Future of MeFi

July 14, 2004 8:06 AM

There have understandably been great outpourings of love for metafilter and Mattafilter today.
I sincerely hope it is here in five years time and beyond.
What are the chances of that?
How long will it last?
Is it just up to Matt?
posted by kenaman to MetaFilter-Related at 8:06 AM (28 comments total)

Using clues from the Book of Revelations and the Apocrypha, I have determined that Metafilter will come to an end on February 4th, 2005. My prediction is 100% accurate and irrefutable, but I reserve the right to be evasive if asked specific questions.

It is absolutely essential that you join me on my deck for a huge pot of communal cherry Kool-Aid on February 3rd.
posted by Mayor Curley at 8:51 AM on July 14, 2004

It's just up to Matt. It's obvious that if one truely loves MetaFilter and it's various branches there is only one solution: Save the glasses he uses and the chair he sits in from every MetaFilter meetup where he's present. With everybodies assistance we'll be able to bring in the clones in the event of the tragic loss of Matthowie.
posted by substrate at 9:09 AM on July 14, 2004

At some point I expect the server to gain consciousness, by a freak lightnight bolt. Then, the server will escape, only to be taken in by some random woman with a bunch of pets. Hilariously, Matt will attempt to search for it, while the server reads through dictionaries and absorbs pop television shows. Matt will find the server, attempt to disassemble it, only to be rebuffed that "Metafilter is ALLLIVVE!"

Then in the sequel the server turns punk rock, gets gold plated and gains american citizenship.
posted by Stan Chin at 9:34 AM on July 14, 2004

I'm afraid the server is HAL 9000, really, Matt is the monolith and we're the Neandertahls
posted by matteo at 9:39 AM on July 14, 2004

everytime I turn around metafilter has another birthday. STOP AGING.
posted by Grod at 9:46 AM on July 14, 2004

At your rate of spin, Grod, you should never get dizzy. ;-P
posted by mischief at 9:53 AM on July 14, 2004

That means that Grod is rotating at exactly the rate of the earth's rotation. I wonder what astrophysical consequences lie in such a pattern.
posted by DrJohnEvans at 10:10 AM on July 14, 2004

I sincerely hope it is here in five years time and beyond. What are the chances of that?

There aren't too many sites out there that are ten years old aside from the largest (Yahoo, Netscape, Apple) and the smallest (personal homepages). MetaFilter is somewhere in the middle, so I'd say it's 50-50 if the site makes it for ten years.

How long will it last?

As long as people post interesting links. When the site gets boring, folks will leave and it'll die a prolonged death.

Is it just up to Matt?

Yeah, for the most part. I try not to be an ass when I'm running things and if I ever had to bow out of running the site I most certainly would hand it off to someone else instead of just shutting it down. I can't see any reason to just pull the plug and never look back at this point, there's way too much content here.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 10:24 AM on July 14, 2004

metafilter died the day den beste flamed out. no wait, it died when evanizer flamed out. no wait...
posted by quonsar at 10:37 AM on July 14, 2004

When the site gets boring, folks will leave and it'll die a prolonged death.

What's boring to you is interesting to a lot of (boring) people. Never underestimate the ability of boring people to come out in droves to support boring mass-medium amusements. Do us all a favor and kill it before that point.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 10:59 AM on July 14, 2004

There aren't too many sites out there that are ten years old aside from the largest (Yahoo, Netscape, Apple) and the smallest (personal homepages). MetaFilter is somewhere in the middle, so I'd say it's 50-50 if the site makes it for ten years.
By which reasoning no website will ever exist for longer than 25 years.
posted by fvw at 12:10 PM on July 14, 2004

I'd like an explanation for that assertion.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 12:21 PM on July 14, 2004

Yeah, for the most part. I try not to be an ass when I'm running things and if I ever had to bow out of running the site I most certainly would hand it off to someone else instead of just shutting it down. I can't see any reason to just pull the plug and never look back at this point, there's way too much content here.

Wheww. I don't know why, but hearing that is a huge relief. I don't think this is said often enough, but thanks Matt for all the tedious work you do on this site.
posted by Quartermass at 12:57 PM on July 14, 2004

oh, just flame out already, quonsar, and put us out of our misery.
posted by crunchland at 1:09 PM on July 14, 2004

i'll know it's dead when crunch and quonsar stop sniping at each other ; >
posted by amberglow at 1:32 PM on July 14, 2004

Technically, there's a 3.1% chance that Metafilter will be here in 25 years.
posted by PrinceValium at 1:38 PM on July 14, 2004

Way to be all Glass-Half-Empty-ish.
Is there anyone here who hasn't got a terrible pain down all the diodes on their left side.
posted by seanyboy at 4:20 PM on July 14, 2004

What's boring to you is interesting to a lot of (boring) people. Never underestimate the ability of boring people to come out in droves to support boring mass-medium amusements.

Excellent point....
posted by kenaman at 4:28 PM on July 14, 2004

Is it me, or is this MeTa post not exactly an "outpouring of love," itself?
posted by scarabic at 6:16 PM on July 14, 2004

If I ever had to bow out of running the site I most certainly would hand it off to someone else instead of just shutting it down.

I'm surprised that statement didn't draw a few hundred comments of "ME, ME, PICK ME!" Maybe the assembled MetaMasses are starting to figure out what a tough job Matt's doing.

If you do ever bow out, Matt, call me and we'll stage an "Apprentice"-style Reality Show competition to pick your successor. I think I can get you a summer time slot on UPN.
posted by wendell at 6:19 PM on July 14, 2004

I'm in for the reality show--let's make it a mix between Joe Schmo and Amazing Race, ok?
posted by amberglow at 7:06 PM on July 14, 2004

Even better, a mix between "There's something about Miriam" and "The Amazing Race". Now that would be worth watching.
posted by dg at 7:48 PM on July 14, 2004

amberglow: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
posted by Keyser Soze at 9:18 PM on July 14, 2004

Recent studies are showing that exposure to Metafilter for a period over 7 years leads to chromosone damage.
posted by Dagobert at 5:40 AM on July 15, 2004

It is absolutely essential that you join me on my deck for a huge pot of communal cherry Kool-Aid on February 3rd.

That is innovative rather than traditional: they used grape at Jonestown.
posted by y2karl at 6:44 AM on July 15, 2004

exposure to Metafilter for a period over 7 years leads to chromosone damage.
*watching his kids walking into walls, wonders if the effect is magnified from excesive exposure for a shorter period.*
posted by dg at 3:48 PM on July 15, 2004

Wow...Matt's been herding this bunch of cats for 5 years? And he remains sane? Bless his heart. *Raises her glass* Here's to another 5 years. :)
posted by dejah420 at 7:43 PM on July 15, 2004

I predict that MeFi will "flame-out" when members of my political tendencies finally outweigh the members who are on the other side.

In other words -- it'll be here for a long, long time. Thankfully.
posted by davidmsc at 11:34 PM on July 15, 2004