August 2005 Archives (all archives)
August 31
Breaking news on Mefi
So, I think that MeFi was the first to break the bit about racist looting captions. So why then do Wonkette and Flickr users get to pretend they broke the story? There are others, it's now quite the little hot Internet topic. But where's the MeFi love?
Katrina resources here please
Please, if you would like to link to or list any major good blogs (or resources) regarding Hurricane Katrina, please do so here.
The speed of AskMe approaches the speed of light
I know I'm just asking for trouble since this has already been requested a few times before (and those are only the ones I could find), but the questions on AskMe are moving faster than the speed of light and it's becoming more and more difficult to follow some of the interesting discussions. Is it really difficult to put in the "Sort by recent comments" feature on AskMe?
#mefi IRC channel has moved....
Seeking Hurricane Katrina Blogs
I need all of the major blogs that are set up for Hurricane Katrina.
Toronto Filmfest Meetup
Any Toronto Mefites going the the film fest? Would a meetup be possible or are the schedules gonna be too fucked? Also, what are you seeing/do you recommend?
trolling
How does a member with a user number so low make a post like this and say with a straight face, " I would also wish to add that I really don't wish to be seen as one who is trolling, because I am not...I actually don't think it's that terrible a post. "
Germany Meetup
How many mefites are living in Germany? How about a meetup?
Where can I start a discussion without actually linking to something?
Where can I start a discussion without actually linking to something? I want to talk about Katrina ad my opinion on it, on a different slant -- but I don't really think it is good enough for the blue. But I still want to talk with other people from MeFi...
Dios is blatantly trolling.
Dios is blatantly trolling. Again. This time, there can be no doubt in my mind that he is simply posting ridiculous, inflammatory and disingenuous comments for the purpose of starting needless arguments. If he had bothered to read the post, he would know that his point is invalidated completely. Do we have to tolerate his constant shitting on any political thread?
August 30
...is a cock
I want to second the .l. proposal. it would save a lot of people a lot of typing.
Semi-self-link
Paginating long threads
Would it be possible to move the most recent end of long, breaking story posts, like the NOLA one unfolding now into a separate thread, say the last 50 posts or so? Refreshing a long thread takes too long, and wastes bandwidth.
hide inline images option
Could we please get a "Hide inline images" option in our preferences?
August 29
What does it mean to be Akbar'ed?
Can someone explain the Admiral Akbar pic? I got "Akbar-ed" a while ago, but dismissed it as an in-joke I'd eventually figure out. Then I saw someone post it on this thread. What's the deal? Is it a dumbass callout? Should I look out for another Akbar-ing?
Metafilter Group on Upcoming.org
Andy Baio has just added groups functionality to Upcoming.org. Does anyone think that a metafilter group might be a good place to aggregate meetups on Metafilter.
I'm still a pretty new member, perhaps an older, wiser, or drunker member might initiate this? anyone? anyone?
I'm still a pretty new member, perhaps an older, wiser, or drunker member might initiate this? anyone? anyone?
Metafilter IRC suspended, moved
The MetaFilter IRC channel, #mefi, that was hosted on the server irc.turlyming.com by chrish has been suspended indefinitely. You can find the old school #mefi regulars at their temporary new home: #tapes on irc.slashnet.org.
Merging Two Katrina Threads
The two Katrina threads are functionally the same, regardless of their original intent. Can they be merged?
August 28
Was I a jerk in this thread?
I wouldn't have thought this needed any discussion, but after a few emails and a lecture from my father, I'll open it up. In this thread I left some info for others, and upon receiving a "I don't think it's accurate" message, corrected them rather snidely. (The lead-in comments are the two immediately prior.)
The question is:
Given the offense (not checking facts before posting), did I come down too tough? Is this an effective way to get people to start thinking before posting, or is this just going to be seen as obnoxious and arrogant?
The question is:
Given the offense (not checking facts before posting), did I come down too tough? Is this an effective way to get people to start thinking before posting, or is this just going to be seen as obnoxious and arrogant?
New Orleans MeFite refugees need shelter
Public service announcement: There are some MeFi members that may need temporary shelter from the evacuation of New Orleans. If anyone lives in the area and has an extra bed or couch handy, please post here.
Live preview for posting to MeFi and MeTa?
How's about getting Live Preview for posting new FPPs on MeFi and MeTa? I think it would be even more useful there than it is for comments.
August 27
Let OP update closed posts in AskMe
This is perhaps indulgent, but it would be potentially useful in ask.mefi if the instigator of the thread could post just once after the thread has been frozen. Some questions resolve after several months, and it would be a possible benefit for those googling for information to see closure, i.e. "this is what ended up working the best, x was right" or what have you. Perhaps this is just imposing a false narrative closure on messy reality.
Who are they and why are they copying MeFi?
Weird one:
Whilst googling for "MetaFilter Network LLC" [I was wondering how long Mefi had been so incorporated] I came across this page [google cache - they don't need the traffic.]
It appends a whole thread from ask.me on the end of their plain old links page of mortgage brokers - including the source code.
Whilst googling for "MetaFilter Network LLC" [I was wondering how long Mefi had been so incorporated] I came across this page [google cache - they don't need the traffic.]
It appends a whole thread from ask.me on the end of their plain old links page of mortgage brokers - including the source code.
Northern Delaware meetup
Northern Delaware meetup: Saturday, Sept. 3rd 7:30, Iron Hill Brewery in Newark... [+]
What part of "Best of the Web" do you have a problem with?
Please confine your AskMe answers to answers.
Here's an excellent example of people pulling AskMe answers out of their asses. If you don't know Latin, don't answer.
August 26
Madison Meetup
A new Madison, WI meetup to welcome new Mefites to the area? What do you say?
Atlanta DragonCon Meetup
I asked in 2003. I forgot to ask in 2004. So I'm asking now.
Dragon*Con 2005 opens in Atlanta on Labor Day weekend. So 'fess up ... any MeFites going?
Dragon*Con 2005 opens in Atlanta on Labor Day weekend. So 'fess up ... any MeFites going?
posting each day instead of every 24 hours
What if instead of being able to post a link every 24 hours, we simply post ever metafilter day? That would take away the need to count down the hours, make posting easier, and still have the same limiting effect.
leave the metachat on metachat?
This seems like a pretty weak reason to delete a post, eh?
August 25
Can you read Metafilter at work?
NSFW? Would your bosses be okay with you looking at mindless garbage all day as long as it doesn't contain nudity? I'm really interested to know.
Followup postings - how can we do that?
What's the protocol for posting about updates to previously linked sites that members might like to see? For example, SmashUp Derby has four new downloadable mp3's but somehow I don't think it's postworthy.
Seeking a better contact for a certain user
Anyone have a better email address/contact method for occhiblu? [mi]
NYC meetup August 2005
No idea if anyone's interested, since I'm not exactly a MeFi celeb, but since I'm leaving the NY Metro area (going back to school), I thought I'd invite people to an impromptu meetup. It would be at the No Idea Bar on Park & Broadway, THIS SATURDAY. (Like in two days). This will be my last NY area meetup, at least for the immediate future. Why are we having it there? Because Saturday's name (click the link) is Nathaniel, which just so happens to be mine. So if you had planned to be out drinking anyway, but didn't have a place in mind, stop in and see us.
I don't have a time yet; I figure people show up when they can. 7 or 8 sound good?
ParisParamus Turns Over New Leaf
I have decided to be kinder and sweeter on Metafilter. Less annoying, too.
(more inside)
(more inside)
Long-time metafilter member Alicia Frantz passed away on June 3rd.
Long-time metafilter member Alicia Frantz passed away on June 3rd.
There is more info on her site, and a news article. She will be greatly missed.
There is more info on her site, and a news article. She will be greatly missed.
Mathowie in New York Times
Matthew Haughey, technology journalist (NYT, registration req.)
MetaFilter RSS feed broken?
MetaFilter RSS feed broken?
The last article listed in my RSS reader is "Take me on a magic cable car ride!", from yesterday...
Is it just me?
The last article listed in my RSS reader is "Take me on a magic cable car ride!", from yesterday...
Is it just me?
Why has this question in Ask Metafilter gone so smoothly?
I posted a smartass answer in this thread.
I admit it was a rude, snarky answer and shortly after posting it I wished it was deleted. Without my request, it was--to my relief.
Over the course of the evening, however, I found it unusual that what would in any other Metafilter setting would be a hugely inflammatory post (SUV, taxes, as subjects), yet after several hours no one had contributed (despite the topic matter and a user base in the tens of thousands).
So: Have Mefites become exceptionally complacent, did the topic (against all expectations) generate no interest, or was there a culling of the thread?
I admit it was a rude, snarky answer and shortly after posting it I wished it was deleted. Without my request, it was--to my relief.
Over the course of the evening, however, I found it unusual that what would in any other Metafilter setting would be a hugely inflammatory post (SUV, taxes, as subjects), yet after several hours no one had contributed (despite the topic matter and a user base in the tens of thousands).
So: Have Mefites become exceptionally complacent, did the topic (against all expectations) generate no interest, or was there a culling of the thread?
August 24
My Recent Comments link from profile or something
Minor request: could we get link to the new My Recent Comments doodad on our profiles or in the headers or something (unless there is one already, and I'm just having a brain seizure)?
Good Conversation
The participants in this thread (about the board game Arimaa) engaged in a long discussion about matters on which they tended to strongly disagree. Nonetheless, the discussion was almost universally polite and respectful, and took things to a level far beyond the premise of the original post. It's not every day you can watch people turn a chat about a child's game into a debate on the nature of intelligence and consciousness, or discuss such controversial issues without things degenerating into a slagging match. Kudos.
Can we add Google Talk to profiles?
Now that Google Talk is up and folk are digging it, can additional messenging service fields be added to the profile customization screen, beyond AIM and ICQ?
Hide instead of delete
Rather than deleting comments that are "bad" because they're considered trolls (or just not helpful in AskMe), I think that it would be better to hide them so that only the person who posted the comment can still see it.
August 23
Can I second reasons for deletion?
I wish I could post "Excelent Reason" to deleted post reasons.
It's hard to tell in text if a threat is serious, so don't do it.
Pony: alternate payment methods
Can we get another way to pay for accounts then paypal? I'd rather pay $20 for an account through another service then use them. There are several, relatively cheap credit card transaction services out there.
Bloggers discuss today's failed missile attack on American ships in Jordan
August 22
Server is still starting up
Ask MetaFilter post message has spazzed out and I keep getting server errors ("Server is still starting up"??).
I just thought I'd impart this thrilling news for your edification and reading pleasure.
I'm done now.
I just thought I'd impart this thrilling news for your edification and reading pleasure.
I'm done now.
Links to Copyrighted Material
As it's alright now to start posting links to copyrighted material, I wondered if anyone could FPP details on where to find the latest movies, albums and software.
A gmail account for anonymous askme followups
I created a gmail account for anonymous askme followups. The username is anon.metafilter and the password is metafilter. Anymore can post there. Just log in at gmail.google.com and send email from that account TO that account (anon.metafilter@gmail.com).
Since gmail allows tags, you can tag your messages. You can also reply to them (or other users can reply to them) and gmail will automatically keep all the replies together.
Why hasn't someone already done this? Is it a bad idea? (No one will be forced to use it). If it's a bad idea, why is it a bad idea? Of course, it could (perhaps will) get utterly chaotic with people deleting each others posts, etc.
Lets see what happens.
Since gmail allows tags, you can tag your messages. You can also reply to them (or other users can reply to them) and gmail will automatically keep all the replies together.
Why hasn't someone already done this? Is it a bad idea? (No one will be forced to use it). If it's a bad idea, why is it a bad idea? Of course, it could (perhaps will) get utterly chaotic with people deleting each others posts, etc.
Lets see what happens.
First ever Richmond, VA Metafilter Meetup!
Will any MeFites be going to Burning Man next week?
Will any MeFites be going to Burning Man next week?
Search Error
The front page gives an "Unterminated String Constant" JavaScript error. I think it's something to do with the search box, but I don't really get it. The error's been around for months. IE6
August 21
Would an extremely cool Greasemonkey script be an acceptable FPP?
Would an extremely cool Greasemonkey script be an acceptable FPP? [a little more inside]
What questions work the best with Askme? Worst?
Ask.Meta Question askers/answerers.
What does Ask.metalk work really well with? What does it suck with?
What does Ask.metalk work really well with? What does it suck with?
Mefi post in Wired
Not that it's anything earth-shattering but a post I made a few months ago has found it's way into the trackback section of Wired. September 05 issue, page 87. Just thought it was nifty. Doesn't appear to be on the web...
Calling out a racist comment
ticketstubs - what is this?
Here are some related websites for: ticketstubs.org Has anyone else noticed this?
August 20
Opera Bug with Live Preview
Did the addition of live preview break comment posting in Opera? Comments still get posted, but on submit, the page never refreshes, and just sits there and spins.
Are other Opera users having this problem, or just me?
Are other Opera users having this problem, or just me?
August 19
Photos of last night's San Francisco meetup.
PickyProofreaderFilter
PickyProofreaderFilter: "You've stumbled upon a non-existent post, or one that was deleted for various reasons." Are threads never deleted for only one reason? :-)
ColdFusion error when trying to post a comment in the thread below.
ColdFusion error when trying to post a comment in the thread below.
Deleted relevant thread questions
My FPP was deleted today. Which, relevant to an ongoing thread (that I had not seen prior to posting) brings up interesting (or not?) questions about prohibited speech and its implications/consequences. . .
Coldfusion error?
On my home computer I'm getting a coldfusion error when trying to access metafilter, on both firefox and IE (win98se, by the way). I've deleted cookies and cache and still no go. Please hope me!
What are your favorite MeFi taglines?
MetaFilter: Something more than an infantile masturbatory impulse.
wait, maybe Metafilter: No good can come of a thread like this.
perhaps MetaFilter: Flag it and move on...
how about Metafilter: It's a big ball of problems apart from one user with question marks.
I know, Metafilter: This post, it vibrates?
That's it. I give. What are your favorite MeFi taglines?
wait, maybe Metafilter: No good can come of a thread like this.
perhaps MetaFilter: Flag it and move on...
how about Metafilter: It's a big ball of problems apart from one user with question marks.
I know, Metafilter: This post, it vibrates?
That's it. I give. What are your favorite MeFi taglines?
What does the dot mean?
Sorry if this is a dumb question, but what does posting a single period (.) as the only text in a respons mean?
August 18
The blue is good lately!
Just a quick thumbs up to the MeFites - skimming the blue reveals a large number of posts that are, a. reasonably interesting and b. well supported with lots of links. I feel like Mefi has been consistently stronger of late, perhaps fallout from the 8/1 contest? Anyway, just wanted to spread some love.
Happy 10,000, Metatalk!
Happy 10,000, Metatalk!
"Post Comment" button is too close.
Pony request: Could the "Post Comment" button in the realtime preview be moved a bit more to the right? As wendell noted, it's too much of a hair-trigger.
See you there!
I'm heading over to Zeitgeist in SF for the Benday celebration. See you there!
AskMe Categorization Request
Regarding http://ask.metafilter.com/mefi/22795. So clearly the word "cult" went to my head when trying to categorize that question. But really, what would have been the right thing to have filed it under? It seems there should be a multiple categorizing feature at Metafilter. You know for things like Religion and Philosophy/Media and Arts. Basically having question/posts show up in both categories. Another example being this very question which is both a Feature Request as well as Etiquette/Policy. Peace.
-Neosamurai85
-Neosamurai85
'My Comments' page rolled out!
The My Comments page is up and ready for testing. It scours the comment databases to find all the comments you've left in the past 7 days, then shows you the thread you left them in, along with the comments that followed yours, up to the last ten comments. I've been using it for the past hour or so and it's great for keeping up on threads I left comments in days ago.
I'll clean up the layout and look eventually, but for now, it's the companion to the My Posts page, and I'm open to feedback or any problems you find. The URL will stay there, so feel free to bookmark both.
I'll clean up the layout and look eventually, but for now, it's the companion to the My Posts page, and I'm open to feedback or any problems you find. The URL will stay there, so feel free to bookmark both.
Richmond VA Meetup
There was some mild interest in a Richmond meetup. Seeing how we just embarassed ourselves on a global level, maybe now would be a good time to get together and commiserate?
August 17
Secret Service party invitation
Whoa. Do we really need what this might bring down on MeFi if it's picked up by some Drudge-type parasite? Yikes.
Is the feed broken?
XML feed error?
I don't understand this AskMe question
I don't understand. But then again, this is some pretty heady stuff and I'm a simple man. [I wanted to flag it but apparently you can't flag AskMe posts]
Background color and info in RSS ponies
QuickTwoPonyRequest: [1] Can a background color for alternating comment s be used to aid readability? [2] Can tags, category and poster information be added to the two RSS feeds?
Thank you for the post double-question-mark.
Thank you for the post double-question-mark.
peacay is referring to '김치' but only sees '??'. There are a lot of people not getting the proper encoding, what's the best way to update, through the browser?
peacay is referring to '김치' but only sees '??'. There are a lot of people not getting the proper encoding, what's the best way to update, through the browser?
August 16
The Best of Metafilter - book?
If you published a book and called it “The Best of Metafilter”, what threads would you include in it (besides the one about the best logo)?
If a comment is deleted, is the user notified?
If a comment is deleted, is the user notified? I commented in the roach question, and now it's gone. Is it because I used a bad word?
consI/Parcy theory
Are we allowing ConspiracyTheoryFilter to stay on the front page now? That's how it strikes me.
I lost an askme thread: song sample calling for doctors
I lost an askme thread. There was one some time back asking for the source of a sample in a song where someone calls for certain military personnel.
I've tried Google and tried various AskMe tags, but I can't find it. Did I imagine it (including the responses suggesting that the poster look on various stock cue CDs)?
I've tried Google and tried various AskMe tags, but I can't find it. Did I imagine it (including the responses suggesting that the poster look on various stock cue CDs)?
New Feature
Testing a new feature: Recent Comments on my Posts page [more inside]
August 15
responses above pullquotes
The trippy CaptainTripps has decided he needs to post his responses above his pullquotes.
Deletion requested - sloe
I am not a lawyer but here is my advice....
This thread has me wondering: when does discussing the law on a forum like AskMe cross over to giving legal advice? Obviously, any lawyer's first answer is going to be "talk to a lawyer." But then what? (A very similar professional ethics problem for doctors has been discussed here before.) My legal ethics class was fantastic, but we talked more about Enron than the internet.
Yahoo vs Google
If it's true that Yahoo! has a more complete index of Metafilter than Google does - see here, here and here (just below) for tantalizing discussion - wouldn't it make more sense to point folks to Yahoo! rather than Google on the site's various search and posting pages? Anyone up for a semi-scientific test?
AskMe thread update request
AskMetafilter update, I really want to know what happened to anonymous in the thread which involved a weird FBI message taped to their door with something along the lines of "call this person". It's been a while since the thread occurred and I really hope anonymous is reading this as for some reason I can't stop wondering what eventually happened.
What ever happened to costas's worth30bucks.com
Old-school MeFi question from a five-dollar-newbie: What ever happened to costas's worth30bucks.com that he won in the $30 giveaway?
Mefi art mail swap
Mefi Art Mail Swap: Updates on Images, Membership, latest Theme, and Protocol inside.
Comedy of Server Errors
Sorry for the downtime, I was tweaking one small aspect of the server when a comedy of errors ended up with two hours of hair pulling before the server was reachable once again. Everything should be back to normal now.
I'd like to say thank you to jessamyn
I'd like to say thank you to jessamyn for her outstanding contributions to AskMe. She's contributed helpful and informative answers and links on a broad variety of questions, including some of mine, and raises the overall standard for answers.
Hypothetical - reposting something deleted for bad form?
Hypothetical scenario: Someone puts up a front page post, but does it in a manner with heavy editorializing / intentionally trolling / etc. The topic is interesting, but it gets removed because of the garbage that came along with it. Someone reposts on the same topic, even with some of the same links, but without the editorializing. Would it be okay? Is there a policy on this?
August 13
IP blockage error?
If my IP were blocked, would the symptoms be something like constantly getting a "Error Executing Database Query ... Server returned: No buffer space available (maximum connections reached?)" error, even though everyone else can connect just fine, until it occurs to me to ssh elsewhere and try connecting? At which point I get through fine?
Favorite MetaFilter usernames?
Seattle Meetup
MeFi citizens of Seattle: time again for a meetup? [mi]
August 12
Pony request for live spell check
PonyRequestFilter: does anybody else (other than amberglow) perceive a rise in spelling errors since the deployment of live preview? Is a live spell check viable?
Can we get more of this?
This is why I love Metafilter. Can we get more of this?
What does mrblondemang have against bloggers?
What does mrblondemang have against bloggers and others who write for a living or seemingly just because? Perhaps RodgerJ should beware.
Self-link. 'nuff said.
Login redirect to referring page?
When logging in from the bottom of a thread could the log in page return us to the thread instead of to the front page?
going against the crowd? ok?
I've been letting my inner Stalinst (the one that I pretty much abandoned in college) comment for me and it's been fun having an opposing viewpoint instead of saying "yeah, me too!" Because that part of me has all the answers where the adult tends to shrug a lot. But I've been getting hate mail for it. Which is okay, even if it surprises me that anyone cares enough to actually do that.
But that leads me to my question-- does expressing strong views that run counter to general trends really ruin anyone's afternoon? My feeling has been that this is entertainment and no one's preconceived opinions ever change at the end of a discussion anyway. So polarity makes for more interesting angles instead of everyone nodding... [MI]
But that leads me to my question-- does expressing strong views that run counter to general trends really ruin anyone's afternoon? My feeling has been that this is entertainment and no one's preconceived opinions ever change at the end of a discussion anyway. So polarity makes for more interesting angles instead of everyone nodding... [MI]
August 11
Metafilter meetup in San Francisco
It's official! It's a Bendy Birthday! MeFiSF, Thurs, August 18th, 6 PM on, Zeitgeist. Upcoming.org has info and a reminder function.
A seemingly editorializing post
What do you think about this? (mi)
Would it be okay for me to do a logo design competition in an AskMefi question?
Would it be okay for me to do a logo design competition in an AskMefi question? I'd like a logo designed, and I'm willing to pay $100-$150 or so, and I know there are some talented mefites who could probably knock my socks off when it comes to logo design. I am asking because I don't want to just do it and then get the smackdown for it. And I am asking publicly because I think others can benefit from the answer.
Denver Meetup
Denver Pavilions, tonight, 5-9 PM.
"Me-Too-ism" in Ask Metafilter
"Me-Too-ism" in Ask Metafilter
August 10
Photos from the Chicago Meetup
This just in: Photos from the Chicago Meetup. Chicago loves you MetaFilter!
It's 12:52 am in New York.
It's 12:52 am in New York. For Mefites in earlier time zones {GMT -6 etc} does this post show up as being made on the 11th or 10th?
Ask MetaFilter etiquette - timeframe of questions
Ask MetaFilter etiquette: I've got a ton of built-up questions and only found MeFi a couple months ago. Is it ok to post weekly (as often as I'm technically allowed), or should I give the space/attention to others with perhaps more immediately vital questions?
unable to add gratefuldead as tag
Strange problem adding tags to a post in the blue.
Chicago, Hopleaf, tonight, 8pm.
Chicago, Hopleaf, tonight, 8pm.
Has anyone ever been sued unjustifiably for a post on Metafilter?
Has anyone ever been sued unjustifiably for a post on Metafilter?
August 9
Rook, I'm a lacist!
Minor Quibble
minor grammar quibble! when posting a link, this:
"The URL you entered was not found in previous threads, though you may want to check the search page for duplicates, just to be sure"
...should end with a period. bit you know that already.
"The URL you entered was not found in previous threads, though you may want to check the search page for duplicates, just to be sure"
...should end with a period. bit you know that already.
I created a MetaChat feed on LiveJournal.
"Wifebeaters" in AskMe.
"Wifebeaters" in AskMe.
September 2005 Baltimore Meetup
Baltimore meetup? I noticed that there are quite a few active MeFites here in Charm City, so I was wondering if anyone would be up for a get-together. September 3, perhaps? Anyone have ideas for a location?
August 8
New Comments is/are broken.
New Comments is/are broken.
When someone adds a comment to a post, it used to say how many of the comments were new. It doesn't do that anymore.
When someone adds a comment to a post, it used to say how many of the comments were new. It doesn't do that anymore.
AskMe deletion causality called into question
The Anonymous AskMeta question about finding a phone number in the corner of the house disappeared. And I was just curious as to why.
Bukkake.Metafilter.com?
MetaSmutFilter on AskYahoo's Question of the Day. Anybody else catch the embarrassing subdomain in here?
Deleted AskMe
http://ask.metafilter.com/mefi/22288. Deleted. Boo.
I want to know why. This was by far one of the Best Ask questions I've ever seen (over pet peeves.) I even flagged it as such. It was insightful, illuminating, and gave me great insight on others, as a writer, as a human being. Did it have a single answer? No. Was it a valuable question? Hell yes. Look at how many responses in such as short period of time.
Makes me want not to come here anymore. Close it instead. Deleting it robbed me of the perspectives of others. At least in closing it (Rather than deleting it) I'd have a chance to archive what I wrote (which is my copyright, isn't it?) and what others wrote.
I want to know why. This was by far one of the Best Ask questions I've ever seen (over pet peeves.) I even flagged it as such. It was insightful, illuminating, and gave me great insight on others, as a writer, as a human being. Did it have a single answer? No. Was it a valuable question? Hell yes. Look at how many responses in such as short period of time.
Makes me want not to come here anymore. Close it instead. Deleting it robbed me of the perspectives of others. At least in closing it (Rather than deleting it) I'd have a chance to archive what I wrote (which is my copyright, isn't it?) and what others wrote.
Spell check suddenly not working
Spell check suddenly not working, both the blue and the green. Get this msg:
Error processing CFX custom tag "CFX_JSpellCheck".
The CFX custom tag "CFX_JSpellCheck" was not found in the custom tag database. Please be sure to add custom tags to the database before using them. If you have added your tag to the database then you should check the spelling of the tag within your template to insure that it matches the database entry.
Error processing CFX custom tag "CFX_JSpellCheck".
The CFX custom tag "CFX_JSpellCheck" was not found in the custom tag database. Please be sure to add custom tags to the database before using them. If you have added your tag to the database then you should check the spelling of the tag within your template to insure that it matches the database entry.
Somewhere around here it appears a closing tag is needed.
Somewhere around here it appears a closing tag is needed.
August 7
AskMe Timeout
Ask keeps timing out on me when I do searches for anything except "questions only". I get: "The request has exceeded the allowable time limit Tag: CFQUERY..." In case it's relevant, I'm searching for stars of the lid. I'm on Safari 2.0.
August 6
New webserver at 70.86.84.162
The new webserver is up and ready to go. It's at 70.86.84.162 and I'd like a few folks to test it out before moving the DNS over. To hit this server instead of the current one, for now you need to edit your hosts file, adding www.metafilter.com, metatalk.metafilter, and ask.metafilter.com mappings to the new IP. It runs off the same exact database server which is separate, so test comments will be seen on both the new web server and the old one. So far in testing the new server is going smoking fast.
Tips and Techniques for Searching Metafilter Wanted
Tips and Techniques for Searching Metafilter Wanted [mi]
MetaFilter Members In Iraq
Are there any members who are serving or have served in Iraq? Any members who live, or have constant contact with someone who lives, in Iraq? If you're willing, I have language-related questions, both about American military usage and colloquial modern Iraqi Arabic. Email me at the address on the web site linked in my profile.
User in Toronto Star
Joelf's live-action Scotland Yard game, which he told us about here, is featured in today's Toronto Star (stupid-ass registration required; use BugMeNot).
August 5
Be nice to PP.
Denver meetup
Okay Denverites, this thread is a call for a meetup, c'mon, let's DO IT!
New York City Meetup
New Yorkers: Tomorrow it will be cooler and we will celebrate by getting drunk with tourist Schyler523 (who does not stop in the middle of the sidewalk or at the top of subway stairs) at Manitoba's. We will begin at 7.
Is My Email On File?
Last week I had to log in and forgot (temporarily) my password. I asked that it be sent to my email address and received the message that I had no email on file. Today I received an email from Jessamyn about something unrelated, so it has to be on file. Huh?
It's about time for an SF meetup.
It's about time for an SF meetup. I'm thinking, oh, Thurs, Aug 11, maybe Aug 18, from around 6 PM, at ... hmm, I don't know where! What do you think?
August 4
Anyone want to do a MetaFilter podcast?
Anyone want to do a MetaFilter podcast? I know slashdot and digg have toyed with these where basically some users grab a six-pack, turn on a microphone, and scroll through the previous week's posts and discuss them. I tried it by myself and quickly realized I hadn't read all the posts or had much to say about the popular ones. Anyone that's an avid reader and wants to try doing the audio thing want to take a crack at it? I'd be happy to host a podcast and deal with all the bandwidth costs.
Searching Comments
Is it possible to update the search function so that you can search not only posts but the comments? Didn't it used to do that? Google doesn't seem to drill down to the comments (except in fairly new threads) and neither does the MetaFilter search function which can make it very difficult to track down an old comment or links that appeared only in the comments.
creaky server, creaky software
creaky server, creaky software [mi]
Denver Meetup
Things to do in Denver when you're...
August 3
Oddball subdomain wildcards
bukkake.metafilter.com - where Ask Yahoo! comes for links. (pun intended. gotta love subdomain wildcards)
Should a religous dietary question open the debate about theology?
When someone posts a serious question to AskMe in order to help properly observe a religious food law, do you:
(a) Answer the question, or
(b) Attempt to engage in theological debate about their religion?
(a) Answer the question, or
(b) Attempt to engage in theological debate about their religion?
Travelfilter
I bet "travelfilter" as a discrete site would be enormously successful, yea, even income-generating.
gradschool + grad_school + graduateschool = 25 posts.
entrance examination
Do we need some kind of entrance examination on sign-up to make sure Metafilter members actually know how to make hyperlinks?
An incorrect assumption
Well, that was certainly surprising (wherein the author tries to make a statement with a product release related front page post but ends out learning a little about his own preconceptions about Metafilter) [MI]
August 2
Do you have a cat?
There are often questions on ask metafilter about animals, but most of the time, the questions are about cats. It seems to me that--among pet owners--most metafilter users that have pets have cats. Is this so?
Best of Metafilter: August 1, 2005
Well, no need to wait any longer. We have a winner....
[lots more inside]
[lots more inside]
BOTFlickr
Hey Chicago ... wanna hang out?
Hey Chicago ... wanna hang out?
current mail art swap
I thought I'd start a thread for the current mail art swap (pieces due in the mail August 1).
I'm excited.
I'm excited.
Mac vs. PC flamewars - stop it already
Is there any way to curb the Mac vs. PC flamewars that always seem to erupt when there's a Mac-related FPP? I point to this versus this on today's front page, which makes the blue seem like sort of geek Hatfield/McCoy thing. Should we just ignore it until it goes away? Is there a solution at all? (This is my first MeTa post, and I didn't get far with the search function, so many apologies if this is an unanswerable question or has been thoroughly covered in the past.)
How about a MeFi cookbook?
Ravin Dave suggested a MeFi Cookbook. Though it terrifies me, I would volunteer to organize this thingamajig. However, not sure how Matt would want to deal with it. Discuss.
August 1
HUZZAH for super-dense ultra-lickable linkfest
I just wanted to say HUZZAH and thanks to posters from 5-ish Pacific yesterday to, er, NOW for a super-dense, ultra-lickable linkfest! I'll be days behind! HUZZAH!
One Million Customers Served!
One Million Customers Served!
It's taken six years, but the one millionth comment has just rolled through the site! Raise your glasses everyone, and drink to MetaFilter!
It's taken six years, but the one millionth comment has just rolled through the site! Raise your glasses everyone, and drink to MetaFilter!
Greenlighting hoax revealed
Anon additions
It would be really nice if there was a mechanism for someone who posts an anonymous Ask MetaFilter thread can come back and make additional postings to the same thread. People often make anonymous postings because they are asking about something they find personally embarrassing, and consequently the original post is kind of vague or evasive. Many of the MeFites trying to help ask for additional information, but there's no way for the anonymous person to provide it.
"this comment/post is broken"
Could we have a flag option called "this comment/post is broken"? For use in times of bad html or links that don't work.
Best of the Web, runner-up
Post any complaints about the contest or any nice compliments here. Be nice little trolls noe!!