MetaTalk

I've noticed an uptick in the number of comments I see that express the desire to see violence done to someone, whether from face-punches or guillotines. I know that the general MeFite psyche is bruised and battered after an exhausting 16 months since the election, but these types of comments leave me feeling like the only place I know on the internet with sane discourse is losing its way. I'd like to remind people that though their violent fantasies may feel justified, they are still troubling for others to read.
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 10:23 AM Apr 20 2018 - 234 comments [45 favorites]

It's been a rather crappy past decade for me.. Wife passed away in '09 as y'all well know, diagnosed with T2 diabetes and stage 4 kidney cancer last June, surgery to remove a kidney and tumor last September, and ongoing chemo to reduce the metastasis in my lungs, and I'll eventually need surgery to rebuild my left shoulder due to a bone lesion. Through all this - y'all have been the most kind, caring, considering, and just gently awesome folks I could ever as for. Even when I'm having a really crappy day, I end up reading something on here, or talking to a MeFite on twitter (I'm @mrbill) that just makes me smile and cheer up a bit. So, in short, I'm all schmoopy right now.. thank you. Thank you Matt, Cortex, Jessamyn, and all y'all.
posted by mrbill at 4:08 AM Apr 17 2018 - 56 comments [47 favorites (9 in the last 7 days)]

Good Saturday evening, MetaFilter! This week, I want to know what you've been reading, watching, listening to, or otherwise enjoying and want to recommend to everyone else who's looking for something new to enjoy!
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 5:08 PM Apr 21 2018 - 134 comments [7 favorites]

Instead of Reddit I use MetaFilter. Instead of Twitter I use Mastodon. I'm interested in what your other alternative platforms are? I'm also interested in platforms like MetaFilter that are designed/maintained by people that are trustworthy. These choices matter because I'm trying my best to be a part of a more ethical/social platform and still stay connected with a digital community. What are your recommendations?
posted by Fizz at 10:22 AM Apr 15 2018 - 35 comments [18 favorites (3 in the last 7 days)]

A little bug came across me, out of nowhere, and reminded me: MetaFilter! It's been a handful of years since I've posted, and over a decade since I joined - with the Facebook et. al controversies of the world, I am thrilled to be back on the first "social network" community I joined aside from the myriad forums of the late '90's and early naughties. I am beyond thrilled to see that the same substance that drew me here to begin with is alive and well (HTML tags, yes!). Any other folks return after an extended hiatus? I have some profile work to do here but, feedback wise - is the magic still here? It still seems like it but we are fantastic at tricking ourselves into what we want to believe.
posted by deacon_blues at 10:34 AM Apr 18 2018 - 38 comments [3 favorites]

I *swear* I read an article here on MetaFilter about a study done that measured creative output in rural areas compared to urban ones. It found that urban areas had more creative output due to the higher concentration of creative types. There was synergy in being around other creative people that made you more creative yourself. I'm Googling and have searched the site but cannot find it. It was not a formal research paper but an article (that likely cited a study/studies). I'm helping with a UU sermon on creativity and would like to reference it if only I could find it! If it rings a bell for you, I'd greatly appreciate it!
posted by Twicketface at 11:41 AM Apr 18 2018 - 13 comments [4 favorites (2 in the last 7 days)]

Tired of increasingly bloated, over-designed web interfaces? Looking for a way to enjoy your content without all the dozens of JavaScript trackers and endless needless geegaws? Give the new MetaFilter Reader interface a shot! Clean, classic design; mobile friendly; it even comes with its own games!
posted by cortex at 10:15 PM Mar 31 2018 - 140 comments [98 favorites (1 in the last 7 days)]

Do not go gentle into that good night
posted by Sophie1 at 7:05 AM Apr 13 2018 - 146 comments [9 favorites (1 in the last 7 days)]

Good Saturday evening, MetaFilter! This week, AugustWest wants to know, "Do you have any heroes and if so, who are they and why are they your hero?"
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 5:43 PM Apr 7 2018 - 42 comments [5 favorites (1 in the last 7 days)]

Sometimes people misspell their tags on posts. An example: this old post of mine which I tagged with bobbygentry instead of bobbiegentry. (I’ve since fixed this.) Right now, when you search by tag you get back a list of matching tags and tags that contain your search as a substring. I think it would be helpful if we also returned a list of results that have similar spellings in case the post you’re trying to find has a tag typo.
posted by Going To Maine at 6:13 PM Apr 21 2018 - 32 comments [1 favorite]