MeFi Housing? April 12, 2013 5:44 PM Subscribe
I launched my latest apartment hunt this week (I'm moving to Chicago!), and turned immediately to the Ask MeFi archives for advice. As I sent my 93rd email to an unknown Craigslist poster this afternoon, it hit me: Wouldn't it be great to do this on MetaFilter? We already have Jobs, which is very close, and Ask threads about housing often include a few leads from other members. In fact, I was tempted to post one myself for this reason, but I don't really have an original question.
Has anyone considered MeFi Housing before? (I didn't see anything in the archives.) Is the active community big enough to support something like this? Is something like this already going on? I haven't been very active IRL, and perhaps big city meetup groups already serve this purpose de facto. If this is unlikely to happen any time soon, but users are interested, could I build it myself?
Has anyone considered MeFi Housing before? (I didn't see anything in the archives.) Is the active community big enough to support something like this? Is something like this already going on? I haven't been very active IRL, and perhaps big city meetup groups already serve this purpose de facto. If this is unlikely to happen any time soon, but users are interested, could I build it myself?
Maybe pool it with jobs and make a 'classifieds' section? Then we'd have our dating subsite too!
posted by mannequito at 6:11 PM on April 12, 2013 [17 favorites]
posted by mannequito at 6:11 PM on April 12, 2013 [17 favorites]
I can see it now : "Housemate sought, experience cleaning dungeons preferable. Declawing skills will get you to the top of the list."
Jobs is kind of quiet, but a classifieds site might work since there's a lot of us that do free cycling etc.
posted by arcticseal at 6:22 PM on April 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
Jobs is kind of quiet, but a classifieds site might work since there's a lot of us that do free cycling etc.
posted by arcticseal at 6:22 PM on April 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
How about a shopping cart subsite where you can use favorites and any skeeball tickets won during meetups to buy completely notional things, like your lost childhood or the soul of Dick Cheney?
posted by XMLicious at 6:40 PM on April 12, 2013 [7 favorites]
posted by XMLicious at 6:40 PM on April 12, 2013 [7 favorites]
Oh man I am absolutely 100% in favor of turning Jobs into a general-purpose classifieds board. It seems like such a natural and useful expansion to me, though I am sure it would require some work to retool Jobs into the new format and of course there would no doubt be moderation and liability issues to sort out.
I still think it would be worthwhile though. This would be the most amazing thing, our own little mini-Craigslist just for MeFites. I can see myself using such a thing constantly.
posted by Scientist at 6:46 PM on April 12, 2013 [27 favorites]
I still think it would be worthwhile though. This would be the most amazing thing, our own little mini-Craigslist just for MeFites. I can see myself using such a thing constantly.
posted by Scientist at 6:46 PM on April 12, 2013 [27 favorites]
Another vote for a classified section!
posted by rabbitrabbit at 6:55 PM on April 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by rabbitrabbit at 6:55 PM on April 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
Could you actually pay someone enough to deal with Mefite sellers and buyers beanplating why they should or should not be able to return what they bought? The U.S. might have to mint that trillion dollar platinum coin.
posted by XMLicious at 7:18 PM on April 12, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by XMLicious at 7:18 PM on April 12, 2013 [2 favorites]
Metafilter provides the entirety of Maslow's hierarchy of needs!
posted by The Whelk at 7:35 PM on April 12, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 7:35 PM on April 12, 2013 [3 favorites]
It has to be called ClassMeFides.
posted by griphus at 7:38 PM on April 12, 2013 [10 favorites]
posted by griphus at 7:38 PM on April 12, 2013 [10 favorites]
Metafilter is a great grandfalloon, but as a foundation to form a karass around a wampeter, i'm not sold.
posted by roboton666 at 7:40 PM on April 12, 2013 [5 favorites]
posted by roboton666 at 7:40 PM on April 12, 2013 [5 favorites]
Also, I think this could be as simple as starting a Google Group and, uh, hoping Google doesn't phase out Google Groups. The MetaFilter NYC one is alive and well!
posted by griphus at 7:42 PM on April 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by griphus at 7:42 PM on April 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
as a foundation to form a karass around a wampeter
I used to bullseye wampeters in my T-16 back home.
posted by XMLicious at 7:52 PM on April 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
I think a lot of these ideas only work if there's a huge overlap in terms of physical location. Jobs you could argue gets to transcend that for jobs that don't require workers to be in an exact city, but housing seems like something that would be really dependent on location.
I have a feeling the chances of getting a lead or a bite from listing your NYC or LA or SF or heck, Salt Lake City room for rent is probably pretty low.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 8:00 PM on April 12, 2013
I have a feeling the chances of getting a lead or a bite from listing your NYC or LA or SF or heck, Salt Lake City room for rent is probably pretty low.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 8:00 PM on April 12, 2013
In less than a year of doing landlord & tenant law I have seen some epic, bitter, terrible disagreements between once-friendly people.
Hands getting cut off would be the least of it. Please god no.
posted by Lemurrhea at 8:36 PM on April 12, 2013 [3 favorites]
Hands getting cut off would be the least of it. Please god no.
posted by Lemurrhea at 8:36 PM on April 12, 2013 [3 favorites]
God forbid we have bitter disagreements on Metafilter. We'd probably have to shut the whole thing down.
posted by ryanrs at 9:18 PM on April 12, 2013 [7 favorites]
posted by ryanrs at 9:18 PM on April 12, 2013 [7 favorites]
It has to be called ClassMeFides.
If so, I hereby announce my intention to pronounce this (silently in my head) as "class-MEH-fid-eez"(kinda rhymes with Mephistopheles, in case iamkimiam is asking).
(Also, hey, I am looking anywhere in the US or Canada for a private secluded room/cottage/cabin/shed/hayloft with a view in which to to slip betimes away on my laptop for a month or two.... If you have any ideas, please do holler at me (pronounced "MEH")).
posted by argonauta at 9:19 PM on April 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
If so, I hereby announce my intention to pronounce this (silently in my head) as "class-MEH-fid-eez"(kinda rhymes with Mephistopheles, in case iamkimiam is asking).
(Also, hey, I am looking anywhere in the US or Canada for a private secluded room/cottage/cabin/shed/hayloft with a view in which to to slip betimes away on my laptop for a month or two.... If you have any ideas, please do holler at me (pronounced "MEH")).
posted by argonauta at 9:19 PM on April 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
The trick is to not just troll the AskMe archives, but actually ask a question about your move. It doesn't have to be 'Help me find an apartment?' Make it a little subtler than that: Should I sell my car if I'm moving to Chicago? or Will I need to seriously update my wardrobe for this new job I got in Chicago? Or, even better, ask about some aspect of the area you're thinking of moving to: I really love deep dish pizza. Where should I live in Chicago to be nearest the best deep dish pizza place?
These are the kinds of questions that bring the folks you want to hear from out of the woodwork. See if you can get one of them alone in MeMail, preferably with them initiating the exchange with an offer of their couch or their spare room. Move in for the kill.
posted by carsonb at 9:51 PM on April 12, 2013 [2 favorites]
These are the kinds of questions that bring the folks you want to hear from out of the woodwork. See if you can get one of them alone in MeMail, preferably with them initiating the exchange with an offer of their couch or their spare room. Move in for the kill.
posted by carsonb at 9:51 PM on April 12, 2013 [2 favorites]
MeFi Housing?
I thought this was going to be a pony request for Metafilter to begin providing housing.
posted by Skygazer at 10:16 PM on April 12, 2013 [11 favorites]
I thought this was going to be a pony request for Metafilter to begin providing housing.
posted by Skygazer at 10:16 PM on April 12, 2013 [11 favorites]
I dunno, my question about my upcoming move didn't generate anything more than "maybe use Craigslist?" and the like. We might have better luck spinning off MeFi New York and MeFi Portland into their own subsites.
posted by Nomyte at 10:17 PM on April 12, 2013
posted by Nomyte at 10:17 PM on April 12, 2013
mattslist
posted by a humble nudibranch at 10:18 PM on April 12, 2013 [6 favorites]
posted by a humble nudibranch at 10:18 PM on April 12, 2013 [6 favorites]
Hey Chicagoans! Let's have a meetup at my house! For 12 months or longer! One of you is invited!
posted by carsonb at 10:25 PM on April 12, 2013 [5 favorites]
posted by carsonb at 10:25 PM on April 12, 2013 [5 favorites]
I thought this was going to be a pony request for Metafilter to begin providing housing
Each city (or census-designated statistical region) with more than a threshold number of mefites in it will get some sort of mefite cohousing / kibbutz / clubhouse / lodge / hostel, where we can go and stay for a few days / play a game of darts / discuss declawing techniques / meet friends in a new city / seek asylum after doing crimes / pick up our mail when traveling. At least that's how I imagine it.
posted by hattifattener at 11:23 PM on April 12, 2013 [6 favorites]
Each city (or census-designated statistical region) with more than a threshold number of mefites in it will get some sort of mefite cohousing / kibbutz / clubhouse / lodge / hostel, where we can go and stay for a few days / play a game of darts / discuss declawing techniques / meet friends in a new city / seek asylum after doing crimes / pick up our mail when traveling. At least that's how I imagine it.
posted by hattifattener at 11:23 PM on April 12, 2013 [6 favorites]
Boy, this is just spinning wildly towards ideas I never imagined. Now that I think of it, Craigslist would be a lot better with a $5 entry fee.
posted by ecmendenhall at 11:26 PM on April 12, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by ecmendenhall at 11:26 PM on April 12, 2013 [4 favorites]
Cough up a lung, where I'm from, MeTa son, Ain't nothing nice
Mentally been many places but I'm MeFi's own
posted by griphus at 6:01 AM on April 13, 2013 [2 favorites]
Mentally been many places but I'm MeFi's own
posted by griphus at 6:01 AM on April 13, 2013 [2 favorites]
Fuck it, let's just buy a small tropical island for everybody to live on. Er make that a large tropical island, we're a pretty big group at this point.
How many $5s does it take to own an island? I will contribute up to three if it means my alt accounts get houses of their own.
posted by Rory Marinich at 6:41 AM on April 13, 2013 [2 favorites]
How many $5s does it take to own an island? I will contribute up to three if it means my alt accounts get houses of their own.
posted by Rory Marinich at 6:41 AM on April 13, 2013 [2 favorites]
Mrs A is watching Fantasy Island on Netflix right now. This cannot wendell.
posted by arcticseal at 7:59 AM on April 13, 2013
posted by arcticseal at 7:59 AM on April 13, 2013
> seek asylum after doing crimes
Well, that's what you get for not being smart from the very beginning.
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 8:06 AM on April 13, 2013 [2 favorites]
Well, that's what you get for not being smart from the very beginning.
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 8:06 AM on April 13, 2013 [2 favorites]
I like the idea of making it into MetaFilter classifieds.
posted by Miko at 10:18 AM on April 13, 2013
posted by Miko at 10:18 AM on April 13, 2013
AskMe best answer: "Get therapy, use a neti pot"
MetaClassified: "Best neti pot therapy for sale"
It would totally tie up any loose knots!
posted by KokuRyu at 1:07 PM on April 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
MetaClassified: "Best neti pot therapy for sale"
It would totally tie up any loose knots!
posted by KokuRyu at 1:07 PM on April 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
the soul of Dick Cheney?
Dick Cheney's soul has already been bought and paid for. It is not for sale because the owner has very special plans for it.
I think a housing and/or classifieds subsite would become a huge pain in the ass for Matt and the mods. I don't think that they are going to want to arbitrate the inevitable disagreements that would arise.
posted by double block and bleed at 2:44 PM on April 13, 2013
Dick Cheney's soul has already been bought and paid for. It is not for sale because the owner has very special plans for it.
I think a housing and/or classifieds subsite would become a huge pain in the ass for Matt and the mods. I don't think that they are going to want to arbitrate the inevitable disagreements that would arise.
posted by double block and bleed at 2:44 PM on April 13, 2013
Could you say more about how MeFi might be involved in bad things that could happen resulting in arbitrating? I'm not sure they'd have to arbitrate any more than they would for, say, Jobs. If I apply for a job on Jobs and don't get it, I don't have recourse to MetaFilter. It's an information thing (I have X available/I want X) and after that, the conversation between the individuals would be private to them. Right? Or not? Is it reasonable to worry that users feeling like they got a raw deal would seek to involve the mods?
posted by Miko at 3:43 PM on April 13, 2013
posted by Miko at 3:43 PM on April 13, 2013
I don't think that the mods would have any obligation to arbitrate but I don't think that would quell the demands for it. Mefites have a different and more demanding relationship to metafilter than users of Craigslist have to it.
posted by double block and bleed at 4:00 PM on April 13, 2013
posted by double block and bleed at 4:00 PM on April 13, 2013
Yeah... I don't think we can say that if someone was carrying out scams and ripping people off through a MeFi classifieds subsite, there wouldn't be any repercussions for the mods. I can agree that ideally there wouldn't but I doubt that reality would match my ideals very closely.
posted by XMLicious at 6:18 PM on April 13, 2013
posted by XMLicious at 6:18 PM on April 13, 2013
We might have better luck spinning off MeFi New York and MeFi Portland into their own subsites.
We have sort of already done this in Portland, it's called "who wants to go get some beer" and it has turned out to be fairly robust.
posted by cortex (staff) at 6:22 PM on April 13, 2013
We have sort of already done this in Portland, it's called "who wants to go get some beer" and it has turned out to be fairly robust.
posted by cortex (staff) at 6:22 PM on April 13, 2013
And yeah, just to like officially have a second mod in here saying this: no. It's a nice idea as an idea but basically a horrorshow of an idea as something to actually do.
posted by cortex (staff) at 6:23 PM on April 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by cortex (staff) at 6:23 PM on April 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
I'll echo those saying the Mefi NYC Google Group is a great resource for NYC advice, classifieds, etc.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:20 PM on April 13, 2013
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:20 PM on April 13, 2013
Rory Marinich: "Fuck it, let's just buy a small Tropical Island for everybody to live on. Er make that a large Tropical Island, we're a pretty big group at this point.
How many $5s does it take to own an island? I will contribute up to three if it means my alt accounts get houses of their own."
Considering that I have the Magic: The Gathering Autocard Anywhere extension going, anywhere from 20-250 sets of $5.
posted by theichibun at 12:49 PM on April 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
How many $5s does it take to own an island? I will contribute up to three if it means my alt accounts get houses of their own."
Considering that I have the Magic: The Gathering Autocard Anywhere extension going, anywhere from 20-250 sets of $5.
posted by theichibun at 12:49 PM on April 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
Would anyone be interested in a Bay Area Google Group (or something like it?) Unless it already exists.
posted by needs more cowbell at 2:25 PM on April 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by needs more cowbell at 2:25 PM on April 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
So, for people considering making spin-off locale Google Groups: I started the NYC one and my advice is to make the group first and invite people to it after, because trying to get a critical mass of people saying "yeah, I'll join" is a lot harder. It's the difference between "hey who wants to go to the movies?" and "I'm going to the movies, who wants to come?" You make the group and worst case scenario, no one joins and you wasted five minutes of your time making a Google Group. I handed over the reigns to the young rope-rider the same day I made the NYC one, so you (as the person who forms the group) don't even have to be responsible for it or moderate it if you don't want to. And according to her (at least the last time I spoke to her about it) the group requires barely any moderation at all.
If you build it, they will come, and all that jazz.
posted by griphus at 2:44 PM on April 14, 2013
If you build it, they will come, and all that jazz.
posted by griphus at 2:44 PM on April 14, 2013
Would anyone be interested in a Bay Area Google Group (or something like it?) Unless it already exists.
I would, I'm moving there soon.
posted by Nomyte at 4:54 PM on April 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
I would, I'm moving there soon.
posted by Nomyte at 4:54 PM on April 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
Most common form of group communication in Chicago (among meetup attendees anyway) appears to be twitter.
posted by garlic at 6:34 PM on April 15, 2013
posted by garlic at 6:34 PM on April 15, 2013
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posted by KokuRyu at 6:08 PM on April 12, 2013 [2 favorites]