11/21/24
September 28, 2011
SportsFilter and Me: Regarding the nice John Lackey meta discussion we've started, I don't mind tough scrutiny about my posts, but who are we kidding?
posted by rcade to navel gazing at 12:17 PM - 8 comments
I've always thought of you as middle-lower-brow.
And this is a conversation we've had in the long ago past: if you want better front page posts, make 'em. (Why don't I do it myself? I'm lazy.) As for your hot-button issue FPPs, I always assumed that you did them just to have *something* on the front page. Do you think the daily huddle threads are taking away from any possible FPPs? Maybe people are like me (lazy) and would rather throw a context-free, single-link post into the huddle rather than flesh out a larger topic and make it an FPP.
posted by NoMich at 12:59 PM on September 28, 2011
I think the Huddle helps the site. I want to tie it to Twitter so members who post tweets with a specific hashtag automatically post them to the Huddle as well.
posted by rcade at 01:25 PM on September 28, 2011
I appreciate your posts, rcade. The low-brow posts seem to generate lots of comments, so perhaps you are accurately judging the community. I get irritated at people getting criticized for doing FPPs when it is a job few members share. (I fail spectacularly in this regard.) I guess that is why I was wearing my cranky pants as LBB said.
posted by bperk at 01:47 PM on September 28, 2011
I can be a reactionary dope, an overemotional asshat and a save-the-abortion-rights-of-gay-whales liberal.
Gee, rcade, I knew there was something about you I liked.
Posters, put up what you think is of interest, what you think might entertain, or what you would like to see some comment. I don't think any 2 of us have exactly the same tastes or interests in sports or culture. I read the posts and comments on things that are more scandal related than sports related, but I have been increasingly reluctant to comment unless I can be either funny or insightful. I've been here long enough (5 1/2 years) that many of the stories have become repetitive. How many times have we talked about athletes and performance enhancing drugs, problems in college athletics, racial or homophobic slurs, and the like?
For all that, I would suggest that posters take a look at previous posts, and if it is something that has been extensively argued in the past, then forget about it. Exceptions can be made if the individual or team in question is exhibiting behavior that is well out of the norm. If the subject is performance on the field, then by all means post it. Is that not what we're here to discuss? Of course, the long arguments over one or another subject between 2 or 3 of the members can often be quite entertaining, and I would miss them if they were to disappear. So, posters, don't stop contributing, just be a bit more judicious in your topic selection.
posted by Howard_T at 02:39 PM on September 28, 2011
To be honest, rcade, you're most of what stirs the discussion around here by posting. There's really dead air without you around and it's much appreciated what you do. I tend to end up on the other side of things with you sometimes, but I think you're an incredibly bright guy and make compelling arguments.
I would've preferred a less inflammatory link from a better organization, but you're right, nobody's doing that without linking to TMZ right now, so you really did the best you could with the cards that were out there. I think my takeaway from this is that I should post more if I want a neutral tone to things, and that's probably not a bad thing.
posted by dfleming at 06:29 PM on September 28, 2011
I'll admit I should be posting more instead of starting metadiscussions about the sources. I apologize to the community for that; my kneejerk reaction to the TMZness of the story was borne of a tendency I abhor in others = visit a site infrequently, don't contribute anything but a comment on rare occasion, then bitch about the content that does exist.
I just miss some of the more uplifting sports stories that are out there, and I'll try to do better to find them and post them.
posted by evixir at 09:59 PM on September 28, 2011
Hey, you weren't alone in attacking TMZ. Although, I wasn't really doing it so much to criticize the FPP as to seize the opportunity to take a shot at TMZ. And from what I understand, they're still stinging at the taunting they suffered at the rapier-like pair of keyboard fingers of tahoemoj.
Beyond that, I wouldn't read too much into it. As long as there are willing and able front page posters, of whom rcade is the most prolific, there will be others standing by to criticize a given post. It's discussion like anything else and, in my opinion, in no way detracts from the pleasant diversion of visiting this site.
posted by tahoemoj at 05:04 PM on September 29, 2011
With 1,437 links posted here, I have an approach that's not going to change. People who'd like better links need to post better links and support the users who post them with comments and praise. Otherwise, you get lots and lots of me.
I post stories I think are worthy of attention using some provocative language to attract attention. I'm closer to lowbrow than highbrow, since I spend my workday wallowing in the news here and on the Drudge Retort where being fast is better than being smart. I can be a reactionary dope, an overemotional asshat and a save-the-abortion-rights-of-gay-whales liberal. I don't know much about some sports, but that doesn't stop me from arguing about them.
If any of these things are bad for SportsFilter, the community's designed to be self-correcting. Every member can post on the front page.