Singling out the best single links November 17, 2011 2:12 PM Subscribe
What are the best single-link posts in MeFi history?
Single-link posts, especially SLYTs and SLOEs, are often looked down on for being trivial fluff, while lengthy posts with dozens or hundreds of links routinely rocket to the top of the Popular lists and garner scores of positive comments. As a result, sometimes even strong standalone links are padded out with "filler" that doesn't really need to be there, and which people rarely seem to read. But that can't (and shouldn't) always be the case.
I have a hard time making single-link posts myself, but I'd love to see some great examples of the form. Is there a way to comb the Infodump for this, or does anyone have some great ones bookmarked? Single-link videos, games, stories, websites, whatever -- just as long as there's just one link that drew a lot of favorites, comments, praise, and fantastic flags.
(in b4 catscan)
Single-link posts, especially SLYTs and SLOEs, are often looked down on for being trivial fluff, while lengthy posts with dozens or hundreds of links routinely rocket to the top of the Popular lists and garner scores of positive comments. As a result, sometimes even strong standalone links are padded out with "filler" that doesn't really need to be there, and which people rarely seem to read. But that can't (and shouldn't) always be the case.
I have a hard time making single-link posts myself, but I'd love to see some great examples of the form. Is there a way to comb the Infodump for this, or does anyone have some great ones bookmarked? Single-link videos, games, stories, websites, whatever -- just as long as there's just one link that drew a lot of favorites, comments, praise, and fantastic flags.
(in b4 catscan)
This one, which has a tag 'subjectivity' and the link text is "beauty is in the eye of the beholder."
posted by Effigy2000 at 2:18 PM on November 17, 2011
posted by Effigy2000 at 2:18 PM on November 17, 2011
Is there a way to comb the Infodump for this [...]
Hmm, not directly, I don't think. There's minimal information in there about the actual content of posts: just the title and the tags.
posted by FishBike at 2:23 PM on November 17, 2011
Hmm, not directly, I don't think. There's minimal information in there about the actual content of posts: just the title and the tags.
posted by FishBike at 2:23 PM on November 17, 2011
Self link: Many of my old posts were Single link'ed
posted by growabrain at 3:38 PM on November 17, 2011
posted by growabrain at 3:38 PM on November 17, 2011
Hmm, not directly, I don't think. There's minimal information in there about the actual content of posts: just the title and the tags.
You don't need infodump, just use the monthly archive pages.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 3:52 PM on November 17, 2011
You don't need infodump, just use the monthly archive pages.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 3:52 PM on November 17, 2011
Multi-link posts can be made arbitrarily better by just adding more. Is a post with 11 links better than one with ten? Of course, it's one better, innit?
The post author can add more of himself into the post that way, which can be interesting to read and can produce epic content but I feel kind of goes around Metafilter's intent, which is to spotlight someone else's work.
Short posts rely much more on the link itself. Some explanatory content can be useful in introducing the reader to something they may not have information about, which I consider to be the soul of a good Metafilter post.
(This December, my intent is to make only single-link, or at least low-link, posts, one per day. I might not find enough interesting things to link to by then though, I'm still planning this. Maybe I should set a word limit. Also don't forget: December 26 is Zelda Day!)
posted by JHarris at 4:01 PM on November 17, 2011
The post author can add more of himself into the post that way, which can be interesting to read and can produce epic content but I feel kind of goes around Metafilter's intent, which is to spotlight someone else's work.
Short posts rely much more on the link itself. Some explanatory content can be useful in introducing the reader to something they may not have information about, which I consider to be the soul of a good Metafilter post.
(This December, my intent is to make only single-link, or at least low-link, posts, one per day. I might not find enough interesting things to link to by then though, I'm still planning this. Maybe I should set a word limit. Also don't forget: December 26 is Zelda Day!)
posted by JHarris at 4:01 PM on November 17, 2011
Does it count if there were more links beneath the fold? If so: I nominate Greg Nog's Keyboard Cat, not for the meme but for this exchange.
posted by Rory Marinich at 4:01 PM on November 17, 2011
posted by Rory Marinich at 4:01 PM on November 17, 2011
By the way, as much as single link posts get shat upon there is no shortage of them.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 4:07 PM on November 17, 2011
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 4:07 PM on November 17, 2011
RORY WHO
posted by shakespeherian at 4:19 PM on November 17, 2011
posted by shakespeherian at 4:19 PM on November 17, 2011
HEY RORY IS BACK!
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 4:37 PM on November 17, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 4:37 PM on November 17, 2011 [2 favorites]
I nominate every single link post I have ever made, which is most of them.
posted by reenum at 4:58 PM on November 17, 2011
posted by reenum at 4:58 PM on November 17, 2011
I knew Rory couldn't stay away from me.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:09 PM on November 17, 2011
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:09 PM on November 17, 2011
You don't need infodump, just use the monthly archive pages.
It's not a perfect method, because it doesn't capture the content of the [more inside] section. That said, you can probably do quite well with it by just disregarding any posts that have the [more inside] indicator, since posts with a linkless more-inside seem to be the exception rather than the rule so you wouldn't be missing a lot.
posted by cortex (staff) at 5:10 PM on November 17, 2011
It's not a perfect method, because it doesn't capture the content of the [more inside] section. That said, you can probably do quite well with it by just disregarding any posts that have the [more inside] indicator, since posts with a linkless more-inside seem to be the exception rather than the rule so you wouldn't be missing a lot.
posted by cortex (staff) at 5:10 PM on November 17, 2011
Rory! Where's Amy?
oops, wrong Rory.
posted by oneswellfoop at 5:47 PM on November 17, 2011 [2 favorites]
oops, wrong Rory.
posted by oneswellfoop at 5:47 PM on November 17, 2011 [2 favorites]
I can't find it, but one I remember with fondness was just a single link to a photo of a mantis (IIRC) just looking awesome. The link said something like: Look at this awesome guy.
posted by Kattullus at 5:49 PM on November 17, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Kattullus at 5:49 PM on November 17, 2011 [1 favorite]
Respect Dad's harp. (I don't dispense favorites much myself, but I'll never forget that one. Just beautiful.)
There've been a few of my own that people seemed to like and I was very pleased with.
posted by Gator at 6:00 PM on November 17, 2011
There've been a few of my own that people seemed to like and I was very pleased with.
posted by Gator at 6:00 PM on November 17, 2011
Plane crashes in to the word trade center.
posted by kirkaracha at 6:03 PM on November 17, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by kirkaracha at 6:03 PM on November 17, 2011 [2 favorites]
Oh, and who could ever forget: What's That? (Incredibly, the original link still works.)
posted by Gator at 6:13 PM on November 17, 2011
posted by Gator at 6:13 PM on November 17, 2011
The MUSHROOM thread! Ah the memories. Good times.
posted by Miko at 7:06 PM on November 17, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Miko at 7:06 PM on November 17, 2011 [1 favorite]
Oh, and who could ever forget: What's That?
The obvious answer to that is, I have no idea.
posted by unliteral at 7:23 PM on November 17, 2011
The obvious answer to that is, I have no idea.
posted by unliteral at 7:23 PM on November 17, 2011
Because I have a fear of heights and because I enjoying triggering it from the safety and comfort of a recliner with a laptop, from 2008 and 2010 and bonus YT link.
posted by marsha56 at 7:51 PM on November 17, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by marsha56 at 7:51 PM on November 17, 2011 [1 favorite]
The favorite single link I ever posted was tickling the ivories which elicited amusing comments - but it now has a broken link but the NSFW clip can be found here.
I love the single link posts. Here's just a few that stick out in my mind from days of yore.
The Story of Suzanne
An autistic woman speaks her "language" then ours
A Year In Pyongyang
Awesome tapes from Africa
posted by madamjujujive at 8:18 PM on November 17, 2011 [1 favorite]
I love the single link posts. Here's just a few that stick out in my mind from days of yore.
The Story of Suzanne
An autistic woman speaks her "language" then ours
A Year In Pyongyang
Awesome tapes from Africa
posted by madamjujujive at 8:18 PM on November 17, 2011 [1 favorite]
Wow, that link to "An autistic woman ..." is really wonderful! Thanks for pointing that out madamjjj.
posted by marsha56 at 8:48 PM on November 17, 2011
posted by marsha56 at 8:48 PM on November 17, 2011
Just what is the deal with Jughead's weird crown cap?
posted by rollick at 8:55 PM on November 17, 2011 [5 favorites]
posted by rollick at 8:55 PM on November 17, 2011 [5 favorites]
The Mushroom Thread is great, but bittersweet considering the poster's untimely death.
posted by Rumple at 9:07 PM on November 17, 2011
posted by Rumple at 9:07 PM on November 17, 2011
unliteral: The obvious answer to that is, I have no idea.
I miss tellurian. He made some stunning, out of leftfield posts.
posted by Kattullus at 5:30 AM on November 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
I miss tellurian. He made some stunning, out of leftfield posts.
posted by Kattullus at 5:30 AM on November 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
RORY'S GOING TO YALE!
posted by Snarl Furillo at 9:17 AM on November 18, 2011
posted by Snarl Furillo at 9:17 AM on November 18, 2011
RORY CAUGHT RICKETS FROM BATS
posted by Rory Marinich at 12:32 PM on November 18, 2011
posted by Rory Marinich at 12:32 PM on November 18, 2011
YOU ARE TOO YOUNG FOR THAT REFERENCE
posted by Gator at 12:49 PM on November 18, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Gator at 12:49 PM on November 18, 2011 [2 favorites]
Leaving home is the worst thing that can happen to some shows. I mean, you can probably track it to changes in writing and stuff too, but sending Rory to Yale, hanging out on New Caprica (at least this one gets better), leaving Agrestic-- those shows need their environment, and taking the characters out of it really shows how poorly the characters can stand up on their own.
posted by NoraReed at 2:49 PM on November 18, 2011
posted by NoraReed at 2:49 PM on November 18, 2011
Rory! Yay! I think I owe you a Bishop Allen CD.
posted by maryr at 9:56 PM on November 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by maryr at 9:56 PM on November 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
Loved the Jughead post because that is tracking down cultural history and documenting it. I always had a feeling that Jughead's cap seemed familiar but I was never sure why. How did I never make the link to Goober?
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 11:35 AM on November 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 11:35 AM on November 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
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posted by lapsangsouchong at 2:16 PM on November 17, 2011 [6 favorites]