Chatfilter is bad

September 29, 2006 12:13 PM

Chatty open-ended questions diminish the usefulness of Ask Metafilter. Questions with no problem to be solved or where the problem is some variant of "I'm curious if other people feel like I do"
posted by prostyle to Etiquette/Policy at 12:13 PM (21 comments total)

You know what I hate? Slavery.
posted by Khalad at 12:26 PM on September 29, 2006

It looked to me like the poster had never before heard the idea that one could challenge the "alcoholism is a disease" statement, and was looking for more information. The post's fine.
posted by interrobang at 12:27 PM on September 29, 2006

MeTa posts consisting of a simple declarative sentence followed by something that gramatically is not a sentence, um, make the baby Je-- er, do something. Something real bad. I just know it.
posted by George_Spiggott at 12:28 PM on September 29, 2006

Gratuitous callouts diminish the effectiveness of MetaTalk.
posted by exogenous at 12:37 PM on September 29, 2006 [1 favorite]

I don't think the question is as bad as the potential for an AA slug fest to arise, which is a derail.
posted by edgeways at 12:41 PM on September 29, 2006

It's a circus of hyperbole, "he said, she said", "i agree with x", "look at it like this..." nonsense. It's basically unanswerable, and the discourse is poised on the razors edge for derisive exchanges, as edgeways notes. Those two sentences are from the FAQ. Sorry if they make you uncomfortable.
posted by prostyle at 12:45 PM on September 29, 2006

Gratuitous callouts diminish the effectiveness of MetaTalk.

MetaTalk is effective?
posted by Johnny Assay at 12:47 PM on September 29, 2006

Do they have elaphants of metaphor and tigers of synecdoche at this circus of hyperbole? Because I'm totally against animal cruelty.
posted by dame at 12:52 PM on September 29, 2006

But it's less "I'm curious if other people feel like I do" than it is "I've never heard this formulation before; how does it work?" He's not using the question as a soapbox.

Many of the people answering, on the other hand...
posted by occhiblu at 12:58 PM on September 29, 2006

I agree with x!
posted by Catch at 1:13 PM on September 29, 2006

It may not be explicitly contiguous with "Do you all think the same way about x as I do" but I fail to see a functional schism between the two perspectives in the context of chatty conversation. The way he sets up the "question" is also incredibly loaded. Not only is it "I heard an argument about x", but it's followed by his own personal analogy, directly concluding with: "That's why I really connected with that one side of the debate... But I know it's alot 'greyer' then that, and curious to what other people thought?"
posted by prostyle at 1:19 PM on September 29, 2006

Do they have elaphants of metaphor and tigers of synecdoche at this circus of hyperbole?

If you can't be bothered to spell correctly, maybe you shouldn't post to metatalk.
posted by interrobang at 1:29 PM on September 29, 2006

I believe that there is enough medical evidence to support the fact that nearly all addictions are diseases.

I can't help but feel many people are 'controlled' by elements that are very much outside of their personality (what I would call 'them'). Is a person a personality, or is a person a body?

That may indicate that their brains lack critical control circuits that MAY be common to non-alcoholics.

People who have drinking and drugging problems are often self-medicating for other mental illnesses

Has the whole world gone crazy? Am I the only one around here who gives a shit about the rules? Mark it zero!
posted by prostyle at 1:30 PM on September 29, 2006

Dammit, interrobang. I totally said comments were different. Because it's hard to argue when you are also trying to leave work & get drunk.
posted by dame at 1:37 PM on September 29, 2006

Dammit, interrobang. I totally said comments were different. Because it's hard to argue when you are also trying to leave work & get drunk.

See, she's not a hypocrate!
posted by delmoi at 1:49 PM on September 29, 2006

Am I the only one around here who gives a shit about the rules?

Dunno. But I agree about that AskMe. I flagged it.
posted by cribcage at 2:02 PM on September 29, 2006

It was a joke, you submoronic monkey. Because I knew as soon as I posted that all my comments would be typoriffic.
posted by dame at 2:10 PM on September 29, 2006

It was chatfilter. I removed it.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 2:31 PM on September 29, 2006

dame: "Dammit, interrobang. I totally said comments were different. Because it's hard to argue when you are also trying to leave work & get drunk."

You'll find, as I do, that arguing will be much easier, and much more fun, if you just stay at work and get drunk there.
posted by koeselitz at 2:42 PM on September 29, 2006

Dunno. But I agree about that AskMe. I flagged it.

Hey, cribcage, you sure you didn't just flag it 'cause you haven't gotten laid recently?
posted by micayetoca at 2:44 PM on September 29, 2006

Who ate all the popcorn?
posted by Smart Dalek at 6:26 PM on September 29, 2006