"it does detract from what the site does normally..." December 8, 2023 3:21 PM Subscribe
AskMe is 20 years old today! Thanks for the heads up, mbrubeck.
Ask is my first Metafilter too!
posted by freethefeet at 3:57 PM on December 8, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by freethefeet at 3:57 PM on December 8, 2023 [4 favorites]
I see the URL is #3705–was it in sequence with the gray at that point?
posted by Horace Rumpole at 6:44 PM on December 8, 2023
posted by Horace Rumpole at 6:44 PM on December 8, 2023
Props to Hackworth for making their own prototype AskMe, which prompted Matt to actually make the real deal.
posted by zamboni at 7:51 PM on December 8, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by zamboni at 7:51 PM on December 8, 2023 [5 favorites]
I see the URL is #3705–was it in sequence with the gray at that point?
Hackworth’s post was #3702, so yeah.
posted by zamboni at 7:54 PM on December 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
Hackworth’s post was #3702, so yeah.
posted by zamboni at 7:54 PM on December 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
Wait... there's an Ask Metafilter?
(Happy birthday, AskMe)
posted by not_on_display at 9:23 PM on December 8, 2023 [2 favorites]
(Happy birthday, AskMe)
posted by not_on_display at 9:23 PM on December 8, 2023 [2 favorites]
Happy 20th birthday AskMe! You’re the best 🩷
posted by ellieBOA at 10:18 PM on December 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by ellieBOA at 10:18 PM on December 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
And I still don’t know whether to eat it.
posted by Phanx at 1:14 AM on December 9, 2023 [10 favorites]
posted by Phanx at 1:14 AM on December 9, 2023 [10 favorites]
how is askmey formed? how website stop argewment?
posted by lalochezia at 5:33 AM on December 9, 2023 [9 favorites]
posted by lalochezia at 5:33 AM on December 9, 2023 [9 favorites]
If I make an AskMe post about what to get a web site for its birthday, will the mods delete it before it turns into an alphabet thread or runaway pancake recipe post which only ends when the inevitable "20 years, same as The Blue" jokes clog it up?
Happy XX, AskMe!!
posted by wenestvedt at 12:15 PM on December 9, 2023 [5 favorites]
Happy XX, AskMe!!
posted by wenestvedt at 12:15 PM on December 9, 2023 [5 favorites]
Phanx: I still don’t know whether to eat it.
It's 20 years old. Are you sure you still want to?
posted by Too-Ticky at 12:16 PM on December 9, 2023 [14 favorites]
It's 20 years old. Are you sure you still want to?
posted by Too-Ticky at 12:16 PM on December 9, 2023 [14 favorites]
Not that I wish to darken such a festive occasion, but this AskMe, found through a Google search, is what brought me to Metafilter.
posted by jamjam at 12:24 PM on December 9, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by jamjam at 12:24 PM on December 9, 2023 [2 favorites]
Shout out to AskMe and its 20 years of help and lessons. I don't use it much anymore, but part of that is because I write a question and ponder what AskMe would say and that answers the query. That's pretty great, the site managed to get me to grow and learn and now sort of lives in my head.
Pretty use of $5 US, which can rarely even buy a good cheeseburger these days.
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 12:44 PM on December 9, 2023 [24 favorites]
Pretty use of $5 US, which can rarely even buy a good cheeseburger these days.
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 12:44 PM on December 9, 2023 [24 favorites]
I've always wanted to create an Ask MetaFilter area of the site but was weighed down in issues of how to manage it, if I should charge some nominal fee to ask a question (to keep the number of questions down), etc.
Been arguing relentlessly about business plans for years now and this monetization was just sitting there in 2003.
posted by General Malaise at 4:51 PM on December 9, 2023 [2 favorites]
Been arguing relentlessly about business plans for years now and this monetization was just sitting there in 2003.
posted by General Malaise at 4:51 PM on December 9, 2023 [2 favorites]
If AskMe tells me to eat my unnamed pet in order to treat a disease I may not have, should I do it?
Bonus: How many people will tell me I’m wrong for asking?
Double bonus: How many people will answer a different question that they think I should have asked?
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:26 PM on December 9, 2023 [4 favorites]
Bonus: How many people will tell me I’m wrong for asking?
Double bonus: How many people will answer a different question that they think I should have asked?
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:26 PM on December 9, 2023 [4 favorites]
If AskMe tells me to eat my unnamed pet in order to treat a disease I may not have, should I do it?
Just make sure to declaw it first!
posted by Daily Alice at 6:29 PM on December 9, 2023 [2 favorites]
Just make sure to declaw it first!
posted by Daily Alice at 6:29 PM on December 9, 2023 [2 favorites]
How many cats can I wedge in my scanner?
posted by not_on_display at 8:19 PM on December 9, 2023
posted by not_on_display at 8:19 PM on December 9, 2023
Careful, I think I saw it post a question about how to get a fake ID. Not yet, young website (unless you live outside the US, then have at it)!
posted by Ghidorah at 4:19 AM on December 10, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Ghidorah at 4:19 AM on December 10, 2023 [1 favorite]
Some years ago I used to write the expanded program notes for a theater company in Pennsylvania; through that I wrote an article on "the history of advice columns" to support their play about Ann Landers.
The first instance of what we can call an "advice column" was something called "The Athenian Society" in a 1690 English newspaper, where a dude came up with the idea to say that he had assembled a team of learned experts who would weigh in and answer any question that the public wished to submit (in reality it was just him and a couple other guys). He was expecting people would write in to ask deep questions about politics or science; but he kept getting questions about etiquette and society, which he considered beneath him. He spun off a "Ladies" edition for those questions; but that's what tipped newspaper publishers off to the need for the "Ann Landers" type of column, which went through a few other iterations (including a long stretch in the "women's issues" sections of most papers) before today.
I also wrote about the Bintel Brief in early 20th Century NYC, Dan Savage's column, as well as Ann Landers and Dear Abby. But I ended by discussing AskMe, pointing to how it had already achieved such a wide reach that Adam Savage gave MeFi a visual shout-out on some Mythbusters episodes.
I ended the whole thing by pointing out that instead of relying on one person to answer all the AskMe questions, the questions were open to ANYONE to answer - and so that if you think about it, we had BECOME the very "Athenian Society" which that first publisher had envisioned in 1690.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:13 AM on December 10, 2023 [26 favorites]
The first instance of what we can call an "advice column" was something called "The Athenian Society" in a 1690 English newspaper, where a dude came up with the idea to say that he had assembled a team of learned experts who would weigh in and answer any question that the public wished to submit (in reality it was just him and a couple other guys). He was expecting people would write in to ask deep questions about politics or science; but he kept getting questions about etiquette and society, which he considered beneath him. He spun off a "Ladies" edition for those questions; but that's what tipped newspaper publishers off to the need for the "Ann Landers" type of column, which went through a few other iterations (including a long stretch in the "women's issues" sections of most papers) before today.
I also wrote about the Bintel Brief in early 20th Century NYC, Dan Savage's column, as well as Ann Landers and Dear Abby. But I ended by discussing AskMe, pointing to how it had already achieved such a wide reach that Adam Savage gave MeFi a visual shout-out on some Mythbusters episodes.
I ended the whole thing by pointing out that instead of relying on one person to answer all the AskMe questions, the questions were open to ANYONE to answer - and so that if you think about it, we had BECOME the very "Athenian Society" which that first publisher had envisioned in 1690.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:13 AM on December 10, 2023 [26 favorites]
I'm so happy this place is here. I really like being a member here.
posted by BlahLaLa at 8:49 AM on December 10, 2023 [12 favorites]
posted by BlahLaLa at 8:49 AM on December 10, 2023 [12 favorites]
I'm probably not the only person who came to Metafilter because of Ask.
Count me as another person who got my start on AskMefi! At a particularly difficult point in my life, I went back and just read through so many pages of the archives of Ask. (This was probably back in 2011, though I first started reading the site in 2009 - took a few years for me to join.) AskMefi has really shaped a lot of the ways I think and approach things. Which is maybe weird to say, but as someone who had a very suboptimal upbringing (which is an extreme understatement, frankly), AskMefi really helped me make my way in the world. It convinced me not to go to law school (very glad about that!) and helped me cut off some family members which was a huge win for my mental health. And that was just from reading past questions!
Seriously do not know what i would done over the years without metafilter, but especially without AskMefi.
Happy 20th birthday askmefi!
posted by litera scripta manet at 12:02 PM on December 10, 2023 [16 favorites]
Count me as another person who got my start on AskMefi! At a particularly difficult point in my life, I went back and just read through so many pages of the archives of Ask. (This was probably back in 2011, though I first started reading the site in 2009 - took a few years for me to join.) AskMefi has really shaped a lot of the ways I think and approach things. Which is maybe weird to say, but as someone who had a very suboptimal upbringing (which is an extreme understatement, frankly), AskMefi really helped me make my way in the world. It convinced me not to go to law school (very glad about that!) and helped me cut off some family members which was a huge win for my mental health. And that was just from reading past questions!
Seriously do not know what i would done over the years without metafilter, but especially without AskMefi.
Happy 20th birthday askmefi!
posted by litera scripta manet at 12:02 PM on December 10, 2023 [16 favorites]
I think this should also figure as a HUGE shoutout to
Jessamyn whose nurturing and caretaking has brought AskMe to be the superlative gold standard that it is today.
Thank you Jessamyn.
Also thank you to all who have answered questions, thus making AskMe such a useful resource.
posted by adamvasco at 12:38 PM on December 10, 2023 [48 favorites]
Jessamyn whose nurturing and caretaking has brought AskMe to be the superlative gold standard that it is today.
Thank you Jessamyn.
Also thank you to all who have answered questions, thus making AskMe such a useful resource.
posted by adamvasco at 12:38 PM on December 10, 2023 [48 favorites]
second that.
posted by clavdivs at 1:42 PM on December 10, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by clavdivs at 1:42 PM on December 10, 2023 [2 favorites]
I also came to Metafilter through Ask! When I first signed up the 5 dollars was a lot of money to me, but it's always been one of my greatest investments!
posted by Carillon at 2:19 PM on December 10, 2023
posted by Carillon at 2:19 PM on December 10, 2023
And I still don’t know whether to eat it
Well, the only possible way to know for sure is to eat it. If you throw it out, you can never be certain you didn't just needlessly waste food.
Wow, 20 years has gone by so fast. Thanks to MeFi itself for having AskMe in the family and thanks to everyone who asks or answers. Of course, thanks to jessamyn for shepherding AskMe toward what it has become.
posted by dg at 2:44 PM on December 10, 2023
Well, the only possible way to know for sure is to eat it. If you throw it out, you can never be certain you didn't just needlessly waste food.
Wow, 20 years has gone by so fast. Thanks to MeFi itself for having AskMe in the family and thanks to everyone who asks or answers. Of course, thanks to jessamyn for shepherding AskMe toward what it has become.
posted by dg at 2:44 PM on December 10, 2023
I paid in exchange for the honor of helping someone's kids get the best start in their bicycling life.
posted by tigrrrlily at 10:30 PM on December 10, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by tigrrrlily at 10:30 PM on December 10, 2023 [4 favorites]
Amplifying thanks to jessamyn, who demonstrated her excellent intuition into what would make Ask work better from the very start.
posted by Jesse the K at 5:02 PM on December 11, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by Jesse the K at 5:02 PM on December 11, 2023 [5 favorites]
I usually don't respond to questions on Ask. But I read every answer. Wow, you people are smart!
posted by SPrintF at 3:54 AM on December 12, 2023
posted by SPrintF at 3:54 AM on December 12, 2023
Happy Birthday!
gentle reminder that Ask.Me is quite useful and interesting, so it's a good excuse to send a birthday gift of funds to MeFi.
posted by theora55 at 7:05 AM on December 12, 2023
gentle reminder that Ask.Me is quite useful and interesting, so it's a good excuse to send a birthday gift of funds to MeFi.
posted by theora55 at 7:05 AM on December 12, 2023
Happy Birthday AskMe! Incredibly useful website. My life is better because of it!
posted by artlung at 8:01 AM on December 12, 2023
posted by artlung at 8:01 AM on December 12, 2023
Soooo, turning 21 is considered a milestone in these here United States, how should celebrate next year?!
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 8:04 AM on December 12, 2023
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 8:04 AM on December 12, 2023
Soooo, turning 21 is considered a milestone in these here United States, how should celebrate next year?!
Buy AskMe a bunch of beer.
Duh.
posted by conscious matter at 8:18 AM on December 12, 2023
Buy AskMe a bunch of beer.
Duh.
posted by conscious matter at 8:18 AM on December 12, 2023
Buy AskMe a bunch of beer.
Duh.
To honor the spirit of AskMe, we should buy the beer now, leave it under the radiator for the next 362 days, then post to ask if it's still OK to drink it.
posted by Mayor West at 2:33 PM on December 12, 2023 [10 favorites]
Duh.
To honor the spirit of AskMe, we should buy the beer now, leave it under the radiator for the next 362 days, then post to ask if it's still OK to drink it.
posted by Mayor West at 2:33 PM on December 12, 2023 [10 favorites]
And I still don’t know whether to eat it.
is it a portobello mushroom?
posted by a Rrose by any other name at 4:05 PM on December 12, 2023
is it a portobello mushroom?
posted by a Rrose by any other name at 4:05 PM on December 12, 2023
Dang, late to the party (working 90+ hours a week doesn't leave much time to scratch let alone hang out on Meta). Happy birthday AskMe; is there still cake?
posted by Mitheral at 8:19 PM on December 12, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Mitheral at 8:19 PM on December 12, 2023 [1 favorite]
part of that is because I write a question and ponder what AskMe would say and that answers the query
Exactly this, especially when you get into writing all the caveats to avoid people answering with things you've already tried or you know won't work 😅
posted by EndsOfInvention at 3:24 AM on December 14, 2023 [3 favorites]
Exactly this, especially when you get into writing all the caveats to avoid people answering with things you've already tried or you know won't work 😅
posted by EndsOfInvention at 3:24 AM on December 14, 2023 [3 favorites]
part of that is because I write a question and ponder what AskMe would say and that answers the query
Hmm. I was taught many decades ago to ask myself the question, What would Frank (Sinatra) do? and whatever I came up with would be the best course of action.
Happy Birthday AskMe!!
posted by JohnnyGunn at 11:20 AM on December 14, 2023
Hmm. I was taught many decades ago to ask myself the question, What would Frank (Sinatra) do? and whatever I came up with would be the best course of action.
Happy Birthday AskMe!!
posted by JohnnyGunn at 11:20 AM on December 14, 2023
Mitheral: Dang, late to the party...is there still cake?
Yeah, but, uh.. I mean, it's been out on the counter for days. I'm not sure it's safe to eat after all this time.
posted by wenestvedt at 12:34 PM on December 14, 2023 [4 favorites]
Yeah, but, uh.. I mean, it's been out on the counter for days. I'm not sure it's safe to eat after all this time.
posted by wenestvedt at 12:34 PM on December 14, 2023 [4 favorites]
If only there was a a website I could find out if "I can eat this?".
posted by Mitheral at 6:15 PM on December 14, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Mitheral at 6:15 PM on December 14, 2023 [1 favorite]
score
posted by amtho at 9:08 PM on December 14, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by amtho at 9:08 PM on December 14, 2023 [1 favorite]
Metafilter: I'll admit even I've wanted this when I was about to buy a DVD player or get my car fixed.
posted by amtho at 9:09 PM on December 14, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by amtho at 9:09 PM on December 14, 2023 [1 favorite]
It's sort of the polar opposite of Stack Exchange.
posted by tommasz at 8:46 AM on December 15, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by tommasz at 8:46 AM on December 15, 2023 [1 favorite]
Folks, question is not about your opinions of leaving food under the bed.
posted by Devils Rancher at 9:27 PM on December 15, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by Devils Rancher at 9:27 PM on December 15, 2023 [3 favorites]
I confess, I'm a green>>blue person, so this makes me very happy to read.
Happy birthday, AskMe.
posted by yellowcandy at 10:20 PM on December 16, 2023 [1 favorite]
Happy birthday, AskMe.
posted by yellowcandy at 10:20 PM on December 16, 2023 [1 favorite]
spotted in hackworth's proto-askme
> [this is good]
that's a throwback. iykyk
posted by secret about box at 12:31 AM on December 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
> [this is good]
that's a throwback. iykyk
posted by secret about box at 12:31 AM on December 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
❤️askme❤️
posted by fake at 9:18 PM on December 25, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by fake at 9:18 PM on December 25, 2023 [1 favorite]
I came to Ask Metafilter through Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools site, the online continuation of my beloved Whole Earth Catalogs, and specifically this Cool Tools entry dated 02-16-05. I avidly read Metafilter and Ask Metafilter immediately, but I did not join until 2007, because I felt y'all were so much smarter than me. I still think that!
posted by apartment dweller at 5:30 PM on December 28, 2023
posted by apartment dweller at 5:30 PM on December 28, 2023
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Here's a page I found to see all early Asks. Fun! Despite their hesitations, it seems to have taken off pretty quickly.
posted by hydra77 at 3:34 PM on December 8, 2023 [6 favorites]