throw apologetic in there July 11, 2012 2:33 PM Subscribe
Comedian Myq Kaplan has joined metafilter to comment about our comments on his latest project!
Plus, once again, we are better than Reddit.
Plus, once again, we are better than Reddit.
I am surprised that post survived, since there's supposed to be a no kickstarter rule.
posted by cjorgensen at 2:35 PM on July 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by cjorgensen at 2:35 PM on July 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
there's supposed to be a no kickstarter rule.
We actually had a discussion about this. If I can quote my esteemed colleague cortex:
I feel like on the inevitable-metatalk side it's a battle between defending super strict application of a guideline vs. defending displaying some flexibility in exceptional cases, and I'd rather do the latter.
And we agreed. We also discouraged another member (who emailed to ask us about a potential post that had a sort of oblique Kickstarter reference) from making another Kickstarter post until the funding window had closed. People who require bright line always-applicable rules (as opposed to the general guidelines that are 99% applicable) are probably already angry and miserable here anyhow. But yeah, we knew it would be a problematic decision but I'm glad it worked out like this.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 2:39 PM on July 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
We actually had a discussion about this. If I can quote my esteemed colleague cortex:
I feel like on the inevitable-metatalk side it's a battle between defending super strict application of a guideline vs. defending displaying some flexibility in exceptional cases, and I'd rather do the latter.
And we agreed. We also discouraged another member (who emailed to ask us about a potential post that had a sort of oblique Kickstarter reference) from making another Kickstarter post until the funding window had closed. People who require bright line always-applicable rules (as opposed to the general guidelines that are 99% applicable) are probably already angry and miserable here anyhow. But yeah, we knew it would be a problematic decision but I'm glad it worked out like this.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 2:39 PM on July 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
I figured since it had reached it's goal (and that its goal fundamentally was a spoof of funding goals rather than actual funding), and that I posted it below the fold, it was be cool. Also cuz I'm a bulletproof tiger, dude!
posted by Potomac Avenue at 2:45 PM on July 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by Potomac Avenue at 2:45 PM on July 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
Yes, it was be cool. I was be cool to and it were cool that Myq came and posted here toos.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 2:45 PM on July 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Potomac Avenue at 2:45 PM on July 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
Also I am assuming you do not, in any fashion, know Myq, because otherwise we have a problem here.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 2:47 PM on July 11, 2012
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 2:47 PM on July 11, 2012
I saw his show once and said Hi to him, but he wouldn't ever remember me so I think that doesn't count right?
posted by Potomac Avenue at 2:50 PM on July 11, 2012
posted by Potomac Avenue at 2:50 PM on July 11, 2012
I'm fine with the no bright line rule. If anything I dislike the no kickstarter rule, since I find a lot of neat things on there. It always seems weird to wait until the project closes before you tell anyone about it. It's like telling people about a cool party you went to last night.
posted by cjorgensen at 3:00 PM on July 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by cjorgensen at 3:00 PM on July 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
Also we went to college together and were on the same swim team but again he doesn't remember me. We lived together briefly in Spain but only as friends, though one night we took a moped ride out to the Mercado and I wrapped my arms tightly around his leather jacket, the Spanish wind whipping through my long blonde hair and I whispered FORGET ME MY STALLION IM NO GOOD FOR YOU and he did. Full disclosure.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 3:03 PM on July 11, 2012 [15 favorites]
posted by Potomac Avenue at 3:03 PM on July 11, 2012 [15 favorites]
Full frontal disclosure?
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:09 PM on July 11, 2012
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:09 PM on July 11, 2012
It always seems weird to wait until the project closes before you tell anyone about it.
I'm pretty sure that's because posting before the fundraising is over treads too close to "go give money!" which is one of the things we Don't Do Here.
posted by tzikeh at 3:24 PM on July 11, 2012
I'm pretty sure that's because posting before the fundraising is over treads too close to "go give money!" which is one of the things we Don't Do Here.
posted by tzikeh at 3:24 PM on July 11, 2012
I told you he's smart--he already figured out the fastest way to get in our good graces was to say we're better than Reddit.
Welcome, Myq, I hope you enjoy the site.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 3:27 PM on July 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
Welcome, Myq, I hope you enjoy the site.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 3:27 PM on July 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
It always seems weird to wait until the project closes before you tell anyone about it.
Well, you can tell anyone you like about it, as much as you want. You just can't use the front page of Metafilter to do it. I tell people about Kickstarters all the damn time, on twitter or on my blogs or in person.
posted by cortex (staff) at 5:23 PM on July 11, 2012
Well, you can tell anyone you like about it, as much as you want. You just can't use the front page of Metafilter to do it. I tell people about Kickstarters all the damn time, on twitter or on my blogs or in person.
posted by cortex (staff) at 5:23 PM on July 11, 2012
Well, you can tell anyone you like about it, as much as you want. You just use the front page of Metafilter to do it.
You heard it here first, folks, MeFi mod approves all the Kickstarter posts you want.
Or possibly you left out a word there.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 5:33 PM on July 11, 2012 [3 favorites]
You heard it here first, folks, MeFi mod approves all the Kickstarter posts you want.
Or possibly you left out a word there.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 5:33 PM on July 11, 2012 [3 favorites]
I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, IT'S WEIRD HOW YOU MISSED A WORD WHEN YOU QUOTED ME, MAYBE YOU'RE BAD AT COPYING OR PASTING, SEE A DOCTOR
posted by cortex (staff) at 5:34 PM on July 11, 2012 [9 favorites]
posted by cortex (staff) at 5:34 PM on July 11, 2012 [9 favorites]
You just can't use the front page of Metafilter to do it.
Except when you can. Like I said, I'm fine with there being no bright line for rules lawyering, but what you write seems like a hard-and-fast proscription when it's already been stated it's not.
posted by cjorgensen at 6:33 PM on July 11, 2012
Except when you can. Like I said, I'm fine with there being no bright line for rules lawyering, but what you write seems like a hard-and-fast proscription when it's already been stated it's not.
posted by cjorgensen at 6:33 PM on July 11, 2012
The favorites I got from MyqKaplan are some of my favorite favorites.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 6:36 PM on July 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 6:36 PM on July 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
Well, here's the thing. It's pretty hard-and-fast, by mefi guidelines standards. The default case is "do not link to active Kickstarters on the front page", and it has to be a fairly exceptional case for that not to be applied. And we'd rather have making the odd exception for something like Myq's project be something that's workable than to have to be completely ironclad about it, but we're trying to be clear that this isn't so much a "not the best idea" sort of issue in general so much as a "your post will almost certainly be deleted" issue.
It's an odd situation because it's an emergent refinement of the more general long-standing "don't use the front page for fundraising/activism/charity/etc" rule, which is itself pretty firm but is aimed at a very broad set of potential posts. Kickstarter is a very specific kind of place that does one specific thing, and that thing clashes with our guidelines in a way that makes most Kickstarter-project-centric posts non-starters regardless of whether they're in fact neat projects.
The Kickstarter phenomenon is a big interesting weird new thing in general, which is pretty much the only reason we've had to establish a new specific rule about it. And it's about as close to a firm rule as we get around here, other than "no self-links".
posted by cortex (staff) at 6:42 PM on July 11, 2012
It's an odd situation because it's an emergent refinement of the more general long-standing "don't use the front page for fundraising/activism/charity/etc" rule, which is itself pretty firm but is aimed at a very broad set of potential posts. Kickstarter is a very specific kind of place that does one specific thing, and that thing clashes with our guidelines in a way that makes most Kickstarter-project-centric posts non-starters regardless of whether they're in fact neat projects.
The Kickstarter phenomenon is a big interesting weird new thing in general, which is pretty much the only reason we've had to establish a new specific rule about it. And it's about as close to a firm rule as we get around here, other than "no self-links".
posted by cortex (staff) at 6:42 PM on July 11, 2012
I flagged the post, but I did move on. I only brought it up because it came up.
The reason I don't like the no kickstarter rule is because, to me, I think it should be a matter of framing. If it's "Look at this cool thing!" I am cool with that. That's 80% of what metafilter is. If the framing is, "You should help fund this thing so it can exist," then not cool. One is an obvious delete. The other almost seems like there's a mistrust of intent. Like team mod doesn't trust people to post things because they liked them or found them interesting. Or maybe doesn't trust the readership to decide the merits of funding and whether or not we'd want to.
Maybe I missed where it was becoming a problem, so maybe I lack information, but I love my "Things We Love On Kickstarter" emails I get from them, and often think, "That would make a great Metafilter post if it were allowed." It's like just because they are raising money doesn't negate the cool in my mind.
It also seems fairly easy to skate this rule. I've already seen a couple go by where the link was just the first comment instead of in the post itself. This is letter/spirit lawyering. People also don't understand the no kickstarter rule. Some people think it pertains to comments as well. In the Kicksaver post I made there was commentary that implied it was a bad thing being done.
posted by cjorgensen at 7:34 PM on July 11, 2012
The reason I don't like the no kickstarter rule is because, to me, I think it should be a matter of framing. If it's "Look at this cool thing!" I am cool with that. That's 80% of what metafilter is. If the framing is, "You should help fund this thing so it can exist," then not cool. One is an obvious delete. The other almost seems like there's a mistrust of intent. Like team mod doesn't trust people to post things because they liked them or found them interesting. Or maybe doesn't trust the readership to decide the merits of funding and whether or not we'd want to.
Maybe I missed where it was becoming a problem, so maybe I lack information, but I love my "Things We Love On Kickstarter" emails I get from them, and often think, "That would make a great Metafilter post if it were allowed." It's like just because they are raising money doesn't negate the cool in my mind.
It also seems fairly easy to skate this rule. I've already seen a couple go by where the link was just the first comment instead of in the post itself. This is letter/spirit lawyering. People also don't understand the no kickstarter rule. Some people think it pertains to comments as well. In the Kicksaver post I made there was commentary that implied it was a bad thing being done.
posted by cjorgensen at 7:34 PM on July 11, 2012
This is letter/spirit lawyering.
I've seen one and it made us double down on "seriously no Kickstarter" stuff. I really see where you are coming from, but for a longstanding site with page rank like ours there is a lot of incentive for people to post their thing here if they feel it can make them [or their friends] money. This goes for spammers as well as for people with cool Kickstarter projects. There are enough other places on the internet where you can promote your Kickstarter project, we'd like to really not have MeFi be a place for that sort of thing.
So yeah we rely on trust for people to sort of help us keep the front page from becoming a spam and/or "me and/or my friends and/or this good cause need money" haven. The projects are still cool, definitely [and there are ways to promote them by getting Matt to link them in the curated section he does] but yeah it was becoming a problem and anything other than a fairly bright line rule puts us in a weird position of judging worthiness and we don't want to get stuck there.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:41 PM on July 11, 2012
I've seen one and it made us double down on "seriously no Kickstarter" stuff. I really see where you are coming from, but for a longstanding site with page rank like ours there is a lot of incentive for people to post their thing here if they feel it can make them [or their friends] money. This goes for spammers as well as for people with cool Kickstarter projects. There are enough other places on the internet where you can promote your Kickstarter project, we'd like to really not have MeFi be a place for that sort of thing.
So yeah we rely on trust for people to sort of help us keep the front page from becoming a spam and/or "me and/or my friends and/or this good cause need money" haven. The projects are still cool, definitely [and there are ways to promote them by getting Matt to link them in the curated section he does] but yeah it was becoming a problem and anything other than a fairly bright line rule puts us in a weird position of judging worthiness and we don't want to get stuck there.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:41 PM on July 11, 2012
Can you still get that Meta shirt that looks like the Mets? I regret not buying that.
posted by milarepa at 8:03 PM on July 11, 2012
posted by milarepa at 8:03 PM on July 11, 2012
Here are some things that are true, plus maybe some things that are neither true nor false... but nothing false, I think...
I am happy to make happy the people who are happy!
Thanks for being cool about your rules that I didn't know about, in a way that if you weren't, I still wouldn't know about.
I don't know anyone named Potomac Avenue. But someone did say "hi" to me once. Maybe more than one person.
I appreciate the kind words from people who know who I am, what I've done, and what I'm like in your minds and/or real life. I had a fun time doing those podcasts (and other ones, and things that aren't podcasts).
In conclusion, thanks for welcoming me! I welcome your welcome. (Weird, if you thank someone for welcoming you, you're basically saying "thank you" in response to "you're welcome," which is backwards. What goes on in this world?)
Dorsal.
Fin.
posted by MyqKaplan at 10:30 PM on July 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
I am happy to make happy the people who are happy!
Thanks for being cool about your rules that I didn't know about, in a way that if you weren't, I still wouldn't know about.
I don't know anyone named Potomac Avenue. But someone did say "hi" to me once. Maybe more than one person.
I appreciate the kind words from people who know who I am, what I've done, and what I'm like in your minds and/or real life. I had a fun time doing those podcasts (and other ones, and things that aren't podcasts).
In conclusion, thanks for welcoming me! I welcome your welcome. (Weird, if you thank someone for welcoming you, you're basically saying "thank you" in response to "you're welcome," which is backwards. What goes on in this world?)
Dorsal.
Fin.
posted by MyqKaplan at 10:30 PM on July 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
But someone did say "hi" to me once. Maybe more than one person.
In series, or was this a Greek Chorus sort of deal?
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:38 PM on July 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
In series, or was this a Greek Chorus sort of deal?
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:38 PM on July 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
Good question. Greek people have definitely said hi to me, and also choruses have, but never at the same time.
posted by MyqKaplan at 10:44 PM on July 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by MyqKaplan at 10:44 PM on July 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
Do you mean never at the same perceptible moment, or is it that you keep a log of the hour:minute timestamps of all your received salutations such that you are able to assert with confidence that no Greek person has said hi to you at e.g. 3:47 if a chorus has done so at that time?
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:50 PM on July 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:50 PM on July 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
I actually know all the Greek people, and none of them have said Hi to MyqKaplan... unless someone is lying to me. The chorus, I can't answer for. Chorus does what it wants and don't give a shit.
posted by taz (staff) at 10:57 PM on July 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by taz (staff) at 10:57 PM on July 11, 2012 [1 favorite]
I did mean at the same perceptible moment. But now that my Greek ruse has been revealed, I guess that doesn't matter. The jig is up! A Greek person was just saying hi NEAR me, and I exaggerated. Then a Greek chorus chanted about my shame, until this very day.
posted by MyqKaplan at 11:35 PM on July 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by MyqKaplan at 11:35 PM on July 11, 2012 [2 favorites]
I think that was just when some men chanted "evening."
posted by Devils Rancher at 4:58 AM on July 12, 2012
posted by Devils Rancher at 4:58 AM on July 12, 2012
Some men chanted "evening"... I like it! Though it's possible that I am remembering incorrectly and that it was only one nice boy and not a whole chorus. i.e. some mensch chanted "evening."
PS I hope everyone is having at least as much as half the fun I'm having here.
posted by MyqKaplan at 6:28 AM on July 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
PS I hope everyone is having at least as much as half the fun I'm having here.
posted by MyqKaplan at 6:28 AM on July 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
This is mildly pleasurable. Mildly.
posted by The Michael The at 6:37 AM on July 12, 2012
posted by The Michael The at 6:37 AM on July 12, 2012
Well, you know what they say, a mild pleasure in the hand is worth two mild pleasures in the bush?
(I didn't mean for that to be so full of innuendo when it started. But sometimes things take on a life of their own, when you impregnate them with words.)
posted by MyqKaplan at 6:42 AM on July 12, 2012 [2 favorites]
(I didn't mean for that to be so full of innuendo when it started. But sometimes things take on a life of their own, when you impregnate them with words.)
posted by MyqKaplan at 6:42 AM on July 12, 2012 [2 favorites]
I have had several members of Greekish fraternal organizations high near me, but they were repeating the verse, not the chorus, of Freebird.
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:35 AM on July 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:35 AM on July 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
Weird! I once had several freakish fraternal organizations singing Greebird at me.
PS When is communication no longer communication? When it's a this!
posted by MyqKaplan at 8:49 AM on July 12, 2012 [2 favorites]
PS When is communication no longer communication? When it's a this!
posted by MyqKaplan at 8:49 AM on July 12, 2012 [2 favorites]
You people are all on drugs.
posted by cjorgensen at 8:51 AM on July 12, 2012
posted by cjorgensen at 8:51 AM on July 12, 2012
I'm fearful for freakish fraternal Greek's gleeful Freebirds.
posted by Devils Rancher at 9:24 AM on July 12, 2012
posted by Devils Rancher at 9:24 AM on July 12, 2012
I have never heard of you, Myq, but I intend to spend at least part of this (some men chanted) evening seeking out your videos on YouTube, assuming there are some.
You seem like good people.
posted by bondcliff at 11:42 AM on July 12, 2012
You seem like good people.
posted by bondcliff at 11:42 AM on July 12, 2012
Mark this down as the first time I didn't show up in a thread and mockingly type something along the lines of "look at the funny comedian saying funny things!" Two days prior to the original thread I heard you on the Marc Maron podcast and you had me laughing on the train home from work. I tend to fall asleep on the train and in Chicago that can be a dangerous thing. So thank you Myq, for making me laugh and possibly saving me from getting mugged in my sleep.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 1:36 PM on July 12, 2012
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 1:36 PM on July 12, 2012
MyqKaplan is being really nice here. Shouldn't last long. :-)
(Wondering if he knows about the Scott Adams Episode.)
posted by Danf at 2:52 PM on July 12, 2012
(Wondering if he knows about the Scott Adams Episode.)
posted by Danf at 2:52 PM on July 12, 2012
That comparison is only useful if it turns out that Myq is Scott Adams, which is unlikely because he has so far not yet praised Scott Adams or used the word "masturdebating", but in any case if that were so then of course he'd know about the Scott Adams things and it'd just be Dilberts all the way down.
posted by cortex (staff) at 2:54 PM on July 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by cortex (staff) at 2:54 PM on July 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
Dilberts all the way down
Coincidentally, that's my porn star name.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:04 PM on July 12, 2012
Coincidentally, that's my porn star name.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:04 PM on July 12, 2012
It would be worrying if we lived in Dilbert space rather than Hilbert space.
posted by Talkie Toaster at 3:07 PM on July 12, 2012
posted by Talkie Toaster at 3:07 PM on July 12, 2012
Bondcliff, I hope you find what you are looking for on Youtube or other sites where you might find videos of me that do indeed exist. You also seem like good people. Together we are good peoples.
Kevin, glad I could help keep both your body and soul alive on a train. If you believe in a soul. Which you needn't. Point is, glad your body laughed.
Regarding the Scott Adams episode, I have not yet clicked there because I have been driving all day (with my friend Gaby Dunn who has been discussed on this site previously, I am told). But I did once write a song long ago which included the phrase "master debater" which I do not play any more, you're welcome, and have enjoyed many of the works of Scott Adams (especially a short story book I read once), though I don't know everything about him, which I believe means that I am not him. Unless he is crazy and doesn't know he's me. In which case maybe? But probably not. Point is, thank you for saying I am nice. That is nice of you. PS I will check out the episode when I can. Unless I shouldn't.
Let me know! Sorry about the delay! Hope we are all still friends! Or if I answered the Mefi pronunciation question wrong in the other thread and we're not, then it was fun while it lasted. Good work, and thanks everyone!
posted by MyqKaplan at 4:11 PM on July 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
Kevin, glad I could help keep both your body and soul alive on a train. If you believe in a soul. Which you needn't. Point is, glad your body laughed.
Regarding the Scott Adams episode, I have not yet clicked there because I have been driving all day (with my friend Gaby Dunn who has been discussed on this site previously, I am told). But I did once write a song long ago which included the phrase "master debater" which I do not play any more, you're welcome, and have enjoyed many of the works of Scott Adams (especially a short story book I read once), though I don't know everything about him, which I believe means that I am not him. Unless he is crazy and doesn't know he's me. In which case maybe? But probably not. Point is, thank you for saying I am nice. That is nice of you. PS I will check out the episode when I can. Unless I shouldn't.
Let me know! Sorry about the delay! Hope we are all still friends! Or if I answered the Mefi pronunciation question wrong in the other thread and we're not, then it was fun while it lasted. Good work, and thanks everyone!
posted by MyqKaplan at 4:11 PM on July 12, 2012 [1 favorite]
The point of the no kickstarter thing is that the front page isn't for fundraising or causes, and I think that fundraising is rather beside the point for this particular one, so it's kind of okay.
posted by empath at 5:07 PM on July 12, 2012
posted by empath at 5:07 PM on July 12, 2012
That is nice of you. PS I will check out the episode when I can. Unless I shouldn't.
It should be read as a cautionary tale and may inform your future dealings with cortex.
posted by Danf at 8:01 AM on July 13, 2012
It should be read as a cautionary tale and may inform your future dealings with cortex.
posted by Danf at 8:01 AM on July 13, 2012
Starting from the thread itself is the more immersive approach if you're in for the the sort of epistolatory mystery novella approach, but if you don't want to dedicate a couple hours you can always read the cheat sheet for a summary.
posted by cortex (staff) at 9:16 AM on July 13, 2012
posted by cortex (staff) at 9:16 AM on July 13, 2012
Best Metatalk thread ever? Or BEST METATALK THREAD EVER?
posted by Potomac Avenue at 10:26 AM on July 13, 2012
posted by Potomac Avenue at 10:26 AM on July 13, 2012
or... best metatalk thread ever?
Cortext, thanks for the cheat sheet. I read it! And now I understand. Just so everyone knows, I am not Scott Adams. Wink.
Everyone's okay maybe!
posted by MyqKaplan at 11:12 AM on July 13, 2012
Cortext, thanks for the cheat sheet. I read it! And now I understand. Just so everyone knows, I am not Scott Adams. Wink.
Everyone's okay maybe!
posted by MyqKaplan at 11:12 AM on July 13, 2012
« Older MetaFilter Shirts. For real, this time. Let's make... | Can we get notifications for deletions? Newer »
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 2:35 PM on July 11, 2012 [1 favorite]