March 2020 Archives (all archives)
March 30
sole artifact left to explain humanity
Regarding the recent one-man Godzilla film that was posted over on the blue, MCMikeNamara commented:
If this was the sole artifact left to explain humanity, it would be impossible to truly explain without the cultural context, but I honestly don't care and would happily nominate it to be the sole artifact to explain humanity.<>>Has me thinking what the rest of the community would choose, so let's open it up to debate. What would you choose as the sole artifact left to explain humanity? I'm thinking that MCMikeNamara is on the right track with this one-man Godzilla film. Stay safe everyone.
March 29
Metafilter, can you help me find homes in the SF Bay Area for yeast?
I kept getting yeast orders cancelled, so I stomped off and ordered a case of SAF Instant Red yeast from a wholesaler, figuring that if it actually came I could redistribute it. And it did come, and so I have 15+ 1lb packages that I would like to deliver to people. I don't mind driving around to do it, I'm already going from San Jose to San Francisco to deliver some to a friend so I can make a circuit of the bay within reason. My only ask would be that if you can afford it, you make a small donation to Second Harvest.
March 28
Do you make music?
Do you have an instrument at home? Or a voice? And a camera or a microphone? Willing to upload to Youtube or Facebook or Vimeo or Soundcloud or your provider of choice and link to it here? Better to be at home sharing music than to be at home not sharing music!
March 27
Let's make some dang art
I'm finding art is a really useful thing for putting my brain somewhere other than *waves hands around floridly* for a while. And I know a lot of folks on MetaFilter make art, or have made art, or would like to make art. So, hey: let's make some art! Good art, bad art, first-timer art. Let's make stuff, and talk about stuff you'd like to make, and share what you're making, and share resources and guides and inspiration and so on. [more inside]
1-877-Kards-4-Kovid
The Covid Card Swap (previously discussed here)is a go! If you want to send cards/postcards/notes of encouragement and connection to other Mefites, follow the simple instructions inside. [more inside]
comfort reads compilation
hi all, ask usually gets a question about comfort or easy reads every month or so. Has anyone done any compilations?
... and if not, who has an opinion on the best way for me to make one? [more inside]
March 25
Can mods sign up MeFi for Scroll?
March 24
Offer of Minecraft Server for all you lovely folks
Hi there, I don't know if anyone will be interested but if you are, I have a paid up Minecraft server with 50 open slots. It would be an easy way to interact with other Mefites, if you already own the game, and hopefully a nice distraction. [more inside]
What if recent activity was limited to recent things?
While we're on the subject of ponies... What if recent activity showed, say, the last ten comments in the last 8 or 24 hours? [more inside]
New Posts / Bottom of Page Navigation UI
I ran into these UI/UX issues in the politics megathreads, and am frustrated by them again in the coronavirus threads. Can any of these be improved? [more inside]
March 23
Corona Virus Check-in Thread no. 3
I can't improve on Gotanda's intro for the last check in thread so here it is again updated:
A third catch-all thread for mefites living in areas directly affected by novel coronavirus (aka SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19) picking up from the last one. Again, please no idle speculation, catastrophizing, or chat. Let's stick to actual news, updates, personal experiences, and more mutual support from and to people dealing with this virus in their daily lives. How you all doing?
Let us entertain us?
I know there's a wiki of MeFi authors, and I know we already have MeFi Music... but I'm guessing that a lot of people here have podcasts or YouTube / Vimeo channels or books or albums or animation or artwork or other creative outlets. Any chance we can create a master directory (like the MeFi Mall) of these links for people who... might suddenly have a lot of unfilled time on their hands?
Previous post about effective meeting protocols
I’m looking for an article that was previously linked (I think on the green, but could have been the blue). It had tips on how to get the most out of meetings - one of the bits of advice was for the chair at the beginning effectively to say what order she would call on attendees to speak. The benefits of this included that people didn’t spend their time just waiting to interrupt, and also ensured that the meeting wasn’t dominated by the usual suspects.
I think the context for this may have making sure that otherwise marginalised voices get heard - but it may also have just been straightforward good meeting etiquette.
Can anyone link me to this?
Thanks all and stay safe
March 22
Metafilter Mutual Aid for COVID-19
Many local organizations are developing mutual aid organizations of neighbors helping neighbors get their basic needs met (grocery shopping, phone calls for wellness/connection, etc.). I'm working locally in my physical neighborhood, but I consider metafilter my neighborhood as well. Would others be interested in sharing their needs and seeing if anyone in the community can meet them? For example: I have toilet paper to share (as long as you don't mind the recycled eucalyptus sort) and can do grocery shopping for vulnerable mefites in the L.A. area. If you're very low on tp I can mail you some and also toss in some local fruit from our backyard tree. I could use: if you're making fabric masks, I could really use them for my aunt (ICU nurse). She's running low and I'm working extra hours at work (I know, I'm lucky to be working) so I don't have time to sew myself.
Stardew Multiplayer Meetups
As we self-quarantine, why not escape to Stardew Valley? This is a post to discuss the perfidy of Mayor Lewis, the struggle to fish and the delights of starfruit. Also, post if you'd like to form a multiplayer farm with other mefites (up to four per game).
March 21
Metatalktail Hour: Soothing Media
Good Saturday ... some time, MetaFilter! This week, share some of your favorite movies, shows, books, and music for when you need something soothing to enjoy! So we can all have many more options for sinking into a cloud of escapist comfort! [more inside]
“I'll be there with Bells on! Ho ho!”
I'm playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The game was just released and it's available on the Nintendo Switch. It seems like everyone is playing these days. Let's talk about our islands/towns. What fruit did you end up getting? There are five possibilities (not counting coconuts): apples, cherries, peaches, pears, and oranges. If you're up for it, let's share our Nintendo Switch Friend codes so we can visit each other's islands/towns. This is a super chill game and it makes me happy. If you have the opportunity, consider picking it up. As always, be kind to yourself and to others. Happy crafting, farming, shopping, & exploring friendos.
Can you make an animated presentation? Want to meme to save lives?
I have expertise relevant to contagion/spread. I feel like there's one aspect of this that is not well-understood by the general public and if understood could persuade people to be more effective in their social distancing. I would like to make some sort of video/animation meme to put out there. Can you help? [more inside]
March 20
Updating old posts with new, awesome info?
I just stumbled across the fact that this beautiful rotary cell phone is now available in kit form. A number of people expressed a desire to have one. I figured I'd link to it here....unless there's a better place for it?
Covid Card Swap
One of the Card Club members suggested a Covid-19 card swap event. I think this is a good idea, and wanted to bring it to the larger Mefi community to see what the interest level is.
This would be like the winter holiday or Valentine's Day card swaps, where people are assigned to small groups, and you send a card to the people within that group. As far as I know, there are no covid-specific greeting cards, so these would be pretty free-form -- postcards, "hang in there" cards, short messages of connection and encouragement, wishes for good health, etc. Thoughts/opinions?
Scheduled Downtime
In order to complete a planned update of the MetaFilter database server, MetaFilter will go offline for approximately 2 hours on Sunday, March 22. [more inside]
March 19
Terrified of COVID-19? Want to do something about it? Come sit by me.
Lots of us are terrified without a sense that we can control anything about the COVID-19 pandemic besides staying in our homes. But there are plenty of things we can be doing as citizens to organize and help each other out. Let's create a space to talk about what we are personally doing and why to keep one another safe. [more inside]
March 17
What's the worst, most annoying book you've ever read?
March 15
How about some fun community indoor activities?
I can already tell I'm going to get hungry for more human interaction. Inspired by stuff like the "Quarantine Cooking" article by mefi's own beijingbrown and the article about Japanese "drinking online" and Chinese "cloud raves," I'm wondering if we could do some fun social stuff as a group that would make things less lonely. [more inside]
March 14
Metatalktail Hour: Phone Games
Do you cope with your anxiety by playing phone games? I totally cope with my anxiety by playing phone games. Tell me your favorite phone games, ideally for Android (my system) but I'm down with iPhone and I'm also down with desktop/console games! [more inside]
March 13
Hide or Exclude COVID in AskMeFi ?
Could we get a 'no COVID' filter for Metafilter and AskMeFi sites?
I understand that we shouldn't have sidebar filters for everything, but I do think the COVID posts are multiplying to the level of USPolitical posts and threads.
Am I missing something in the MyAsk preferences--I don't see a way to exclude tags there? thanks for info.
Something good. Something Happy.
Feel free to share something good. Something happy. This is a space for positive vibes. Reminder to be kind to others and yourself. Love and good thoughts being sent your way. Stay calm, be careful, and remember to practice good hygiene. :-)
An Ode to the Tummlers
Mefi's Own Jessamyn is quoted in the New York Times in We Forgot About the Most Important Job on the Internet, an opinion piece by Mefi's Own Annalee Newitz. Jessamyn West, a librarian who was a moderator for 10 years at MetaFilter, said the job is like what Catskill entertainers of the mid-20th century called a tummler, “the person in the room who isn’t quite the M.C. but walks around and makes sure you’re doing OK.”
March 12
March open thread: Disability/ableism
This thread is continuing conversations about disability/ableism both on and off the site. It is a space for people affected by ableism to converse. You get to decide if that applies to you; if you're unsure or questioning, your contributions are welcome. This thread is for everyone to read, but mostly for disabled people to participate in. [more inside]
Fuck! Fucking Fuck, Fuck. Pandemic edition.
Everything is cancelled, we're worried about everyone, and the world is upside down. I presume that MeFites, too, need a place to scream. Here it is. FUUUUUUUU-----
March 11
MetaFilter Helps Solve Half Remembered Book Mystery
On April 22, 2019, "An Interview with Mefi's Own Jessamyn" was posted on MeTa by Stanczyk.
During the interview Jessamyn said,"we let you read whatever the heck you want, even if you’re a kid" and that reminded me of a book I had tried to find for years, that I had checked out in the mid 60s when I was about 12. [more inside]
(Staying) home is where the heart is.
OK. It's officially a pandemic. Should MeFi IRL suspend operations for the time being?
March 8
Dangerous advice on COVID-19 on AskMeFi
People are answering AskMeFi questions about COVID-19 with incorrect advice, endangering at-risk populations. Preventing the use of MetaFilter to distribute dangerous misinformation is a matter of life and death. [more inside]
March 7
Metatalktail Hour: Moments of grace
Happy weekend, Mefites! This weekend, Bella Donna says: I experienced an unexpected moment of grace while visiting my father in Colorado in his nursing home. Actually, I experienced two now that I think of it. I would like to suggest [...] Saturday MetaTalk kick off topic be about moments of grace, unexpected or otherwise. [more inside]
Finding COVID-19 data visualization comment
I could have sworn I saw a comment about a data visualization of COVID-19 that showed different strains of the virus by location and some other ways. It had a bunch of different charts, including at least one map visualization that you could zoom in, and one bar chart with thin bars and circles at the end of each bar. [more inside]
March 6
MetaFilter Fantasy Baseball - 2020!
It's that time again! Did you know that Opening Day is only 20 days away? That means it's time to start your calculatin' and make the best imaginary baseball team that Yahoo and your illustrious competitors will let you build! It's FANTASY BASEBALL TIME!! [more inside]
161: Change Your Ding-Dang Clocks
Podcast? Podcast! Me and jessamyn, podcasting. It's the podcast thing, with jessamyn and with me, and it's this! Here you go. Seventy-five minutes? Podcast. Hi. Hello. Don't forget to reset your clocks if that happens this weekend. Podcast. [more inside]
TREAT YO SELF 2020!
End of another long week, let's carve out a space to talk about something other than politics for those that need that space. Let's talk about the nice things we do for ourselves. What's something nice you've done for yourself lately? Maybe you set some time aside to read a book. Or went for a walk and left your phone behind so you could clear your head. Or you bought that small bar of chocolate at the impulse aisle of the grocery store. Maybe you had a drink or a smoke to relax at the end of a long week of work. Whatever it is, I'm sure you deserve it. Feel free to also talk about something nice you've done for a loved one as well. As always, be kind to yourself and to others. TREAT YO SELF!
March 5
Time to change from HTML?
I'm not sure if this has been discussed before recently, but are there any plans to change or add on text coding options beyond HTML? Like Markdown or rich text? [more inside]
March 1
Platform/system requirements in video game posts
Many thanks to everyone who makes MetaFilter posts about cool new video games! And one request: When possible, could these posts please include information about which platforms the game runs on? [more inside]