confirming - occasional chatty posts on the Blue?

June 10, 2024 1:41 PM

I seem to recall that chatty posts on the Blue were discouraged, but that that's changed (hence the rise of the weekly-ish Free Thread). Can we confirm policy and maybe get it in the FAQ?

I can't find anything discouraging chatty posts on the Blue in the FAQ or the Content Policy, so I may just be misremembering, or conflating the AskMe chatfilter rules with front page chatfilter rules.

But in case things have changed - or in case other people are slightly confused as I am - could we get an official statement on the rules for chatty posts on the Blue, and could we maybe get that added to the FAQ as well?

I really enjoy the Free Threads, and occasional other chatty posts, and I think they help build community and goodwill and engagement, so I'm hoping the policy is pretty open.

Thank you!

Also ... since I just now reviewed the guidelines and FAQ and haven't found anything discouraging chatty threads, I'm going to go post one. I apologize if I shouldn't have done that.

posted by kristi to Etiquette/Policy at 1:41 PM (20 comments total)

Mod note: Chiming in to confirm we have Free Threads (which are the only exception we have right now) because they are fun and positive.

We'll update the FAQ next week, for now, feel free to add your opinion to this thread.
posted by loup (staff) at 1:43 PM on June 10 [2 favorites]

I really like that format kristi - chatty but not exactly a free thread, and anthologising stuff on a particular topic from across subsites. Awesome!
posted by Pre-Taped Call In Show at 2:56 PM on June 10 [2 favorites]

I enjoyed it too, and I think we need more enjoyment around here.
posted by signal at 3:35 PM on June 10 [3 favorites]

Can we bring back ChatFilter Friday on AskMetafilter? In this comment from last fall, jessamyn said it was a possibility - wondering if it was tabled for some particular reason? I have a lot of chatty questions I need answers to
posted by catcafe at 4:45 PM on June 10 [8 favorites]

Plus one for chatfilter Fridays!
posted by blurker at 5:38 PM on June 10 [2 favorites]

You know that vibe after a large and expensive formal affair, like a super high-end wedding or something and for one reason or another (relatives) you stuck around to the bitter end and are helping the last few people stack chairs and gather up dishes?

I’ve found the tail end of a lot of active threads are like that, where an enormous amount of chatfilter slides by so long as there aren’t any fights. I realize this is more a matter of limited resources than an actual policy of “after the crowd is gone, who gives a shit? Go nuts!” but to me that is Metafilter at its best.
posted by Ryvar at 10:17 PM on June 10 [9 favorites]

+2
posted by kensington314 at 10:19 PM on June 10 [1 favorite]

I love the semiguided topical chatfilter FPP, great idea kristi!
posted by phunniemee at 8:30 AM on June 11 [1 favorite]

I agree that one of the nicer parts of metafilter is the chattiness that pops up in long threads. I like those more than the discussions that stay on topic. It’s really where the community comes through, I think.
posted by Vatnesine at 12:25 PM on June 11 [5 favorites]

I'm all for expanded chattiness everywhere around here until I get tired of it.
posted by philip-random at 4:09 PM on June 11 [3 favorites]

Me too, have never understood the discouragement of such by our MeFi overlords, especially in the green where I think things were a lot more fun and useful when you could challenge the answers (although maybe that's a separate issue). Also have never really seen a working definition of what it means, chat-filter (except that those that can delete it when they see it developing in a form they dislike).
posted by Rash at 5:07 PM on June 11 [1 favorite]

Also have never really seen a working definition of what it means, chat-filter

The FAQ has some examples.
posted by mykescipark at 8:38 PM on June 11

I’ve found the tail end of a lot of active threads are like that, where an enormous amount of chatfilter slides by so long as there aren’t any fights. I realize this is more a matter of limited resources than an actual policy of “after the crowd is gone, who gives a shit? Go nuts!” but to me that is Metafilter at its best.
See also Alphabet Threads. The best of MetaFilter at its best.
posted by dg at 9:12 PM on June 11

Can anyone post a Monday morning freethread, if one has not yet been posted?
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:13 AM on June 12 [1 favorite]

The FAQ has some examples

But those are specific to Ask. This is about 'the rules for chatty posts on the Blue.' What I gather is extremely long posts (the mega-threads) cause some users grief/technical problems because they're 'too long' but this 'too chatty' seems like a different issue.
posted by Rash at 7:57 AM on June 12 [1 favorite]

Can anyone post a Monday morning freethread, if one has not yet been posted?

Yes. Except for mods, ironically. Or, they are heavily discouraged from doing so. There was a MeTa waaaaay back about it. One user suggested that (and MeTaTalkTailHour) should be posted by the community to have more community involvement.
posted by a non mouse, a cow herd at 8:56 AM on June 12 [1 favorite]

Yeah, "no chatting" was a rule from AskMetafilter that got overgeneralized to the entire site, as far as I could see. (I think it was over-enforced on AskMe, and I don't think it's something that needs to be a sitewide standard.)
posted by lapis at 3:10 PM on June 12 [2 favorites]

Well, the idea that 'chatfilter is bad' and not just in AskMe has been around for a long time. An earlier discussion. One of many, actually.
posted by dg at 11:03 PM on June 12 [1 favorite]

Speaking as member and a moderator, but very specifically not making any sort of official declaration, I think the Free Threads should be renamed ChatFilter and keep the same general schedule: posted once a week by a community member, not a moderator, and people can talk about anything they want in those threads.

I worry about separating things out in Free Threads, ChatFilter, and more than likely LinkFilter threads and that might be too confusing for people? Many folks have commented they often feel anxious about how to make a front page post (FPP) and what to make it about, so I'd hate to think members would get worried about whether a thread is a Free Thread, ChatFilter, or LinkFilter and what each means for comment content.

That way ChatFilter would be defined as threads where people can talk about anything they want with no specific subject as the focus, done weekly. LinkFilter would be for posting links for front page posts (FPP) and that's it, with no discussion in them.

Ideally, a LinkFilter post would always start in a similar way, staring what they are for and then an example of a LinkFilter comment.

That's my caffeinated thoughts for the moment.
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 6:53 AM on June 13 [7 favorites]

Can anyone post a Monday morning freethread, if one has not yet been posted?

Speaking of which, a new free thread, for a new week, is now live and awaiting your comments.
posted by Wordshore at 12:14 AM on June 17