For those seeking politics.metafilter.com
August 2, 2006 6:57 PM   Subscribe

Devoter... "like Metafilter, only much more political." From our own jca.
posted by dobbs (50 comments total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
See also The Fudge Report
posted by caddis at 7:04 PM on August 2, 2006


American politics only, or what?
posted by Jimbob at 7:11 PM on August 2, 2006


Um, isn't community weblog a term used for when more than one person does the posting?
posted by fenriq at 7:12 PM on August 2, 2006


JimBob, it says it covers "all matters of politics", which I assume means world politics.

fenriq, that's why you should register now!

Wasn't Matt almost alone when MeFi started? And look at us now!
posted by dobbs at 7:16 PM on August 2, 2006


0 comments...

0 comments...

0 comments...

sounds like fun.
posted by jimmythefish at 7:18 PM on August 2, 2006


JimBob, it says it covers "all matters of politics", which I assume means world politics.

Maybe. When there are pictures of Washington in the top banner, and bits of a US flag, I'm concerned jca might have a limited interpretation of "all matter of politics". But I shall test that out soon.
posted by Jimbob at 7:20 PM on August 2, 2006


Onsite Google search for Devoter.

Onsite Yahoo search for Devoter.

MetaTalk Google for Devoter.

MetaTalk Yahoo results for Devoter.
posted by y2karl at 7:20 PM on August 2, 2006


I just registered. Now when someone makes a political post, can we say "take it to the brown?"
posted by LarryC at 7:21 PM on August 2, 2006


It would be better if we just kept the newsfilter here, that way I don't have to visit two different websites.
posted by Meatbomb at 7:22 PM on August 2, 2006


"take it to the brown"

What? You mean UPS? Or MeTa? *ducking*
posted by ZachsMind at 7:28 PM on August 2, 2006


y2karl, I did that--with the exception of a via, none seem to be FPPs to the blue.
posted by dobbs at 7:32 PM on August 2, 2006


No one's posted the Onion home page to the blue either.
posted by y2karl at 7:35 PM on August 2, 2006


um yeah, i wondered why the sudden rash new users a few minutes ago...

[this is a repost]
posted by jca at 7:38 PM on August 2, 2006


In case this post doesn't get deleted...

Started Devoter.com back in August 2004 -- it never really took off. (Even with a few nice mentions at the time by matt, monkeyfilter, etc.)

I just wanted to experiment to see if I could create a Metafilter style clone with an off-the-shelf blog app. (In this case, pMachine.)

I've just been posting there on my own for a while now -- hence all the crickets.

Everyone's welcome to post/comment/etc. And no, it's not exclusive to US politics, that was just the design direction of the graphic header at the time.
posted by jca at 7:43 PM on August 2, 2006


When did MetaFilter go into reruns?
posted by SeizeTheDay at 7:47 PM on August 2, 2006


old
posted by cellphone at 7:57 PM on August 2, 2006


Odd how the political stuff doesn't generate discussion. It sure seems to catch fire here.
posted by scarabic at 8:00 PM on August 2, 2006


It's a pretty good site, and I've been a member there for a while, but like Projects I lost interest when I saw post after post go by without comment. I like MeFi etc for the discourse that goes on there (not just the links) and without healthy discussions on each subject, it got pretty boring for me. I check in every once in a while (usually when big political events have occurred) but again, without anyone to talk with, I generally only tend to read on those occassions, rather than participate. Perhaps ironically, I suspect that that is largely the site's biggest problem.

But one must always keep in mind that Metafilter had similar beginnings, and it wasn't until a few years had gone by that it started to get numerous comments in every FPP. Hopefully the same will happen with Devoter. And if it does maybe I'll start commenting even more. And what will make it even cooler is unlike my five digit MeFi user id, I'll be one of those two digit members who will be able to look down on anyone with a three/four/five digit number with a holier than thou disdain for anything that they do. "It wasn't like that in my day!" I'll claim with the full inference that my user number of 68 gives me the right to dictate site police to the n00bs. "Get off my lawn!"

And so on and so forth.
posted by Effigy2000 at 8:00 PM on August 2, 2006


De-ja vu-ter!
posted by wendell at 8:04 PM on August 2, 2006


MeTa.
posted by Count Ziggurat at 8:04 PM on August 2, 2006


Like Metafilter, only all the posts are by a community of one person.
posted by necessitas at 8:08 PM on August 2, 2006


Well, I'm signing up. It'd be nice to have a low number somewhere.
posted by maryh at 8:32 PM on August 2, 2006


Oops, and I didn't even realize my question was already asked (and answered) here.

Thanks jca.
posted by patr1ck at 8:36 PM on August 2, 2006


It's a pretty good site, is what he's saying.
posted by cortex at 8:39 PM on August 2, 2006


It would be better if we just kept the newsfilter here, that way I don't have to visit two different websites.

Would it be snippy of me to point out that subject of that sentence is "we" in the first clause and "I" in the second?
posted by George_Spiggott at 9:17 PM on August 2, 2006


Everyone's welcome to post/comment/etc. And no, it's not exclusive to US politics

In form, maybe, but in substance it will turn out to be US politics, with a bit of international politics thrown in, most likely if the US is involved.

The reason I say this is that American users are likely to outnumber others, who will become increasingly marginalised by a flood of irrelevant (to them) posts and who will eventually jump ship to dedicated sites that focus on the domestic politics of those users.

On the other hand, India is a shitload bigger than America, and the site would be a hoot if Indians infiltrated it & started discussing their nutty brand of politics.
posted by UbuRoivas at 9:22 PM on August 2, 2006


UbuRoivas: Well, the earlier threads criticized the site for being to US-centric, but that was mostly do to the author (me) making most of the posts -- the "community of one" problem.

The image of the White House along with the red, white and blue doesn't help, but the background is "shit brown" in color, so it all evens out. ;)
posted by jca at 9:38 PM on August 2, 2006


they sure seem to love yahoo news posts there
posted by slater at 2:16 AM on August 3, 2006


If this thread doesn't win "best post of the day," I say the selection process is RIGGED!
posted by crunchland at 5:18 AM on August 3, 2006


I think it would get much more use if it wasn't for that US-centric design and the general hard-to-read-ness of it. Not trying to be snarky, just saying what's keeping me away.
posted by reklaw at 6:08 AM on August 3, 2006


MeTa.
posted by monju_bosatsu at 6:49 AM on August 3, 2006


The image of the White House along with the red, white and blue doesn't help

So change it. Frankly, one look at that and I had no desire to sign up. It looks like a "These Colors Don't Run! Support the President!" site.
posted by languagehat at 7:52 AM on August 3, 2006


Despite a more than passing interest in American politics, I don't really like to immerse myself in them unless I have to, so I won't sign up... but it seems like an alright idea.

Also, it's pretty impressive to see the sudden use the site's getting. I'm thinking of little projects I've worked on, and how excited I would be to see, you know, a 17 comment thread... I guess I know where I'm posting my next thing.
posted by blacklite at 8:51 AM on August 3, 2006


This is a good post; I'm glad to learn of this site. It's worthwhile to try to increase participation there. The simple fact that it was mentioned a couple years ago and hasn't blown up doesn't mean that no one should talk about it ever again.
posted by ibmcginty at 9:05 AM on August 3, 2006


It looks like a "These Colors Don't Run! Support the President!" site.

Obviously the torn/tattered flag, the "circle spin" road signs, and shit brown color have not offset the Americaniness for you. Will address this in the future.
posted by jca at 9:13 AM on August 3, 2006


Rephrasing: "It looks at first glance like a..."
posted by cortex at 9:29 AM on August 3, 2006


The image of the White House along with the red, white and blue doesn't help, but the background is "shit brown" in color, so it all evens out. ;)

Wow. That's a pretty ugly sentence, wink or no.

Anyways, yes, I too might be interested in this forum, but - let's be honest - if the header were pictures of the House of Commons and a Canadian flag, you wouldn't expect many Americans to post there, would you? And, if you did, you'd be in for a shock, because it wouldn't happen.

May I suggest no header at all? If you're going for a blank-filter-look.

On preview: Oh well, nevermind?
posted by stinkycheese at 10:05 AM on August 3, 2006


I think this is one of those "murder your darlings" things. You obviously like your header and brown and everything, jca, but if you're looking for a reason that Devoter hasn't taken off, I think the design is a massive part of it.
posted by reklaw at 10:28 AM on August 3, 2006


jca --- from one web designer to another, you can find excellent color schemes by consulting this or this. There's no need to try and make brown and grey go together.
posted by crunchland at 10:30 AM on August 3, 2006


Rephrasing: "It looks at first glance like a..."

Right. But even on second glance it's butt-ugly.
posted by languagehat at 11:06 AM on August 3, 2006


I can't join - his system can't handle a username under 3 characters. I use this name at all weblogs I go to, I'm not about to switch for a webblog on American politics.
posted by jb at 2:25 AM on August 4, 2006


Actually, jca, the white house and flag does make a difference. As a Canadian, I'm offended that you would decorate a world politics blog that way. That's like saying world politics=American politics. I know you have claimed you didn't intend this, but this is the way the symbols read. Other countries don't even always split left-right. (How can left-right express the difference between the NDP and the Bloc Quebequois?)

Maybe I'm just rabidly patriotically Canadian, but I don't know if you understand how much those symbols are excluding to the rest of the world. We don't associate them with politics, we associated them with the Unites States, particularly its government, with all the bad association we might have with that government.

If you wanted political symbols, you would be better to have images of a ballot box, or a more general legislature (perhaps the inside of the UN?), maybe flags from around the world.
posted by jb at 2:35 AM on August 4, 2006


Just adding: I don't think anyone would suggest the site looks especially pro-the American Government (it's not bright and shiny, it explictly talks about left/right debate) -- it just looks AMERICAN.
posted by jb at 2:38 AM on August 4, 2006


I was thinking, if you want to keep buildings instead of ballot boxes or other imagery, a good idea would be to have perhaps the White House, some other recognizable non-US gov't building (the Kremlin, for example), and then a third gov't building from some country that is recognizably not America nor Russia. The third building itself wouldn't even have to be recognizable. For example, the Blue House in S Korea is a gov't building that almost no-one would recognize, but it looks very Asian, and clearly not American or Russian, so people looking at the site would think "must be a government place in Asia". With a mix of US, Russia, and somewhere in Asia, people aren't going to be thinking "US Politics", but "World Politics", and yet you get to keep the White House image if you're enamored of it.

Just an idea.
posted by Bugbread at 4:28 AM on August 4, 2006


Phrases I never thought I'd read: "As a Canadian, I'm offended that ..."
posted by ibmcginty at 5:49 AM on August 4, 2006


Phrases I never thought I'd read: "As a Canadian, I'm offended that ..."
posted by ibmcginty at 1:49 PM GMT on August 4 [+] [!]


Well, as a Canadian, I've frequently been offended. I'm offended when Americans are ignorant about Canada (it being their closest neighbour), I'm offended when people (American or not) assume Canada is just like the States, and I was offended recently when a linguistics study advertised for native English speakers (specifying that they could be either British, American or Antipodean - as if Canadians don't speak English, or if they do, that it's the same as American English. Or maybe they though our English would be all tainted with French, which is silly, since our French teaching sucks).

Yes, there is a pattern there. I grew up in a small medium country right beside a big country (population-wise) which, despite the shared language, or maybe because of it, knows little about its neighbour and cares even less. So, I'm sorry if I'm touchy about someone saying - here, this site covered in American political symbols, it's for world politics. It's not as bad as the person I met who refused to understand why a Canadian might not be happy with an agressive American foreign policy (considering we have been and could be again the target of it), but it's still pretty blinkered. We've mentioned it before, but I don't think jca ever really took this to heart.

bugbread's idea is a good one.
posted by jb at 10:39 AM on August 4, 2006


jb says:

I can't join - his system can't handle a username under 3 characters. I use this name at all weblogs I go to, I'm not about to switch for a webblog on American politics.

then says:

I'm offended when Americans are ignorant about Canada (it being their closest neighbour), I'm offended when people (American or not) assume Canada is just like the States, and...

If you really feel that way, then why aren't you willing to educate all those Americans "offending" you with their lack of understanding about Canadian politics? I find it hard to believe a 3 character username limit is deal-breaker for you. (And I'm sure you've encountered such username limitations all the time.)

As a Canadian, I'm offended that you would decorate a world politics blog that way.

I never designed the site or sought out to specifically label it as a "world politics" blog -- I'm sorry it came across this way to you. Honestly, the design simply reflected the time it was created -- we were coming out of the 2004 American election year. As for the American versus world politics, I was just responding to others saying they were free to post about politics from whatever corner of the world interests them. As I've said before, I'm sure it will go through a redesign if the attention warrants it. (Until this MeFi post, that hasn't been the case. ;)

Anyway, I invite you jb (and anyone else) to post about whatever you find (politically/newsworthy) interesting.
posted by jca at 11:25 AM on August 4, 2006


I'm sure it will go through a redesign if the attention warrants it.

The point is that the attention is never going to come until you do a redesign. Bit of a catch 22, really.
posted by reklaw at 11:32 AM on August 4, 2006


The point is that the attention is never going to come until you do a redesign. Bit of a catch 22, really.

That's true.

Unfortunately, a more pressing issue is to update the backend to something beyond (the now defunct) pMachine weblog software. (Anyone care to comment on the sequel software -- Expression Engine?)
posted by jca at 11:57 AM on August 4, 2006


I know that dobbs uses Expression Engine. You could drop him a line.
posted by cortex at 12:01 PM on August 4, 2006


« Older Death (and rebirth) of the telegram   |   Samuel L. Jackson on your motherfucking phone! Newer »


This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments