Thank you, Metafilter March 23, 2019 8:40 AM Subscribe
Today is my 14th anniversary of ponying up $5. Since then, I've moved to my fourth continent. Thank you for the longest running stable relationship I've had since 2005, Metafilter. Tell me about being alone in some challengingly new environment (like a rural African village, ha!) and how being able to access Metafilter made all the difference for you.
Its all those ponies we ask for... gotta house them somewhere
posted by infini at 8:57 AM on March 23, 2019 [17 favorites]
posted by infini at 8:57 AM on March 23, 2019 [17 favorites]
Challenging environments are found in my mind palace I guess.
A boring being-alone-at-home period in late Swedish spring (too much light+light sleep), while my now-spouse and co-mefite was in Virginia for a grandma funeral: to dissipate morbid thoughts in those continuous-twilight nights, I threw myself into the longest-ever alphabet thread, making it even longer and the nights shorter.
A two-years postdoc in the UK (just before "duh-duuuuh-duh-duh....right!"–Cameron was elected) where I found some counterweight to my solitary flat-existence on the green, blue and grey.
Two periods of chaperoning respective dying parent toward a most worthy possible end; the loneliness is an anticipated existential loneliness here; I needed (and found) distractions with blue, green or grey tints. That kind of thing.
Also congrats! infini, you are the first Mefite who attracted my attention for being someone always worth listening to.
posted by Namlit at 12:13 PM on March 23, 2019 [7 favorites]
A boring being-alone-at-home period in late Swedish spring (too much light+light sleep), while my now-spouse and co-mefite was in Virginia for a grandma funeral: to dissipate morbid thoughts in those continuous-twilight nights, I threw myself into the longest-ever alphabet thread, making it even longer and the nights shorter.
A two-years postdoc in the UK (just before "duh-duuuuh-duh-duh....right!"–Cameron was elected) where I found some counterweight to my solitary flat-existence on the green, blue and grey.
Two periods of chaperoning respective dying parent toward a most worthy possible end; the loneliness is an anticipated existential loneliness here; I needed (and found) distractions with blue, green or grey tints. That kind of thing.
Also congrats! infini, you are the first Mefite who attracted my attention for being someone always worth listening to.
posted by Namlit at 12:13 PM on March 23, 2019 [7 favorites]
MetaFilter got me through the lonely country and long hours of being a new mother. It comforted me in grief. It has kept me informed and sane in the middle of Trumpland. Thank you, MetaFilter.
posted by MonkeyToes at 12:18 PM on March 23, 2019 [8 favorites]
posted by MonkeyToes at 12:18 PM on March 23, 2019 [8 favorites]
Life can be a strange and lonely place, and tribes can shift and change. I knew so many of your voices, lurking before I became official, because sometimes it’s enough just to listen and to know someone’s out there. Thanks for being there, MetaFilter.
posted by Nancy_LockIsLit_Palmer at 1:02 PM on March 23, 2019 [12 favorites]
posted by Nancy_LockIsLit_Palmer at 1:02 PM on March 23, 2019 [12 favorites]
I'm only at 12! But knowing MeFi is here has gotten me through some really tough times, just realizing that there are some sane people out there online. Some good, funny, awesome, sane people who operate in reality.
posted by cashman at 3:18 PM on March 23, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by cashman at 3:18 PM on March 23, 2019 [2 favorites]
Happy anniversary infini. :)
posted by lazaruslong at 3:58 PM on March 23, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by lazaruslong at 3:58 PM on March 23, 2019 [2 favorites]
Happy anniversary!!
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:01 PM on March 23, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:01 PM on March 23, 2019 [2 favorites]
Happy anniversary, infini! I value your contributions here and am glad to know you through here and mltshp. I always love hearing/seeing your experiences in technology and life in general in various contexts/countries/eras.
I agree with, share, and/or can understand many of the sentiments above. I think many of us would agree that life post-2016 election qualifies as "challengingly new environment" regardless of location. I didn't really have many people to talk to IRL about how to cope, or what to do, or what this or that meant. Without MeFi I'd probably get my news from mainstream media, and as we know, that's...not ideal.
And especially in these times, I've gotten less patient when I hear friends or family say something that is really far from my own beliefs or values. This has its pros and cons. But MeFi/Ask has been there to help me feel less adrift in those circumstances too. My usual response was just to clam up (and honestly, I still find myself doing that sometimes) but I'd like to think I'm better at sticking up for myself.
posted by rangefinder 1.4 at 7:52 PM on March 23, 2019 [3 favorites]
I agree with, share, and/or can understand many of the sentiments above. I think many of us would agree that life post-2016 election qualifies as "challengingly new environment" regardless of location. I didn't really have many people to talk to IRL about how to cope, or what to do, or what this or that meant. Without MeFi I'd probably get my news from mainstream media, and as we know, that's...not ideal.
And especially in these times, I've gotten less patient when I hear friends or family say something that is really far from my own beliefs or values. This has its pros and cons. But MeFi/Ask has been there to help me feel less adrift in those circumstances too. My usual response was just to clam up (and honestly, I still find myself doing that sometimes) but I'd like to think I'm better at sticking up for myself.
posted by rangefinder 1.4 at 7:52 PM on March 23, 2019 [3 favorites]
Happy 14th infini!
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 1:47 AM on March 24, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 1:47 AM on March 24, 2019 [2 favorites]
Congrats! I’m a few months into my second year in Sweden. MeFites helped me decide to move here, gave me tips on taking care of my skin in cold weather, have provided comfort when I have been feeling blue, and showed up to meet me in person when I was in Pittsburgh recently. MF has given me a correspondent I adore, helped wean me from real-life drama, and given me some insider jokes and groovy lingo to drop on occasion. A+++ would sign up again.
posted by Bella Donna at 4:47 AM on March 24, 2019 [7 favorites]
posted by Bella Donna at 4:47 AM on March 24, 2019 [7 favorites]
Happy anniversary!
I can not really overstate the importance, the plain old usefulness, of being able to travel the world and having there be a relatively good chance that there will be someone somewhat nearby to have a beer or a coffee with. Someone who I have some common frames of reference with, who knows some of the same in-jokes. I love my real life community very much but gosh sometimes I just want that flash of in-joke recognition in that nerdy "We've got cameras" way and I love that wherever I go, I've got that with me.
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 8:52 AM on March 24, 2019 [12 favorites]
I can not really overstate the importance, the plain old usefulness, of being able to travel the world and having there be a relatively good chance that there will be someone somewhat nearby to have a beer or a coffee with. Someone who I have some common frames of reference with, who knows some of the same in-jokes. I love my real life community very much but gosh sometimes I just want that flash of in-joke recognition in that nerdy "We've got cameras" way and I love that wherever I go, I've got that with me.
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 8:52 AM on March 24, 2019 [12 favorites]
We've got beans.
posted by Namlit at 8:56 AM on March 24, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by Namlit at 8:56 AM on March 24, 2019 [5 favorites]
Metafilter is consistently the website that loads best for me while I'm doing fieldwork, so you've been by my side in West Kalimantan, and western Côte d'Ivoire, and Turkana, and southeastern Peru. You've talked me through malaria and abortion and breakups and dissertation writing and emotional labor and sexual assault and politics. You've kept me from being lonely in DC, western Virginia, Chicago, Boston, St. Louis, Ohio, Petaluma, and New Hampshire. Happy anniversary, Infini!
posted by ChuraChura at 11:36 AM on March 24, 2019 [12 favorites]
posted by ChuraChura at 11:36 AM on March 24, 2019 [12 favorites]
2001. I was fairly alienated, had moved recently to the U.S. from Chile, didn't have any local friends, worked in a small office with 2 guys who were alright but not close, was living in Napa, CA, which is incredibly boring, especially coming from a 7M+ city, and was generally depressed, spending 1 hour a day talking to my girlfriend who was still in Chile, back when long distance was incredibly expensive. There was nobody around who I could actually talk to, nobody who got my humor or the kinds of things I care about. Then 9/11 happened and my co-workers started talking about bombing people back to the stone age, the mood got weirder.
Then I discovered MetaFilter. I found a place where I could chat about serious things, silly things, intellectual things, cool things. You where and are a lifeline, even now that my life is pretty damn good. Back when I was teaching myself web development, AskMe and MeFi chat where my main sources of getting a basic understanding for what I was doing. I got help for my masters thesis on the site. I get my general understanding of the aspects of the world I'm interested in here. Hard to overstate.
Love you all.
posted by signal at 4:44 AM on March 25, 2019 [5 favorites]
Then I discovered MetaFilter. I found a place where I could chat about serious things, silly things, intellectual things, cool things. You where and are a lifeline, even now that my life is pretty damn good. Back when I was teaching myself web development, AskMe and MeFi chat where my main sources of getting a basic understanding for what I was doing. I got help for my masters thesis on the site. I get my general understanding of the aspects of the world I'm interested in here. Hard to overstate.
Love you all.
posted by signal at 4:44 AM on March 25, 2019 [5 favorites]
Hey, happy anniversary! You just inspired me to look up my join date, which was ten years and a month ago, while living on a different continent. Cheers!
posted by bluedaisy at 12:25 AM on March 27, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by bluedaisy at 12:25 AM on March 27, 2019 [3 favorites]
Happy Aniversary infini my friend.
You are one of the Mefi "outsiders" in my mind and I love you for that.
I also love the internationalism of many of your posts and comments. Definitely from outside what you might call the Beltway.
I've only done 3 continents to your 4, I think that will do me fine.
See you on blue. Um abraço.
posted by adamvasco at 3:49 PM on March 27, 2019 [2 favorites]
You are one of the Mefi "outsiders" in my mind and I love you for that.
I also love the internationalism of many of your posts and comments. Definitely from outside what you might call the Beltway.
I've only done 3 continents to your 4, I think that will do me fine.
See you on blue. Um abraço.
posted by adamvasco at 3:49 PM on March 27, 2019 [2 favorites]
Happy anniversary, infini. Huzzah!
posted by homunculus at 5:32 PM on March 27, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by homunculus at 5:32 PM on March 27, 2019 [2 favorites]
((hugs))
Now, if only I could crowdsource my personal essay for my phd application due in 30 hours to Askme... *ponders*
posted by infini at 10:39 PM on March 27, 2019 [4 favorites]
Now, if only I could crowdsource my personal essay for my phd application due in 30 hours to Askme... *ponders*
posted by infini at 10:39 PM on March 27, 2019 [4 favorites]
Happy anniversary!
posted by Oyéah at 10:31 AM on March 28, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by Oyéah at 10:31 AM on March 28, 2019 [2 favorites]
Happy Anniversary! I am new to MetaFilter. I look forward to all the awesome articles and conversations.
posted by StemCellPower at 9:58 AM on April 1, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by StemCellPower at 9:58 AM on April 1, 2019 [2 favorites]
I’ve been alone in Egypt for three years teaching (funoon gameela) and learning/building my Arabic, it’s awesome, it’s amazing and wonderful and I love it but it can also be an alone place and way to live some days. I don’t post much (I’m almost ten years old here [!], and I imagine no one remembers when I did) — but it’s a real comfort going through and reading how people and the discussions have evolved and seeing how the flow of posts has grown and continued even if I didn’t appear or seem to be participating. I go to my page and notice that someone has favourited some old post or comment and it brings me a smile to know that I didn’t just 100% disappear. Wouldn’t be here at this point in my life without this place. Thanks for existing (this place and all the people inhabiting it).
posted by infinite intimation at 12:45 PM on April 1, 2019 [6 favorites]
posted by infinite intimation at 12:45 PM on April 1, 2019 [6 favorites]
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stable?
posted by philip-random at 8:51 AM on March 23, 2019 [4 favorites]