March 2008 Archives (all archives)
March 31
Are snarky one-liners being deleted in the Blue?
Is there a new policy now where Matt/Jess/cortex are deleting comments in the Blue that are a bit snarky/one-linerish? Because I remember a one-liner in the Lyndon Johnson thread that's no longer there. Is that because Matt thinks that the first few comments set the tone for the thread, so ya'll are trying to keep things on-topic from the get-go?
BTW, I'm well aware that I basically set myself up here for a rapid succession of one-liners. Have at it, folks.
I live MeFi in dreams
I had a dream last night that I was at the base of a pyramid, and there was something earth-destroying in the pyramid, like an ancient God-like evil. I had to work my way through the booby trapped maze of the pyramid to reach the evil before it awoke, and so I popped open my trusty laptop and went to AskMeFi and typed my first question: How do I get to the center of a booby trapped pyramid maze. The answers started pouring in, and I began my mission, dodging ancient mummies and flying spikes. [more inside]
March 30
Baby don't you want to go?
Hey, kids, I've moved to Chicago. This seems to be a perfect excuse for a meetup. [more inside]
where the heck is metamail?
Let's establish first of all that I'm a complete moron. Ok, with that out of the way, every great once in a while I've managed to find where to go to do metafilter mail. I'm never sure how I did it, and I can never seem to repeat it. I've just clicked about every link I could on my profile and contacts list and elsewhere, and can't access it. Now, since I'm, again, a moron, I'd never suggest that you place a clearer link to this feature. But can someone deign to give me a URL, a clue....something? Many thanks!
Older/Newer
Could the Older Post/Newer ( « Older How exactly would one procure,... | How can I transfer iCal items ... Newer » ) post navigation be included at the top of the comments page so one does not have to scroll to the bottom to move to the next post? Perhaps the links would only be present if the number of comments extended below the fold.
March 29
Where are my check marks?
Minor interface annoyance: on the AskMe category pages in the sidebar, answered questions don't show check marks as they do on the front page. [more inside]
Two weeks are better than one (in this case)
Man, the green has been busy lately - so much so that it's really hard to keep up. How about going back to the 14-day wait between questions?
March 28
BIG VOTES vs small votes
Somewhat unimportant but, why do projects under 10 posts look like this while using Opera?
I flipped a coin and decided to ask this question
Someone answered an AskMe question with a little poem about flipping a coin - help me find it? [more inside]
pathetic insensitive
This project is offensive beyond the pale for those who worship the Son of God, and who are grateful He gave His life and defeated death. [more inside]
We have some cool people at MeFi
This post is cool, not just because of the answers, but more even more because it shows how very diverse the membership of Metafilter is. [more inside]
March 27
mathowie is going to ROFL(con)
Look who's going to ROFLcon! It's a "a group dissection of internet culture" and "big blowout party" in Cambridge, MA, April 25th and 26th that promoters call "the most important gathering since the fall of the tower of Babel" (and possibly just as productive). Wish I could be there. [more inside]
korean doctors = robbers?
Is it just me or is "Will the Korean doctor rob me blind??" a mildly racist way to start an AskMe post? [more inside]
Go lie down with a cool wet cloth on your forehead until you feel better
Q. So we're not allowed to say something's boring?
A. Of course you're allowed. You just have to explain why.
Boing Boing's new moderation policy, by Teresa Nielsen Hayden [more inside]
Meetup RSVP
Pony request: Meetup RSVP
Kinda like a favorite, except a little link that says you're planning on going, and a list of people somewhere on the page of who is planning on going.
Everybody in Tidewater say "Ho-ohhh"
Hampton Roads meetup late May early June, interested? [more inside]
NSFW FPP.
1. Please delete my FPP. Unbeknownst to me, the link contains NSFW ads.
2. Even after filling out the captcha on the contact admins page, I get "Couldn't send your message. Please go back and make sure you fill out the captcha before you send your message." [more inside]
A friend in need
Please send good thoughts out to longtime mefi user nickyskye, undergoing a tough cancer battle and in surgery today. Via Brandon' Blatcher's Projects post.
A little? AskMe front page tweak
My little pony: how much work would be required to turn the "contains answers marked as best" checkmark on the front page of AskMe into a link to the first best answer?
March 26
They need a good home now
Any Southern California Mefites have a fondness for obese beagles or Australian blue heelers? [more inside]
Scrump Goes For Broke
Why is MetaFilter going downhill, and what are we going to do about it? [more inside]
Gave one, finally got one.
Today a mysterious box arrived, which turned out to be my long-lost OLPC! Are there any other Mefites playing around with them? [more inside]
Time for shock and awe
Lets not derail obit threads
No matter what funny a comedian said, this is still an obit thread. I don't run into dead politicians threads and harp about how politics suck, or piss in any obit threads at all no matter what I think of the person it is about. Could we extend this courtesy to dead ad men as well, please? [more inside]
March 25
I Need a Buddy
My question is a two parter. I spend way too much time surfing the net, and sometimes come up on "stuff" that I think might make a good post here, but because I am fairly new by Metafilter standards, I am not sure it would be a good post. Is there a way for me to "unofficially" run my thoughts through someone PRE-post? I would rather not be humiliated publicly, which is why I ask. Secondly, even if I was feeling up for a good potential whipping on any given day, I am pretty bad with the technical aspects here. I would really do so much better if I had some one on one help. [more inside]
24: Jill Sobule Interview
Show #24 features an interview with singer-songwriter Jill Sobule and recaps from the month of March on MetaFilter. It was recorded on March 21, 2008 and runs an hour long. [more inside]
Important feature proposal for FPP process
Pony request - auto ban for cracked.com posts [more inside]
March 24
Underdog Victorious
Update: Fans of MeFi's own Jill Sobule dished out a whopping $80,832 to fund her next album. [more inside]
the sun... it's so bright!
It's been WEEKS since the last Austin meetup, and now that all those crazy foreigners have left town, it's time for another meetup. There's been entirely too many meetups lately involving TV. How about rock climbing at Enchanted Rock? [more inside]
Best posts on depression?
Which is the best thread/comment related to depression on AskMe? [more inside]
Who the flickr is that?
search by flickr name? [more inside]
Metafilter comments vs. Youtube comments
How much difference does $5 make?. Mashup by bertrandom pulls the most recent comments from Metafilter and the comments from the most viewed videos on Youtube and puts them side-by-side for comparison. [more inside]
Metafavouriteness?
What makes a favourite favourite? [more inside]
March 23
MeFiNo
What do you say to near real-time traffic stats?
This AskMe thread about contributors vs. lurkers reminded me of something I've been meaning to inquire about. A pony named Argus, who sees all users, named and unnamed, and enumerates them with well-manicured hooves. A digital Clever Hans. Or a realtime visitor count, if you prefer. [more inside]
Mefi Made Me See The Light!
Has one of your long-held opinions/beliefs ever been swayed by a Mefi post or comment? I don't mean a mundane opinion like "I prefer mashed potatoes to french fries," but a really important opinion, like a major cultural/political stance (i.e. a long-held belief regarding religion, abortion, homosexuality, vegetarianism, conservative vs. liberal, etc.). If so, what thread and/or comment was the turning point for you? And how did you feel about thinking differently?
March 22
Did I dream a post deletion?
Am I imagining things, or was this post deleted at one point, then re-appeared?
March 21
Non-foxy Mefite delight?
Greasemonkey for non-Firefox browsers? [more inside]
Per-thread new message count
It might be nice on the main page to see the number of new messages on a per-thread basis. [more inside]
Going to the Atlanta JoCo show?
Fresh from entertaining the Code Monkeys of London (his first Euro gig ever), Mr. Jonathan Coulton returns to the states with a show at Atlanta's Variety Playhouse. Tomorrow night. Any other MeFites going? [more inside]
Mustn't offend China!
Just so we all know for future reference, why is "FREE TIBET!" not a viable answer for this question?
Big love for community heroism
Normal Person + Anonymity + Audience = Sweetness & Light? [more inside]
March 20
Forty Three Thousand untagged posts DONE.
Holy crap, the back tagging project (recent update) is complete! 43,000 old posts have been keyworded by a team of hundreds of volunteers here. A huge thanks to all, I never thought we'd finish up all those old MeFi posts. [more inside]
Meetup! What time? Where?
Small Meetup Functionality Request: Allow the Meetup thread poster to highlight the post which contains the agreed upon Place and Time? [more inside]
New Jersey gathering?
Um, did I miss a NJ get-together, or was there not one? [more inside]
A request for MeFemail 1.1
Any chance MeFemail can be enhanced such that a MeFite can email multiple MeFites at once? [more inside]
Firenze meeetup!
Meetup a Firenze? Posible? [more inside]
March 19
We want the airwaves...
I heard this DJ singing the praises of MetaFilter on Atlanta radio this afternoon. She was talking up the site in general, and the alphabetical song lyric post specifically. Who says there's never anything good on the radio?
Thanks for the perspective
It all seems so clear now-- I had to share this comment of pure wonderment, I'm still smiling. If you've ever needed to really understand how far a distance is, behold the answer within. [more inside]
Skins vs Shirts
Is it still possible to get Metafilter shirts? I'm going to some blogging events in the near future (April and then in July), and I would like to look like the cool kid while I'm there.
Western Mass Meetup, Saturday, April 5, 2008
Western Massachusetts meetup, Saturday, April 5! Come to the Pioneer Valley and enjoy food, drink, and excellent company: Jessamyn and languagehat are expected to attend. Will you? [more inside]
I can haz marketshare?
AskMe #4 in Q&A site visits in the US according to Hitwise. Download the rest of the doc + chart here. Interesting news but I must say I've never even heard of Answerbag.
Wellington meetup photos
Temporary commenting lockout for bad behavior in AskMe?
Temporary commenting lockout for bad behavior in AskMe? Details and thoughts inside. [more inside]
Favorites... from the past!
Being vain, of course, I noticed this morning that someone favorited my song. The details show two favorites, though, one of which is from 2006. Which I am fairly certain is not the case, unless somebody's got a sweet time machine. [more inside]
Contacts Favorites Bug?
Last Five Favorite posts from ___'s contacts & Last Five Favorite comments from ___'s contacts does not match up with Favorite posts from ___'s contacts & Favorite comments from ___'s contacts. I guess it's vaguely possible that this is because "Last" works on when something was favorited as opposed to when the favorited thing was posted, but the discrepancy is pretty large and I think there's a bug there.
March 18
Who's mathowie?
Learning to resist the dismiss
It's not OK to dismiss an entire country because you couldn't resist making a lame joke. [more inside]
Mefimail -- the other, better metatalk
Hey guys, remember that mefi mail feature? Use it instead of metatalking. [more inside]
Relevance and hating the US
Should we FPP the Obama speech?
Should we FPP the Obama speech? Some debate here.
On the one hand it seems like it would be doomed to deletion as we have two open Obama related threads.
On the other hand it's a really big deal, and (IMHO) rises above NewsFilter into Best Of The Web because it's such an incredibly good speech. Also those other threads are way below the fold.
Thoughts?
Impromptu meetup in Melbourne?
Comrades Melburnian! Does anyone feel like an impromptu meetup on Maundy Thursday evening or during the day on Good Friday? A conference on Marxism seems like a good way to spend Good Friday. [more inside]
March 17
A house at the intersection of technology and politics.
So... I was doing some research online regarding the whole Obama/Rezko real estate issue re: Obama's house, the lot next door which Rezko bought, etc. As a result of my research, I have located Obama's house on Google Maps, which actually has overhead and *VERY* zoomable street-level views of the whole area. I've also checked Zillow, which shows all the nearby property prices. This information is new and very revealing, in that it suggests that Obama might have even slightly overpaid for his house, and that Rezko bought a potentially very profitable piece of real estate.
But there are some issues involved, as you may have guessed... [more inside]
Tokyo mefites to meet for a drink
Any Tokyo mefites available for a drink? [more inside]
It's hard to be a mod.
I think Jessamyn needs a hug. First there was this and then this. I liked the sarcasm of this one and was thankful she stepped into this !narcoterror! thread. Frustration bubbles here and then, in the best delete ever, explodes.
Mind control policies
Zdravstvuite valued Party Comrades! Latest Troll-state propaganda has it that the glorious Mefi motherland is wilting in the face of superior technological competitors ! Beware decadent democratic popularity-seeking! The Party already knows the minds of all citizens and our diligent moderating heros must continue to enforce the lessons of years of collective toil!
The Sun Is Here Seattle, Let's Have A Meetup!
Time for another Seattle Meet-Up? [more inside]
The First Mefi Restoration in the Straits.
Announcing the biggest Mefi gathering in Singapore, JB and some say, even Batam! [more inside]
survey popup
what's with this survey thing that pops out at the unsuspecting mefite? (It adds "for research purposes only", but would you trust the claims of a browser pop-up?)
When I'm good I'm very good, but when I'm bad ...
I offer an unqualified apology to Malor and anyone else who might have been offended by my comments. [more inside]
Utter tripe!
Hey nasreddin, maybe I even agree with some of your points, but you're coming across like an obnoxious sixteen-year old who wants everyone to know he's read Rousseau (and Voltaire) and lip-synchs to "Firing Line". [more inside]
March 16
Queuing questions.
From time to time, after asking a question in AskMefi, I get a great question but forget about it because of the waiting period. I'm not questioning this rule, but it would be nice to have the possibility to create a certain number of questions in advance, and put them in some sort of queue, so one will not forgot to ask some good question.
I'll be visiting Waco, TX soon. Wanna meet?
I'll be coming down to Waco, TX to visit family for the Easter weekend. Would anyone like to meet up on Friday (March 21) or Saturday (March 22)? [more inside]
MetaFilter History
Is there interesting MetaFilter history that newcomers wouldn't know about, but might find interesting? [more inside]
Checks and balances in Moderatorland?
How do mods resolve differences? [more inside]
Askme Snowclones?
This is a serious, intended-for-AskMe question, but under the rules (because it is about AskMe itself) it must be asked here. So, kindly play by AskMe rules. Here goes. Various authorities claim there are only 69, 36, 20, 7, 3 or 1 possible literary plots, all the rest are just variations on the basic ones. Is it possible to categorize all MeFi questions into a limited number of generic forms?
[more inside]
Or you could just not say anything.
If you feel the need to call the OP a douchebag, attack his phrasing, or lecture him for "body image baggage," please do it in this MeTa instead of shitting in the question.
March 15
Good on ya, Miko
I'd like to say thanks to MIko, who not only just reached 2000 AskMe comments, but also routinely clogs up my "contact activity" feed with Best Answers.
AskMe homework help
It's that time of the semester: the "help me write my paper" AskMe's are starting up again. [more inside]
March 14
Double bad.
Round Numbers!
Only a little over a year ago, anonymous had asked 1500 questions. As of today, that number has doubled. By my calculations if this trend continues then by the year 2055 life on earth will have ceased to exist!
March 13
'I am not a Microsoft "fanboy"'...
Does this post about how wonderful new web technologies from Microsoft are, and how easy and quick it is to develop for them, set off anyone's alarm bells? [more inside]
Comment Deletion Whining
Either a comment has been deleted in error or a different comment has failed to have been deleted.
[more inside]
MeFi Xbox Gamers
Calling all MeFi Xbox360 gamers. I'm going to maintain an Xbox gamertag for us to make it easy to find other Mefites to game with using the Friends of a Friend feature on Live. [more inside]
The Infinity of Defining Chatfilter
BOTW
DTMFA, LUA, GAAEIYBF, KHYF, HJNTIY. Continue this sequence. [more inside]
Deletion of post about racist Australian Mayor.
I think the deletion of this post by indienial is a bad call. The continued destruction of all things Aboriginal is a big fat important & undercommented issue, and one which I was looking forward to reading comments about. [more inside]
March 12
Hmm, you might know the answer to this...
AskMe Feature suggestion - here's some questions you might like to answer.... [more inside]
We Came, We Saw, We Recorded
We're a couple weeks into March and there's not really been a post-mortem of MeFi contributions to RPM '08! So let's, you know. Have one. [more inside]
March 11
No witty title to see here, move along
Not another favourites pony: Tag clouds for favourites? [more inside]
Seeking an old post
Can anyone guide me to a post about USian education in which it was described how the POTUS met with business leaders to determine the course of public education in the U.S.? I think they were events that happened during or just after the industrial revolution.
The Ministry of Type refers to Mefi
The Ministry of Type quotes Metafilter on quotes (and hopes its pages don't go away).
Live Preview Slowness
Live preview annoys me. I think there should be an option to have it. [more inside]
NYC meetup on April 4th or 5th?
I'm going to be in NYC for a conference the weekend of April 4th/5th--anyone up for a meetup on the Friday or Saturday evening? [more inside]
March 10
HK meetup
Hong Kong meetup. I need more friends in this connection-crazy city, so I'd like to propose a meetup. March the 22nd, somewhere in Soho? [more inside]
Let's sing!
Admit it, MetaFilter really needs a Glee Club. San Francisco singers and would-be singers, lend your voices to make this dream a reality! [more inside]
Easter Week NYC Meetup
Anyone up for an Easter week NYC Meetup during March 22 - 29? Perhaps we could all do an activity like an Obscure Walking Tour, Hanging out and talking at a bar/restaurant, Seeing a Show/Movie/etc. It's just a thought, I just joined the community and it would be fun to have a meetup with a bunch of other Mefites, and I'm coming back to NYC on break from college and would love to do something.
Sydney meet-up
Attention Sydneysiders! I will be visiting your city between the 14th and the 24th of March. I'd love to attend a meet-up. What say you? [more inside]
What happened to live preview?
What happened to live preview? And why do I have to hit preview before post now? [more inside]
MeFiJobs map kills Safari
Just an FYI...Due to changes made over at GoogleMaps, the map on MeFiJobs now crashes older versions of Safari. [more inside]
It's just like a meet-up except better because it's not in Berkeley.
Got to be! Got to be! Got to be another Washington, DC meet-up! Hey Hey! [more inside]
Sans quoi?
March 9
Buenos Aires Meetup
Buenos Aires Meetup [more inside]
Self-Link for supporting documents?
If I can't find a translation of something I want to post, can I link to the translations on my blog? I'm preparing what will hopefully be a badass FPP on French pop, rap, insult songs and surreal music videos. BUT, most of these songs don't have translations to English and those that do are horrible. So, what if I posted my own translations on my blog and linked to them? [more inside]
Time stamps disagree with profile
The time stamp for a comment / post no longer agrees with the displayed server time / preferences time in the user profile. [more inside]
Ness! Ness! Ness!
And seven years later, Super Smash Brothers Brawl has landed. I would love to smash some MeFites. [more inside]
Always Attach A Rider To Something Innocuous
March 8
comedy, chicago,
So lame, so late, but...Comedy Underground, Chicago, Tues. March 11, wanna meet me? [more inside]
Jessamyn's talk at SxSW
Jessamyn spoke at the SxSW panel on User Revolts today. Here are her notes on The Day They Tested the Manifesto, as was shown during the panel. Most of you MeTa types are infovores, so I thought I'd share. Obv, she rocked the house.
Meetup in Chilangolandia, órale pues.
Mexico City meetup. ¿Les parece? [more inside]
Dork Talk redux
March 7
No "Search" link on the blue anymore?
What happened to the "Search" link on the front page of the blue? I apologize if this has been covered in the recent threads about new search features in other areas (and please direct me there if this is the case), but I just noticed that the "Search" link in the blue - which I used frequently - is gone).
Reply link inline w/ comments?
Requesting to add a link to reply directly to another comment. [more inside]
Response to a point about the best way to answer an AskMe.
Response to a point about the best way to answer an AskMe. [more inside]
I can has [more inside] indicator on the user activity / posts page?
A simple feature request.
March 6
1 + 1 = 0
music videos on mefimusic?
I've recently made a video for a song which I'd previously posted on mefimusic. The video includes a remastered version of the original song plus a reprise.
Would it be kosher to post this to mefimusic, using the reprise as the uploaded mp3? [more inside]
Who was the MetaDetective?
Who was the comment detective? [more inside]
March 5
P.S. it's loquacious' art show. woot!
Psst! Bay Area Mefites! *tosses sheet over group, turns flashlight on to face, speaks in hushed tones* Meet up with me at this seeecret art show!
Blue meta make head spin
March 4
Bet on books, help kids get books
The Morning News is throwing their annual Tournament of Books to figure out the best book of 2007. A new twist this year is the Making Book Tournament where you bet on what the winner will be, with the proceeds going to First Book, a literacy foundation. MeFi is dollar matching bets up to $1,000 for the contest.
RPGs in Tucson
So, JaredSeth's wish to play Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay from the Gygax obit thread inspired me to post this, so I'll ask...does anyone in Tucson want to join a gaming group? [more inside]
Amazon code for WP?
Hey Matt and pb: You know that sweet-ass bit of code you guys have that scrubs any link to Amazon and inserts your affiliate ID? It would totally rock if you would release a version of that as a Wordpress plugin. [more inside]
He should have known he would get responces like this from wacked-out liberals.
Okay, so this is an idiotic question.. Given that, howzabout everyone (myself included) sits on our hands since I just don't think anything helpful remains to be said. [more inside]
March 3
Metafilter Runs - Challenge
It's been a while since our last post, so I thought I'd remind folks about the Metafilter RUNNER+ group. Everybody's welcome to join in the challenges, and you don't have to have the Nike+iPod kit anymore. The February Challenge was won by Slarty Bartfast, who racked up more than 150km! I've just launched a new challenge for March/April. Get running! [more inside]
A callout... to SHINE! [SFX: twinkle twinkle twinkle]
I'd like to see a place where users can submit FPP requests to the general MeFi populace, and where users can respond at their will to said requests. [more inside]
How speedy will the seduction be?
OK, betting time! How many posts do you guys think it'll take before speed seduction or pick-up artistry will be mentioned as an answer to this question. [more inside]
IE 8 update: 1 step forwards 2 steps back 2 steps forwards again.
Update on IE 8 standard support - IE will now render in standards mode by default, without any silly meta tag. [more inside]
They left when?
We have a "joined" date in user profiles. Can we have a "left" date for the pushers of the big red button?
Having a Change of Heart
There ought to be a way to undo the "(remove from activity)" button on the Recent Activity page, since commenting anew doesn't do it.
Can I have a shiny new pony tomorrow?
With members flaming out in rapid succession recently (and I know that people do this all the time, but we seem to have a cluster right now), how difficult would it be for The Button to require email verification, say 24 hours after it is hit, before an account is actually closed? [more inside]
Say! How about a Los Angeles meetup?
It's about time for another LA meetup, wouldn't you say? [more inside]
Lawrence, KS Metafilter people: party/meetup at my place.
Lawrence, KS Metafilter people: party/meetup at my place. [more inside]
March 2
23: One Year Down
Show #23 is just after the one-year anniversary for podcast and covers all the best bits of MetaFilter in February. It was recorded on February 27, 2008 and runs an hour long. [more inside]
Cheers.
Yeah, bye. [more inside]
NIG make you think of anything?
argh I just finished a fascinating, wholly up to date summary of the evidence about subliminal perception and whether it can change people's behavior (as in the controversial Clinton ad) when the THREAD GOT DELETED!!!!
Meh, suffer in your ignorance.
username search function
On the change to the search function re: usernames... [more inside]
What is MetaFilter?
What is MetaFilter? (No, this isn't some crappy philosophical question.) [more inside]
Self link
realjanetkagan (1946-2008)
Science fiction writer Janet Kagan, who posted here as realjanetkagan, died Friday after a long illness (COPD).
March 1
SELECT songs FROM music ORDER BY playcount
MuFi: Can we get a list of songs sorted by play count? Reference