From talking behind your back to...

August 18, 2006 11:13 AM

How about creating including in each user profile a discussion thread, so that we can have a friendly conversation with and about the user whose profile we are viewing?
posted by Pastabagel to Feature Requests at 11:13 AM (63 comments total)

I'd much rather people talk about me behind my back....
posted by Floydd at 11:14 AM on August 18, 2006

No digg.
posted by boo_radley at 11:15 AM on August 18, 2006

More specifically, if I see a user who has an interesting job, for example, I can ask them about it right on the profile page. Or you can ask them what sites they regularly visit, etc. Another form of user communication between users that's still rooted on the site, but unlike the other meta's these conversations would be about the users themselves.

I think this way we'd get to know each other better, reinforce community bonds, discourage trolling and general jackassery.
posted by Pastabagel at 11:16 AM on August 18, 2006

How about a picture? And then a list of our interests, like movies music and books? And a mention of if we're single or not. And then lets embed some music and maybe toss a couple of youtube clips.

Yeah. I like ths idea.
posted by elr at 11:26 AM on August 18, 2006 [1 favorite]

a friendly conversation

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

I like this pastabagel kid. He's hilarious!
posted by dersins at 11:32 AM on August 18, 2006

I can't see this going well, but then again some of this would be taken care of by people putting contact information in their profiles. I miss the Jabber server.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 11:34 AM on August 18, 2006

I kind of like the idea. With a delete or close option for those of us who don't want to take part.
posted by orange swan at 11:38 AM on August 18, 2006

I've gotten a good response from emailing people.
posted by OmieWise at 11:41 AM on August 18, 2006

Let's call it MeSpace.
posted by hangashore at 11:41 AM on August 18, 2006 [1 favorite]

Hey man, Steven Seagal is a blues musician now.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 11:41 AM on August 18, 2006

This would be quite neat, actually. Public private messaging.
posted by reklaw at 11:43 AM on August 18, 2006

That is so not Steven Seagal's hand holding the guitar...
posted by hototogisu at 11:47 AM on August 18, 2006

Of course it's not. His hands are deadly weapons, and as a considerate musician, there's no way he's want to accidentally kill his guitar.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 11:49 AM on August 18, 2006

This feature works pretty well on WikiPedia.
posted by SpecialK at 11:52 AM on August 18, 2006

Let's call it MeSpace.

Tee hee.
posted by tula at 11:53 AM on August 18, 2006

Okay, what if you let the profile owner accept or reject questions (moderation before) in order for them to appear on the profile page or delete stupid comments after (moderation after).

And I like to think the only reason AskMeFi didn't go the way of Yahoo Answers is the caliber of people here.

I don't spend enough (read: any) time on Myspace to know how that works, but the horrorshow pages over there that I have seen are owned by people I can't imagine ever showing up over here.
posted by Pastabagel at 11:54 AM on August 18, 2006

This seems a bit awkward.

You'd be transferring content/attention from the main parts of the site into small niche areas that few would see. Why? If you have something personal to ask, email seems like it does a fairly good job. It's like taking the tv out of the living room and putting it into the bathroom. I mean, it's awesome... but also pretty useless (and hard to justify to your friends).

Steven Seagal ruins lives with his deadly guitar
posted by Drunken_munky at 11:55 AM on August 18, 2006 [1 favorite]

Well, the things you would ask would be semi personal questions that a lot of people might ask. And you aren't really transferring content away from anywhere else, because these kids of questions, discussions don't really belong anywhere else.

It's not for asking "hey man, what's up?" It's for asking more substantive and insightful questions about people's lives, their work, etc.
posted by Pastabagel at 12:04 PM on August 18, 2006

I'd really like Matt to focus his energies on MetaSandwiches instead of on this. I have some really rocking sandwich-related advice.
posted by Plutor at 12:05 PM on August 18, 2006

Pffft. Fine.

...kicks rock...
posted by Pastabagel at 12:09 PM on August 18, 2006

I support any new outlet for my ill will.
posted by sonofsamiam at 12:09 PM on August 18, 2006 [1 favorite]

I support any new outlet for my ill will.

Me too. I'm about ready to burst over here.
posted by Armitage Shanks at 12:17 PM on August 18, 2006

MetaGossip
posted by Cranberry at 12:42 PM on August 18, 2006

Like, OMG.
posted by everichon at 1:00 PM on August 18, 2006

http://mssv.net/wiki.cgi?Pastabagel

http://metachat.org/wiki/User_talk:Pastabagel

Oh, the places you'll go. The future's wide open. The choice is yours.
posted by Eideteker at 1:01 PM on August 18, 2006

Wow, everyone's so bitchy.
I kind of like the idea.

He's not saying to put up pictures and "Current Mood: Kooky!" kind of LiveJournal/MySpace stuff. Just stuff that people may ask you quite a bit, about a very specific thing that you do. FAQ's that would be really lame or self-serving in an AskMe or MeTa thread.

I can see this working well with regards to something like music.metafilter, where I've often wanted to ask more detailed or more general stuff about an artist, but it would derail their post, even though it may be interesting to all. Likewise I've been asked the same kind of things several times by email that would have been great to just leave on my profile page...because I'm not going to create a big vanity post about them.
posted by chococat at 1:01 PM on August 18, 2006

Or maybe I completely misinterpreted his post.
posted by chococat at 1:04 PM on August 18, 2006

I'm not actually that grateful.
posted by grateful at 1:12 PM on August 18, 2006

I'm actually alive
posted by InfidelZombie at 1:33 PM on August 18, 2006

But do you believe?
posted by thirteenkiller at 1:36 PM on August 18, 2006

I have no particular affection for moonpies.
posted by MrMoonPie at 1:40 PM on August 18, 2006

i really like the idea too--with an opt-out for people who don't want to bother (i.e., those bad community members who don't even put email/contact info on their userpages)
posted by amberglow at 1:50 PM on August 18, 2006

I'm not as cranky as the pic in my profile would lead you to believe.

Well, yeah, actually I am.
posted by Gator at 1:51 PM on August 18, 2006

I am, in fact, safe for use by children.
posted by UKnowForKids at 2:02 PM on August 18, 2006

(i.e., those bad community members who don't even put email/contact info on their userpages)

Look, if I wanted you kids playing ball on my lawn, I woulda painted the damn foul lines there, ok?
posted by R. Mutt at 2:11 PM on August 18, 2006

gator, that is one sweet lookin' profile page.
posted by maryh at 2:20 PM on August 18, 2006

Not at 1600 × 1200.
posted by Eideteker at 2:24 PM on August 18, 2006

Why yes-- I believe I'll have another drink!
posted by InfidelZombie at 2:38 PM on August 18, 2006

I'm actually in the garden.
posted by The corpse in the library at 3:17 PM on August 18, 2006

I am neither blue, nor a beetle. I do, however, have an underscore (if you know what I mean).
posted by blue_beetle at 3:28 PM on August 18, 2006

If only someone would come up with a place for MeFites to chat. They could call it MetaBlab or MetaWatercooler or something.
Alas, that dream is unlikely to be realized in our lifetimes. Why can't we live in a time of great and bold thinkers?
posted by klangklangston at 3:41 PM on August 18, 2006

Hmm, a reason not to profile everyone is to maintain an advantage this type of site enables: if we don't really know the age, race, gender, nationality, occupation, education, or religion of the people we're interacting with, our own prejudices or at least assumptions about other's mental capacity, biases, or secret motivations are kept to a minimum. Ideas are required to stand more on their own merit, independent of who's expressing them. Individuals ideas are neither unfairly discounted nor unduly afforded greater value than they deserve based on who or what they are.
posted by scheptech at 3:46 PM on August 18, 2006

I'm normal.
posted by oddman at 4:19 PM on August 18, 2006

"if we don't really know the age, race, gender, nationality, occupation, education, or religion of the people we're interacting with, our own prejudices or at least assumptions about other's mental capacity, biases, or secret motivations are kept to a minimum."

That sounds like the sort of thing a Jew would say.
posted by klangklangston at 4:43 PM on August 18, 2006

And that one's got spots!
posted by Gator at 4:45 PM on August 18, 2006

jessamyn : I miss the Jabber server.

As do I. Any word of if it's ever coming back?
posted by quin at 5:22 PM on August 18, 2006

As do I. Any word of if it's ever coming back?
posted by quin at 5:22 PM PST on August 18

All signs point to no.
posted by bob sarabia at 5:33 PM on August 18, 2006

I like the idea. Who are the people in this neighborhood?
posted by owhydididoit at 5:39 PM on August 18, 2006

I'm actually supercalifragilistic.
posted by expialidocious at 6:48 PM on August 18, 2006

It's you I like,
It's not the things you wear,
It's not the way you do your hair--
But it's you I like
The way you are right now,
The way down deep inside you--
Not the things that hide you,
Not your toys--
They're just beside you.

But it's you I like--
Every part of you,
Your skin, your eyes, your feelings
Whether old or new.
I hope that you'll remember
Even when you're feeling blue
That it's you I like,
It's you yourself,
It's you, it's you I like.
posted by Meatbomb at 7:05 PM on August 18, 2006

thank you.
posted by exlotuseater at 7:15 PM on August 18, 2006

gator, that is one sweet lookin' profile page.

True dat. But check out this one. Be wowed.
posted by hangashore at 7:30 PM on August 18, 2006

I don't even know what a mulp is.
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 7:36 PM on August 18, 2006

I wish I hadn't just checked Wikipedia to determine whether Galvatron was the original leader of the Decepticons. I really, really wish I hadn't.
posted by cgc373 at 7:44 PM on August 18, 2006

Actually, most people think I'm kind of a wanker.
posted by swell at 8:31 PM on August 18, 2006

I heard you got all your flavor from your anise.
posted by Balisong at 9:05 PM on August 18, 2006

I'm not a sock puppet.
posted by pupsocket at 9:23 PM on August 18, 2006

I'm not trying to suggest you're disingenuous Pastabagel but why don't you have an email address (or any information for that matter) in your profile?
posted by peacay at 9:26 PM on August 18, 2006

I am, in fact, the real you!
posted by Iamtherealme at 11:13 PM on August 18, 2006

If this idea ever did happen, I'd just like to have a compiled list of every time someone said "I can't believe I'm agreeing with jonmc," or any variant thereof.
posted by jonmc at 6:36 AM on August 19, 2006

I can't agree to believe in jonmc.
posted by oneirodynia at 10:07 AM on August 19, 2006

i can't believe jonmc is not butter.
posted by troybob at 8:51 PM on August 19, 2006

I'm like buttah, yo.
posted by jonmc at 10:26 PM on August 19, 2006