MetaFilter

I remember the comment as well. I think it was by Greg Nog, in this thread maybe. That user has disabled their account and wiped all their old comments off the site.
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 5:48 AM on January 7, 2023

My opinion on the proposal itself: I think adding a yearly call to action to make a "pay what you want" membership contribution would be fine, with a default suggested amount of like USD$10-20, as long as one of the numbers is zero (as in, it's ok for a member to pay 0 [dollars/euro/rupees/etc.]), and as long as it's not required to keep the membership active/working for usage on the site.

MollyRealized, separate from the proposal itself, I just want to thank… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 9:24 AM on December 19, 2022

MollyRealized, in case you want to better understand why people are reacting to you the way they are, I think one reason is because of the 180° turn from

I will outright open up by saying I'm not so sure this is the right way to go, but I think it's definitely worth community discussion.

to

Honestly, though, this is going to be one of those threads where I'm going to (mentally) stay obstinate and think that I'm in the… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 4:37 AM on December 20, 2022

The explanation, as of October of 2021, about why MetaFilter cannot work as a US nonprofit under 501(c).
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 8:17 AM on December 21, 2022

MollyRealized: I wish I had something particularly articulate or helpful to say here. Thanks for your reply; I recognize this is a difficult moment within a period of lots of difficult things to deal with; I wish you well.
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 8:21 AM on December 21, 2022

I think I do not see the variety show listed yet on Eventbrite. Am I missing it?
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 1:47 PM on December 13, 2022

I don't have time to do it, but if someone could take the initiative to post the Dec 16th Variety Show to the IRL [event] subsite, I would appreciate it it!
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 10:03 PM on December 15, 2022

Thanks for the update!

You mentioned some fixes to gift accounts. I'm curious - about how many gift accounts have been given out that have been activated? Has it been a significant way to bring new users in?

you can see part of their work translated into this thread that covers the mandate and perspective of the Board

I'm inferring that you meant to link to the November 28th MetaTalk post: "What… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 5:17 PM on December 2, 2022

Hi folks! I am a member of the BIPOC board, and I posted this, but I'm only one of the authors. I'm going to try to keep an eye on comments and respond to them, but I also have, like, work, meals, sleep, etc. to take care of, as do the other volunteers. And I didn't set up any kind of rota with the SC members about who's on call to answer questions posed to the SC about stuff in this MetaTalk post/thread. So please be aware of that as you await responses.

Thanks!
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 11:49 AM on November 28, 2022

:D

Hey, I finally found a reblog of the Tumblr post that I always think of when I think of nurturing and celebrating the second reaction:

danosaurs-and-philions:

im a bad person who thinks bad thoughts like ‘ew what is that girl wearing’ and then remember that im supposed to be positive about all things and then think ‘no she can wear what she wants, fuck what other people say damn girl u look fabulous’ and im just a… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 12:43 PM on November 28, 2022

Cool!

Here is that Fediverse/Mastodon post, which anyone can boost, in case anyone reading this wants to spread the word.
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 2:20 PM on November 28, 2022

plonkee, I think your question is clear! I'd say, "for people who are not white, both inside and outside the USA, and trying to particularly emphasize the concerns of nonwhite people outside the USA," which is closer to (1).

aielen, thank you so much for that link to the June 2020 thread! sunset in snow country's comment and other comments in this thread discuss the need for international non-white perspectives in the work of this advisory board; for a start,… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 12:54 PM on November 29, 2022

MollyRealized suggested that this is a problem that has gotten worse recently. ("It seems in the last year or so, though, that people's attention spans have shortened, details are overlooked when responding, and thus answer quality diminishes.")

So I took a few minutes to look in the MetaTalk archives. A few times this or a closely related issue has been previously discussed:

"Ask Metafilter Answer-ers and Reading the… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 5:01 AM on November 28, 2022

I may have missed it, but is it possible to see whether the bids for a particular item have hit the reserve price yet? Especially asking so people can bid more effectively on my scifi/fantasy posts.
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 8:14 AM on November 7, 2022

Looks like I will be writing a few scifi recommendation posts!
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 6:28 AM on November 14, 2022

Reminder that you can give a gift account to someone else, as of last year.

You can now invite friends to join MetaFilter here. This will allow the people you refer to join the site without having to pay the signup fee.

So if you'd like to help new users discover MetaFilter, that's one tool you have.
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 8:33 AM on November 10, 2022

Adding my voice to the chorus: this financial update is as detailed as I could want, well-structured and summarized, is realistic AND diplomatic AND presents the factors to use in building hope, and was easy to read on a mobile device. Thank you for the work.
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 2:12 PM on November 2, 2022

Tiny note: yay for Zulip!
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 9:37 PM on October 3, 2022

Oh hey, question: if someone wants to offer a suggestion for a fundraising activity and wants to do so privately, not in this MetaTalk thread, should we do that through the Contributor form? Or is there an email address or MeMail inbox we could contact? Thank you!
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 7:15 AM on October 4, 2022

(previously)
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 11:44 AM on September 12, 2022

I thiiiiiink me mentioning the Steering Council model of governance for the Python programming language is the origin of the word "steering" in our Steering Committee. I like both Steering Council and Steering Committee fine, personally, and would probably tend to say, let's keep the current Steering Committee name for at least 8 months to determine whether it settles in and whether it confuses new folks, non-MeFi institutions that the staff or SC members have to talk with about MeFi… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 4:41 AM on September 2, 2022

"What single book is the best introduction to your field (or specialization within your field) for laypeople?" was an EXCELLENT source of book recommendations -- thanks to that thread I read and learned from:

Notes on Nursing by Florence Nightingale.
Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom.
A Sense of Direction by William Ball.
In the Blink of an Eye by Walter Murch.
The Undertaking: Life Studies from the Dismal Trade by Thomas Lynch.
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 7:59 AM on August 9, 2022

umber vowel, congrats on your first front page post!
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 1:41 PM on June 23, 2022

I can't think of any potato-centric media to post to FanFare, and I don't have any potato-centric projects or music to share via Projects or Music, but I could be up for a "let's eat potatoes together via videocall" IRL event next week.
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 3:14 PM on June 23, 2022

Here is a MetaTalk about the potato post fad.
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 2:05 PM on June 23, 2022

Ask mods, but they're overworked and I feel guilty.

I do not feel guilty when I use the Contact form to ask mods to fix a little wording problem in one of my posts because I am polite about it and because I figure at least it's a pretty emotionally easy little task, compared to a lot of their moderation work!

When I am composing something longish like a multi-paragraph post or comment, I usually compose it in a plain text… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 4:39 AM on June 15, 2022

Some things in this update that I think are particularly great:

The work folks have been doing to publicize the user survey!

"housekeeping to reduce our monthly expenses"

"Jessamyn and I will be meeting with a few members with a deep background in startups and marketing who have expressed interest in helping with" marketing efforts!

"review and get feedback on moderation… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 11:00 AM on June 9, 2022

Best wishes and I look forward to continuing to enjoy your presence as a virtual neighbor. Hope the family caregiving situation goes as well as possible. Thanks for your years of stewardship!
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 9:11 AM on June 9, 2022

I posted a pair of pieces to the front page last year that y'all might be interested in: "this was like discovering DNA" and "no single cause; 5.9% of youth & 2.5% of adults; safe & effective meds". I hope you can briefly check out the main link for that second one: "The World Federation of ADHD International Consensus Statement: 208 Evidence-based conclusions about the disorder" is a 2021 scientific review of studies about attention-deficit hyperactivity… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 6:21 AM on June 7, 2022

BuddhaInABucket, your comment has made my week. I'm indescribably delighted. And a non mouse, a cow herd, I am very glad to have helped you too!
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 7:21 AM on June 9, 2022

For a little while we often had a MetaTalk open thread about disability and for disabled people ongoing, for disabled people to chat about anything and everything. Would people enjoy having that happen again/more often?
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 9:21 AM on June 1, 2022

Hi! "One Month Dragon" is by srednivashtar, not me.
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 9:15 AM on June 1, 2022

I ran 4 events in this series and no one attended 3 of them. But we did have a few participants for the paperwork session that happened midday Eastern (North American) Time on a weekday, so maybe that's a promising time slot for future events of that type.
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 5:07 PM on May 21, 2022

Fiasco da Gama wrote:

I've never been able to think of Metafilter as a 'community', as it's described, because that implies a set of mutual values and commitment to mutual support that don't exist, or necessarily need to.

Yup. This conversation from earlier this year, about what our mission statement would be if there were one, I think was a demonstration of that. When I talk about MetaFilter I use words like "message board",… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 3:46 AM on May 17, 2022

I like how in the list of uses on the back of the Q-Tip box it shows pictures of them being actively used for things like painting, makeup application, first aid, etc...and then there's just a picture of a BABY. No Q-Tip, just a baby. What's up with that?
posted by phunniemee at 2:28 PM on October 21, 2010

When my daughter was 3 she would whisper to strangers in the grocery store "you're going to die someday and nothing can stop… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 2:58 AM on April 19, 2022

Heads-up to folks in this thread that a new "Transition Team initial discussion summary and kickoff" MetaTalk post just went up.
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 2:23 PM on April 18, 2022

New relevant MetaTalk post just went up: "Transition Team initial discussion summary and kickoff".
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 2:21 PM on April 18, 2022

[Started this comment before the most recent thread developments.]

I appreciate people sharing their feelings about individual users making "please don't make [x category] comments" suggestions and requests in specific threads. I've done this a few times as the original poster (about literary categories, about ADHD and related self-help and executive function stuff, and about masculinity). In fact in the two ADHD-related posts I made, I made one where I asked… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 10:26 AM on April 11, 2022

This is WONDERFUL! Thank you Lore and I'm glad it'll be easier to revisit my favorites and share them with folks -- I appreciate your work past and future.
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 8:09 AM on April 1, 2022

My deep condolences, and I am glad MeFites were able to help you through the end.
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 11:48 AM on March 31, 2022

I once saw a restaurant advertising that they served De Cecco, which they billed as "the only certified pasta".
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 3:11 AM on February 14, 2022

Great to learn more about y'all! Nice to know more about who's reading.

This thread has spurred me to send a gift account invitation to someone who I think will enjoy the site. (I also sent a separate email to the person saying why I think they might like MeFi and suggesting a couple of threads to start with.)
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 11:41 PM on January 25, 2022

Hmmmmm! I would bet that a survey of a hundred MeFites chosen at random, about why we participate and the purpose of the site, would show several disparate clusters of answers. General entertainment, sharing information, shooting the breeze about whatever comes up, fun (to create for/with others), asking for and giving advice about specific problems and opportunities, getting publicity for stuff we've made...
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 12:19 PM on January 6, 2022

Previously.
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 3:25 AM on December 28, 2021

"there's nothing on the internet that I can think of that is worthy. The internet these days is awash with either political clickbait or low-grade content rapidly shared across social media platforms....It's actually hard to find a good web page nowadays that other people don't already know about."

polymodus, I disagree - or, perhaps I should say, I respect your own experience but it is very different from my own.

I continue, very… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 3:57 AM on December 28, 2021

A few things I do to reduce the likelihood or derail potential of dismissive/contemptuous comments on front page posts I make:

* Sometimes I prepare (ahead of time) a framing comment and then add it immediately once my post goes live. Here's an example: "It would be nice if most of the comments in this thread were from people who struggle with executive function, as people with ADHD do. If you have contempt for any/all self-help blogging, or scorn Cain for being a… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 9:07 PM on December 28, 2021

Longtime users, are there upsides to being a member here? Or is it just going to be frustrating and depressing?

I've been here since 2009. Lemme tell you some upsides.

* Sometimes I make a front page post about a cool thing and the thread is really positive and people share experiences and tips.
* Sometimes people write comments with incredible domain expertise (professional, life experience, etc.) and explain stuff… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 4:46 AM on December 29, 2021

tivalasvegas, you do know the BIPOC board launched and has met, right? Checking since your comment sort of implies you think it has not launched at all.
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 2:29 AM on December 25, 2021

If you're logged in, then you can give someone a gift account for free. You go to the gift account webpage and put in your friend's email address, and then you get the following and don't have to pay anything:

Thanks for taking the time to give a gift account. Gift accounts are free to give out for MetaFilter members. In a few minutes your friend will receive an email letting them know how to login and comment on MetaFilter.

You're sending a gift… [more]
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 1:33 PM on December 1, 2021

People who'd like to make more front page posts: I think "post something interesting from your bookmarks" continues to be a great idea.
posted to MetaTalk by brainwane at 4:57 AM on December 2, 2021