529 posts tagged with community.
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Rolling out some updated site documentation
We're updating some site documents today to better reflect contemporary MetaFilter. Today's updates include the New User pages that potential new community members move through when signing up, the site's core guidelines page, and a new document discussing common microaggressions and being mindful about the impact of dominant-culture dynamics on a diverse membership. I'll talk in more detail about all that below the fold. [more inside]
Hey, like wow, thank you all!
Can I just say that the Blue has been amazing lately and I've been having a lot of fun with the diversity of posts. And by diversity, I can't even begin to describe, but if you've been watching the Blue you know what I mean. Thank you, all of you, for your posts! I'm sure I'm not the only member who has felt delighted by something unexpected... So yay!
Site finance snapshot, August 2019
It's a little over a month since the State of the Site post where I talked about our current revenue shortfall, and as part of a goal of moving toward more regular financial updates I wanted to give a quick snapshot of where we are now. [more inside]
A favor from the community
Hello, mefites. I could use a favor: messages of encouragement. Details inside. [more inside]
Happy 20th Anniversary, MetaFilter
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]
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]
State of the Site, July 2019 update
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]
Following up on last month’s discussions: medium and long-term work
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]
Following up on last month’s discussions: immediate actions and planning
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]
FeelGoodFilter
I’m here to propose that we pursue a season of fun and non-controversial posts on MetaFilter. Let’s fill up the Blue with the interesting, the comedic, the curious, the lengthy disclosure… the topics which are posted to share something groovy and/or interesting and not posted to stir up the grar.
[more inside]
How much do we make?
Between the discussion of the average American and the previous FPP about parental aid and class and the discussion of grocery cashiers in another thread leading to a comment from a person to the effect of not feeling like a real MeFite because of salary, I've been thinking about class on MeFi. What is the range of incomes and class experiences here? Where are we, collectively, coming from? And how can we handle things better when we discuss class? [more inside]
Just Share Something Good
It's been a difficult week. Let's talk about something that isn't related to the news or a source of the never ending stream of nightmare fuel we encounter on the rest of the web. Just share something good with the MetaFilter community. We all could do with a story that brings a smile, or a laugh. Maybe share a photo of a cute pet or baby, or tell us about that slice of pie you enjoyed, whatever it is, just share something good. As always, be kind to yourself and to others. We're all on this rock together.
MetaGiving
The holidays are here and whether you celebrate Christmas or not, it's a time where people often spend money buying gifts for friends and family. I thought it would be cool to have a place where we might think of others. It'd be nice if we could share some links to places on the web, local organizations and communities that we can donate money to. It would signal boost these places and provide an opportunity to share some joy with others less fortunate than ourselves.
Metatalktails: Alternative Holiday Traditions
Hello friends. Eyebrows McGee is taking a much-needed nap, so I'm here instead this week. Tonight, I want to hear about your alternative holiday traditions. For any holiday at all -- do you celebrate it differently, in a good way? Did your family have a tradition you belatedly realized was just done by you? Did your holiday alternative ever go hilariously wrong? [more inside]
Secret Quonsar 2018: Thank You Thread
Let the happiness and niceness continue!
(This is the official 2018 Secret Quonsar Thank You Thread.)
MeFi Holiday Card Exchange
The link for the MeFi Holiday Card Exchange is within! [more inside]
MeFi Holiday Card Exchange Planning
Who's up for sending more cards for the holidays? (Or receiving!) I plan on coordinating another card exchange this year, if there is interest - I enjoyed receiving cards from MeFites so much last year! [more inside]
Metatalktails: Seasonal Treats
Wordshore wants to know, as temperatures drop and nights lengthen in the Northern Hemisphere, with the opposite happening in the Southern half, what treats (not just food) of the season are you most looking forward to, or enjoying now? [more inside]
secret quonsar 2018: Let the Niceness begin!
It's secret quonsar time again! Participants will find out who they have drawn on Sunday, November 11, and the gift send by (or on) date is Saturday, December 1*. Please sign up by 11:59 PM EST on Friday, November 9. The spending guideline: $10-20. [more inside]
Support and check in for trans, non-binary, pan and GQ people.
This week in the news sucked and it's been all too easy to lose sleep over it. How are you? (Hugs, headpats and venting inside.)
secret quonsar 2018: Let's Plan!
Friends! It is October and it's time to plan for this year's secret quonsar swap! The swap is - for the uninitiated - our holiday-adjacent wintery gift exchange (Read About it on the Wiki). [more inside]
What's made you laugh recently?
It's been a pretty stressful week, and I can't be the only person who feels like they went ten rounds with a particularly exhausting Tower of Terror. So I'm looking for reasons to laugh, be it bitter black humor, all encompassing joyful bellows, groan-worthy puns, or simple funniness. [more inside]
Argument clinic: modes of discussion
Discussions on MetaFilter have many modes. Sometimes we use a front page post (FPP) or other MeFites' comments as a prompt for sharing stories or related ideas. Sometimes we disagree about an issue raised in the FPP and explore that disagreement. Sometimes we collectively squee over cute animals. In some cases, the same topic can be discussed in more than one mode, and sometimes a single thread moves between different modes of discussion, or even can carry multiple modes of discussion at once. This fluidity can be a creative driver of conversation, but it can also lead to tension or fights if the topic of conversation is a difficult one. Let's discuss how we discuss on MetaFilter, to keep our discussions healthy and enjoyable! [more inside]
User 7418 talking about online communities on Techdirt podcast
The guest on this week's Techdirt podcast is Mefi's own user 7418. The subject is Building Communities Outside Facebook.
MetaSnackFilter
Let's lighten the mood. It's the end of the week and I want to hear about something fun and not about politics. Tell me about a really awesome snack/food you just ate. What you eating?
What Are You Making Now 2: Electric Boogaloo
Hey everyone! This seems like as good a time as any for another “show us a thing you’ve made lately” post. Are you sewing something awesome? Steadfastly baking even in the atrocious heat? Running a role playing campaign? Organizing a community for a better world? It’s time to proudly show off your creations against. [more inside]
MetaHelpfulNewPostsAdvice
Earlier today in a thread, there was a comment from Quackles:
“I know this is slightly off-topic, but as someone who hasn't made a post on MetaFilter yet, do you have any advice on what to consider, uh... worthy? I suspect I am beset by the same anxiousness.”I know that we have the FAQ (lots of helpful advice in there), but I thought it'd be nice to just have a place to discuss how to ease into making a first post. People can share their tips, their suggestions, their own experiences making a post, finding out it was a double, or how some posts just don't fly and how some just take off into weird and wonderful places. General MetaHelpfulness with putting something out there for the community to engage with. Please share if you feel so inclined.
Argument clinic: arguing without fighting
Arguments are fun. Fights aren't. What makes a good argument, and how do we avoid turning them into fights? [more inside]
The 'Can I Eat This?' Cookbook
There have been several posts over the past few years of folks wanting to create a Mefi cookbook. In the spirit of building community I thought I would start actually collecting recipes that people had posted with the intention of sharing for the book. [more inside]
MetaHeatWave
A fair number of countries/places around the world are experiencing extreme heat and weather conditions. I wanted to have a place for us to check-in with each other. Remember to reach out to your neighbors, friends, family, and loved ones to make sure they're ok. People who are older, as well as our MetaPets, should also be given extra consideration as they're particularly vulnerable to this kind of heat. A reminder to drink lots of water and find some shade and/or air conditioning if possible. Feel free to share your own tips/tricks for keeping cool.
MetaFilter revenue update: holy cow, y'all!
Recently, I announced that MetaFilter was in serious financial trouble, and asked you to help with additional community funding of the site.
Y'all have really, really come through. Recurring contributions supporting the site are up by almost $10,000 a month and growing, erasing our current shortfall and helping move MetaFilter toward a more sustainable, independent revenue model. Community funding alone now covers very nearly half our operating budget. That's amazing.
Come on in and I'll give you the details on what's happened and what we're up to next. [more inside]
Y'all have really, really come through. Recurring contributions supporting the site are up by almost $10,000 a month and growing, erasing our current shortfall and helping move MetaFilter toward a more sustainable, independent revenue model. Community funding alone now covers very nearly half our operating budget. That's amazing.
Come on in and I'll give you the details on what's happened and what we're up to next. [more inside]
MetaGoodness
Tell me something good. Something happy. Maybe it's a thing you did. Maybe it's a thing that was done for you. Share something good with me and the rest of us. I feel like we need some of that. There's been a lot of serious happening the last few days and I want to just hear something good, positive, and light. I like this place and all of you. Be kind to each other, love yourself. Tell me something good.
State of the Site: Metafilter financial update and future directions
Important site updates, folks:
1. The site is running at a significant deficit and we urgently need to make that up. Part of that is through additional direct community funding; you can help here.
2. We're looking at—and inviting community input on—several big-picture questions.
Today I want to lay out our budget and income streams, to explain where we're at and what we need to accomplish. I'll also talk a bit about how the community is doing, and what's coming up in the future. [more inside]
1. The site is running at a significant deficit and we urgently need to make that up. Part of that is through additional direct community funding; you can help here.
2. We're looking at—and inviting community input on—several big-picture questions.
Today I want to lay out our budget and income streams, to explain where we're at and what we need to accomplish. I'll also talk a bit about how the community is doing, and what's coming up in the future. [more inside]
Fig is awesome
I wanted to say thank you to Fig and to everyone who's signed up for the MeFi Card Club. I'm having bad day after bad day after bad day lately, but coming home to wonderful and goofy and sweet cards from MeFites has been making me so happy. [more inside]
MetaHugs
There was a shooting in a Florida high school today, it is still a developing story and I'm sure you can seek out that news should you feel so inclined. I want this post to just be about love/kindness/friendship. Maybe you did something special for a loved one, or a family member, a friend, or a complete stranger. It might be a smile you received or your holding the door open for someone. Whatever it is, feel free to share it with us. I just wanted a place for us to connect, we're in this world together trying to get through it all. It may be strange to say, but I love all of you wonderful and crazy MeFites. Be kind to each other. Happy Valentine's Day!
What have you been making lately?
Making things is a pretty common coping mechanism, and hell knows a lot of us have been low on cope this past year. I'm curious: what have you created lately that you're proud of? Baked anything elaborate? Written a story you're proud of? Knit a hat or crocheted a blanket? Created a little community? Built something? Written a program?
Tell us about it!
Calling all Cards!
Having just mailed my cards for Project G.I.V.E. M.E. (that is, Great Internet Valentine Exchange, Metafilter Edition), and having had at least as much fun as I did with the winter holiday cards, I'm wondering if there's enough momentum and interest for another project. [more inside]
Metatalktails: So, good news... I saw a dog today!
MeFites, I desperately needed to share this with someone today, and I realize that you're the people I wanted to share it with the most. [more inside]
Shout out to needlegrrl for the joyful card exchange
I had great fun participating in this year's card exchange. So many of the cards I received had nice notes of greetings and mefi love. Much appreciation goes out to needlegrrl for suggesting and organizing it. And I want to also shout out appreciation to all the card-senders!
Metatalktail Hour: I want to get those stories recognized
Inspired by the post about furries being a community that helps each other out, I want to pose this here: Tell me about a time MeFites reached out and helped you. I wan to get those stories recognized. [more inside]
Metatalktail Hour: Dream Homes
Filling in for Eyebrows, who has been busy with Best Post Contest tagging, I bring you a Metatalktail suggestion from mefite sharp pointy objects, who would love to see members' "links to a home listing of their dream home in their dream city (or area) and [explanation] why this is their dream home/area. I love looking at home listings and would love to see other people's opinions and get to know them better." [more inside]
Metatalktail Hour: Best Road Stories
It's been a travelly week for some people. I want to hear about all the best things you've seen this week, or alternately, your best fun road stories -- the time you got lost, the time you ran out of gas, favorite road trip games, other road travel stories, or heck, urban planning and road construction. [more inside]
Secret Quonsar thank you thread (2017)
This is the official Secret Quonsar thank you thread.
MetaHappy
There is quite a bit of serious and depressing going on right now: U.S. politics, sexual abuse/assault/harassment in Hollywood, etc. I thought it might be good to have a place to just post happy things. Share something that's made you happy. A photo of a pet. Tell us about a good piece of cake that you just ate. Or maybe you went for a long walk and connected with nature. Whatever it is, just something happy, to remind ourselves that we'll be ok and we'll get through this, whatever that may be. Love to all of you.
Holiday card exchange?
Would anyone be interested in a holiday card exchange?
I'd also be happy to have a list of people who are interested in receiving holiday cards, even if you don't want/can't send any out this year - I love sending mail! [more inside]
MeFites offering seasonal refuge and open homes
As folks gear up for holidays, I know some will be avoiding family for various reasons, so I wanted to set up the second annual thread to facilitate seasonal connections for support and good company (here's the first, from last year). [more inside]
secret quonsar 2017: Signups are Open!
It's secret quonsar time again! Participants will find out who they have drawn on Saturday, November 11, and the gift send by (or on) date is Friday, December 1*. Please sign up by 11:59 PM EST on Thursday, November 9. The spending guideline: $10-20. [more inside]
Metatalktail Hour: Calling all Imaginary Architects
Let's design our dream homes -- what special room or feature would you have, in your perfect house/boat/compound? (Money is no object; if you want, we're talking awesome volcano lair with a roller rink and waterslides and the whole deal.) [more inside]
secret quonsar 2017: The Planning Thread
Oh look! It's October and it's time to plan for this year's secret quonsar swap! The secret quonsar swap is - for the uninitiated - our holiday-adjacent wintery gift exchange (Read About it on the Wiki). Let's talk details! [more inside]
Metatalktail Hour: Late summer free chat
Where I am, it's a cool late summer night and the stars are coming out. Come out on the porch, we've got comfy porch chairs, refreshing beverages and quiet music. What's good with you these days? [more inside]
Metatalktail Hour: I'm disorganized!
Ack, I'm so disorganized this week I didn't pick a topic! So tonight it's just TELL US YOUR NEWS, chatter about your stuff, what've you been reading, how's your summer going, how the fam, how's work, how's life, how's philosophy? (Just remember, no politics!)