Call for deletion

December 19, 2004 8:39 AM

and please also delete the "Delicious new open-source Pepsi Blue!" pseudo-question
posted by nicwolff to Etiquette/Policy at 8:39 AM (44 comments total)

I have no connection with the mentioned software. I honestly was amazed that I could find the perfect thing for a very difficult problem for me and my son. I was interested if any one else here has discovered something wonderful. YOU sir are an asshat.
posted by JohnR at 8:49 AM on December 19, 2004

JohnR - the green is for asking for help - if you were looking for a piece of software that'd be fine and dandy but what you have done is answered your own question and then gone on to foster a discussion (AskMeFi is not a discussion forum).

Sorry and all that but I do have to kind of agree with nicwolff.
posted by longbaugh at 9:04 AM on December 19, 2004

way to go, JohnR. Go outside.
posted by puke & cry at 9:15 AM on December 19, 2004

OK
posted by JohnR at 9:18 AM on December 19, 2004

The green isn't meant for sharing stories and starting discussion, however well-intentioned. This seems to be a misconception for some. Nicwolff is not an asshat for pointing it out in the grey, although he may be an asshat for some other reason not mentioned.
posted by puke & cry at 9:23 AM on December 19, 2004

How is this different from the innumerable "I like band X, what other bands sound like this?" If he'd failed to offer that he found a program, no one would have noticed.
posted by yerfatma at 9:26 AM on December 19, 2004

It's true that some of the 'what are you doing for the holidays' type of questions become instant successes, and interesting to read, with few if any deriders (i.e. the 'bad gifts' thread), while some get panned immediately with few if any supporters.
posted by bingo at 9:55 AM on December 19, 2004

"Nazis! I hate these guys"

Jesus, lighten up.

JohnR, thanks for the link, no matter how it was presented!
posted by Mayor Curley at 9:59 AM on December 19, 2004

yerfatma: He didn't ask "I like jGnash, what software is similar?" which would have been a mediocre question at worst; he asked "I like jGnash, what software do you like?" which is as pointless and over-general as "I like band X, what bands do you like?".

Mayor: so you endorse posting random shareware links to AskMe in the form of silly questions?
posted by nicwolff at 10:25 AM on December 19, 2004

Metafilter: YOU sir are an asshat.
posted by Saucy Intruder at 10:34 AM on December 19, 2004

Look at the freaking piece of software. I should have posted it in the blue.
posted by JohnR at 10:45 AM on December 19, 2004

"I should have posted it in the blue", ergo I should not have posted it in the Green.

It's all right folks, he gets it.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 10:47 AM on December 19, 2004

Mayor: so you endorse posting random shareware links to AskMe in the form of silly questions?

nah, i'm pretty sure that the mayor, like me, endorses anything that gets peoples undies in a bunch over a fucking web site.
posted by quonsar at 10:54 AM on December 19, 2004

anything that gets peoples undies in a bunch over a fucking web site.

I understand that sites like ClubJenna.com do funny things to people's undies, too
posted by matteo at 11:32 AM on December 19, 2004

Club Jenna with what?
posted by dodgygeezer at 11:39 AM on December 19, 2004

Club Jenna with what?

The answer is left as an exercise for the reader.
posted by billsaysthis at 12:15 PM on December 19, 2004

Well, given her new occupation, I think the reader is left as an exercise for the Jenna.
posted by metaculpa at 12:29 PM on December 19, 2004

Matt's a smart guy and he's going to realize that both posts are not good by themselves.

Matt will realize that like Pepsi Blue and Christmas Cake, they're best consumed together. :-D
posted by shepd at 12:37 PM on December 19, 2004

The green isn't meant for sharing stories and starting discussion, however well-intentioned. This seems to be a misconception for some.

The blue is for posting interesting web links and disussing them.
The grey is for discussing topics specific to MeFi itself.
The green is for asking for help regarding non-MeFi issues.

There apparently is, then, no area "meant for sharing stories and starting discussion, however well-intentioned." The one thing we have in common on this site is our diversity. It makes the blue strong, the green effective, and the gray, ironically, colorful. If a topic can be related to a link, it can be discussed on the blue. But what about topics that are more concerned with life in general (i.e., social topics)? Could a "social" area be the next area to be added to MeFi? Understandably, there are some who would hate such an area, but if the goal would be a place to banish all threads that don't belong in blue, gray or green, could it make MeFi a better place?
posted by Doohickie at 12:51 PM on December 19, 2004

Some of the best blue threads (remember this one that I just found weeding through my bookmarks) involved sharing stories. You just have to use a little style and finesse in starting them. But going to AskMe to solicite commuting horror stories, for example, is not the way to do it.
posted by CunningLinguist at 12:59 PM on December 19, 2004

Right. Can you imagine that thread being started in today's MeFi? It would immediately be snarked to death as an obvious attempt at socializing.
posted by Doohickie at 1:12 PM on December 19, 2004

There apparently is, then, no area "meant for sharing stories and starting discussion, however well-intentioned."

Sure there is.
posted by nicwolff at 1:14 PM on December 19, 2004

A book keeping service cost my son $300 per month. My son dropped out of high school when he was a junior. He now runs a successful but still young business. He needs to perform the functions of a book keeper for his business. After weeks of looking I finally found some software that is so well designed that even my dyslexic at words and numbers,but genius at landscaping can do it. This could be important information for someone. If you have a dream of running your own business I would suggest you look at this program. I believe Matt deleted that thread , in part, because of the snarky responses. I believe that people have important information to share about how they are using the technology to improve their lives. That was the question.
posted by JohnR at 1:40 PM on December 19, 2004

and nicwolff - file that response in the circular file with the vibrating broomsticks.
posted by JohnR at 1:52 PM on December 19, 2004

Then your question was poorly phrased, though it was weak to begin with.
posted by Space Coyote at 1:54 PM on December 19, 2004

After weeks of looking I finally found some software that is so well designed that even my dyslexic at words and numbers,but genius at landscaping can do it.

I'm quite sure this isn't the place for my snark. I just wanted to point out that I am learning to restrain myself. See the total lack of snark? I'm glad that the person who wrote the above sentence found some software he could use.

*golf clap*

I believe that people have important information to share about how they are using the technology to improve their lives. That was the question.

Again, no snark, but is that strictly speaking a question? Sounds more like a statement to me. I don't think Matt has come up with statementfilter yet.
posted by Hildegarde at 2:36 PM on December 19, 2004

I'm struggling to parse a question out of that, but it's a toughie. The closest I can get is "I believe that people have important information to share about how they are using the technology to improve their lives. Is this true?" Somehow, though, I suspect that isn't the question JohnR wants to ask.
posted by Bugbread at 2:47 PM on December 19, 2004

I believe that people have important information to share about how they are using the technology to improve their lives. That was the question.

Were you asking if other people had other information regarding other technology to improve their (or your) lives? If so, ask it.

It's AskMe. Don't answer a question nobody asked.
posted by cosmonik at 2:53 PM on December 19, 2004

Check out the software fuckwits. Hows that for a statement.
posted by JohnR at 3:08 PM on December 19, 2004

thats much better, JohnR.
posted by puke & cry at 3:10 PM on December 19, 2004

Haha, again, it's fine as a statement. It's not a question.

For example: Does JohnR want a tissue? That's a question.
posted by cosmonik at 3:17 PM on December 19, 2004

Question: A tissue for my nose or that fish in my pants? I think I'm getting excited. Thats a statement.
posted by JohnR at 3:23 PM on December 19, 2004

...this conversation is starting scare me.

But at least JohnR has learned the fine distinction between a question and a statement. All in the spirit of snarkless christmas love and joy.
posted by Hildegarde at 3:33 PM on December 19, 2004

A tissue for your nose or eyes.

There, we've now completed a Q&A session! It's like AskMe, but in the grey!
posted by Bugbread at 3:39 PM on December 19, 2004

It looks like mathowie has spoken...
posted by Bugbread at 3:42 PM on December 19, 2004

Hey what was the software?
posted by xmutex at 4:05 PM on December 19, 2004

Check out the software fuckwits. Hows that for a statement.

"I discovered an asshole who's great at not taking criticism! What assholes have you discovered?"
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 4:23 PM on December 19, 2004

I believe Matt deleted that thread , in part, because of the snarky responses.

Yeah, you'd like to believe that, wouldn't you?

despite the fact that standard procedure for overly snarky responses is simply to delete the responses
posted by grouse at 4:25 PM on December 19, 2004

After weeks of looking I finally found some software that is so well designed that even my dyslexic at words and numbers,but genius at landscaping can do it.

I'm curious. If you could do some simple searching, what makes you think no one else is capable of finding said software?
posted by haqspan at 4:42 PM on December 19, 2004

Haqspan:

I think you're barking up the wrong tree. He admits, right there in your quote, that it took him weeks of looking. Presumably, his goal is to save people weeks of looking for stuff. A noble goal, definitely not a matter of "some simple searching", but just not AskMe material.
posted by Bugbread at 4:51 PM on December 19, 2004

Check out the software fuckwits. Hows that for a statement.

Oh, my. That's not a statement either; it's an imperative.
posted by nicwolff at 7:17 PM on December 19, 2004

nic ..... now that we have this thread to ourselves... I want to tell you ....I love you and want to have your babies.
posted by JohnR at 2:20 AM on December 20, 2004

Aw.
posted by taz at 5:39 AM on December 20, 2004

JohnR, I can never allow you to come between me and nicwolff and our monogamous, if legally unrecognizable, relationship. Never!
posted by billsaysthis at 4:46 PM on December 20, 2004