June 15
Brigading redux
Metafilter elections are (supposedly, still) at risk of being brigaded by bad actors. Let's talk about it some more. [more inside]
MetaFilter site rebuild update: 6/15/2025
your regularly scheduled update on the ongoing work to rebuild MetaFilter.com. see details and references inside. [more inside]
Queue test
Is this MetaTalk post published immediately and avoid a queue, as promised?
June 14
Decades of non-stop fun
I was traveling during my Metafilter 25th anniversary on May 22nd.
Most of my family doesn't really know what Metafilter is. I am not sure what it means to participate in an online forum for 25 years, or 40 percent of my life, but like a Christo installation, the real impressive achievement is not just the content, but the evolving structure/people that allow this place to keep functioning for so long. [more inside]
What MeFites Do You Recognize?
Almost anytime I see a post about ecology or nature, I know it must have been posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries. Are there any other MeFites that you think, "This post (or comment) must be by so-and-so"? And what types of things do they write? But let's only be positive, please.
June 12
It was really unacceptable to delete this post.
This one, that already had a bunch of comments.
"Tasteless title"? Okay, contact the poster and get permission to change the fucking title. Seriously, moderators, you have other tools in your fucking toolbox besides deleting everything that upsets someone.
A Break from Things
Hi peeps, how about some good news or cute pics? Are you growing flowers, how are they? Did you do something nice for someone recently? Did someone do something nice for you recently? Is there a great video you’ve watched more than once or shared with someone? [more inside]
June 11
People, it is just a small discussion board
Seriously, the thousands (millions?) of words discussing convoluted processes that go nowhere. Fever dreams of a horde of people signing up to re-route an election to achieve...something? $250K a year to pay, among other things, moderators who can't do basic moderation. An executive director and a 9 person board.
Metafilter, you are drunk, go home.
governance
One great way to start thinking about this would be for someone to maintain a core document of "What good outcomes would be" (previously)
June 10
Improving structural elements of Metatalk for our community future?
If we're looking post-election to become a meaningful community-run organisation, I would hope that we have the best possible platform/system/process to raise issues and opportunities big and small, discuss them, build consensus, and make decisions. I do not think Metatalk as it stands is a best-in-class tool, and wouldn't be something we would create if we started with a blank slate. I'd love to start a conversation about what *structurally* might improve our community decision-making. [more inside]
"missed edit window" consecutive comments
Here is an example of someone explaining a consecutive comment by their having missed the edit window. Lots of people make a point of mentioning that. Need they? Even three intentional consecutive comments would hardly be a reign of tyranny in the thread. There's no point in people feeling apologetic for no reason.
Removing the MetaTalk queue
Hey y’all,
We’re turning off the queue in MetaTalk based on community feedback. For the past few weeks, we’ve been approving everything that’s been posted to the queue and intend to get rid of the queue by Friday. This means two major things:
Submissions to MetaTalk will go live immediately with no need of mod approval
There will be no limit to how often a member can post to MetaTalk. This was done after Kybard needed access more often to post updates about the new site and possibly the Moderation Oversight Committee. If the community decides a limit would be beneficial, one could be implemented.
With that change comes the question of how the community, both members and mods, will interact in the subsite. [more inside]
June 8
Let's post about Queer Joys for Pride Month
You know what would be really cool? If there were lots of posts about queer people, queerness, queer history, and just everything queer for the rest of June! And maybe even into July because we're starting late? I don't think this has to be a formal organized thing, just an invitation to encourage posts on these topics. Personally, I'm most excited about queer Mefites posting about queer things that bring us joy, connect us with resilience, and/or provide solace in These Times. But also I'm not the boss of anyone, just an instigator, and I hope this post inspires you to post about something queer, whatever that is and whoever you are.
MetaFilter site rebuild update: 6/8/2025
your regularly scheduled update on the ongoing work to rebuild MetaFilter.com. see details and references inside. (plus a question for community feedback, so check in if you haven't in a minute!) [more inside]
June 7
When the refs derail the game
Here’s another complaint about heavy-handed moderation causing more disruption to the thread than the derail it was intended to address.
Lemkin’s AI University thread. A complaint that Lemkin posts too much about AI. Pushback from Lemkin and others that posts *about* AI are worthwhile and compelling bc the scale of impact on life and culture. A finger-wagging comment from Brandon that Lemkin’s tone isn’t nice enough and he might have to post less. More pushback from other users that Metafilter is a site for adults who can keep scrolling if they’re not interested. Brandon deletes these comments and threatens timeouts. More user pushback. More slappy deletions. Brandon suggests using the mod contact form, which is like contacting the bottom of the Grand Canyon imx, or else make a MeTa, so [more inside]
How to get AI out of your MeFi
So I was going to request a filter to remove AI posts from the frontpage, but decided it was faster to just create a userscript. [more inside]
June 6
Here’s to plain speaking and clear understanding
Unless the OP is laboring under some linguistic or cognitive burden that I’m unaware of, this MeTa post should be sent to the cornfield. [more inside]
Note about site being down for about an hour.
Yes it happened, will share details when we know more. Reminder about our BlueSky account for checking for news about site being down, it's located at https://bsky.app/profile/metafilter.bsky.social
June 5
mission: possible
(the “Specific Purpose”) is to educate the public on the importance of community-oriented, human-moderated internet spaces for thoughtful discussion and meaningful connection; to advance knowledge about them; to promote social welfare through their support; and to combat their deterioration. The purpose is also to foster education, appreciation, participation, and community, by curating and creating content from across the world and supporting inclusive, thoughtful discussion [more inside]
"don't post AI" has become "don't post about AI"?
In the "new and noteworthy" sidebar, there have been eleven anti-AI editorial remarks since May 20. That editorial tone seems to match the level of discourse in threads on topics related to recent developments in "AI"-related topics, which often have a high level of noise due to the sweeping generalizations and failures to distinguish among the various technologies under discussion, with the frequent behavior being to declare something generally "bad" or "good" rather than to ask questions about it. If a community seeks to promote reasoned and thoughtful discourse among members who are curious about a variety of topics, the relentless editorial clamor -- again, eleven times in the sidebar: please stop yelling at me about how bad you think something is; I get it already -- then I don't think the editorial stance on the front page is helping, and it serves to promote the frequent comment thread sweeping declarations of ill intent against anybody who's curious about how these technologies work. There are obviously well-informed and helpful people on Metafilter who have expertise and experience with LLMs, GANs, diffusion models, and other neural-network-related stuff. So I'm wondering: are other folks feeling hesitant to chime in on threads related to those technologies, or reluctant to post such topics to the front page?