Local MeFi December 16, 2007 9:42 AM Subscribe
Idea: Metafilter Local.
Thought about this because, thanks to MeFi, I typically know what is going on the internets but I never really know what is happening in my own city. What I am picturing is a new subsite that is dedicated to best-of-your-city, analogous to metafilter as best-of-the-web. If you hear about some event/thing you think the community would be interested in, you post it so people in your area can find out about it, go to it, think about it, watch it, discuss it. The rules we already have in place (e.g. no self links, needs to be more than a “one link youtube” FPP, etc) would help regulate the quality of posts.
People could select which MeFi Local network they would be a part of, so users in different cities see the page differently (obviously.)
Searched, didn't find: forgive me if this has been suggested before.
Release the hounds.
Thought about this because, thanks to MeFi, I typically know what is going on the internets but I never really know what is happening in my own city. What I am picturing is a new subsite that is dedicated to best-of-your-city, analogous to metafilter as best-of-the-web. If you hear about some event/thing you think the community would be interested in, you post it so people in your area can find out about it, go to it, think about it, watch it, discuss it. The rules we already have in place (e.g. no self links, needs to be more than a “one link youtube” FPP, etc) would help regulate the quality of posts.
People could select which MeFi Local network they would be a part of, so users in different cities see the page differently (obviously.)
Searched, didn't find: forgive me if this has been suggested before.
Release the hounds.
We talked about this first in 2000 (long time ago, it's ok if you missed it). This is one of those things where if I was more of an entrepreneur, and I wanted to take on funding and have a huge staff, I could be running hundreds of local portals like this, but I prefer to keep things small and manageable with one central site with a few subsections.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 9:55 AM on December 16, 2007
posted by mathowie (staff) at 9:55 AM on December 16, 2007
Metafilter isn't really a big enough community to break down that way. And Metafilter isn't the solution to all problems
Not all of us are visionaries, it seems, and yet...my profile page tells me I have no users near me... sob. (It's not like the home of Fort Bragg is located in the middle of a demographic desert or anything.)
However, while we are on the subject, I would love to have a breakdown by state (and for that matter by country) of our population. It would be interesting to me to see how our membership is concentrated. Do we have fewer members in the South? Are our members concentrated in places like Noo Yawk and Chicago? Etc...
posted by konolia at 9:56 AM on December 16, 2007
Not all of us are visionaries, it seems, and yet...my profile page tells me I have no users near me... sob. (It's not like the home of Fort Bragg is located in the middle of a demographic desert or anything.)
However, while we are on the subject, I would love to have a breakdown by state (and for that matter by country) of our population. It would be interesting to me to see how our membership is concentrated. Do we have fewer members in the South? Are our members concentrated in places like Noo Yawk and Chicago? Etc...
posted by konolia at 9:56 AM on December 16, 2007
konolia download google earth and connect to the mefi kml file to see for yourself (and that's from two years ago, when it was new)
posted by mathowie (staff) at 10:17 AM on December 16, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by mathowie (staff) at 10:17 AM on December 16, 2007 [1 favorite]
Metafilter isn't the solution to all problems.
BLASPHEMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
posted by The Deej at 10:31 AM on December 16, 2007
BLASPHEMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
posted by The Deej at 10:31 AM on December 16, 2007
I was tempted to just say GYOB, but I'm actually not all that snarky today.
I think there'd be a small handful of sites that would be well-populated and interesting (NYC, San Francisco, Chicago, London, ?) but I can't see it going much beyond that. The rest of the sites would likely stagnate.. We're too geographically dispersed. I'd love a Metafilter-ish site for my hometown, Milwaukee, but I doubt the few MeFites from there really have the time or energy to make it a worthwhile subsite.
posted by desjardins at 10:43 AM on December 16, 2007
I think there'd be a small handful of sites that would be well-populated and interesting (NYC, San Francisco, Chicago, London, ?) but I can't see it going much beyond that. The rest of the sites would likely stagnate.. We're too geographically dispersed. I'd love a Metafilter-ish site for my hometown, Milwaukee, but I doubt the few MeFites from there really have the time or energy to make it a worthwhile subsite.
posted by desjardins at 10:43 AM on December 16, 2007
So, Matt... it's bad enough that there are no other users nearby. But according to the Google Earth link, I do not even exist.
Scuse me while I have an identity crisis.
posted by The Deej at 10:43 AM on December 16, 2007 [1 favorite]
Scuse me while I have an identity crisis.
posted by The Deej at 10:43 AM on December 16, 2007 [1 favorite]
I hear that Metafilter cures cancer, removes ring worm and bot fly larvae infections, makes children love and respect their elders, finds lost treasure, helps write the great American novel, reminds you where you left your keys, teaches you how to play guitar, gives you a discount on gasoline, plants a tree every few minutes, restores the Great Barrier Reef, helps bridge religious divides, finishes your homework, teaches your dog not to pee on the carpet but instead to use the toilet and take a shower while he's at it, makes the air around you smell like freshly baked brownies, makes those brownies have zero calories, helps you catch really big fish in a way that makes the fish enjoy being caught, lets Congress hold hands and sing in harmony, directs the Spirit Martian rover, determines which asteroids have helpful minerals, organizes your spice rack, and makes you wake up every day with a warm smile, ready to face a glorious new day.
posted by Pants! at 10:45 AM on December 16, 2007 [7 favorites]
posted by Pants! at 10:45 AM on December 16, 2007 [7 favorites]
I think you're describing Yelp.
posted by mkb at 11:00 AM on December 16, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by mkb at 11:00 AM on December 16, 2007 [1 favorite]
I already have google earth, tried it, and am apparently so bad at technology that I failed.
Besides, I was interested in numbers.
posted by konolia at 11:02 AM on December 16, 2007
Besides, I was interested in numbers.
posted by konolia at 11:02 AM on December 16, 2007
I hear that Metafilter cures cancer, removes ring worm and bot fly larvae infections, makes children love and respect their elders, finds lost treasure, helps write the great American novel, reminds you where you left your keys, teaches you how to play guitar, gives you a discount on gasoline, plants a tree every few minutes, restores the Great Barrier Reef, helps bridge religious divides, finishes your homework, teaches your dog not to pee on the carpet but instead to use the toilet and take a shower while he's at it, makes the air around you smell like freshly baked brownies, makes those brownies have zero calories, helps you catch really big fish in a way that makes the fish enjoy being caught, lets Congress hold hands and sing in harmony, directs the Spirit Martian rover, determines which asteroids have helpful minerals, organizes your spice rack, and makes you wake up every day with a warm smile, ready to face a glorious new day.
posted by Pants!
Only if you don't ask how to on AskMe.
posted by micayetoca at 11:05 AM on December 16, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by Pants!
Only if you don't ask how to on AskMe.
posted by micayetoca at 11:05 AM on December 16, 2007 [1 favorite]
Yeah? Well I hear that Metafilter is a major correlative factor for many varieties of fatal cancer, that it increases susceptibility to ring worm and bot fly larvae infections, stifles children's natural imagination and creativity, loses treasure, distracts people from writing the great American novel, makes you forget where you left your keys, teaches you how to give obnoxious and poorly informed critiques of quality music, reduces your gas mileage, is a major contributor to the destruction of the Amazon, encourages irresponsible fish farming practices for short-term profit, slanders Mormons and blames it on the Jews, finishes your homework so you don't ever learn anything, teaches your dog to pee on your best clothes and gnaw your antique furniture, makes the air around you smell like a mix of rancid farts and stale cigarette smoke, but just around you so everyone thinks you are the source, helps you catch really big fish in a way that maims them and prevents their subsequent release, lets Congress write laws that limit our freedom and subvert the constitution, directs the Spirit Martian rover right into a big ditch, determines which asteroids are on a near collision with the earth and nudges them into our path, makes your spices go stale almost instantly, and makes you wake up every day with a pounding migraine, ready to finally give into the voices in your head urging yo to kill yourself.
posted by Meatbomb at 11:12 AM on December 16, 2007 [6 favorites]
posted by Meatbomb at 11:12 AM on December 16, 2007 [6 favorites]
There is a part of ask.mefi that's only locally relevant. It would be great if that could be filtered based on ones location.
posted by jouke at 11:20 AM on December 16, 2007
posted by jouke at 11:20 AM on December 16, 2007
Howazabout updating that KML file? Is there a lot of manual massaging that it requires?
posted by mumkin at 11:21 AM on December 16, 2007
posted by mumkin at 11:21 AM on December 16, 2007
MetaFilter kicked Chuck Norris's ass.
posted by The Deej at 11:21 AM on December 16, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by The Deej at 11:21 AM on December 16, 2007 [1 favorite]
konolia, the location in your profile puts you in the barren wilderness of western China. No wonder it's lonely.
posted by The Deej at 11:25 AM on December 16, 2007
posted by The Deej at 11:25 AM on December 16, 2007
Recently the (Portland) Oregonian newspaper had an article about Portland being the second "bloggiest" US city, behind Austin, TX. Mentioned in the story were pb and mathowie, but who cares about local news?
posted by Cranberry at 11:27 AM on December 16, 2007
posted by Cranberry at 11:27 AM on December 16, 2007
Jebus, no! Localization would lead to schismatic factionalism, so I count my self as a Metafilter antidisestablishmentarianist.
posted by Tube at 11:44 AM on December 16, 2007
posted by Tube at 11:44 AM on December 16, 2007
Great idea! We could have two sites: nyc.metafilter.com and yourtownissmallandsucksandyoushouldbemiserable.metafilter.com.
posted by Deathalicious at 11:51 AM on December 16, 2007 [3 favorites]
posted by Deathalicious at 11:51 AM on December 16, 2007 [3 favorites]
I'd be willing to be konolia actually lives at 35.05425, -79.011328 and not in the middle of central Asia. Simple switch of a minus sign makes all the difference.
posted by fermezporte at 11:53 AM on December 16, 2007
posted by fermezporte at 11:53 AM on December 16, 2007
[NOT ANTIDISESTABLISHMENTARIANIST]
posted by YoBananaBoy at 11:58 AM on December 16, 2007
posted by YoBananaBoy at 11:58 AM on December 16, 2007
There is a part of ask.mefi that's only locally relevant. It would be great if that could be filtered based on ones location.
you mean like say, the upcoming release of Travelfilter?! (NYC)
(we should be updating it, finishing off the last of bugs, and releasing it soon)
posted by mathowie (staff) at 12:00 PM on December 16, 2007
you mean like say, the upcoming release of Travelfilter?! (NYC)
(we should be updating it, finishing off the last of bugs, and releasing it soon)
posted by mathowie (staff) at 12:00 PM on December 16, 2007
Last week I had two tickets to an art performance but I couldnt make it. I would have loved to give the tickets away to a mefite. As it is, the tickets went unused - it was a benefit anyways so no big deal.
In any case, maybe that would be a usecase for local mefi. I know there's craigslist but craigslist is just so big and annoying now. Despite all this talk of social networks, metafilter has an actual one - a community of people with histories, identifiable personalities, a common bond (the nerdy, highly literate subculture) and of course an overall rejection of anonymity.
Meetups are already one way that local mefites interact. Another way is when we all jump into "What is there to do in X locale?" questions together. But beyond that it'd be nice to have something with a bit more structure where i could have given away my tickets.
posted by vacapinta at 12:12 PM on December 16, 2007
In any case, maybe that would be a usecase for local mefi. I know there's craigslist but craigslist is just so big and annoying now. Despite all this talk of social networks, metafilter has an actual one - a community of people with histories, identifiable personalities, a common bond (the nerdy, highly literate subculture) and of course an overall rejection of anonymity.
Meetups are already one way that local mefites interact. Another way is when we all jump into "What is there to do in X locale?" questions together. But beyond that it'd be nice to have something with a bit more structure where i could have given away my tickets.
posted by vacapinta at 12:12 PM on December 16, 2007
matthowie: There is a part of ask.mefi that's only locally relevant. It would be great if that could be filtered based on ones location.
you mean like say, the upcoming release of Travelfilter?! (NYC)
(we should be updating it, finishing off the last of bugs, and releasing it soon)
Yes, like that. But there are more ask.mefi questions that are only locally relevant but that can't be classified as 'travel' since you're already there! A similar functionality for ask.mefi for local geographics related questions.
(btw you really should put a not on travel.mefi that it's useless to post there. All the questions that are posted there that get no answers at all are rather depressing to watch. And of course it's rather disappointing to people who are posting there full of hope.)
posted by jouke at 12:39 PM on December 16, 2007
you mean like say, the upcoming release of Travelfilter?! (NYC)
(we should be updating it, finishing off the last of bugs, and releasing it soon)
Yes, like that. But there are more ask.mefi questions that are only locally relevant but that can't be classified as 'travel' since you're already there! A similar functionality for ask.mefi for local geographics related questions.
(btw you really should put a not on travel.mefi that it's useless to post there. All the questions that are posted there that get no answers at all are rather depressing to watch. And of course it's rather disappointing to people who are posting there full of hope.)
posted by jouke at 12:39 PM on December 16, 2007
I'd be willing to be konolia actually lives at 35.05425, -79.011328 and not in the middle of central Asia. Simple switch of a minus sign makes all the difference.
Holy crap!
I have neighbors!
(I guess that means if I dig a hole deep enough in my back yard I really would wind up in China. Heh.)
posted by konolia at 12:44 PM on December 16, 2007
Holy crap!
I have neighbors!
(I guess that means if I dig a hole deep enough in my back yard I really would wind up in China. Heh.)
posted by konolia at 12:44 PM on December 16, 2007
mosessis
The feature was in the Thursday December 13th Oregonian. Not sure that you can access it without registering at OregonLive.com. I find it easier just to subscribe to the paper where the ads are easier to ignore.
posted by Cranberry at 1:15 PM on December 16, 2007
The feature was in the Thursday December 13th Oregonian. Not sure that you can access it without registering at OregonLive.com. I find it easier just to subscribe to the paper where the ads are easier to ignore.
posted by Cranberry at 1:15 PM on December 16, 2007
Metafilter isn't really a big enough community to break down that way. And Metafilter isn't the solution to all problems.
Fuck off. (I hate this guy).
posted by brautigan at 1:18 PM on December 16, 2007 [1 favorite]
Fuck off. (I hate this guy).
posted by brautigan at 1:18 PM on December 16, 2007 [1 favorite]
This reminds me of Maximumrocknroll's "Scene Report" fracas. A good number of years back, someone had offered to provide information to the magazine in regard to the latest goings-on in his city, at least in regard to punk rock acts, upcoming music releases, amateur fanzines, and the like.
Trouble was, the material had been faked.
The fellow wanted to feel like a part of the larger whole he experienced in MRR's pages. As a result, an entire history was embellished. Kinda like the accounts you can read about in one of those online encyclopedia things you hear about today. Just sayin'.
posted by Smart Dalek at 1:53 PM on December 16, 2007
Trouble was, the material had been faked.
The fellow wanted to feel like a part of the larger whole he experienced in MRR's pages. As a result, an entire history was embellished. Kinda like the accounts you can read about in one of those online encyclopedia things you hear about today. Just sayin'.
posted by Smart Dalek at 1:53 PM on December 16, 2007
I'd be willing to be konolia actually lives at 35.05425, -79.011328 and not in the middle of central Asia. Simple switch of a minus sign makes all the difference.
posted by fermezporte
Well, sure you can go ahead and start experimenting with the plus and minus signs if you wanna get all stalky about it.
Me? I will NOT go back to prison!
posted by The Deej at 2:38 PM on December 16, 2007
posted by fermezporte
Well, sure you can go ahead and start experimenting with the plus and minus signs if you wanna get all stalky about it.
Me? I will NOT go back to prison!
posted by The Deej at 2:38 PM on December 16, 2007
Yes, like that. But there are more ask.mefi questions that are only locally relevant but that can't be classified as 'travel' since you're already there! A similar functionality for ask.mefi for local geographics related questions.
How would this work? See, I live in Savannah, Georgia now, but grew up in Baltimore, MD, and spent considerable time in New Orleans and spent weeks traveling across America, so I've got all sorts of neat knowledge about various places and I KNOW I'm hardly alone with that.
So how would this subsite work so that various people who might have knowledge of specific area, even if they don't currently live there, could contribute?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 2:44 PM on December 16, 2007
I would gladly put up posts related to my city, but then again I have an unhealthy obsession with it.
And maybe someday it will love me back.
posted by drezdn at 2:53 PM on December 16, 2007
And maybe someday it will love me back.
posted by drezdn at 2:53 PM on December 16, 2007
(I guess that means if I dig a hole deep enough in my back yard I really would wind up in China. Heh.)
Sorry to burst your bubble, but you'd end up in the ocean off the coast of Australia. You have to add 180 degrees to the longitude and flip the sign on the latitude.
posted by ssg at 3:20 PM on December 16, 2007
Sorry to burst your bubble, but you'd end up in the ocean off the coast of Australia. You have to add 180 degrees to the longitude and flip the sign on the latitude.
posted by ssg at 3:20 PM on December 16, 2007
I hear that Metafilter cures cancer, removes ring worm and bot fly larvae infections, makes children love and respect their elders, ...etc.
I don't know about that, but I do appreciate the personalized car wash service that mathowie provides once a month. It definitely makes that $5 expenditure worth every penny.
(Although, Matt, I hate to complain, but that month you sent jessamyn, she was little lax about getting all the streaks off the windows.)
posted by madamjujujive at 3:29 PM on December 16, 2007
I don't know about that, but I do appreciate the personalized car wash service that mathowie provides once a month. It definitely makes that $5 expenditure worth every penny.
(Although, Matt, I hate to complain, but that month you sent jessamyn, she was little lax about getting all the streaks off the windows.)
posted by madamjujujive at 3:29 PM on December 16, 2007
woo hoo! I'm just happy that it's a relatively snark-free first MeTa thread! But just to clarify, I was suggesting something along the lines that vacapinta was thinking...
posted by milestogo at 3:32 PM on December 16, 2007
posted by milestogo at 3:32 PM on December 16, 2007
Tags. That is all.
posted by desuetude at 3:45 PM on December 16, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by desuetude at 3:45 PM on December 16, 2007 [1 favorite]
I already edit was is, in some ways, MetaFilter Minnesota.
posted by Astro Zombie at 4:13 PM on December 16, 2007
posted by Astro Zombie at 4:13 PM on December 16, 2007
And Metafilter isn't the solution to all problems.
You know, Steven C. Den Beste, your particular brand of condescension is really unpalatable.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:18 PM on December 16, 2007
You know, Steven C. Den Beste, your particular brand of condescension is really unpalatable.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:18 PM on December 16, 2007
Local functionality doesn't need a whole new site area. Just add long/lat boxes to the posting forms and have nearby things (FPPs, meetups, questions, etc) popup in the sidebar like posts by contacts do. It'd be good if you could also "friend" other areas you were interested in. But start small.
posted by cillit bang at 4:34 PM on December 16, 2007
posted by cillit bang at 4:34 PM on December 16, 2007
Last week I had two tickets to an art performance but I couldnt make it. I would have loved to give the tickets away to a mefite.
Freecycle.
In Baltimore and Washington, we have Localist, but it's expanding.
(Disclosure: I know the guys who started it. )
posted by Airhen at 5:09 PM on December 16, 2007
Freecycle.
In Baltimore and Washington, we have Localist, but it's expanding.
(Disclosure: I know the guys who started it. )
posted by Airhen at 5:09 PM on December 16, 2007
You know, Steven C. Den Beste, your particular brand of condescension is really unpalatable
However Nola's powdered spurious dicking cream brand of condescension is very palatable!
posted by nola at 5:16 PM on December 16, 2007
However Nola's powdered spurious dicking cream brand of condescension is very palatable!
posted by nola at 5:16 PM on December 16, 2007
There are no other MetaFilter members nearby, sorry.
I guess that about wraps things up for local.metafilter.com/flabdablet then.
posted by flabdablet at 6:01 PM on December 16, 2007
I guess that about wraps things up for local.metafilter.com/flabdablet then.
posted by flabdablet at 6:01 PM on December 16, 2007
Metafilter: Metafilter isn't the solution to all problems
posted by mr_crash_davis at 6:31 PM on December 16, 2007
posted by mr_crash_davis at 6:31 PM on December 16, 2007
Alternatively:
Metafilter isn't the solution to all problems
I can't decide which
posted by mr_crash_davis at 6:31 PM on December 16, 2007
Metafilter isn't the solution to all problems
I can't decide which
posted by mr_crash_davis at 6:31 PM on December 16, 2007
Dicking cream, eh?
posted by Roman Graves at 7:27 PM on December 16, 2007
posted by Roman Graves at 7:27 PM on December 16, 2007
Spurious dicking cream! I'll take 2, please.
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 7:45 PM on December 16, 2007
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 7:45 PM on December 16, 2007
Alternatively:
Metafilter isn't the solution to all problems
I can't decide which
BesteFilter: Metafilter isn't the solution to all problems.
posted by katillathehun at 8:16 PM on December 16, 2007 [1 favorite]
Metafilter isn't the solution to all problems
I can't decide which
BesteFilter: Metafilter isn't the solution to all problems.
posted by katillathehun at 8:16 PM on December 16, 2007 [1 favorite]
It would be interesting to me to see how our membership is concentrated. Do we have fewer members in the South?
Yes, fewer members in the south. Any tougher questions?
posted by justgary at 8:18 PM on December 16, 2007
Yes, fewer members in the south. Any tougher questions?
posted by justgary at 8:18 PM on December 16, 2007
If all the Metafilter members in the south boarded a train for Chicago at 7:30, except for Konolia who starts digging a hole towards China at 6:45, what is the square root of orange?
posted by arto at 8:47 PM on December 16, 2007
posted by arto at 8:47 PM on December 16, 2007
I was assigned to Metafilter Extremely Oddfellows Local 666 (behind the firewall). Whilst a series of collective actions have seen progress made in general pay levels and health and safety on-site and there is an appreciably higher confidence in the class, we appear no closer self-managed communism and the rule of the saints. But the struggle continues and we hold high the splendidly embroidered banner of Matthowieism.
posted by Abiezer at 1:49 AM on December 17, 2007
posted by Abiezer at 1:49 AM on December 17, 2007
It would be interesting to me to see how our membership is concentrated.
I think I've got Central Asia pretty much all to myself at the moment. Anyone for a Kabul meetup?
posted by Meatbomb at 4:33 AM on December 17, 2007
I think I've got Central Asia pretty much all to myself at the moment. Anyone for a Kabul meetup?
posted by Meatbomb at 4:33 AM on December 17, 2007
milestogo, as mnology already mentioned (though it seemed overlooked), if mathowie "was more of an entrepreneur, and [he] wanted to take on funding and have a huge staff, [he] could be running hundreds of local portals like this"—then he'd be Steven Johnson, and the site architecture would look like outside.in. [That third link goes to Washington Heights, Manhattan, NYC, USA.]
posted by cgc373 at 5:54 AM on December 17, 2007
posted by cgc373 at 5:54 AM on December 17, 2007
If any MeFites are feeling lonely, like there is no one else nearby, relax: I am always around.
Watching you.
Waiting.
Eating chips.
And then waiting some more.
posted by quin at 9:33 AM on December 17, 2007
Watching you.
Waiting.
Eating chips.
And then waiting some more.
posted by quin at 9:33 AM on December 17, 2007
I believe the headquarters for Metafilter San Francisco are based at Loquacious' place. Just show up, any time of day or night. He totally won't mind. Oh, and help yourself to whatever's in the fridge. It's cool.
posted by miss lynnster at 9:50 AM on December 17, 2007
posted by miss lynnster at 9:50 AM on December 17, 2007
How about MetaFilter Procol Harem?
Yeah, I got nuthin'.
posted by davejay at 1:59 PM on December 17, 2007
Yeah, I got nuthin'.
posted by davejay at 1:59 PM on December 17, 2007
I guess the background color for that should be a whiter shade of pale?
posted by Meatbomb at 3:22 AM on December 18, 2007
posted by Meatbomb at 3:22 AM on December 18, 2007
Metafilter: Steven C. Den Beste isn't the answer.
posted by SteveTheRed at 4:52 AM on December 18, 2007
posted by SteveTheRed at 4:52 AM on December 18, 2007
Metafilter: Yokels.
posted by not_on_display at 9:28 AM on December 18, 2007
posted by not_on_display at 9:28 AM on December 18, 2007
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 9:50 AM on December 16, 2007