OK to post a self-link to a news story?

December 22, 2006 10:12 AM

Is it considered a self-link to post a legitimate news story that you have a personal connection to? If it is, is it OK for me to use MeTa to ask someone else to post it instead of me? I don't want to cirumvent the rules, so I'll hold off on giving the links until there's a reasonable consensus in favor of it.
posted by scalefree to Etiquette/Policy at 10:12 AM (23 comments total)

You'll be holding off for a good while, I believe. We can't arrive a conclusion of objective goodness without any evidence.
posted by and hosted from Uranus at 10:16 AM on December 22, 2006

To answer your questions: Yes, and I think the consensus was it's better to use e-mail for these sorts of things.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 10:17 AM on December 22, 2006 [1 favorite]

I agree: somebody else should post this.
posted by koeselitz at 10:29 AM on December 22, 2006

If you have to ask, you probably shouldn't.

It ain't perfect, but it'll keep you out of trouble.
posted by cortex at 10:36 AM on December 22, 2006 [1 favorite]

Turns out it already got posted, which my search hadn't turned up for some reason. Problem solved!
posted by scalefree at 10:39 AM on December 22, 2006

seconding cortex on this one. If you are somehow connected to the story, don't post it. If it is interesting enough, chances are someone else will find out about it and post it. If nobody else does, chances are it wouldn't have been a good post anyway.
posted by necessitas at 10:39 AM on December 22, 2006

I'd say that your best bet in the future is email Matt or Jessamyn. They can either post it or tell you it's a bad idea.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 10:45 AM on December 22, 2006

So are you the idiot or the hacker?
posted by and hosted from Uranus at 10:47 AM on December 22, 2006

Occupation: computer security consultant

...
posted by armage at 10:48 AM on December 22, 2006

Jericho's an old friend of mine is why I hesitated to post it.
posted by scalefree at 10:50 AM on December 22, 2006

"So are you the idiot or the hacker?"

It is possible he's both, you know.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 11:04 AM on December 22, 2006

Independent of the question, I'm pretty thrilled and amused by the denoument. Shriber, you ninny!
posted by cortex at 11:04 AM on December 22, 2006

why not? I say go for it
posted by matteo at 11:50 AM on December 22, 2006

yes it's considered a self-link to post a news story that you have a personal connection to.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 11:56 AM on December 22, 2006

In any case, kudos on the acquittal and good luck with the rest of the lacrosse season.
posted by deern the headlice at 12:34 PM on December 22, 2006 [1 favorite]

OK, Jessamyn has spoken, but still, I don't deny that I'm dumb but I really don't get it: unless he's linking to a news story on his personal site or the news story talks about his personal site, what's the problem?
posted by matteo at 1:21 PM on December 22, 2006

(I mean really, if Miguel wins the Nobel prize -- lol -- and links the news in a FPP he'll get banned?)
posted by matteo at 1:22 PM on December 22, 2006

I think the idea is that you're too close to the story to know whether or not it's actually interesting and post worthy. Even if it's an AP story or something.
posted by bob sarabia at 1:32 PM on December 22, 2006

matteo, don't be disingenuous—you've seen the explanation a thousand times. You just don't agree. Which is fine, but don't pretend you "don't get it."
posted by languagehat at 3:07 PM on December 22, 2006

If Miguel wins the Nobel, someone else will post it. If he wins a prize at his block party for Best Martini on the Block, he might think it postworthy but nobody else would. If he posted it, he would be roundly mocked, chastised, etc., and he would deserve it. We are not good judges of what pertains to us. As has been explained a thousand times.
posted by languagehat at 3:09 PM on December 22, 2006

If something happens to your friend it's going to be interesting to you regardless of whether it's actually interesting to the rest of the world or not, which is why you aren't allowed to judge its interestingness.
posted by Rhomboid at 4:02 PM on December 22, 2006

It also looks cooler and makes you smell better to have someone else post about you.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 9:24 PM on December 22, 2006

unless he's linking to a news story on his personal site or the news story talks about his personal site, what's the problem?

Completely agreed. And if the poster didn't mention that they were friends with one of the parties, no one would ever know. Further, it's not the sort of thing you can link to in Mefi Projects.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have some windmills to attack.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 4:59 AM on December 23, 2006