Did anyone else noticed the membership count changing in the blue? August 6, 2004 12:19 AM Subscribe
Did anyone else noticed the membership count changing in the blue? It seemed like it dropped from the 17000's down to 16896.
Thanks for the reply, guessed I should've read the side. At least new members will be signing up soon!
posted by phyrewerx at 12:38 AM on August 6, 2004
posted by phyrewerx at 12:38 AM on August 6, 2004
btw, one does not want to give new ideas to any dipshit lurkers waiting to hack into the site and post -- again -- goatse to MeTa's front page, but it would be nice if Matt lock the accounts that have 'password' for password. I'm sure that we must have some of those, too
posted by matteo at 3:41 AM on August 6, 2004
posted by matteo at 3:41 AM on August 6, 2004
Would I be right in thinking there was a rash of sign-ups following 9/11? If so, would it be useful to clear some of these out if clearing out is the desire? (though I can see there are arguments against this)
posted by biffa at 3:59 AM on August 6, 2004
posted by biffa at 3:59 AM on August 6, 2004
with the flood of argumentative, rightwing loonies that came in the last batch - the ones poised to vehemently defend their stupid president when anyone utters a word against him -- I don't know why anyone would look forward to letting new users in here again.
posted by crunchland at 5:12 AM on August 6, 2004
posted by crunchland at 5:12 AM on August 6, 2004
Yes, much better we keep to the argumentative leftwing loonies, as they're much more civil.
posted by leotrotsky at 5:29 AM on August 6, 2004
posted by leotrotsky at 5:29 AM on August 6, 2004
crunchland was joking, trotsky.
Long ago, during the 5k contest, there was some nut that signed up about 400 accounts in the span of an hour, to vote his crappy entries up in that contest. With a bit of database fu, I found about 400 of these accounts, all with the same username and password, never having visited metafilter or contributed to it in any way. Many had usernames and passwords like "aaa".
So I carefully deleted all of these and it turns out there were about 400 of them.
And no, that doesn't mean there is "more room" for new accounts, no matter how many times that comes up.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 9:21 AM on August 6, 2004
Long ago, during the 5k contest, there was some nut that signed up about 400 accounts in the span of an hour, to vote his crappy entries up in that contest. With a bit of database fu, I found about 400 of these accounts, all with the same username and password, never having visited metafilter or contributed to it in any way. Many had usernames and passwords like "aaa".
So I carefully deleted all of these and it turns out there were about 400 of them.
And no, that doesn't mean there is "more room" for new accounts, no matter how many times that comes up.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 9:21 AM on August 6, 2004
At least new members will be signing up soon!
hook, line, and sinker...
posted by quonsar at 9:31 AM on August 6, 2004
hook, line, and sinker...
posted by quonsar at 9:31 AM on August 6, 2004
biffa- Yes, and probably not. A lot are still around, I think.
posted by mkultra at 9:37 AM on August 6, 2004
posted by mkultra at 9:37 AM on August 6, 2004
I'll just repeat my request to consider waiting until after the US election to reopen signups.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 11:09 AM on August 6, 2004
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 11:09 AM on August 6, 2004
I can feel the bandwidth savings from here.
posted by DrJohnEvans at 12:37 PM on August 6, 2004
posted by DrJohnEvans at 12:37 PM on August 6, 2004
I have a solution to the perenial "new user" problem !
It's really very simple and was inspired by Van Vogt's classic sci fi story "Microcosmic God" :
1) Somebody volunteers to host and manage the damn thing (biggest hurdle).
2) It'll look and work just like Metafilter. We can call it "the playpen", and "new users" can brawl and spew to their heart's content. Eventually, the best of the lot can be culled for Metafilter membership - after having proven they have something worthwile to contribute.
3) As in Vogt's story, canny coding changes can be caused to exert subtle pressure and so cause them to "evolve.
4) If, in doing so, they become smarter than we are, they can always be "killed off" by simple adminstrarive fiat.
5) I'm not serious about #3
posted by troutfishing at 1:01 PM on August 6, 2004
It's really very simple and was inspired by Van Vogt's classic sci fi story "Microcosmic God" :
1) Somebody volunteers to host and manage the damn thing (biggest hurdle).
2) It'll look and work just like Metafilter. We can call it "the playpen", and "new users" can brawl and spew to their heart's content. Eventually, the best of the lot can be culled for Metafilter membership - after having proven they have something worthwile to contribute.
3) As in Vogt's story, canny coding changes can be caused to exert subtle pressure and so cause them to "evolve.
4) If, in doing so, they become smarter than we are, they can always be "killed off" by simple adminstrarive fiat.
5) I'm not serious about #3
posted by troutfishing at 1:01 PM on August 6, 2004
I have a solution to the perennial "new user" problem !
It's really very simple and was inspired by Van Vogt's classic sci fi story "Microcosmic God" :
1) Somebody volunteers to host and manage the damn thing (biggest hurdle).
2) It'll look and work just like Metafilter. We can call it "the playpen", and "new users" can brawl and spew to their heart's content. Eventually, the best of the lot can be culled for Metafilter membership - after having proven they have something worthwile to contribute.
3) As in Vogt's story, canny coding changes can be caused to exert subtle pressure and so cause them to "evolve".
4) If, in doing so, they become smarter than we are, they can always be "killed off" by simple administrative fiat.
5) I'm not serious about #3
posted by troutfishing at 1:03 PM on August 6, 2004
It's really very simple and was inspired by Van Vogt's classic sci fi story "Microcosmic God" :
1) Somebody volunteers to host and manage the damn thing (biggest hurdle).
2) It'll look and work just like Metafilter. We can call it "the playpen", and "new users" can brawl and spew to their heart's content. Eventually, the best of the lot can be culled for Metafilter membership - after having proven they have something worthwile to contribute.
3) As in Vogt's story, canny coding changes can be caused to exert subtle pressure and so cause them to "evolve".
4) If, in doing so, they become smarter than we are, they can always be "killed off" by simple administrative fiat.
5) I'm not serious about #3
posted by troutfishing at 1:03 PM on August 6, 2004
Uh oh - I guess I'll have to "cull" myself.
posted by troutfishing at 1:04 PM on August 6, 2004
posted by troutfishing at 1:04 PM on August 6, 2004
MetaFilter: self-culling since 1999
posted by DrJohnEvans at 1:12 PM on August 6, 2004
posted by DrJohnEvans at 1:12 PM on August 6, 2004
And while wearing plaid skirts, and enlisting our spouses: My wife in the thrill-cull kilt.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 1:39 PM on August 6, 2004
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 1:39 PM on August 6, 2004
i vote we not open membership until such time as metafilter is able to respond at least slightly faster than a Manhattan dialup on 9/11.
posted by quonsar at 1:45 PM on August 6, 2004
posted by quonsar at 1:45 PM on August 6, 2004
Flanders, that hurt even just to read.
How long have you been sitting on that one? Be honest.
posted by chicobangs at 2:00 PM on August 6, 2004
How long have you been sitting on that one? Be honest.
posted by chicobangs at 2:00 PM on August 6, 2004
I was only joking but so much, Matt. I truly am convinced some enclave of rightwing, jackbooted, nutjobs somewhere out on the internet was laying in wait for you to open up to new users so they could swoop in and enlighten us with their piggish alternaviews, and shout down anyone who spoke too harshly about the conservative agenda. Metafilter has always had a conservative voice, but this chorus of harpies that unfailingly come out to shout down a critical message is somewhat unnerving.
And LeoTrotsky, I'll take a leftwing nutjob over a rightwing nutjob any day. I mean, the ranting is just as obnoxious, but at least there's a chance to score some weed.
posted by crunchland at 2:26 PM on August 6, 2004
And LeoTrotsky, I'll take a leftwing nutjob over a rightwing nutjob any day. I mean, the ranting is just as obnoxious, but at least there's a chance to score some weed.
posted by crunchland at 2:26 PM on August 6, 2004
(clarification: I meant we've always had a conservative voice or two ... didn't mean to pretend that metafilter ever spoke for conservativism.)
posted by crunchland at 3:20 PM on August 6, 2004
posted by crunchland at 3:20 PM on August 6, 2004
I thought Theodore Sturgeon wrote Microcosmic God.
By the way, Matt's already doing this, just that "metafilter" is the playpen. There's a much cooler, more exclusive site called....oh wait, I can't tell you.
posted by mecran01 at 3:40 PM on August 6, 2004
By the way, Matt's already doing this, just that "metafilter" is the playpen. There's a much cooler, more exclusive site called....oh wait, I can't tell you.
posted by mecran01 at 3:40 PM on August 6, 2004
Damn. Now we'll have to kill him.
posted by five fresh fish at 4:20 PM on August 6, 2004
posted by five fresh fish at 4:20 PM on August 6, 2004
I'm waiting for flanders to answer chicobangs.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 6:20 PM on August 6, 2004
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 6:20 PM on August 6, 2004
I meant mecran01, not mathowie. I hope I corrected myself quickly enough! Matt! Matt?
Uh-oh.
posted by five fresh fish at 7:38 PM on August 6, 2004
Uh-oh.
posted by five fresh fish at 7:38 PM on August 6, 2004
More account culling in five fresh fish... four fresh fish... three fresh fish...
A couple of posters at the MonkeeeeeeFilter commented that they were aware of the "login" backdoor and used it just to get the much-desired MetaFilter cookie. I wonder how many other non-user users did the same, and if closing the barn door there will actually end up saving some bandwidth. Just wonderin'...
posted by wendell at 8:15 PM on August 6, 2004
A couple of posters at the MonkeeeeeeFilter commented that they were aware of the "login" backdoor and used it just to get the much-desired MetaFilter cookie. I wonder how many other non-user users did the same, and if closing the barn door there will actually end up saving some bandwidth. Just wonderin'...
posted by wendell at 8:15 PM on August 6, 2004
"with the flood of argumentative, rightwing loonies that came in the last batch... "
You don't mean a certain commie do you?
Perhaps we should only announce the new signups in the liberal media to avoid this in the future.
posted by graventy at 8:36 PM on August 6, 2004
You don't mean a certain commie do you?
Perhaps we should only announce the new signups in the liberal media to avoid this in the future.
posted by graventy at 8:36 PM on August 6, 2004
I was thinking more along the lines of a loyalty oath.
posted by crunchland at 9:39 PM on August 6, 2004
posted by crunchland at 9:39 PM on August 6, 2004
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
"I locked every account that had an identical username and password, so if you're trying to post or login and getting errors, let me know and we can fix the situation. I've also deleted a few hundred unused accounts that someone used a bot to sign up a couple years ago. Still working on solidifying everything before turning new user signups back on - mathowie"
posted by triv at 12:20 AM on August 6, 2004