April 2003 Archives (all archives)
April 30
The origin of geourl and finding MeFi members near you
I really like geourl and wanted to know which metafilter members lived near me, so I programmed it today. If you're logged in, and viewing a member's page that has a zip code, it'll do a lookup for all the other members within a 1/2 degree of longitude/latitude which is about 25 miles. Scroll down on my user page to see everyone near me.
Is this a pony we can do without?
Good point quonsar. Matt, is it possible this is a pony that we really don't want?
Laurie Garrett on NPR Morning Edition
The voice of the Notorious Laurie G is to be heard on NPR's Morning edition today. Laurie Garrett's--whose breezy, chatty email about attending the World Economic Forum conference in Davos, Switzerland was exhaustively analyzed here in Could This Be True? --journalistic specialty is reporting on modern plagues like HIV and Ebola for Newsday. On Morning Edition, she reported on the spread of SARS from Beijing to the countryside in China, which is--and pardon my Freedom--pretty fucking scary, and the power struggle going on between the factions of Hu Jin Tao and Jiang Zemin (see previous Freedom phrase) in the midst of all this, which is paralyzing the struggle to contain it on all levels, according to Ms. Garrett. On the job, she is a very competent and highly professional reporter.
April 29
What did you first see on Metafilter that is now a permanant part of your life?
I was listening to Ode To Billy Joe today on a mix in my car and this afternoon I wrote a journal entry in my moleskin notebook. What's the point? These are two things I learned about on Metafilter and that are now part of my life. What did you first see on Metafilter that is now a permanant part of your life?
pepsi blue posting pattern
We all hate "Pepsi Blue" posts, but what if they're part of a pattern? [more inside]
Proclaiming that a thread is doomed is poor form.
meta-opinions about the future of a thread are pointless, and are usually an attempt to lead the thread to premature death. Don't try to pre-judge the outcome of any particular conversation. Either the thread will or will not self-destruct, and may take a direction different from the one envisaged by any of its contributors. Godwin's law has many variants; is there a need for a metafiltrian distillation of it? Has it already been done?
April 28
I found this funny
I found this funny: urban dictionary lookup: metafilter
Is Metafilter in danger of becoming irrelevant?
Is Metafilter in danger of becoming irrelevant?
We're in desperate need of some new opinions around here.
Can it happen? Is it a technical limitation? What do you think?
We're in desperate need of some new opinions around here.
Can it happen? Is it a technical limitation? What do you think?
How kosher is posting websites in languages other than English?
How kosher is posting websites in languages other than English? Aren't we missing out on a sizeable - and valuable - part of the Web? The available online translation machines I've tried so far (Babel Fish et al.) are dreadful and hinder more than they help, but I've recently found WorldLingo to be appreciably less bad. MetaFilter users seem, to me at least, to be very interested in - and open to - "foreign" languages. Should posters risk posting a machine translation along with a link to a website in a non-English language, for instance?
Browser woes with big posts
When I shift click on one of Y2Karl's opuses. The magic blue link info box gets left open and doesn't close when I mouse over another link. Doing the shift-clicking alt-tab shuffle leaves a whole string of them open.
IE6 Win2K.
IE6 Win2K.
55 characters = 55 links?
55 characters = 55 links? http://www.metafilter.com/mefi/25409
While I appreciate all the hard work that y2kcarl put into the post, I have to ask, "Are the 55 links useful to anyone?"
I thought the idea was post a link or perhaps several, to point out somethign new and allow for a bit of discussion.
Who has the time/energy to look at 55 sites? Is the post more about style than substance?
Or am I out in left field here as a link minimalist?
While I appreciate all the hard work that y2kcarl put into the post, I have to ask, "Are the 55 links useful to anyone?"
I thought the idea was post a link or perhaps several, to point out somethign new and allow for a bit of discussion.
Who has the time/energy to look at 55 sites? Is the post more about style than substance?
Or am I out in left field here as a link minimalist?
Kudos for concise posts
Kudos for concise posts [More inside]
Mozilla Preview Issue
Anyone else having problems with comment preview in Mozilla 1.3?
April 27
Abuse in an abortion thread
What are the limits of personal abuse that will be tolerated on Metafilter?
April 26
buttheaded posting tactics are self-defeating
April 25
having a "point" is a step towards chaos
Actually, posts with "points" are often the ones in most danger of inciting flamefests and being less than appropriate.
Awesome music resources
If you're a gear head you may appreciate video tours (QT) of famous recording studios or if you're passionate about the "pure" art of music you might appreciate this essay. So which are you??? [more...]
This is sorta Devil's Advocatey
This is sorta Devil's Advocatey, but I'd like to hear a discussion on this. As an example, I've noticed today that there are a couple of music oriented MeFi posts, which is nothing new, but now that there are a couple music-specific MeFi-like sites out there, would it not be better for people to start getting into the habit of utilizing them? To keep MeFi from remaining as polluted as it is? Or do some feel those MeFi Wannabes should be ignored? I mean, why have multiple MeFis if we're not taking advantage of their presence? And if a decision is made, will that turn into Topic Policing? Is there a solution that can be found before it becomes a problem?
Tired of double-posting
Tired of double-posting, even though I search'n'search the key words. What am I doing wrong?
April 24
Blogging software promotional post
MoveableType is cool, but this post is just three generic links and a press release. Just because it's cool software that some of us use doesn't make this a good post. (And from the Post a Thread to MetaTalk page, "if posting about general weblog-related items, please post to Blogroots.com instead.")
Not too elite to respond
Author writes back! [Well, I sent her the link but still... it's kinda cool.]
Is this the way to do self-links?
This thread is interesting to me, because I've held off posting similar content, for fear of reprisal and bandwidth usage. Is there an appropriate way to post 'discovered' content without having the MeFi Hall Monitors yell "SELF LINK! SELF LINK!"?
April 23
Opera and Titles
Wierd problem involving Opera 7.1 and the Title tag. The thing don't seem to be showing up, regardless of whether the dhtml toggle is on or off.
Should this post be yanked before or after penis-enlargement-pills?
So this thread isn't exactly an advertisement, but it does link to a site whose actual purpose seems to be to sell some sort of penis-enlargement-pill.
I'm not saying that the post should get yanked, but I am wondering whether content whose purpose is to advertise a product should really be the subject of a front page post.
I'm not saying that the post should get yanked, but I am wondering whether content whose purpose is to advertise a product should really be the subject of a front page post.
How to update a closed thread?
FollowupFilter? I was using the subject of this thread as an example in an email today, and while researching it I noticed that just today there was an update to this story. The original thread is locked, but I not sure this is FPP worthy.
MetaFilter looks like crap in Mosaic
Generational issues
Old farts; hippies; soixante-huitards; baby boomers - there are a few of us on MetaFilter who are over 40, aren't there? To what extent is a lot of internal conflict here attributable to simple generational differences that are commonplace - though no less violent and, I should add, inevitable and ultimately unimportant - in our everyday lives?
April 22
Enthusiam is great, but this is just one lame post.
If you're going to pee all over a thread, considering taking it to MeTa first. Okay, I'll bite. As VulcanMike points out, this really isn't WhiteStripesFilter. Enthusiam is great, but this is just one lame post.
Has TextAd revenue been declining?
Has TextAd revenue been declining? [more inside]
How does Google Adsense work?
Maybe this has already been discussed, but I noticed on my "Gypsy" post today that the ads in the discussion were all "Gypsy" and Broadway related. How does that work?
Is there any music composition software you'd recommend or avoid?
In light of the new resident musician showcase, I'd like to ask the professionals: Is there any music composition software (or hardware) that you couldn't live without, adore, and would recommend, or, conversely, would rather warn others to avoid?
April 21
Mouseover Madness, Or, The Terrible Title.
Mouseover Madness, Or, The Terrible Title.
I applaud the use of the title attribute, but here the text is so long there isn't time to read it before the browser hides it again.
I applaud the use of the title attribute, but here the text is so long there isn't time to read it before the browser hides it again.
I am inclined to think this is a bit over the line.
Can we have a list of missing members?
When members disappear, I look for them on milk cartons. [more inside]
RetroFilter. double?
RetroFilter! Since "Eric Conveys an Emotion" was first posted over three years ago, both the contents of the link and the Metafilter community that discussed it have changed. Now that Metafilter has surpassed 25,000 threads, perhaps we could use a forum dedicated to the dredging up of old-school links from Metafilter's past? Alternatively, should we encourage "selective doubleposting" to Metafilter itself?
April 20
Scott Peterson post complaint
Dennis Murphy : "It kills you that everyone doesn't think exactly like you, right? This is metafilter. There is one post on on this case, and hundreds on the iraq war, most antibush, antiwar, antiright. What more do you want?"
April 19
I am unable to find the link
There once was a MeFi thread about a psychological experiment in which people were presented several pictures of women and men and they had to choose the most beautiful among them. The most beautiful chosen were computer generated pictures.
I am unable to find the link and have extensively used the search engine. Anyone care to help me out?
I am unable to find the link and have extensively used the search engine. Anyone care to help me out?
April 18
mefite predicts future
April 17
Flash Friday Fun on other days
Is Flash/Fun still just for Fridays? If no (my vote), can we drop the rather annoying "I know it's not Friday..." and its ilk?
First impression of MetaFilter
What was your very first impression of MetaFilter, that first time you visited? [More inside.]
April 16
Heather Champ gets her wish
music update?
Just want to know more about how the musi.mefi thing is progressing; and of course, requests... [more inside]
April 15
Trackback on Recent Comments
can we see the trackback indicator on the Recent Comments version of the front page, too, please?
Is MetaTalk visible to non members?
Are people who are not logged on, or who do not have accounts, allowed to see MetaTalk threads? I just sent my husband, who is a recording engineer and he got a message saying he didn't have permission to view it.
Strange "surfing" behavior has user asking: is everything okay?
I have been getting 404s when clicking the links to some threads, and when I hit the back button I get a message saying I was going back to a secure setting. Is everything okay?
What to do with out of line comments
WAY outta line. Ideologically speaking, I'm far, far closer to y2karl than I am to the victim of this jibe, but it left an awful taste in my mouth.
This is the kind of thing that makes us all look shallow and vituperative. Outside of the importunement of a heartfelt email (already sent), what venue does the average MeFite have for redress when something like this crops up?
This is the kind of thing that makes us all look shallow and vituperative. Outside of the importunement of a heartfelt email (already sent), what venue does the average MeFite have for redress when something like this crops up?
April 14
Making the most of MeFi Music
We've all seen the extensive how-tos of home recording that abound on the internet, but their suggestions can seem unreachable to someone with limited time, knowledge, income, or resources. How do we go from catchy riff to digitally mixing hit Metafilter-Music? Will a free version of Pro-Tools let us easily track up a house band? Should we shell out major dollars for a major software package like Cakewalk, PowerTracks, Cool Edit Pro, et cetera? Or, can the same sounds be achieved with free/share-ware like N-Track Studio or Goldwave & Multi-quence? Surely someone out there can offer some sage advice [...more inside...]
Trying to find an old MeFi thread on benevolent lender
I've been trying unsuccessfully to find an old MeFi thread about a guy who provides financial assistance to needy requestors facing large, one-time unexpected expenses. I'm sorry to ask in a forum such as this, but I was hoping for help finding the thread...
MF hanging Safari
Has anyone noticed a problem with MF and Safari >=0.67? These are the builds with tabs; 0.73, the first public release, went into open beta today. I often find that the MF home page will hang Safari until it's done (spinning cursor, can't scroll, can't leave the page early, no interaction at all.) This doesn't seem to happen with the lofi page (or anywhere else).
April 13
What is YOUR vision of MetaFilter?
Fulfilling the MetaFilter Promise. What is your vision of what the MetaFilter (and MetaTalk) project could be or should be? Those here tend to agree that this enterprise is important, so why is it so? What is MetaFilter doing and what might it do? As an exercise in originality, consider posting your ideas before reading the others. (Disclaimer: I'm writing a thesis on Blog Communities, and this one's my fave).
Metafilter Music makes its debut.
It's here! MetaFilter Music.
I've uploaded most of the files people have sent me (I'll be adding more all day today). Lots of great stuff already. Electronica, rock, folk, it's all there. It uses the Andromeda streaming/download server which lets you download songs, stream folders/songs, and lets you make playlists on the fly.
Oh, I also added a new MetaTalk category to discuss music.metafilter.com-related stuff here.
I've uploaded most of the files people have sent me (I'll be adding more all day today). Lots of great stuff already. Electronica, rock, folk, it's all there. It uses the Andromeda streaming/download server which lets you download songs, stream folders/songs, and lets you make playlists on the fly.
Oh, I also added a new MetaTalk category to discuss music.metafilter.com-related stuff here.
April 12
MetaTalk is more for venting than preventing
The common wisdom is that MetaTalk is more for venting than preventing; that it's read by an (obsessive) minority of users and that its suggestions and strictures are ineffective. And yet...[More inside.]
April 10
How would you like to have MeFi Music?
The MetaFilter Music channel. I've got another server setup with loads of bandwidth, so I was thinking of this as a new project/feature at MetaFilter: A place to download and stream music created by MetaFilter members. Would anyone be interested in taking part? Do that many MetaFilter members create music?
More useless images in threads
More useless images in threads. When was the last time you saw a relevant image in a Metafilter thread? We talk about it all the time, but is there any point in keeping the img tag?
April 9
Trouble loading the front page, and being redirected.
I tried to load up metafilter earlier and it was taking a while. I noticed at the bottom of my explorer window it said something like "Opening page http://www.b4ta.com/metafilter" Then the page failed to load entirely. I'm confused.
April 8
Iraqulence - a simple notion for screening Iraq posts.
Iraqulence - a simple notion for screening Iraq posts. What is Iraqulence? Well, obviously, it is like flatulence in that it's smell can drive many from the Metafilter "room", while those who stay become irritable and fling invectives around.
Iraqulence tends to involve posts about stories which are divisive and could be perhaps framed in a less inflammatory way, yes, but it is also NewsFilterish, tending towards stories which might very well prove - the following day - to have been unfounded ("The US thinks it may have killed Saddam in a bombing attack (but maybe not) or have questionable significance and lack scope - or both ( perhaps "Exclusive Middle East sources have tracked down top Iraqi leader's bolt Hole?" - Not to point fingers too accusingly, as I've broken all these principles many times myself ).
Iraqulence tends to involve posts about stories which are divisive and could be perhaps framed in a less inflammatory way, yes, but it is also NewsFilterish, tending towards stories which might very well prove - the following day - to have been unfounded ("The US thinks it may have killed Saddam in a bombing attack (but maybe not) or have questionable significance and lack scope - or both ( perhaps "Exclusive Middle East sources have tracked down top Iraqi leader's bolt Hole?" - Not to point fingers too accusingly, as I've broken all these principles many times myself ).
Have we returned to a civil MetaFilter?
Reasonable and reasoned talk about the war? a global warming thread where people correct themselves and say "climate change"? Is Mefi returning to civility? Which is to say, normality???
April 7
Importance of private email exchanges?
The e-mail undercurrent: how important are private exchanges between MeFi users in day-to-day posting and, indeed, in the running of MetaFilter ? [More inside]
What were these links?
What were these links? In the Richard Perle in Guardian Shock! thread, specialk420 posted three links... all of them are mysteriously dead now.... Does anyone know what they were?
midas - ok... let me get this straight - the world is full of bad bogeymen that we have to do something about now.
but bush and his droves of supporters (of which i assume you are one)
dont want to pay for it
posted by specialk420 at 6:48 PM PST on March 21
When will signups reopen?
MeFi/MeTa not taking new members - Any one got any idea how long for and what new gadgets we're expecting?
Weird DoubleFelix error.
What's DoubleFelix, and why do I get prompted to log in to it? Matteo directed us all to look at someone's posting record, but when I did, I was prompted to log in...? Did I miss a memo?
April 6
Question Marks in Titles
April 5
Won't someone please register metafitler.com?
Won't someone please register metafitler.com, with an autoforwarder to MeFi, to make my accidental keyboard dyslexian habits a little less deflating?
Recently posted not in "sort by recently posted" view
I recently posted a comment in this thread, but it doesn't show in the 'sort-by-recently-posted' option for the front page of MeFi (which I can't find a way of linking to).
What's up with that?
What's up with that?
San Francisco Picnic
I know this is old. But is the item at the bottom of the page going to happen this year?
"I'd like to do a MetaFilter picnic gathering at Golden Gate Park, in San Francisco some time this summer."
Could it happen this year? I was planning to take a trip to San Fransisco some time this year. Two birds. One stone. Could be fun.
"I'd like to do a MetaFilter picnic gathering at Golden Gate Park, in San Francisco some time this summer."
Could it happen this year? I was planning to take a trip to San Fransisco some time this year. Two birds. One stone. Could be fun.
Googlewashing recursively
MetaFilter: Such a powerful force, it has "Googlewashed" the term "Googlewash".
Now, let's try a really challenging meme: OW! (which actually started here to give credit where it's... OW!
Now, let's try a really challenging meme: OW! (which actually started here to give credit where it's... OW!
April 4
Was this account hijacked?
I'm having trouble reconciling this MetaTalk post with this user page and oh, this first comment and this later comment.
I'm thinking not the same person...
Hijacked account? somebody borrow mom's password?
I'm thinking not the same person...
Hijacked account? somebody borrow mom's password?
April 3
War threads are exhausting
Tired of war-related threads? Yes. Tired of non-war threads that feel the need to make reference to the fact that they are not war-related? Yes again.
Images in trackbacks maybe not a good thing
Holy trackback, Batman! I like Howard Dean as much as the next guy, but is it a good idea to allow images embedded into trackbacks?
MeFi tag list down?
The list of MeFi-tags seems to be down. Anyone got a copy?
debka verboten
i seem to recall mathowie expressly forbidding postroad from ever posting a debka link again. since postroad continually flouts even basic metafilter guidelines and seems to regard this forum as his personal colostomy bag, i think he needs a time out.
Micro-MeFi-Charges?
With all this talk about finding ways to make Matt money, I've come up with the answer...
April 2
Archives for Sale
Would it be possible to offer for purchase the complete (and, if possible. updatable online) MetaFilter and MetaTalk archives? Would enough people buy it for it to be worthwhile for Matt, revenue-wise? How much would such a treasure cost? Could it be produced on demand, to minimize costs? I know I'd buy it.
Time Zone Issue
The clocks went forward an hour in the UK at the weekend, so the GMT timing on posts is now an hour too early ...
What text do the TextAds use?
Right...so we've got Google TextAds on MeFi, and that's great and all, really it is...but what, exactly, are they related to?
I mean, aren't TextAds directed advertising? I.e. I search for learning styles and on the right are some text ads related to learning styles.
What's the "search term" (for lack of a better phrase) used on MeFi, or, for that matter, the comments?
I mean, aren't TextAds directed advertising? I.e. I search for learning styles and on the right are some text ads related to learning styles.
What's the "search term" (for lack of a better phrase) used on MeFi, or, for that matter, the comments?
Standards for *Filter
Got Standards? With a least two "metafilter-like" open source projects currently in active development and potentially hundreds of foofilters on the horizon, isn't it time we began discussing at least the standard parameters for submitting to a foofilter site? (more inside)
is there a way to undo a trackback?
is there a way to undo a trackback? does there need to be one?
'export my comments' feature, please
An 'export my comments' feature. [more inside]
April 1
metatalk too wide
Side scroll at 800x600 to about 900px wide in MeTa comments pages.
Who can I email to edit my link?
Who's a trusted user? I need someone to edit my link here from "http://www.metafilter.com/www.agsfb.com" to "www.agsfb.com"
i tried looking all over mefi to see if i could find anyone to contact instead of posting here first...thanks
i tried looking all over mefi to see if i could find anyone to contact instead of posting here first...thanks
www.Met4filter.com expired yesterday
www.Met4filter.com expired yesterday, don't think its an April Fools prank.
OMG!!!! Google Buys Metafilter!!!!
OMG!!!! Google Buys Metafilter!!!!
I can finally retire on my earnings! woop!
I can finally retire on my earnings! woop!