What'd I miss? July 7, 2008 12:41 PM Subscribe
How the heck do you catch up after a MeFi hiatus? I've been too busy to read the site the past few weeks, and a zillion posts have passed me by. What's the best way to filter the Filter? What'd I miss?
My heirloom tomato crop has been somewhat disappointing.
posted by ND¢ at 12:48 PM on July 7, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by ND¢ at 12:48 PM on July 7, 2008 [2 favorites]
well, hard to say. Whaddya like? dnab got a time out, wendell got a brief timeout, I made a jackass outta myself in a thread about parenting, blazecock pileon lived up to his name, we were all pretty hyped about boingboing for a while... Just go back and browse, I guess.
posted by boo_radley at 12:48 PM on July 7, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by boo_radley at 12:48 PM on July 7, 2008 [2 favorites]
You have to read every. last. comment. in the Boing Boing thread, and the meta, and all the blog threads it links to. IT IS THE LAW!
(alternatively just ignore everything you've missed)
posted by Artw at 12:50 PM on July 7, 2008
(alternatively just ignore everything you've missed)
posted by Artw at 12:50 PM on July 7, 2008
Don't worry about it. There's nothing you really need to know, and if there is, it'll come up again and you can catch up on it then (although you might not be as quick with a zinger as you might otherwise be).
Seriously, this is a website that's fun to read sometimes. It has a lot to recommend it, but one of those things is that you don't need to consider it an obligation (and you'll probably be happier if you don't).
posted by OmieWise at 12:51 PM on July 7, 2008
Seriously, this is a website that's fun to read sometimes. It has a lot to recommend it, but one of those things is that you don't need to consider it an obligation (and you'll probably be happier if you don't).
posted by OmieWise at 12:51 PM on July 7, 2008
Well, how much do you like beans? That's the question.
posted by katillathehun at 12:54 PM on July 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by katillathehun at 12:54 PM on July 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
Yeah, when I've been away usually I start with the sidebar to see what's super good. If there is nothing new there or not enough to keep me busy, I will check the favorites for the week.
Then I hit metatalk, which points to the drama threads, but sometimes there are good, albeit contentious, links in there. People get called out for good stuff here when you're lucky.
Honestly, most often I just skip to metatalk and anonymous ask metafilter.
posted by frecklefaerie at 12:55 PM on July 7, 2008
Then I hit metatalk, which points to the drama threads, but sometimes there are good, albeit contentious, links in there. People get called out for good stuff here when you're lucky.
Honestly, most often I just skip to metatalk and anonymous ask metafilter.
posted by frecklefaerie at 12:55 PM on July 7, 2008
If this lapse in MeFi duty is a first offense, your punishment may just be having a 1 added to your user number. No not 48795, 1 added in front = 148794.
posted by Cranberry at 1:01 PM on July 7, 2008 [3 favorites]
posted by Cranberry at 1:01 PM on July 7, 2008 [3 favorites]
Well, I read the blue in an RSS reader. So, "mark all as read". Ask metafilter, I read the first page and figure that if anything else is really interesting I can look for it in the next podcast links. (The podcast might actually be what you are looking for, they usually do a rundown on their favorite posts.)
posted by advil at 1:02 PM on July 7, 2008
posted by advil at 1:02 PM on July 7, 2008
I just sit down, middle click anything that looks interesting until I reach where I left off (paying particular attention to Meta). Then over the next week or two I whittle down the 300+ tabs that are open a bit each day. I'm usually caught up by the next time I leave on vacation.
posted by Mitheral at 1:04 PM on July 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Mitheral at 1:04 PM on July 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
Whenever I've been away from MetaFilter for awhile I just browse MetaTalk to catch up on any site-wide changes or flameouts and whatnot. You can also check out the links provided with the Podcasts, which help point out interesting links across the entire site.
posted by Falconetti at 1:08 PM on July 7, 2008
posted by Falconetti at 1:08 PM on July 7, 2008
Check out the Popular Favorite Posts and Comments as RSS feeds. It's just the cream of the crop and fairly low-traffic.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 1:15 PM on July 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by mathowie (staff) at 1:15 PM on July 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
Listen to a podcast or two, then read the headlines in MetaTalk to find any site changes.
please don't leave us again. We'll change, promise!
Note: I would not kid around with you know who right now. It'll get ugly, quick.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 1:20 PM on July 7, 2008
please don't leave us again. We'll change, promise!
Note: I would not kid around with you know who right now. It'll get ugly, quick.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 1:20 PM on July 7, 2008
It was the best of times, it was the blurst of times.
posted by drezdn at 1:31 PM on July 7, 2008 [3 favorites]
posted by drezdn at 1:31 PM on July 7, 2008 [3 favorites]
http://www.metafilter.com/home/popularfavorite30
...and browse all the non-meet-up MeTas. There's usually only a couple a day. Hmmm... has anyone written a greasemonkey script to filter out the meet-up threads?
posted by team lowkey at 1:35 PM on July 7, 2008
...and browse all the non-meet-up MeTas. There's usually only a couple a day. Hmmm... has anyone written a greasemonkey script to filter out the meet-up threads?
posted by team lowkey at 1:35 PM on July 7, 2008
Since you left we've changed, grown up a bit, and figured a few things out. You'll find we're more mature, and have left our juvenile antics behind. You won't have to worry about our chronic dependency anymore, nor the alcohol-fueled violent outbursts. If you give us a chance, you'll see that it won't be like last time. Maybe we could all go for a walk, and catch up. I promise we won't expect anything that you're not prepared to give. <sniff>
posted by blue_beetle at 1:39 PM on July 7, 2008 [9 favorites]
posted by blue_beetle at 1:39 PM on July 7, 2008 [9 favorites]
...and browse all the non-meet-up MeTas. There's usually only a couple a day. Hmmm... has anyone written a greasemonkey script to filter out the meet-up threads?
This is a sure sign you're doing it wrong.
posted by loquacious at 1:41 PM on July 7, 2008
This is a sure sign you're doing it wrong.
posted by loquacious at 1:41 PM on July 7, 2008
If you do nothing else, read Astro Zombie's awesome Pixar story.
posted by lysistrata at 1:46 PM on July 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by lysistrata at 1:46 PM on July 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
I've been on hiatus as well, so you didn't miss anything from me.
I imagine there were a couple of "where's Bookhouse" meta-threads and probably an in-joke about it that's gotten old by now. Maybe a sock-puppet named "Where's Bookhouse?" as well. Anyway, I'm fine. Thanks for asking.
posted by Bookhouse at 1:51 PM on July 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
I imagine there were a couple of "where's Bookhouse" meta-threads and probably an in-joke about it that's gotten old by now. Maybe a sock-puppet named "Where's Bookhouse?" as well. Anyway, I'm fine. Thanks for asking.
posted by Bookhouse at 1:51 PM on July 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
Re: Airships:
O RLY?
Pff. Theres been almost-going-to-happen airship schemes and the odd tourist airship all my life, and yet it never really takes off properly.
posted by Artw at 1:55 PM on July 7, 2008
O RLY?
Pff. Theres been almost-going-to-happen airship schemes and the odd tourist airship all my life, and yet it never really takes off properly.
posted by Artw at 1:55 PM on July 7, 2008
BTW, Nevile Shutes book on his experiences building the R100 is highly recommended for those wondering why airships never hit it big.
posted by Artw at 1:58 PM on July 7, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by Artw at 1:58 PM on July 7, 2008 [2 favorites]
...and that's TWO in the wrong thread
posted by Artw at 1:59 PM on July 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Artw at 1:59 PM on July 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
it never really takes off properly.
Nothing has changed.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 2:00 PM on July 7, 2008
Nothing has changed.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 2:00 PM on July 7, 2008
/loses rigidity after being caught in an up-draft over Canada.
posted by Artw at 2:06 PM on July 7, 2008
posted by Artw at 2:06 PM on July 7, 2008
Well, desjardins, I'll just say what everyone else is thinking but is too afraid to say.
You see, desjardins, you were banned. That's right, banned. Two days after you stopped checking the site, people started asking after you. Is she okay, omg what happened to her, etc. We were worried, quite frankly. But then some people pointed out that maybe you'd moved on to a better site. Maybe we weren't good enough for you. Then someone correctly noted that "desjardins is all better than us now, I guess."
So very quickly everyone concluded that it wasn't us, it was you. You had gone off and gotten all fancy on us. "Look at desjardins," buzzed the metatalk threads, "all fancy and dandy in her finery. She's web 2.0 now." Of course you wouldn't deign to drop even a "." in an obituary thread, not on this dogshit 1.0 text site. Any fool would know that. Fancy people don't get the filth of the proles on their fancy boots.
Now I won't lie to you desjardins, some users got together and organized. Petitions were circulated. Meetups were held. Beer was drank. I don't have to tell you that once the beer is drunk, and once an admin is drunk, well, there's not much heaven or hell can do to hold back the obscenities. Just don't read certain Twitter logs, is what I'm saying to you. There was discussion of your parentage, but let's leave it at that.
But in the face of all of this, some of us, a few of us driven more by our service to the cause of community blogging than to any sense of loyalty to a certain debutante ex-user, rallied in your support. I, for one, mounted an eloquent defense arguing that human emotions are fickle, callous, and capricious, and that only in our communities are our common ties strong enough to prevent the impetuous and their cavalier jousting-at windmills from rending the social fabric. To ban you would be to ban a part of us all, I pleaded. What did I get for my trouble? A bucket of cocks and a kick to the groin, desjardins. But I was in need of neither.
We argued to spare you, and in the process brought upon ourselves the recriminations and indignations of the vulgus. "They're fancy, the lot of them!" cried the low people with low user numbers. There was a metatalk thread (now disappeared), where the admins enabled the img tag so that we could be virtually crucified, bedecked and bespectacled in all the finery that photoshop could process.
Some of us didn't survive, desjardins. Some of us made the ultimate sacrifice so that you could take a few weeks off to organize to priceless collection of Northeaster American Hams and come back unscathed. I hope the next time you look at your vintage Virginia Blue Ribbon Spiral Cut Ham, Sealed in Water for Freshness, you think about the hundreds of users who sacrificed their accounts to give you the weeks you needed to properly catalog it.
In the end though, I think we in the minority were persuasive. The admins recoiled at the carnage they had wrought. They had presided over the greatest bloodbath in the history of the internet, and they knew history would judge them harshly. No amount of SLYT or GYOFB deletions could assuage their guilt, and in the end, desjardins, they relented, and reinstated User Account #48794 of Northern IL/Southern WI.
And when word reached us that you had secured the last Viginia ham in its display, we set about preparing the site for your return. We deleted threads, cut backroom deals to keep certain things quiet, and appointed to Temporal Ombudsmen to certify that they events of the last few weeks never happened.
And here you find Metafilter, seemingly as it was. But ask yourself, desjardin, as you flit across the archived threads in your home office, a row of sparkling canned hams arranged meticulously behind you, with nary a thought given to the odd gaps in thread numbers, ask yourself who is missing from the threads today? What sardonic, wry, caustic voices have fallen silent? Are they simply out for the day, busy like you were tending to their own fanciness, or has a darker fate befallen them? Are those that are missing to be found in the archived threads, or in google cache?
Or are they lost in the memory hole, they being the ones who sacrificed their accounts so that you could return? The burden of their history, and the fate that befell them, is yours to carry, and yours alone, desjardins. And there is not enough ham in all the Virginia countryside to ease that burden.
Not enough ham.
posted by Pastabagel at 2:14 PM on July 7, 2008 [71 favorites]
You see, desjardins, you were banned. That's right, banned. Two days after you stopped checking the site, people started asking after you. Is she okay, omg what happened to her, etc. We were worried, quite frankly. But then some people pointed out that maybe you'd moved on to a better site. Maybe we weren't good enough for you. Then someone correctly noted that "desjardins is all better than us now, I guess."
So very quickly everyone concluded that it wasn't us, it was you. You had gone off and gotten all fancy on us. "Look at desjardins," buzzed the metatalk threads, "all fancy and dandy in her finery. She's web 2.0 now." Of course you wouldn't deign to drop even a "." in an obituary thread, not on this dogshit 1.0 text site. Any fool would know that. Fancy people don't get the filth of the proles on their fancy boots.
Now I won't lie to you desjardins, some users got together and organized. Petitions were circulated. Meetups were held. Beer was drank. I don't have to tell you that once the beer is drunk, and once an admin is drunk, well, there's not much heaven or hell can do to hold back the obscenities. Just don't read certain Twitter logs, is what I'm saying to you. There was discussion of your parentage, but let's leave it at that.
But in the face of all of this, some of us, a few of us driven more by our service to the cause of community blogging than to any sense of loyalty to a certain debutante ex-user, rallied in your support. I, for one, mounted an eloquent defense arguing that human emotions are fickle, callous, and capricious, and that only in our communities are our common ties strong enough to prevent the impetuous and their cavalier jousting-at windmills from rending the social fabric. To ban you would be to ban a part of us all, I pleaded. What did I get for my trouble? A bucket of cocks and a kick to the groin, desjardins. But I was in need of neither.
We argued to spare you, and in the process brought upon ourselves the recriminations and indignations of the vulgus. "They're fancy, the lot of them!" cried the low people with low user numbers. There was a metatalk thread (now disappeared), where the admins enabled the img tag so that we could be virtually crucified, bedecked and bespectacled in all the finery that photoshop could process.
Some of us didn't survive, desjardins. Some of us made the ultimate sacrifice so that you could take a few weeks off to organize to priceless collection of Northeaster American Hams and come back unscathed. I hope the next time you look at your vintage Virginia Blue Ribbon Spiral Cut Ham, Sealed in Water for Freshness, you think about the hundreds of users who sacrificed their accounts to give you the weeks you needed to properly catalog it.
In the end though, I think we in the minority were persuasive. The admins recoiled at the carnage they had wrought. They had presided over the greatest bloodbath in the history of the internet, and they knew history would judge them harshly. No amount of SLYT or GYOFB deletions could assuage their guilt, and in the end, desjardins, they relented, and reinstated User Account #48794 of Northern IL/Southern WI.
And when word reached us that you had secured the last Viginia ham in its display, we set about preparing the site for your return. We deleted threads, cut backroom deals to keep certain things quiet, and appointed to Temporal Ombudsmen to certify that they events of the last few weeks never happened.
And here you find Metafilter, seemingly as it was. But ask yourself, desjardin, as you flit across the archived threads in your home office, a row of sparkling canned hams arranged meticulously behind you, with nary a thought given to the odd gaps in thread numbers, ask yourself who is missing from the threads today? What sardonic, wry, caustic voices have fallen silent? Are they simply out for the day, busy like you were tending to their own fanciness, or has a darker fate befallen them? Are those that are missing to be found in the archived threads, or in google cache?
Or are they lost in the memory hole, they being the ones who sacrificed their accounts so that you could return? The burden of their history, and the fate that befell them, is yours to carry, and yours alone, desjardins. And there is not enough ham in all the Virginia countryside to ease that burden.
Not enough ham.
posted by Pastabagel at 2:14 PM on July 7, 2008 [71 favorites]
I'm sort of surprised nobody around here keeps minutes, in an extremely trollish tone. That would be awesome.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 2:31 PM on July 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 2:31 PM on July 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
team lowkey: "... has anyone written a greasemonkey script to filter out the meet-up threads?"
loquacious: "This is a sure sign you're doing it wrong."
Well... it actually has become a bit of an annoyance. I pretty much live at the recent comments tab, and what with the growing number of meet-up threads, and their 6 month limit, and with the all the back and forth a meet-up thread requires, and the fact that I only care about meet-ups near me, I'm left with a lot of noise to filter out. Even though I'm interested in the weekly SF meet-ups, at least half of the threads on the page are for meet-ups that I don't care about. It'd be kinda cool to have an on/off toggle to filter them out. Or a "remove from recent comments" thing. It's obviously not a big deal, but if someone else had had the same thoughts and greasemonkey-ed it up, I'd use it.
posted by team lowkey at 2:32 PM on July 7, 2008
loquacious: "This is a sure sign you're doing it wrong."
Well... it actually has become a bit of an annoyance. I pretty much live at the recent comments tab, and what with the growing number of meet-up threads, and their 6 month limit, and with the all the back and forth a meet-up thread requires, and the fact that I only care about meet-ups near me, I'm left with a lot of noise to filter out. Even though I'm interested in the weekly SF meet-ups, at least half of the threads on the page are for meet-ups that I don't care about. It'd be kinda cool to have an on/off toggle to filter them out. Or a "remove from recent comments" thing. It's obviously not a big deal, but if someone else had had the same thoughts and greasemonkey-ed it up, I'd use it.
posted by team lowkey at 2:32 PM on July 7, 2008
Just don't mention the war.
posted by shakespeherian at 2:33 PM on July 7, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by shakespeherian at 2:33 PM on July 7, 2008 [2 favorites]
Also, we're considering knocking through Projects and Jobs so there, a bit more running around space for the kids. Cortex was talking about building a conservatory off the side of AskMe too. You should see the scatter cushions he's got picked out. A-dorbale!
posted by Jofus at 2:34 PM on July 7, 2008
posted by Jofus at 2:34 PM on July 7, 2008
After reading Pastabagel's screed, I'm convinced there's nothing more I need to know.
posted by desjardins at 2:39 PM on July 7, 2008
posted by desjardins at 2:39 PM on July 7, 2008
This sort of thing has never really happened to me.
posted by cortex (staff) at 2:40 PM on July 7, 2008
posted by cortex (staff) at 2:40 PM on July 7, 2008
I got a haircut.
Me too! And a conditioning treatment. Probably not the same haircut, though.
posted by the littlest brussels sprout at 2:46 PM on July 7, 2008
Me too! And a conditioning treatment. Probably not the same haircut, though.
posted by the littlest brussels sprout at 2:46 PM on July 7, 2008
Just don't mention the war.
Geez! Which one? None of them seem to be going over very well.
posted by The Light Fantastic at 2:48 PM on July 7, 2008
Geez! Which one? None of them seem to be going over very well.
posted by The Light Fantastic at 2:48 PM on July 7, 2008
Wait, did someone say ham?
posted by loquacious at 2:48 PM on July 7, 2008
posted by loquacious at 2:48 PM on July 7, 2008
desjardins posted "How the heck do you catch up after a MeFi hiatus? "
<airily, in a faux toff accent> I always just read my own favorited comments. I suggest you do the same, and read my favorited comments. </pompous airbag>
posted by orthogonality at 2:56 PM on July 7, 2008
<airily, in a faux toff accent> I always just read my own favorited comments. I suggest you do the same, and read my favorited comments. </pompous airbag>
posted by orthogonality at 2:56 PM on July 7, 2008
When I was a youngster, I used to stay up until all hours of the night laughing and talking and carousing.I took as my motto Samuel Johnson's assertion that "whoever thinks of going to sleep before twelve o'clock is a scoundrel." If there was something going on, I wasn't going to go to bed and miss it all.
At some point, I noticed that "it all" was fairly repetitive, and that folks who didn't force themselves into overtime were having just as good a life as I was. All I was getting out of my zest for life was a really hard time waking up in the morning.
It's really hard - you can't be everywhere you want to be at once, and life has some hard choices in it. There's only so much time. But it's a good thing, too. When I'm away from MeFi for a spell, I check Recent Activity, if there is any, and then scan the front page. When I feel like it, I jump back in. That's enough. There's just no way to stay on top of it all, and no real need to. If you find you aren't getting an injoke or a reference at some point, just ask and someone will be happy to explain it to you.
But it's a lot less stressful to live moving forward and not feel I need mastery of the knowledge of what went on while I was away.
posted by Miko at 3:00 PM on July 7, 2008 [11 favorites]
At some point, I noticed that "it all" was fairly repetitive, and that folks who didn't force themselves into overtime were having just as good a life as I was. All I was getting out of my zest for life was a really hard time waking up in the morning.
It's really hard - you can't be everywhere you want to be at once, and life has some hard choices in it. There's only so much time. But it's a good thing, too. When I'm away from MeFi for a spell, I check Recent Activity, if there is any, and then scan the front page. When I feel like it, I jump back in. That's enough. There's just no way to stay on top of it all, and no real need to. If you find you aren't getting an injoke or a reference at some point, just ask and someone will be happy to explain it to you.
But it's a lot less stressful to live moving forward and not feel I need mastery of the knowledge of what went on while I was away.
posted by Miko at 3:00 PM on July 7, 2008 [11 favorites]
You're going to need water. Lots of it. And dried food. Cases of beef jerky and salted nuts will do. Also, a bathroom very close (for when you can't relieve yourself in a plastic water bottle) and a comfortable chair.
Now, close any blinds/window shades/curtains you have. Lock your doors. Unplug or turn off your phones.
Once your settled in, find the date you left using the http://www.metafilter.com/daily.mefi/mo/day/year url format. Start reading.
You can do it. We have faith.
posted by eyeballkid at 3:03 PM on July 7, 2008
Now, close any blinds/window shades/curtains you have. Lock your doors. Unplug or turn off your phones.
Once your settled in, find the date you left using the http://www.metafilter.com/daily.mefi/mo/day/year url format. Start reading.
You can do it. We have faith.
posted by eyeballkid at 3:03 PM on July 7, 2008
We never received a leave form from you.
Consider yourself on probation.
posted by the Cabal at 3:06 PM on July 7, 2008
Consider yourself on probation.
posted by the Cabal at 3:06 PM on July 7, 2008
Do a sitewide search for "flame."
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 3:08 PM on July 7, 2008
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 3:08 PM on July 7, 2008
Till all screed screed screed screed screed screed, til all screed screed screed screed.
posted by cashman at 3:11 PM on July 7, 2008
posted by cashman at 3:11 PM on July 7, 2008
team lowkey: ... at least half of the threads on the page are for meet-ups that I don't care about. It'd be kinda cool to have an on/off toggle to filter them out. Or a "remove from recent comments" thing.
It's already there - scan for "(remove from activity)" on the recent activity page. It's under the post in the left column.
posted by Pronoiac at 3:15 PM on July 7, 2008
It's already there - scan for "(remove from activity)" on the recent activity page. It's under the post in the left column.
posted by Pronoiac at 3:15 PM on July 7, 2008
Yeah, I, too, have been busy with my much less interesting offline life, and thus I've only been reading the MeTa threads to get a general idea of what's been going on. They really do highlight most of what you need to know. I have the Boing Boing thread and the dnab flameout bookmarked, but I haven't gotten around to reading it yet.
That I've been skipping over relationship-filter AskMes (which first drew me to the site) I take as a sign of maturity, thank you very much.
posted by Phire at 3:39 PM on July 7, 2008
That I've been skipping over relationship-filter AskMes (which first drew me to the site) I take as a sign of maturity, thank you very much.
posted by Phire at 3:39 PM on July 7, 2008
Just don't mention the war.
I mentioned it once, but I think I got away with it.
posted by neuron at 3:48 PM on July 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
I mentioned it once, but I think I got away with it.
posted by neuron at 3:48 PM on July 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
When I come back after a break, I read all the Anonymous questions, all the Human Relations Questions, and call it a day.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 3:53 PM on July 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 3:53 PM on July 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
What'd I miss?
We've made a bit of progress. But it's still a long road ahead.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 4:17 PM on July 7, 2008
We've made a bit of progress. But it's still a long road ahead.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 4:17 PM on July 7, 2008
If you do nothing else, read Astro Zombie's awesome Pixar story.
Seconded. The milk jug thread last week seemed strangely epic at the time. Not sure that it really is. Other than that, there were some minor dramas here and there but nothing major that I can recall. If you listen to the podcasts, the last one about happy Mefi moments was pretty cool.
Also we all decided we don't like Obama any more after the thing that happened last week. This is McCain country now.
posted by Tehanu at 4:23 PM on July 7, 2008
Seconded. The milk jug thread last week seemed strangely epic at the time. Not sure that it really is. Other than that, there were some minor dramas here and there but nothing major that I can recall. If you listen to the podcasts, the last one about happy Mefi moments was pretty cool.
Also we all decided we don't like Obama any more after the thing that happened last week. This is McCain country now.
posted by Tehanu at 4:23 PM on July 7, 2008
How the heck do you catch up after a MeFi hiatus?
Where there's smoke, there's fire. Look for the burn marks.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 4:53 PM on July 7, 2008
Where there's smoke, there's fire. Look for the burn marks.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 4:53 PM on July 7, 2008
team lowkey: Or a "remove from recent comments" thing.
Pronoiac: "It's already there - scan for "(remove from activity)" on the recent activity page. It's under the post in the left column."
Yeah, no. I'm talking about the Recent Comments tab. In conjunction with Metafilter Scroll Tag to mark the number of new comments, it's great for keeping up with all the active threads without commenting or favoriting them. Except the page is always half full of meet-up posts.
posted by team lowkey at 4:55 PM on July 7, 2008
Pronoiac: "It's already there - scan for "(remove from activity)" on the recent activity page. It's under the post in the left column."
Yeah, no. I'm talking about the Recent Comments tab. In conjunction with Metafilter Scroll Tag to mark the number of new comments, it's great for keeping up with all the active threads without commenting or favoriting them. Except the page is always half full of meet-up posts.
posted by team lowkey at 4:55 PM on July 7, 2008
Sometimes after a break, I just so fuck it and don't bother catching. If it's important, it'll come out in MetaTalk somewhere, and it's all there, so I can go back and find it anytime I want. Life's too short to worry about what you've been missing. Sometimes.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:21 PM on July 7, 2008
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:21 PM on July 7, 2008
Waitwaitwaitwaitwait.
You can take a break?
posted by interrobang at 6:54 PM on July 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
You can take a break?
posted by interrobang at 6:54 PM on July 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
When I get back from a break, I catch up by posting a MeTa thread, asking what I missed.
posted by UbuRoivas at 7:07 PM on July 7, 2008
posted by UbuRoivas at 7:07 PM on July 7, 2008
When enjoying a select few of my many boxes of post-war Pop-Tarts, I often just shove in the butter through the toasting slots on top of the toaster.
That saves me the pain and embarassment of having to melt butter in a pan, which can leave me listless, brash.
NO I do NOT do this in my shower, Kevin Siferello, Hardy-har-har someday you will feel the glint of Pure Artesian STEEL
when
you
least
expect.
It.
posted by Dizzy at 7:26 PM on July 7, 2008
That saves me the pain and embarassment of having to melt butter in a pan, which can leave me listless, brash.
NO I do NOT do this in my shower, Kevin Siferello, Hardy-har-har someday you will feel the glint of Pure Artesian STEEL
when
you
least
expect.
It.
posted by Dizzy at 7:26 PM on July 7, 2008
Pastabagel writes "Beer was drank."
Well to be honest, that was sizzurp I was drankin.
posted by mullingitover at 7:38 PM on July 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
Well to be honest, that was sizzurp I was drankin.
posted by mullingitover at 7:38 PM on July 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
How the heck do you catch up after a MeFi hiatus?
Just read the dirty parts.
posted by Miastar at 7:43 PM on July 7, 2008
Just read the dirty parts.
posted by Miastar at 7:43 PM on July 7, 2008
Oh. Oh. Oh. I remember. You missed that thing with the muddy flippers and the anorexic cocktail waitress. Boy oh boy.
posted by netbros at 7:50 PM on July 7, 2008
posted by netbros at 7:50 PM on July 7, 2008
you don't. do you go back and read the local paper after a month away? Probably not. MeFi's less urgent than that even.
posted by jonmc at 7:51 PM on July 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by jonmc at 7:51 PM on July 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
How the heck do you catch up after a MeFi hiatus?
Start with a colonic.
posted by octobersurprise at 7:53 PM on July 7, 2008
Start with a colonic.
posted by octobersurprise at 7:53 PM on July 7, 2008
You see, desjardins, you were banned. That's right, banned.
And then you got unpublished and dewonderfuled
posted by spiderwire at 8:29 PM on July 7, 2008
And then you got unpublished and dewonderfuled
posted by spiderwire at 8:29 PM on July 7, 2008
wonderemptied.
posted by UbuRoivas at 8:41 PM on July 7, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by UbuRoivas at 8:41 PM on July 7, 2008 [2 favorites]
MetaFilter: Less urgent than that even.
posted by turgid dahlia at 8:50 PM on July 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by turgid dahlia at 8:50 PM on July 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
If you can afford to miss it the first time, odds are you didn't miss much.
That said, if you return from a hiatus only to find a 404 page, it's all your fucking fault.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 8:59 PM on July 7, 2008
That said, if you return from a hiatus only to find a 404 page, it's all your fucking fault.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 8:59 PM on July 7, 2008
WAITAMINNIT I FORGOT HAVE YOU EVER HEARD ABOUT SOME GUY NAMED BARACK OBAMA?!?
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 9:00 PM on July 7, 2008
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 9:00 PM on July 7, 2008
Well, I read the blue in an RSS reader. So, "mark all as read".
Doing that to 80+ posts a week got depressing for me, so I unsubbed and just browse the blue occasionally now. Really now: ask yourself why you read. Is it for some sense of satisfaction you get from having read all the posts on the blue? 'Cause if that's it then you're pretty well screwed, aren't you?
posted by tarheelcoxn at 9:01 PM on July 7, 2008
Doing that to 80+ posts a week got depressing for me, so I unsubbed and just browse the blue occasionally now. Really now: ask yourself why you read. Is it for some sense of satisfaction you get from having read all the posts on the blue? 'Cause if that's it then you're pretty well screwed, aren't you?
posted by tarheelcoxn at 9:01 PM on July 7, 2008
No. Guy's an asshole.
posted by turgid dahlia at 9:29 PM on July 7, 2008
posted by turgid dahlia at 9:29 PM on July 7, 2008
And anyway I prefer to think of it as a "groove" rather than a "schtick".
posted by turgid dahlia at 9:30 PM on July 7, 2008
posted by turgid dahlia at 9:30 PM on July 7, 2008
Heh. Anyway, sorry if I've somehow offended you, princess. But maybe if I continue to fall short of your Internet Standards in the future, a MeMail would be more useful. I hadn't realised MetaTalk was the Metafilter equivalent of the Symposium and, y'know, if I want to type something, chances are I will.
posted by turgid dahlia at 9:35 PM on July 7, 2008
posted by turgid dahlia at 9:35 PM on July 7, 2008
Even just reading Meta amberglow is going to have a swack load of reading to do when he gets back.
posted by Mitheral at 9:46 PM on July 7, 2008
posted by Mitheral at 9:46 PM on July 7, 2008
But anyway, I take all that back, Burhanistan. I'll stop it with the lame ribald comments but only because I'm pretty sure you're a doctor or something. C'mon, let's hug.
posted by turgid dahlia at 10:03 PM on July 7, 2008
posted by turgid dahlia at 10:03 PM on July 7, 2008
I take breaks all the time; if it's sidebarred, I'll check it out, and if not, I assume that my world will continue even if I don't catch up on everything.
Come to think of it, I do that for just about everything except work-related email.
I don't know how I got this way, but I like it
posted by davejay at 10:11 PM on July 7, 2008
Come to think of it, I do that for just about everything except work-related email.
I don't know how I got this way, but I like it
posted by davejay at 10:11 PM on July 7, 2008
Personally when I take a Mefi break I've found it's best to just ignore the time I was away. To pretend as though metafilter didn't really exist in my absence so I didn't miss a damn thing.
That said, I tend to use delusion and denial as coping mechanisms on a fairly regular basis. Keeps me zen.
posted by miss lynnster at 10:35 PM on July 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
That said, I tend to use delusion and denial as coping mechanisms on a fairly regular basis. Keeps me zen.
posted by miss lynnster at 10:35 PM on July 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
The only breaks I've had from metafilter have been either from travel or loss of internet connection. Either way, I mostly ignore everything that happened while I was away. I might catch up on stuff after a week or so. Except metatalk. I check everything there immediately, because I loves me some drama.
posted by puke & cry at 11:38 PM on July 7, 2008
posted by puke & cry at 11:38 PM on July 7, 2008
</pompous windbag>
Alas, now I know who orthogonality's sock puppet is!
posted by Kwantsar at 7:44 AM on July 8, 2008
Alas, now I know who orthogonality's sock puppet is!
posted by Kwantsar at 7:44 AM on July 8, 2008
I'm in your filters, takin a break.
posted by oxford blue at 7:48 AM on July 8, 2008
posted by oxford blue at 7:48 AM on July 8, 2008
was.
"Ethereal Bligh" was closed down some time ago.
(i kid. i liked EB, notwithstanding his pompous windbaggery)
posted by UbuRoivas at 7:48 AM on July 8, 2008
"Ethereal Bligh" was closed down some time ago.
(i kid. i liked EB, notwithstanding his pompous windbaggery)
posted by UbuRoivas at 7:48 AM on July 8, 2008
What'd I miss?
I learned some valuable life lessons:
While it is certainly possible to eat 15 Red Savina Habaneros in a row, it's not recommended.
When reading up on potential new ways to get high, if someone suggests huffing a small quantity of bleach mixed with a measure of ammonia, don't listen to them. It smells terrible.
Signs that say "Danger: High Voltage" are not bluffing. Or daring you.
When bungee jumping it's important to measure the height before you go off the edge. And this is critical: make sure you use a length of cord that is less than that height when stretched.
No matter how tough you think you are, the grizzly bear will win in unarmed combat.
Hope this helps!
posted by quin at 8:10 AM on July 8, 2008 [3 favorites]
I learned some valuable life lessons:
While it is certainly possible to eat 15 Red Savina Habaneros in a row, it's not recommended.
When reading up on potential new ways to get high, if someone suggests huffing a small quantity of bleach mixed with a measure of ammonia, don't listen to them. It smells terrible.
Signs that say "Danger: High Voltage" are not bluffing. Or daring you.
When bungee jumping it's important to measure the height before you go off the edge. And this is critical: make sure you use a length of cord that is less than that height when stretched.
No matter how tough you think you are, the grizzly bear will win in unarmed combat.
Hope this helps!
posted by quin at 8:10 AM on July 8, 2008 [3 favorites]
Burhanistan, when you're commenting here, you're not rowing. IFYWIM, AITYD.
posted by languagehat at 8:32 AM on July 8, 2008
posted by languagehat at 8:32 AM on July 8, 2008
Which reminds me: I had a not-self-imposed break from MetaFilter and the entire Internet for most of 2001. Did I miss anything?
posted by wendell at 9:03 AM on July 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by wendell at 9:03 AM on July 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
When bungee jumping it's important to measure the height before you go off the edge. And this is critical: make sure you use a length of cord that is less than that height when stretched.
Wait a minute... you're supposed to do bungee jumping with cords that stretch? THAT'S how I'm doing it wrong!
posted by wendell at 9:05 AM on July 8, 2008
Wait a minute... you're supposed to do bungee jumping with cords that stretch? THAT'S how I'm doing it wrong!
posted by wendell at 9:05 AM on July 8, 2008
Is it for some sense of satisfaction you get from having read all the posts on the blue? 'Cause if that's it then you're pretty well screwed, aren't you?
Shit.
posted by desjardins at 11:45 AM on July 8, 2008
Shit.
posted by desjardins at 11:45 AM on July 8, 2008
WAITAMINNIT I FORGOT HAVE YOU EVER HEARD ABOUT SOME GUY NAMED BARACK OBAMA?!?
What the fuck is a Barack?!
posted by danb at 1:52 PM on July 8, 2008
What the fuck is a Barack?!
posted by danb at 1:52 PM on July 8, 2008
Oh, also there was a whole thread about your favorite band.
posted by whir at 2:03 PM on July 8, 2008
posted by whir at 2:03 PM on July 8, 2008
Catch up? I can't even keep up when I'm here, for fuck's sake. There's no way you can ever catch up after a break. Just keep an eye out for unfamiliar MeFi pop culture references and search for them as you find them.
posted by dg at 2:29 PM on July 8, 2008
posted by dg at 2:29 PM on July 8, 2008
Oh, also there was a whole thread about your favorite band.
The consensus was that they're not very good.
posted by drezdn at 7:30 PM on July 8, 2008
a bucket o' cocks happened approximately now-ish
posted by moonbird at 9:35 PM on July 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by moonbird at 9:35 PM on July 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
languagehat: here it is! You dropped it on the step when you came in.
K
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 1:33 AM on July 9, 2008
K
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 1:33 AM on July 9, 2008
How the heck do you catch up after a MeFi hiatus?
Just read the dirty parts.
I tried turning my monitor horizontally by its edges to see which thread came open, but I think I'm doing it wrong.
posted by Sparx at 4:35 AM on July 9, 2008 [1 favorite]
Just read the dirty parts.
I tried turning my monitor horizontally by its edges to see which thread came open, but I think I'm doing it wrong.
posted by Sparx at 4:35 AM on July 9, 2008 [1 favorite]
If you want to go through the blue, just go to
http://www.metafilter.com/index.cfm?page=107
and change the page number to whatever time you'd like. Scan to see what looks interesting based on the FPP.
Rinse.
Repeat.
There's no way to see if there was an excellent comment inside or if a lot of users favorited a FPP, besides actually opening the thread. :/
* Was gone for a while, is going through the blue of September 2007 to February 2008. Right now on December. It takes a while, and is a good time killer*.
posted by fizzix at 12:13 PM on July 9, 2008
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
posted by netbros at 12:46 PM on July 7, 2008