How can I avoid making double posts?

July 17, 2004 1:27 PM

Drat! Foiled again! If anyone needs a pony that helps prevent doubleposts, it's me. I search (google) and search (MeFi), come up empty, post, and soon discover that I've been had. We've talked about such a pony that uses a keyword, category, or subject engine... how's it coming?
posted by moonbird to Feature Requests at 1:27 PM (21 comments total)

In this specific case, moonbird, I think the key to preventing your double post would have been to search for a less specific phrase than you used; I don't think any new type of search would have helped. Always try a few searches with varying terms.
posted by thebabelfish at 2:02 PM on July 17, 2004

Searching for the root of the URL is always a good idea for non-news links. In this case, "gemueseorchester" would have done the trick. Don't add the www. or any other appendages past the domain name. I came upon this link to presidential campaign commercials, wanted to post it to Mefi, and did a search for "movingimage" - bam, there it was.
posted by PrinceValium at 4:01 PM on July 17, 2004

moonbird, I usually run the link through the blogdex search as well as MeFi's. That generally tells me not only whether the link was on MeFi, but also whether it's been promiscuously featured in the so-called blogisphere. (Ouch! Don't hurt me for using that term, quonsar!) Mostly I've been lucky with that approach, but just because I am being a such a smarty pants I will probably have a double on my next post. Been there, done that ;-)
posted by madamjujujive at 6:22 PM on July 17, 2004

First Vienna Vegetable Orchestra
Vienna Vegetable Orchestra
Vegetable Orchestra
Orchestra
Vienna Orchestra
Vienna Vegetable
First Vienna
Wien Vegetable

I would probably try all of the above queries for something like this. While "vegetable" or "orchestra" might produce lots of results, if the content you're linking to isn't very old, you can just screen out results from before it existed.

I also expose the last couple months of archives in full, and do in-page text searches. They're quicker so you can do more of them.

The only excuse to get really burned on this is if the original FPP tried to be clever and had no identifying words in it, like:

Veggies Andante (a feast for the ears).
posted by scarabic at 8:53 PM on July 17, 2004

The best search engine for double posts is 17,000 human memories.

Why do you care so much if you double post? The evidence is deleted soon enough.
posted by smackfu at 8:56 PM on July 17, 2004

17,000 human memories? You forget, 61.2% of registered users have never commented or posted. Those 10,404 people, IF they constantly lurk, aren't going to make their first post

"Double post. You are teh suck."

There is a good shot at least one of the other 6596 would. But that's just because we're at least 60% assholes.
posted by graventy at 9:28 PM on July 17, 2004

I'm only 46% asshole. How about y'all?
posted by scarabic at 9:39 PM on July 17, 2004

Yeah, I'm 45% asshole, but I question the accuracy of that test. I think this one is more on target.
posted by taz at 10:04 PM on July 17, 2004

I question the accuracy of that test.

I think immediately kicking down a "better" asshole test must be worth a point or two toward your score ;)

I kid!
posted by scarabic at 1:00 AM on July 18, 2004

heh.
posted by taz at 1:54 AM on July 18, 2004

I also question tha accuracy of that test, because it says I am only 49% arsehole, when I know I am much worse (better?) than that.
posted by dg at 2:51 AM on July 18, 2004

39%- figures.
posted by moonbird at 4:38 AM on July 18, 2004

I'm 54% asshole! I beat you all! Mwahahahahahahah!
posted by CunningLinguist at 6:29 AM on July 18, 2004

61%. Which is just about right, I figure.
posted by graventy at 6:55 AM on July 18, 2004

I might be a bit more of an asshole in an online, anonymous place than in person, though. In RL I'm probably only like, 40% asshole at best.
posted by graventy at 6:56 AM on July 18, 2004

A full URL search shows both.
posted by hama7 at 7:18 AM on July 18, 2004

44%
posted by rushmc at 7:35 AM on July 18, 2004

86%, and i fucking cheated.
posted by quonsar at 8:24 AM on July 18, 2004

43% It's interesting how the second choices almost always seemed sensible to me while the first ones seemed excessive. The meaner ones pretty much never applied.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 8:48 AM on July 18, 2004

49% asshole, pretty borderline in spite of what I did here.
posted by wendell at 9:21 PM on July 18, 2004

At the time, I thought that was pretty funny, wendell, but calling attention to yourself for doing it is kinda lame. it doesn't really say "asshole" to me... more just "asshat." Does pointing this out bump up my score? I hope so. I hope at least I can lay claim to any points I've cost you!

:P
posted by scarabic at 1:33 AM on July 20, 2004