST (13 comments total) ( feature_request ) [!]
However, in both MetaTalk and AskMetaFilter the "(13 comments total)" is missing. I find this information useful in the thread. Could the green and gray be more like the blue?
March 9
What amounts to self-linking?
Is it considered self-linking when a tech professional makes an announcement on MeFi? I suppose Anil Dash is the best example (only an example; I'm not accusing him of this).
Dash seems to be the highest-profile MeFi commenter. Have there been others in the past?
Dash seems to be the highest-profile MeFi commenter. Have there been others in the past?
reason for deletion?
I don't think deleting Metatalk threads asking to clarify the deletions of Ask Metafilter threads is good for the community. [+]
Pepsi Blue origin?
What is the origin of this Pepsi Blue nonsense?
Misplaced "More Inside"
Small UI problem? A couple of times in the last week or so, people have typed their askme question in the title box, and their "more inside" in the question box. Could the interface be made a bit clearer somehow?
I voted for what?
I just got sort of tricked into voting for the fore-edge painting post on metafilter:remixed by casu marzu. While I DID think it was a great post, I had no idea mefi:remixed existed, and would have liked more of a "click here if you think this post deserves recognition on another site" link. Or something. It's not a big deal, just a courtesy issue.
Bug with selection contact options
When adding contacts, if you select some option under Family (or any section really) you cannot then deselect all Family options.
LA Meetup
L.A. Meetup: 3pm Sunday March 13
at "Monsoon" restaurant, 3rd Street Promenade.
Let's make this happen! :)
at "Monsoon" restaurant, 3rd Street Promenade.
Let's make this happen! :)
March 8
How do I get the feeds into my AvantGo channels?
Matt's Blogline, My Yahoo, &c. ponies have me wonderin': how can I get the feeds into my AvantGo channels? I woulda ast in AxMe, but the warning screen sayeth take it to Meta if'n youse is gonna ask bout the Meta-stuff.
Better expressing my sarcasm
In the short time I've been Metactive, I've already had to apologize to 4 different people for not expressing my sarcasm well enough. Care to share your superior methods of sarcasm?
Redesign contest status update please
I am hesitant to post this because I just know someone will point me to one of mathowie's comments within a minute, but what's the status of the redesign for MeFi and its related pages? Searches for updates only brought me to the MeTa thread about the contest entries, and that was over a month ago. No pressure on Matt to hurry, just curious about how it's coming along since I am very excited for the new look.
getting and highlighting great conversations
Ahem, ok a two for one.
Would a "great conversation" flag be something desirable? I tried to flag a conversation by flagging the fpp post, but frankly the post was... so so, the conversation that followed was terrific though, so I just chose "other" in the flag list.
And can people envision a method to encourage well crafted posts instead of the rush-to-post-before-someone-beats-me- to-it?
I know once comments start deleting a poor/bad post becomes hard despite there possible being a much superior (double) post. the only things I can think of seems like a lot of work for dear leader.
Would a "great conversation" flag be something desirable? I tried to flag a conversation by flagging the fpp post, but frankly the post was... so so, the conversation that followed was terrific though, so I just chose "other" in the flag list.
And can people envision a method to encourage well crafted posts instead of the rush-to-post-before-someone-beats-me- to-it?
I know once comments start deleting a poor/bad post becomes hard despite there possible being a much superior (double) post. the only things I can think of seems like a lot of work for dear leader.
Callout for Great Post
I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed grouse's post yesterday on London Underground maps. It was informative, well-written, well put together, and - well - just generally full of goodness. Thank you, grouse!
March 7
I think that NickDouglas wants me to get my own blog.
I think that NickDouglas wants me to get my own blog.
As something of a noob, I'm curious as to what the consensus is on what makes a "get your own goddamn blog and quit bothering us" post. I've done a little back reading on MeTa and finding a consensus is difficult. Help me not do it again. Thanks.
As something of a noob, I'm curious as to what the consensus is on what makes a "get your own goddamn blog and quit bothering us" post. I've done a little back reading on MeTa and finding a consensus is difficult. Help me not do it again. Thanks.
"Add tags to this post" link not as described
On the page which shows me my FPP in the blue, I see a "add tags to this post?" link for each post. But when I click on that link, even though it's a different URL than the usual link to the post (http://www.metafilter.com/comments_active.mefi/nnnnn rather than http://www.metafilter.com/mefi/nnnnn), it looks the same as the usual thread page, with nowhere to add additional tags.
I disagree with the decision to close this MeTa thread.
I disagree with the decision to close this MeTa thread. I understand that you made a decision regarding the topic, and I understand that it could have devolved into name-calling, but as it stood, the comments were reasonable and without personal insults. A better discussion could have ensued regarding flagging etiquette and how to deal with obnoxious comments; in fact, the makings of a good conversation regarding what constitutes a flaggable offense existed. I just felt that the closing was premature.
I missed the Portland meet-up
I'm feeling forlorn. I missed the Portland meet-up due to unexpected circumstances; how did it go? Any pictures?
Flag the troll
Could we get a "troll" option for flagging?
Poster learns more about "recent comments"
Now that the "Recent comments (on 20 threads)" has been implemented, am I to assume that the user settings (re: amount of days posts stay on the main page) are no longer being used? [+]
Anyone interested in catching up in Sydney in the next few weeks?
Antipodean meetup? Anyone interested in catching up in Sydney in the next few weeks?
March 6
Ban Alert
If this isn't an offense worthy of banishment, it should be.
Can we close bad AskMe threads that take off?
I can recall a few times in recent history where a thread that failed to meet the guidelines of AskMetafilter stayed around for a while because no one happened to be around to nip it in the bud -- and then the thread accumulated so many interesting answers that people had gotten attached to it and Matt was reluctant to delete it. I sympathize with this reluctance but also feel that appropriate deletions are good for preventing the mission of AskMe from drifting too far afield. Would the ability to close AskMe threads be a good compromise solution for these cases?
It's the best of the web - and it is not in English
Posting links to websites in languages other than English: previously discussed, but without clear guidelines. There's a great link I could post -- but even if the images are a key part of what makes that site's interesting, it's not in English. More inside.
March 5
I already saw this stuff on Engadget, Memepool, etc.
Via, via, via -- Engadget, Memepool, and Boing Boing, respectively. These are not minor blogs. Boing Boing got 3 million hits yesterday. I already saw this stuff on the blogs and on delicious; can we stick to fresh stuff on MeFi unless we have something insightful to add?
Someone died, and it was still funny, apparently.
Death to Reporters! • The Vindication of Eason Jordan! • Pre-emptive strike! • Why do you hate America so much? • Looks like Nicola Calipari's death is another great opportunity for sneering, soulless political point-scoring. Why was the only semi-respectful treatment of the story the only one to get deleted?
March 4
wandered in from AxeMe
The second post int this thread seems to have wandered in from AxeMe.
[this is good] t-shirt
Heh.
Danger! Danger!
Danger, Matt Haughey! Danger! Danger!
Attack on poster history is unwarranted
A number of recent contentious discussions have quickly devolving into attacks on the past history of the individuals under discussion or justifications that break down to “They do it too!”. Would it help improve the tone of discussions to ask posters to consider the direct relevance of their comments on the topic under discussion, rather than firing off ‘unrelated’ repsonses that read like cheap shots or weak justifications? [mi]
March 3
There's a meetup for St Patrick's
MeFiSF: There's a meetup for St Patrick's (well, on Friday the 18th), and there will probably be a more "organized" meetup at the end of the month or beginning of April for those who wish to avoid the drunk fest that will be the Friday after Paddy's Day. [+]
Where's my newsfilter
The silence on the blue is deafening. Do you suppose if MeFi had existed when Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic solo, or man landed on the moon there would have been such fear about being accused of NewsFilter with a FPP? Even No. 1 posts in the grey about it. Is this how it must be?
Firefox extension
I'm considering writing a Firefox extension for Metafilter. Would anyone use it? [+]
Could we get timestamps on our contacts?
Not that I need another pony, but is there a chance we could get timestamps on our contacts?
Tracking AskMe Posts That Have Left Frontpage
With the rate that ask mefi threads scroll off the main green page, how about a mechanism that allows for the easy retrieval and spotting of updates the threads that have scrolled off -- one that doesn't require searching through the archives. When someone updates a thread that is no longer on the front page, it shows up as an entry on an UPDATE page, the link to which would appear on the top of the main green page and never scrolls off... [+]
global flight landing live video
For those of you on windows/IE, check out the live video of the global flight landing, about to end in a few minutes.
I was inconsiderate.
Just want to apologize for the poor wording on my post today linking to this article. My mistake was terribly ill-advised wording in my fpp. Sorry to have offended, and I understand why it was offensive and why the fpp was deleted.
Recall thread containment
Do we need periodic MeTa "What current posts are you looking for but can't find?" consolidated threads (answering q's like this and this and this), lessening these same threads in AskMe? Do we need occasional MeTa posts in which we can all ask about AskMe post resolutions, too, like "Did she get all the glass out of her underwear?" Is this a plan? Pros/cons? Does the question of pros/cons of this plan need ITS OWN MeTa post, or is that getting all corporate/committee/Dilbert/Peter Principle/Call in the consultants?
Atlanta Meetup at Babs
Atlanta Mefi Meetup tomorrow 7pm at Bab's (in Midtown).
What's causing this graphical glitch on MeFi?
Is this small line generated by MetaFilter or something on my side? The first image is a capture at normal size, the second is zoomed before capture. I believe the mark appears only when logged in, only in the blue, and always in the same spot (left of the comments box). It shows about 1 out of every 3 or 4 page reloads. (firefox)
March 2
Can anyone help me find a not-quite-so-recent (last six months) AskMe post?
Can anyone help me find a not-quite-so-recent (last six months) AskMe post? It was about someone who suddenly found himself or herself making good money in a steady job and he or she wanted some kind of advice. If I recall, the question actually mentioned the ballpark salary. I'm beginning to think I imagined it -- I've been searching for an hour (job, career, salary, money, making, bringing) and can't seem to find it.
MetaTalk is for talk about and criticism of Metafilter.
MetaTalk is for talk about and criticism of Metafilter. Metafilter is not. That means this, and especially this, and on and on and on, are totally out of line because of they are outside of the grey.
Quit it -- you're hurting America.
Quit it -- you're hurting America.
Could the [!]s be silver and underlined like the keywords?
Could the [!]s be silver and underlined like the keywords? They yank my eye from the last sentence of every, frickin', comment.
What's wrong with my "rich and happy" AskMe post?
Someone complained about my "rich and happy" question. I can only assume others feel the same.
Give it to me straight - what's wrong with it? Rip it apart. I can take it. What doesn't kill me makes makes me a better MeFite.
Give it to me straight - what's wrong with it? Rip it apart. I can take it. What doesn't kill me makes makes me a better MeFite.
Thank you for fabulously detailed AskMe answers
Just a big shout out of thanks to all the members, even FFF who, in so much detail and depth, discussed my lighting issues earlier in the week. I'm not sure why, but Metafilter attracts and retains an amazingly smart, broad base-of-knowledge group of people. Truly remarkable.
I would like to encourage members to refer to other members by their full usernames.
PetPeeve Filter: I would like to use this post to encourage members to refer to other members by their full usernames in comments.
Pony Request: Anonymous answers
This post led me to wonder: would anonymous answers be a useful pony to add to Ask MeFi? [MI]
Portland Meetup
There is nothing better than drinking in School. Portlanders, Oregonians, Northwest aficionados and random travellers, come join us to remember our youth as we raise a glass in school. This Saturday, March 5th, at 7 pm we gather in the Courtyard Restaurant of the Kennedy School. Just look for the "here, thar be dorks" sign.
Did we really have to delete the Quarter-Life Crisis question?
Did we really have to delete the Quarter-Life Crisis question?
I know that in one way it looked like a survey question, but in another way, it was "I am freaking out about this. How did you deal with it?" As such, it was no different from half the advice questions out there. Even though it may not have been the best-worded question AskMe has ever seen, it would have been really helpful to have. Also, if a question is borderline, can we let it stay a little to see if it gets good advice-type answers despite poll-ish wording instead of killing it before it has a chance? That would be totally rad.
I know that in one way it looked like a survey question, but in another way, it was "I am freaking out about this. How did you deal with it?" As such, it was no different from half the advice questions out there. Even though it may not have been the best-worded question AskMe has ever seen, it would have been really helpful to have. Also, if a question is borderline, can we let it stay a little to see if it gets good advice-type answers despite poll-ish wording instead of killing it before it has a chance? That would be totally rad.
Link padding sucks
This comment lends credence to my prior concern. I love well researched posts containing multiple links. However, in my view every link in a post should link to notable sites; not one link with needless, lazy padding. I'm concerned if members, new and old alike, think "padding out" a post with a 3-minute googling exercise is a good thing.
March 1
The MetaFilter community played a nice, bright part in my day today
The MetaFilter community played a nice, bright part in my day today. First I woke up to find an email from another member who offered to send me a car stereo that had been sitting around in his closet for a while and would solve my iPod/car stereo problem. Best answer, indeed! During the day I scheduled a meeting with a little writing group I met via one of our own at a meetup. I'm definitely looking forward to that. Then I got pictures in my email from our own multi-talented DaShiv, of an art show I wanted to see last Friday but didn't make it to. The SF group rumbled all day about another meetup date soon, possibly when #1 is in town. I can't wait for that! Then to cap it all off, tonight I came home to find my roommate had a guest over. She recognized me and it turned out we'd been introduced at the MeFi/MoFi meetup in Berkeley. Small world!
Nothing earth shattering here, but good stuff all around. I didn't even really think twice about this stuff until just now when some said "Whatever community was once to be found here is long dead, unless you are perhaps looking for a community based on vitriol and snark.". Perhaps gd779 is kidding, or thinking of certain glory days of rapping online with old cronies now gone, and perhaps those days are over for those folks. But for me, anyway, here, now, the community is a goodly part of actual life, not just an "online" community, and certainly more than a cauldron of blind vitriol.
[this is good]
Nothing earth shattering here, but good stuff all around. I didn't even really think twice about this stuff until just now when some said "Whatever community was once to be found here is long dead, unless you are perhaps looking for a community based on vitriol and snark.". Perhaps gd779 is kidding, or thinking of certain glory days of rapping online with old cronies now gone, and perhaps those days are over for those folks. But for me, anyway, here, now, the community is a goodly part of actual life, not just an "online" community, and certainly more than a cauldron of blind vitriol.
[this is good]
SXSW meetup
SXSW is coming soon! Hey guys, let's have a meetup! I'd love to meet all you out-of-towners, plus any Austinites I haven't met, plus the nice folks who showed up to the one Austin meetup I have known about... So, let's start some planning so we can make this happen, shall we?
Seattle Meetup
Holy Crawdads! It's March first! I'll see you Seattle peeps at The Big Time in the University District on March 5! But what time? I lean toward five-ish, in order to camp out and defend the terrain from unruly grad students!
Can we continue posts about to be archived?
The post regarding Gannongate, started on February 14th, now has close to 600 comments. I appreciate how it has been kept current by faithful posters, but I'm afraid it's going to fall off the edge of Metafilter into the Archive. What's the proper thing to do with a thread that continues to attract posts two weeks after its initial appearance?
Lafayette LA Meetup
Swamp meetup & crawfish boil [plus à l'intérieur]
How long do I have to comment in order to post?
How many roads must a man walk down before they call him a man? I tried to post a link to the front page but was told that I haven't commented enough to earn that right yet -- but nowhere can I find stated how many comments I have to make first. I did a MeTa search but either I was unable to refine my search terms properly or the question has never been posed. Does anyone know, or do I have to take this upstairs? It's a damn fine link, too.
Where did all the Mefians go?
Census Time! Which valued (or participative/non-lurking) members have disappeared lately?