A Mediaeval Self-Link.

March 24, 2007 11:43 AM

Posted 1 hour ago by stbalbach. As interesting as I might find the contents, technically this is a self-link. The main link is to something he himself uploaded to another site.
posted by Dave Faris to Etiquette/Policy at 11:43 AM (38 comments total)

I admit that this is really a half-hearted call out. I understand the desire to come up with the best presentation you can for your given content.
posted by Dave Faris at 11:45 AM on March 24, 2007

"I admit that this is really a half-hearted call out."

So why call it out at all?

If this is deleted (which I vote NO to) then somebody else should just link to it.
posted by davy at 11:50 AM on March 24, 2007

It's a self-link in the most mindless, narrow, legalistic sense of the word. He found a PDF on the archive.org site and uploaded to scribd.com to make it easier for Mefites to read. It's not a self-link in any meaningful way.

Dave Faris, you seem to agree with this — so why bother with the callout?
posted by Aloysius Bear at 11:50 AM on March 24, 2007

It's a reasonable point of contention. Stuff has been deleted before for being a self-link in the strict sense that it was not originally on the web and had been, for example, scanned and uploaded by the poster. The argument there is that when it becomes kosher to put things online just to link to them, we've suddenly broadened the hell out of the practical scope of mefi; and that, as with all self-links, subjective evaluation of whether the thing-you've-scanned is postworthy is often out of sync with objective reality.

Of course, most of those sorts of links get flagged and yelled about in-thread not just because they are self-links but because they turn out to stink.

I think there's a fine line to it—it wouldn't bother me to see this one stand, because it's neat, it was available online already, and stbalbach's only involvement seems to be in trying to present a painless alternate way to view the original content. On the other hand, it certainly is you-should-know-better territory, and it wouldn't shock me if Matt decides to nuke it on principle.
posted by cortex (staff) at 11:59 AM on March 24, 2007

Every time someone orders a print copy of your document through Print(fu), Print(fu) will email you $1 using Paypal

That doesn't help things any, yeah, though I can't see stbalbach rubbing his hands together in speculation of potential income.
posted by cortex (staff) at 12:00 PM on March 24, 2007

"[M]indless, narrow, legalistic senselessness"

IFYPFY. Cheers!
posted by davy at 12:01 PM on March 24, 2007

Precedence. I have no idea if the site he uploaded the pdf to offers any sort of monetary gain or whatever. I'm not implying it should be deleted.
posted by Dave Faris at 12:02 PM on March 24, 2007

Okay, okay, why not just redirect the link the to the archive.org one?
posted by davy at 12:02 PM on March 24, 2007

I think davy's suggestion will work okay, lemme see how easy it is to do.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 12:06 PM on March 24, 2007

Interesting. If it had been a video to some hot thrasher video on youtube, and not a scholarly treatise on dark age criminology, I'd venture that none of you would have raised a finger to defend it.
posted by Dave Faris at 12:06 PM on March 24, 2007

I swapped the main and alternate links and I think that wil be fine. Everyone?
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 12:08 PM on March 24, 2007

Hurray for practical compromise!
posted by cortex (staff) at 12:08 PM on March 24, 2007

I'd venture that none of you would have raised a finger to defend it.

if it was a video that was already online someplace and the OP youtubed it plus included the orignal link, I bet you're wrong. Also, I'd quit while you are ahead here.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 12:09 PM on March 24, 2007

If it had been a video to some hot thrasher video on youtube, and not a scholarly treatise on dark age criminology, I'd venture that none of you would have raised a finger to defend it.

We would have raised something.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 12:13 PM on March 24, 2007

play some skynnyrd!
posted by quonsar at 12:17 PM on March 24, 2007 [1 favorite]

burhanistan: You people think too much about this crap. I bet there's a pile of stuff you need to get done in your life that could stand the same high powered over analysis.

I've got to increase my Haldol medication; I feel that the internet is talking to me.
posted by jouke at 12:22 PM on March 24, 2007

why is your tongue flapping around like that?
posted by quonsar at 12:34 PM on March 24, 2007

I think this was a good compromise because putting something on one's site (or on one's account at some content site) really starts to blur that distinction between self-link and not. Someone wanting to call attention to their site or related could always use the excuse that they were just trying to be helpful in making the content more accessible. It's a shame because in a lot of cases that would be very helpful and the motives completely altruistic. But how can you tell? Best to avoid it.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 12:44 PM on March 24, 2007

mad props for the mediaeval thing
posted by matteo at 1:11 PM on March 24, 2007

"Interesting. If it had been a video to some hot thrasher video on youtube, and not a scholarly treatise on dark age criminology, I'd venture that none of you would have raised a finger to defend it."

Depends. If the thrashers were merely hot, probably not. Were the thrashers to be truly gnarly, I think I might stand for them. The difference between bogus and bodacious doesn't matter much in terms of whether a rule has been broken, but it certainly influences my priorities.
posted by klangklangston at 1:21 PM on March 24, 2007

mad props for the mediaeval thing
It was a question that needed 'ashing out.
posted by Abiezer at 1:50 PM on March 24, 2007

God damn it I really need to get to the store and get some potatoes.


Son of a bitch.
posted by disclaimer at 2:08 PM on March 24, 2007

You people think too much about this crap. I bet there's a pile of stuff you need to get done in your life that could stand the same high powered over analysis.

yeah, but that wouldn't be fun
posted by pyramid termite at 2:15 PM on March 24, 2007

Not using a period is the new period
posted by Dizzy at 2:50 PM on March 24, 2007

I refuse to rise to such transparent bait, Dizzy
posted by cgc373 at 4:48 PM on March 24, 2007

As many of you know already, I'm currently avoiding/procrastinating my taxes. So can we please analyze the last twenty or so posts in depth and consider what makes each of them potentially worth closing or leaving alone? Because that would be much more entertaining for me than picking through the graveyard of receipts and calculator tapes which surround me. As would a root canal, actually.

Thank you.
posted by miss lynnster at 5:11 PM on March 24, 2007

Why Should You Bring Your Career to the IRS? Because It All Adds Up.

Working for one of the world's largest financial institutions has its advantages. Here are the Top 10.

In an IRS career, you will…
1. … enjoy great benefits and job security.
2. … have time to spend with your family and friends.
3. … work in a diverse and culturally rich environment.
4. … be trained by experts in their field.
5. … have continuous opportunities to improve your skills.
6. … develop the kinds of talents that other top US employers demand.
7. … work with the nation's top tax professionals.
8. … become independent and accountable.
9. … have frequent opportunities to advance your career.
10. … be responsible for important work from day one!
posted by pyramid termite at 5:28 PM on March 24, 2007

Oh, great suggestion, pt! Let me just shoot myself a few times in the head first. Be right back.
posted by miss lynnster at 6:27 PM on March 24, 2007

Not finishing your sentence is the new
posted by Dizzy at 6:42 PM on March 24, 2007

Let me just shoot myself a few times in the head first. Be right back.

See, you're just planning to fail.
posted by Armitage Shanks at 6:45 PM on March 24, 2007

Not shooting yourself in the head is
posted by Dizzy at 7:19 PM on March 24, 2007

Turns out Kennedy was actually shot by
posted by cortex (staff) at 7:27 PM on March 24, 2007

KSM.
posted by Wolof at 7:40 PM on March 24, 2007

(what is that odd dot after the M in KSM? Looks li
posted by Dizzy at 8:07 PM on March 24, 2007

Man, I hate the kainstream media.
posted by klangklangston at 8:12 PM on March 24, 2007

posted by Kwine at 7:52 AM on March 26, 2007

Form a MetaFilter Self-Link Rules Standardization And Interpretation Committee to discuss possible alternate solutions to the issue, in case it happens again? Anybody?
posted by theiconoclast31 at 10:50 PM on March 26, 2007

Not
posted by flabdablet at 11:33 PM on March 26, 2007