SLFPP March 16, 2013 4:19 PM Subscribe
Sometimes a big block of text with multiple links is appropriate for a post, sometimes some short descriptive text and a link and sometimes really all that is required is a single link. However it seems that in recent Meta posts the later gets short shrift, so with that in mind: Single link posters of Mefi, keep up the good work!
Sometimes a big block of text with multiple links is appropriate for a post, sometimes some short descriptive text and a link and sometimes really all that is required is a single link.
What kind of fair and sensible bullshit is this?!?
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 4:36 PM on March 16, 2013 [6 favorites]
What kind of fair and sensible bullshit is this?!?
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 4:36 PM on March 16, 2013 [6 favorites]
You know who's missing the love?
The 'no link' posters.
posted by mazola at 4:49 PM on March 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
The 'no link' posters.
posted by mazola at 4:49 PM on March 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
I'm going to use this space to mention the best possible Ask was answered in the best possible way.
posted by The Whelk at 4:49 PM on March 16, 2013 [11 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 4:49 PM on March 16, 2013 [11 favorites]
Is this a reply thread to the SLYT one down below? It shure feels like it.
posted by marienbad at 4:57 PM on March 16, 2013
posted by marienbad at 4:57 PM on March 16, 2013
An accumulation of MeTa posts and comments was the catalyst - that post may be one of them.
posted by Artw at 5:11 PM on March 16, 2013
posted by Artw at 5:11 PM on March 16, 2013
Foci for Analysis pats This Pony with a large trout
posted by Foci for Analysis at 5:23 PM on March 16, 2013
posted by Foci for Analysis at 5:23 PM on March 16, 2013
How about the metaposts where all of the links go to the same place?
posted by SpacemanStix at 5:23 PM on March 16, 2013
posted by SpacemanStix at 5:23 PM on March 16, 2013
Science has proven that the ideal number of links for a post is 3, plus one to Wikipedia.
posted by Drinky Die at 5:25 PM on March 16, 2013
posted by Drinky Die at 5:25 PM on March 16, 2013
also light hugging.
posted by The Whelk at 5:46 PM on March 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by The Whelk at 5:46 PM on March 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
You're all winners!
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 5:47 PM on March 16, 2013 [7 favorites]
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 5:47 PM on March 16, 2013 [7 favorites]
The 'no link' posters.
And the people who don't get around to posting!
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:54 PM on March 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
And the people who don't get around to posting!
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:54 PM on March 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
also light hugging.
Don't hug lights! You could get burned! Or electrocuted! That's just not safe!
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:55 PM on March 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
Don't hug lights! You could get burned! Or electrocuted! That's just not safe!
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:55 PM on March 16, 2013 [1 favorite]
the single link is the haiku of Metafilter -- it seems easy.
Speaking of which ...
posted by philip-random at 7:22 PM on March 16, 2013
Speaking of which ...
posted by philip-random at 7:22 PM on March 16, 2013
Your welcOme yall
posted by Potomac Avenue at 8:46 PM on March 16, 2013
posted by Potomac Avenue at 8:46 PM on March 16, 2013
Sometimes you just gotta let the link speak for itself.
posted by cthuljew at 10:33 PM on March 16, 2013
posted by cthuljew at 10:33 PM on March 16, 2013
Single link posts are the bestest.
I sometimes wish there was a semi-official special day for them - like Flash Friday in the olden days - as a weekly respite from all the stuffing and padding.
posted by jack_mo at 4:38 AM on March 17, 2013 [3 favorites]
I sometimes wish there was a semi-official special day for them - like Flash Friday in the olden days - as a weekly respite from all the stuffing and padding.
posted by jack_mo at 4:38 AM on March 17, 2013 [3 favorites]
Single Link Sunday!
Megapost Monday!
SLYTubesday!
WorldWideWebnesday!1
I Can't Come Up With Anything For Thursday, This Is Free-form, Go Nuts!2
Flash Friday!
Caturday!
I hereby challenge anyone to follow these criteria for a full month! Upon completion, the winner shall receive four farthings and half a goose3, courtesy of Messrs. Gullet & Slyce, Butchers of Taynt-Upon-Tung, Est. 1732!
1Upon which we focus on non-pigdog American topics!
2Thursday of Mystery, perhaps? Everyone loves a mystery! Or perhaps Tezcatlipoca's Day, for he is mighty and terrible!
3Which goose-half is awarded shall be at the discretion of Messrs. Gullet & Sylce! Hope you like neck!
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 6:39 AM on March 17, 2013 [3 favorites]
Megapost Monday!
SLYTubesday!
WorldWideWebnesday!1
I Can't Come Up With Anything For Thursday, This Is Free-form, Go Nuts!2
Flash Friday!
Caturday!
I hereby challenge anyone to follow these criteria for a full month! Upon completion, the winner shall receive four farthings and half a goose3, courtesy of Messrs. Gullet & Slyce, Butchers of Taynt-Upon-Tung, Est. 1732!
1Upon which we focus on non-pigdog American topics!
2Thursday of Mystery, perhaps? Everyone loves a mystery! Or perhaps Tezcatlipoca's Day, for he is mighty and terrible!
3Which goose-half is awarded shall be at the discretion of Messrs. Gullet & Sylce! Hope you like neck!
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 6:39 AM on March 17, 2013 [3 favorites]
I fully support this message. There is nothing wrong with a single link post.
posted by .kobayashi. at 8:43 AM on March 17, 2013
posted by .kobayashi. at 8:43 AM on March 17, 2013
Single link posts are user-friendly. They say, "See this link? Click it." And it's so easy for us to comply.
Multi-link posts aren't so friendly. They say, "ENTER HERE AT YOUR PERIL." And it's easy to get lost, or to miss the important link(s) among them all. If nothing else, there is more effort required. One has to expend energy determining which of the links to click first. It produces choice paralysis. I often skip right over megalink posts, out of pure exhaustion.
Of course, there are good megalink posts. I really appreciate it when a megalink post is organized so there is one very clear link for the more casual reader, and then all the other links are there just for those who are willing to take an in-depth look. They say, "If you're just browsing, CLICK HERE. But if that enticed you to learn more, click here, here, here, here, and here." Those are nice, friendly megalink posts.
Finally, The Whelk's Ask, linked above, was amazing.
posted by meese at 9:01 AM on March 17, 2013 [4 favorites]
Multi-link posts aren't so friendly. They say, "ENTER HERE AT YOUR PERIL." And it's easy to get lost, or to miss the important link(s) among them all. If nothing else, there is more effort required. One has to expend energy determining which of the links to click first. It produces choice paralysis. I often skip right over megalink posts, out of pure exhaustion.
Of course, there are good megalink posts. I really appreciate it when a megalink post is organized so there is one very clear link for the more casual reader, and then all the other links are there just for those who are willing to take an in-depth look. They say, "If you're just browsing, CLICK HERE. But if that enticed you to learn more, click here, here, here, here, and here." Those are nice, friendly megalink posts.
Finally, The Whelk's Ask, linked above, was amazing.
posted by meese at 9:01 AM on March 17, 2013 [4 favorites]
Multi-link posts aren't so friendly. They say, "ENTER HERE AT YOUR PERIL." And it's easy to get lost, or to miss the important link(s) among them all.
Hear hear. My personal pet peeve with multi-link posts is when there's simply no indication at all of what the links lead to. It's as if the poster had a bunch of links, wrote a paragraph about the subject, and then chose words at random in the paragraph for each of the links. It's particularly irritating when you click around a bit and find out that there is, in fact, just one link which actually matters and that all the rest is just Wikipedia stuff or stuff already linked to in the original, central article or even just stuff that you'd find yourself on the most cursory Googling of the central terms of the article. It's as if some people are just afraid that they'll get chastised for making a "thin" post if it only has one link in it so they pad things out with as many links as they can find. None of which would matter, of course, if they'd just make it clear in the FPP that there really is one centrally important link and that the rest is just background/filler.
posted by yoink at 3:19 PM on March 17, 2013 [3 favorites]
Hear hear. My personal pet peeve with multi-link posts is when there's simply no indication at all of what the links lead to. It's as if the poster had a bunch of links, wrote a paragraph about the subject, and then chose words at random in the paragraph for each of the links. It's particularly irritating when you click around a bit and find out that there is, in fact, just one link which actually matters and that all the rest is just Wikipedia stuff or stuff already linked to in the original, central article or even just stuff that you'd find yourself on the most cursory Googling of the central terms of the article. It's as if some people are just afraid that they'll get chastised for making a "thin" post if it only has one link in it so they pad things out with as many links as they can find. None of which would matter, of course, if they'd just make it clear in the FPP that there really is one centrally important link and that the rest is just background/filler.
posted by yoink at 3:19 PM on March 17, 2013 [3 favorites]
It is somewhat odd to me that this seemed necessary, but since we're here, I'll get this off my chest: there is no need to tell us, in your post, that it consists of a single link. We can see that. That's what the bit of bold, colored text is telling us.
Just post your excellent single link with confidence and aplomb, people. Own it!
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 5:34 PM on March 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
Just post your excellent single link with confidence and aplomb, people. Own it!
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 5:34 PM on March 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
There is only one ep of Aperture R&D and no one has posted it yet. It looks...promising...maybe.
posted by P.o.B. at 9:01 AM on March 18, 2013
posted by P.o.B. at 9:01 AM on March 18, 2013
That's touching me in my secret Better Off Ted place.
posted by The Whelk at 9:15 AM on March 18, 2013
posted by The Whelk at 9:15 AM on March 18, 2013
I love the single link post. I have enough problems with information overload and I come to metafilter to have my meta FILTERED.
Long live single links!
posted by jb at 8:10 PM on March 19, 2013
Long live single links!
posted by jb at 8:10 PM on March 19, 2013
There is only one ep of Aperture R&D and no one has posted it yet. It looks...promising...maybe.
posted by P.o.B. at 9:01 AM on March 18 [+][!]
That's touching me in my secret Better Off Ted place.
posted by The Whelk at 9:15 AM on March 18 [+][!]
That's, what? One, two, three, four, five... six links! The Whelk has betrayed the cause. Sold out for a bunch of context and previous links...
posted by Artw at 8:20 PM on March 19, 2013
posted by P.o.B. at 9:01 AM on March 18 [+][!]
That's touching me in my secret Better Off Ted place.
posted by The Whelk at 9:15 AM on March 18 [+][!]
That's, what? One, two, three, four, five... six links! The Whelk has betrayed the cause. Sold out for a bunch of context and previous links...
posted by Artw at 8:20 PM on March 19, 2013
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posted by The Whelk at 4:22 PM on March 16, 2013 [1 favorite]