Get out the vote

December 4, 2004 4:12 PM

Vote for your favourite online community
posted by Mwongozi (62 comments total)

Fark: 53.4%
Metafilter: 3.4%

Is this because we don't have boobie icons?
posted by Sticherbeast at 4:16 PM on December 4, 2004

yesterday I voted for monkeyfilter.
posted by dabitch at 4:29 PM on December 4, 2004

What the hell is with that logo for the "2004 Weblog Awards"?

Yowza!
posted by Robot Johnny at 4:33 PM on December 4, 2004

Should I recognize more of the nominees?
posted by DrJohnEvans at 4:36 PM on December 4, 2004

Culture blog nominees, I'd be very happy if adland didn't finish last, and if anyone could tell me who what that SondraK blog in the lead is about.
posted by dabitch at 4:39 PM on December 4, 2004

No, this is the 2004 weblog awards. That site's just pathetic, and so user friendly too.
posted by tapeguy at 4:48 PM on December 4, 2004

The only way /. will beat Fark is if some enterprising hackers rig the vote. Otherwise, yes... no boobies, no vote.
Disclaimer: I voted for MeFi.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 4:52 PM on December 4, 2004

yesterday I voted for monkeyfilter.

Don't let that stop you... you can vote everyday if you want. (And yes, that makes it pretty ridiculous.)
posted by dobbs at 5:06 PM on December 4, 2004

Isn't there some old adage about voting in online polls? There should be anyway.
posted by Arch Stanton at 5:09 PM on December 4, 2004

Here ya go, Arch Stanton:
"Voting in online polls is like running in the special olympics -
the retards always outnumber you".
posted by spazzm at 5:27 PM on December 4, 2004

Fark: 53.4%
Metafilter: 3.4%

Is this because we don't have boobie icons?

Your mistake was comparing MeFi to that internet trailer park. The Day MeFi gets a boobies icon is the day I leave and never come back.
posted by tempest2i at 6:16 PM on December 4, 2004

Don't blame me, I voted for Plastic.
posted by drezdn at 6:32 PM on December 4, 2004

tempest2i: yeah, but what about a weener icon, mmmm?

The day I need the AdBlock extension to view MeFi is the day I break down and cry, and *then* never come back.

On preview: am I the first one to notice that the spell checker tries to change "MeFi" into "Mafia"? How appropriate!

Metafilter: bigger than the Mafia
posted by Non Serviam at 7:02 PM on December 4, 2004

Fark got over 50 percent? So many stupid people out there....
posted by Keyser Soze at 7:18 PM on December 4, 2004

MonkeyFilter got my vote too.
posted by Space Coyote at 7:25 PM on December 4, 2004

Any site that needs icons because their readers are too stupid to decipher the title (and whatever witty text what was included) is a lost cause in my books. So weener icon, probably not needed around here...

Really, what kind of icons would we even have?

All I can think of is one for NSFW and maybe a "this is another polical thread" icon.
posted by tempest2i at 7:29 PM on December 4, 2004

Can I have a thread derailing troll icon next to my name?
posted by Balisong at 7:33 PM on December 4, 2004

heay wahts up guyz!?!/> I thoug tit swas stupid tey didnt' have little green footballz OMG thye must be liberal gayzzzzzzzz0rz LOLROFLLMAO

Mefi, of course!

ah, the caress of the ban-hammer...
posted by clockzero at 7:42 PM on December 4, 2004

Really, what kind of icons would we even have?



For starters, anyway.
posted by DrJohnEvans at 7:43 PM on December 4, 2004

what's up with these awards? I've never heard of most of the sites, it must be heavily weighted towards the politcal blog spectrum, and then also weighted to the rabid right-wing blogs.

Basically, anyone can create a "Weblog Awards!" web page with a bunch of free polls and people will link to it.
posted by cell divide at 7:48 PM on December 4, 2004

best awards category ever: Best of the Rest of the Blogs (6750+)
posted by 10sball at 7:51 PM on December 4, 2004

Isn't there some old adage about voting in online polls? There should be anyway.

If yer visitin' the internets, don't ferget pollin'
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 7:54 PM on December 4, 2004

Looks like the first rule is either being obeyed properly, OR nobody cares (wink wink - fipi playas!).

Anyway, I don't dig stuff like this. I'm not one of the cool kids, I guess...
posted by E_B_A at 7:59 PM on December 4, 2004

Your mistake was comparing MeFi to that internet trailer park. The Day MeFi gets a boobies icon is the day I leave and never come back.

I'll bet this person has a Fark account under a psuedonym and visits 20 times a day.

Fark is harmless fun. Get off your high horse.
posted by jonmc at 8:14 PM on December 4, 2004

I proudly don't have a fark account.

...I'll get off my high horse now...
posted by tempest2i at 8:16 PM on December 4, 2004

* farks tempest2i's high horse *
posted by Balisong at 8:24 PM on December 4, 2004

Thank you jonmc. I proudly do have a Fark account.
posted by oflinkey at 8:27 PM on December 4, 2004

Pfft. Something Awful owns Fark.
posted by keswick at 8:36 PM on December 4, 2004

We were talking about these awards at MoFi and they're amazingly right-wing. I think the "online community" category is the most left-wing group of blogs on there, even counting the "Liberal blog" category.

And there's a lot of deserving blogs that didn't get nominated, so I figure it's not a real competition.
posted by tracicle at 8:37 PM on December 4, 2004

am I the first one to notice that the spell checker tries to change "MeFi" into "Mafia"?

um, no.
posted by crunchland at 8:41 PM on December 4, 2004

No write-ins? But what about the Large Penis Support Group? (NSFW, just in case.)
posted by unsupervised at 9:01 PM on December 4, 2004

Thank you jonmc. I proudly do have a Fark account.

As do a lotta mefites, from what I've seen. I never post there but I read everyday. I's not MeFi but so what? That's like being upset with White Castle for not being Spago. And sometimes White Castle hits the spot.
posted by jonmc at 9:11 PM on December 4, 2004

Here's a handy-dandy method for resolving differences.
It's called Snob, Jerk, Pansy
It works exactly like rock, paper, scissors, but the labels are more appropriate for discussion forums. This is freeware. There are two versions:

Version 1.0:
“I’m above that” = rock
“Get off your high horse!” = paper
“The logical answer is…” = scissors

For more heated discussions, download Version 2.0:
Get a life! = rock
Fuck you! = paper
Rules, please! = scissors
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 9:14 PM on December 4, 2004

well, it ain't a mandate.
posted by moonbird at 9:20 PM on December 4, 2004

The FPP is a bit misleading, because a lot of really neat online communities exist out of weblogs, like the somethingawful goons (who have recently started 'fauxtesting' or fake protesting all over the world) or 2ch. It would be interesting though if someone tried to identify the best online communities in terms of members and quality of material generated by community.
posted by clockworkjoe at 10:17 PM on December 4, 2004

what's up with these awards? I've never heard of most of the sites, it must be heavily weighted towards the politcal blog spectrum, and then also weighted to the rabid right-wing blogs.

That's because it is a right-wing blog. It's being done by the guy who does the right-wing blog Wizbang.

Basically, anyone can create a "Weblog Awards!" web page with a bunch of free polls and people will link to it.

I'm thinking of creating an arbitrary award of absolutely no meaning whatsoever to prostitute links for my own site, too. But odds are only the first guy gets to sucker everyone into caring.
posted by XQUZYPHYR at 10:30 PM on December 4, 2004

I was about to hit Metafilter, but then I hit FARK.COM. FARK.COM is way better. I have a user number in the low 1000's. FARK.COM.
posted by Quartermass at 10:55 PM on December 4, 2004

As do a lotta mefites, from what I've seen. I never post there but I read everyday. I's not MeFi but so what? That's like being upset with White Castle for not being Spago. And sometimes White Castle hits the spot.

No it's not. It's like thinking White Castle sucks and not eating there or understanding why people eat there.

I don't personally care either way, but get your analogies straight =)
posted by The God Complex at 11:13 PM on December 4, 2004

From the Fark thread on the same topic:


DrPsycho

I'm just happy we're kicking the crap outta Metafilter. I know a couple of people in there who have a certain "at least we're not Fark" smugness. Donkey punch 'em right in the superiority complex, I say.



Hehe.
posted by madman at 11:49 PM on December 4, 2004

Your mistake was comparing MeFi to that internet trailer park.
posted by tempest2i at 6:16 PM PST on December 4

I know it's a little rude, but it is so excellent to hear someone else say this. I feel exactly the same way. I voted Metafilter, because I love all of you.
posted by orange clock at 12:47 AM on December 5, 2004

No Fark account, voted for the Blue, and was finally able to get the spouse to stop asking for a MeFi account by gifting her one...
posted by Samizdata at 1:33 AM on December 5, 2004

I'm so weary of snipes against other blogs... I don't get the point at all; it's not like there can be only one (keep watching).
posted by taz at 2:02 AM on December 5, 2004

I very much like the diversity of blogs out there - and that each of them has it's unique flavour. When I feel geeky I go for /., for weirder days fark.com and most of the time MeFi.

But it's a good thing that variety exists on the internets.
posted by homodigitalis at 2:34 AM on December 5, 2004

I've never heard of 50% of those sites, and I've probably visited fark twice. So yeah, I voted for the blue. The only other site I spend more time at is /., and somehow a vote for it seems like a vote for GNAA.

Do you think they would consider it cheating if every night some 500 workstations on my college campus voted for MeFi? Just saying...
posted by sbutler at 2:44 AM on December 5, 2004

I like Fark.

/ducks, runs away
posted by zardoz at 3:35 AM on December 5, 2004

/. seems to me being such a huge things, I don't feel like calling it "community" anymore. I mean I see community like some kind of limited group of people. although this is a great site, being /. community member sounds to me like being simply sort of geek, and there is alot of geeking types. I would rather call it a nation.
MF is a place you know you can read people that has a similar way of thinking, even if posts are less focused on a particular subject.
posted by denpo at 7:08 AM on December 5, 2004

I love their rabid right-wing selection of blogs and their Nazi era looking logo, down to its blood red Germanic script and stylized swastikas:



(They have hidden this logo as a CSS background so you can't right-click it).

BTW, the poll is being robo-voted (see comments), and for a while a script for robo-voting was posted in the comments, but I think it has been removed now. (You can still find the script at Kos.)
posted by MonkeySaltedNuts at 7:52 AM on December 5, 2004

I voted blue. For the sole reason I am looking for online discussion and debate; plus exposure to a diversity of people, thoughts and topics.

The level of discussion and interest by the community in keeping it at a high level is what keeps me here. I would be interested in what other sites come close to this. I am quite happy with Metafilter; I don't know of another site that comes close.

Before you compare sites, such at Fark, I would suggest looking at the goal of each place. Comparing Fark to Metafilter is not logical but then again I am here for discussion and debate. I will forego the snipe and just leave it at that.

Thanks blue.

(BTW - Matt, please Metafilter to the dictionary so it is not caught when spell checking - pleeeezzzz)
posted by fluffycreature at 8:56 AM on December 5, 2004

I only realised these awards were separate from the "Bloggies" when someone else pointed it out to me - are there any such thing as wide.y accepted and maybe even respected weblog awards?

Also, how would they be "robovoted"? (I'm just curious - I wouldn't know how to do such a thing). I have noticed that several sites are now "pending a recount", and the list for overall blog has been shaken up.
posted by jb at 9:04 AM on December 5, 2004

Comparing Fark to Metafilter is not logical but then again I am here for discussion and debate. I will forego the snipe and just leave it at that.

That was exactly my point with the White Castle/Spago analogy. Sometimes, I want intelligent, erudite discourse. MeFi does that very well. Sometimes I want boobies and fart jokes. Fark does that very well. Both sites are thus successes. Although, we MeFites can seriously rock a fart joke when the mood strikes us.

Previous dicussion of the MeFi/Fark dichotomy.
posted by jonmc at 9:18 AM on December 5, 2004

How many members these communities have, and how quickly said members can delete cookies/launch other browsers really has no bearing on their quality. My favorite "online community" has exactly 60 members. We're an insular bunch, and I'll be damned if I'm posting a link to it here.

That said, let me just add WAHT? No MacNN?
posted by Devils Rancher at 9:20 AM on December 5, 2004

is that logo for real...? holy mother of kittens it is... talk about subconciously revealing your true self, bwah!

weblog awards have got to be the saddest cry for attn i've ever come across. try to accomplish something in meat space, people. the internet is still not real life, no matter how much some of you wish it were.
posted by t r a c y at 9:31 AM on December 5, 2004

I'm voting for anything but MetaFilter. Simply because this place is already popular enough and I don't want massive hordes of fark-seeking noobs swarming us after Christmas.
posted by five fresh fish at 10:24 AM on December 5, 2004

Fark at 46.9
Slashdot at 14.1
Metafilter at 14.1

/voted mefi
//was bequeathed a TotalFark account a week ago
posted by PurplePorpoise at 10:35 AM on December 5, 2004

If anyone's still reading this thread, I would dearly love for K5 to be dead-last, so if you could vote for any of the two or three that are still below us, that'd be great. Thanks!
posted by rusty at 10:57 AM on December 5, 2004

I guess things at K5 have changed over the past couple years.
posted by DrJohnEvans at 11:18 AM on December 5, 2004

For all of you who feel you must get in your digs at Fark, I've got a present for you. It's a hot coco box sampler. Enjoy.
posted by haqspan at 12:10 PM on December 5, 2004

Fark may be hopelessly juvenile, but this thread documenting the real-time fuck-up that was the Genesis space probe has to rank as my all-time favorite commentary by Farkers. The probe crashed into earth at about 1/3rd into the discussion. The comments are just awesome.

-We have impact.
-Do you have an altitude?
-Impact. That's ground level.

posted by Civil_Disobedient at 1:44 PM on December 5, 2004

'For all of you who feel you must get in your digs at Fark, I've got a present for you. It's a hot coco box sampler. Enjoy.'

HOT COCOA SAMPLER BOX, asshat.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 4:00 PM on December 5, 2004

Vote for your favourite online community.

NO.
posted by davy at 4:37 PM on December 5, 2004

It would be interesting though if someone tried to identify the best online communities in terms of members and quality of material generated by community.

Not exactly what you're after, but big-boards.com measures the largest forums on the web. Apparently what they claim to be the largest one has around ~15,000 users online at once. And it's one I'd never even heard of before.
posted by tapeguy at 5:09 PM on December 5, 2004

From tapeguy's link: Who is Online - In total there are 14159 users online :: 11156 Registered, 755 Hidden and 2248 Guests

Wow.
posted by tracicle at 5:47 PM on December 5, 2004