MetaTalk

If you are neurodivergent, how does MetaFilter affect you, and how does your neurodivergence affect your participation in and use of MetaFilter? How could MetaFiter -- technologically and socially -- better accommodate your neurodivergence? [more inside]
posted by diss track able to MetaFilter-Related at 9:53 AM PST - 370 comments

There are a fair number of climate-related posts coming up on the front page these days, especially as the shit hits the fan with heatwaves and wildfires. But a lot of these threads seem to be dominated by a sort of drive-by doom, e.g. the most recent one where the first comment is literally 'we are doomed'. The situation is unquestionably dire, but I wonder if there isn't a more substantive way to talk about it. [more inside]
posted by AllShoesNoSocks to Etiquette/Policy at 7:44 AM PST - 172 comments

I just noticed that I have exactly 12345 answers on Ask! People post photos of their car odometers when they hit sequential numbers, but I don't own a car, so I'm marking this milestone instead. [more inside]
posted by DarlingBri to MetaFilter-Related at 1:45 PM PST - 30 comments

Good Saturday evening, MetaFilter! This week, theora55 wants to know, "What's a joke that took you ages to get or appreciate?" If you can't think of any joke grenades, you can just tell us your best joke! [more inside]
posted by Eyebrows McGee to MetaFilter-Related at 5:34 PM PST - 183 comments

As another week draws to a close, the spirit of Fizz--who is taking a break from the site--endures! Let's spend time talking about how past times and daydreams we enjoyed in childhood carry through to our lives today. Did you first learn to knit in elementary school and are now a fixture on Ravelry? Did you create elaborate model train layouts only to become a transportation planner as an adult? Was it always your sense that the landscape where you belonged was somewhere else... where you live now? Have you traded a Jiffy-Bake oven or Brownie camera for their professional equivalents? Or were you primed for a particular career or hobby, whether by family fiat or your own sense of self, that couldn't be farther from your own truth today? Spill! [more inside]
posted by carmicha to MetaFilter-Related at 12:03 PM PST - 48 comments

The megathreads have been decommissioned, and many members of the subcommunity that has grown up around them have expressed that the return to normal Metafilter-style threads for political discussions will not fill the same role that the megathreads did. Let's discuss our options for finding a new space for this subcommunity to continue. [more inside]
posted by biogeo to MetaFilter-Related at 7:43 PM PST - 193 comments

Metafilter’s quasi-official Seattle Trivia team Manifest Destiny’s Child has, in a follow-up to last week’s 20th anniversary triumph, won again this week. As we (this week: Errant and party (if you’d sign up, you could get an actual name), clew, cgc373, Slarty Bartfast and yr obt svt) did last week, we are donating our winnings to the site (a bit less impressive at $32 but that’s what we got). We’d like to encourage any other MeFi groups that might come into similar riches to think of the goodness that is Metafilter and help sustain this forum.
posted by skyscraper to MetaFilter-Related at 11:56 PM PST - 14 comments

During the 2016 US election cycle, we experimented with moving US politics discussion to a catch-all megathread model: focusing almost all discussion of the topic to large omnibus threads posted every week or two. The resulting megathreads have been a valued thing for many people, and a lot of work and care has gone into them from posters and commenters to try and help them be a functional part of the MeFi posting mix. But the threads have always posed significant challenges, and the time has come when we need to make a fundamental change. [more inside]
posted by cortex to MetaFilter-Related at 2:46 PM PST - 666 comments

It's been a while since we've had a general MeTa thread for folks to share what they've been doing to fight the power and improve their little corner of the world, and I thought it might be nice to check back in with folks. So, MetaFilter, what sorts of things are we trying to do these days to make the world a better place? (Most recent general thread I could find; US-border-specific thread from a few weeks ago is still open).
posted by sugar and confetti to MetaFilter-Related at 11:50 AM PST - 40 comments

This is a follow-up to the previous and wonderful people of color thread. Consider this a space for discussion for people of color. Before posting take a look at the guidelines posted inside, thanks! [more inside]
posted by Brandon Blatcher to MetaFilter-Related at 8:01 AM PST - 167 comments

Sorry to report that longtime member LeLiLo (nee Richard Sassaman) passed away Sunday unexpectedly, apparently from a heart attack. He was 70. [more inside]
posted by MtDewd to MetaFilter-Related at 8:12 AM PST - 123 comments

Good Saturday evening, MetaFilter! This week, open thread! Tell us some cool stuff! [more inside]
posted by Eyebrows McGee to MetaFilter-Related at 7:07 PM PST - 79 comments

As another week draws to a close, let's talk about something unrelated to politics, all in the spirit of Fizz, who is taking a break. Inquiring minds want to know... What significance did/does the Apollo 11 mission have for you? Do you remember it, or was it all dusty ancient history to you? Did you want to be an astronaut when you grew up? Anyone in your circle think the moon landing was a hoax? This post invites you to ruminate on whatever thoughts the moon landing raises for you, without invoking politics. Inside, you'll find links to recent pertinent FPPs. As always, be kind to yourself and your fellow MeFites! [more inside]
posted by carmicha to MetaFilter-Related at 10:15 AM PST - 72 comments

18 years ago, Amazon messed up a promotion and sold $350 cameras for $40 – engendering a legendary MeFi in-joke. On Monday, they did it again – adjusted for inflation!
posted by nicwolff to MetaFilter-Related at 6:19 PM PST - 23 comments

I'm trying to find a post that I am 99% certain was made on the blue within the last 5 years. It linked to an interactive site that was trying to communicate how as we get older we perceive time passing faster because we have more context / memories compared with when we were younger. [more inside]
posted by allkindsoftime to MetaFilter-Related at 11:42 AM PST - 5 comments

I just posted an AskMe in the Grab Bag category because I did not find a Parenting/Grandparenting or Children category. Librarians and others, should I have posted it to Human Relations instead? Just looking for a general consensus about where to post such things next time until/unless we add a Children category to Ask. (I think this has been raised in the past but couldn't find a thread when I did a quick search.)
posted by Bella Donna to MetaFilter-Related at 8:18 AM PST - 29 comments

MetaFilter, that weird blue site (and, yep, we've finally turned it blue again), is 20 years old today.

It's a thrilling and boggling and remarkable and ungainly and heartening number. I've had trouble figuring out what the thing is that I want to say about the site today, and I've realized the problem is there's no one thing. MetaFilter is too complex, its history too complicated, to reduce to a tidy anecdote.

But I want to talk a little about what it means to me, and what I want it to aspire to, and to reflect a little bit on this twenty year milestone on an unsteady world wide web. [more inside]
posted by cortex to MetaFilter-Related at 10:30 AM PST - 235 comments

Good Saturday evening, MetaFilter! This week, I want to know what you're most passionate about! [more inside]
posted by Eyebrows McGee to MetaFilter-Related at 6:11 PM PST - 57 comments

Looking for an incredibly empathetic answer to an AskMe with what to say to someone when they are dying. [more inside]
posted by lalochezia to MetaFilter-Related at 9:10 AM PST - 3 comments

On July 12 on the blue there were over 40 posts. They ranged in topic from alchemy to the struggles of black movie directors to making terrariums to giant moths and ghost orchids and a slew of other interesting topics. I haven't seen a day like today in quite some time and jumped down the rabbit hole numerous times. This is what I love about Metafilter and what has kept me here for 18 years. Well done, Mefites!
posted by ashbury to MetaFilter-Related at 11:42 PM PST - 17 comments

I'm looking for an old comment either in AskMeFi or on MetaFilter proper about relationships between burners and non-burners. [more inside]
posted by cr_joe to MetaFilter-Related at 1:01 PM PST - 3 comments

Can we do a "post something interesting from your bookmarks" month? [more inside]
posted by Cozybee to MetaFilter-Related at 8:38 AM PST - 37 comments

As we all know, everyone needs a hug! And as many know, the Fucking Fuck threads have been evolving, from the originally-intended politics venting space into a more personal venting forum and hugs distribution center. In recognition of this evolution and the kind support that has been shown in the Fucking Fuck threads, this is a new venting thread for everyone who needs a hug.
posted by Little Dawn to MetaFilter-Related at 4:12 PM PST - 113 comments

Hey, folks. It's been about a year since our last State of the Site update, and I want to let you know where things are at and where we're headed. The site turns 20 years old in a few days, which is a hell of an internet milestone. Financially, I wish I had better news: our ad revenue has dropped significantly again, and we're running at a significant monthly shortfall. This has underscored for me the need to seriously push toward the goal of making MetaFilter a fully community-funded site. Come inside and I'll talk more about our revenue picture, our short- and long-term fundraising goals, and some of where the site and community and mods are at more generally as we head on into the future. [more inside]
posted by cortex to MetaFilter-Related at 12:11 PM PST - 1247 comments [closed]

First, check out this other post today for necessary context and the immediate-term actions that the mod team is taking. This additional post is a roadmap for the future changes that we are considering, actions we have planned but haven't finished implementing yet, and some site issues that are not as directly related to the previous threads but tie into this process regardless. [more inside]
posted by cortex to MetaFilter-Related at 10:29 AM PST - 84 comments

Let's talk about how the MetaFilter community can be a more welcoming, comfortable, and equitable place for our non-white members. It's work that's overdue, from the moderation team and the community in general. There's a lot of context here, so read below before commenting. And it's vital that the voices at the center of this discussion are the community members with the most direct stakes in these issues, so if you're a member of the site's white demographic majority, you need to mostly be listening rather than speaking. [more inside]
posted by cortex to MetaFilter-Related at 10:29 AM PST - 224 comments

My understanding was that FanFare is a place for people who have seen/read a thing to talk about that work. While spoilers are not allowed above the fold, they are absolutely allowed in the [more inside] and flat-out standard and to be expected in the comments within. Are we not all in agreement on that? [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown to Etiquette/Policy at 12:20 PM PST - 55 comments

So, I’ve spent most of my life as a non-sport(s)-watching kind of person, and I’m a little bemused by my late-sprouting interest in football (aka “soccer” or ”assoc”). Anyway, I want to thank the FanFare Football Club for being the best group I can imagine watching a sporting event with, especially one so full of excitement, drama, disappointment, and fun as the 2019 Women’s World Cup. Y’all are great.
posted by GenjiandProust to MetaFilter-Related at 10:49 AM PST - 7 comments

Good Saturday evening, MetaFilter! This week, I want to know your favorite things to do as a child. Can kids still do that today? If you were a kid today, what would you be itching to do? [more inside]
posted by Eyebrows McGee to MetaFilter-Related at 5:34 PM PST - 56 comments

End of another week, let's talk about something else that is not related to politics. Let's talk about fireworks. Here in N. America we've recently celebrated Canada Day (July 1) and Independence Day (July 4). Both of these holidays are traditionally celebrated with the setting off of fireworks. Are there any other holidays from around the world where you celebrate with fireworks? I'd love to learn more about that. Do you hate or fear fireworks? Do you set them off yourself? Do you attend a local display put on by your town or city? Do you buy them illegally? Are there any specific types you prefer? Blackcats? UFOs? Roman candles? Feel free to share any photographs/videos of firework displays you've attended recently. As always be kind to yourself and others. And remember to practice proper fire safety protocols.
posted by Fizz to MetaFilter-Related at 3:10 PM PST - 74 comments

I was hoping we could make a place to talk about the humanitarian crisis at the U.S. border and private prison facilities, help each other with the best information and resources, and maybe talk about if people are going to the MoveOn Protest/Rally July 2 or the Indivisible one on July 13 (or is that just Chicago)? Or know of other plans? [more inside]
posted by Glinn to Other at 7:27 PM PST - 30 comments