It's interesting to see how many of the redesign ideas have made their way into the current site. Fandago_matt's tabbed bar, for example. Which bring up my only real problem with the current design: there's too many freakin' bars at the top of the page!

Currently, logged-in, there are 5 "navigation bars" on the top of the page:
1. welcome back/signout
2. Subsites (mefi, ask, etc...)
3. Home, FAQ, etc...
4. New... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 9:29 AM on April 25, 2008

cortex makes excellent points. An undifferentiated mass of text leads to skimming. The <<more inside>> was longish.

Break ideas into paragraphs. Keep sentences short and sweet. I'm more than guilty of this one myself.
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 10:54 AM on April 23, 2008

I've wanted this for years, in some form or other. My access to the site tends to run hot and cold, so it would be very nice to see questions that I've missed while away from the site.
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 10:20 AM on March 12, 2008

Please do. LN and I can probably make it.
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 8:12 AM on February 12, 2008

We're (Phil, LN, bonehead) in the bar...

Just ask for metafiler.
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 4:56 PM on February 17, 2008

Perhaps we should be able to filter out favourited posts. Favourites are a nice ego-stroke, but I do think that they're ultimately destructive.

On the other hand, seeing who favourited which comment is often useful when building the mental kill file.

It would be an interesting experiment for dios to start a second account. I'd even spring for it if he's interested.
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 1:05 PM on February 12, 2008

Previously
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 7:05 PM on January 30, 2008

My real name has been in my profile since I've joined and I've had nothing but positive experiences because of it. It didn't even occur to me to hide it really, as I'd been posting under my real name on usenet for the decade previous.

My only rule is not to post something that would cause problems with work, or to post something I wouldn't feel comfortable saying to someone's face. Anonymous licence to shit-cockery is one of the worst aspects of Metafilter, in my opinion.
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 10:35 AM on January 15, 2008

We need to try to have a meetup that's *not* around a holiday/day off/etc.

I agree. I've got family coming in that weekend for an early Christmas. I doubt that any day in there would be possible for me.
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 7:23 PM on November 28, 2007

Here's the solution: we should be able to flag deletion reasons we don't like.
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 9:44 AM on November 26, 2007

WTF do Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving for? Did the Inuit share some moose and poutine with a bunch of hockey players?

British privateers, pirates really. Frobisher was a buccaneer for many years.

We celebrate our Thanksgiving meal of rum and whale liver in traditional pirtate and/or Eskimo Inuit costumes.
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 12:31 PM on November 22, 2007

...actually, the first (verifiable) European "thanksgiving" in North America was probably a Winternight about this time of year in Vineland, at L'anse aux Medows, sometime around 1000 AD.

So, can't we just agree that Thanksgiving, Canadian or American, is where we're all Vikings?
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 1:38 PM on November 22, 2007

\documentclass[10pt,web]{comment}
\pagestyle{empty}
\begin{comment}

\strong{$L^{A}T_{E}X $ 4 Life!}

\end{comment}
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 12:14 PM on November 17, 2007

The people that need the most volunteers (by far) in any spill are the wildlife rescue folks. There may be some call for beach cleanup also, but that's usually done under contract by the RP (so if you're looking for really dirty temporary work...). The wildlife (mostly bird) washing is often done by volunteers though. I'd check with International Bird Rescue Research Center. They seem to be coordinating the animal rehabilitation.
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 12:46 PM on November 8, 2007

Yep: if you want to volunteer for the spill clean-up, the IBRRC wants you to fill out this form. Please respect their wishes---no phone calls! I can guarantee they need the phones and staff time for other things right now. It will probably take a day or two to get the cleaning centre established, so call-backs may take a bit of time.
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 12:50 PM on November 8, 2007

Here are people who have traditions and who have a consistent metaphysical framework! And so I went to mass every Sunday in college, even though I'm a totally indifferent atheist kind of person.

This doesn't make you Catholic, it makes you Anglican.
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 2:22 PM on November 6, 2007

George_Spiggot, as the first link above points out, if the engines develop enough thrust, the plane will always take off as the friction force has an upper limit (ie the wheel berrings jam and the tires start to skid).
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 9:38 AM on November 2, 2007

it seems intuitive that this resistance would have to be unreasonably high to keep an otherwise reasonably powered plane from taking off.

That's probably true for planes with modern engines and reasonable bearings and decent tires (and you do need to understand all sources of friction for this to be answerable). Underpowered planes, anything that needs a long runway might have trouble taking off with high wheel friction (which is what this gedaken is... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 11:10 AM on November 2, 2007

If we could tag metatalk posts, a photo tag could be added to the thread when photos were posted. If the sidebar retained the old meet-up posts for, say, a month after the event, then the photo tag could pop a little flag beside the link. Forex:

Upcoming Meetups:
Nov 2: Philadelphia, PA
Nov 9: Atlanta GA
Nov 10: Sydney, NSW, AUS
Nov 11: San Francisco

Past... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 8:27 AM on October 29, 2007

I echo the comments of gsteff, jacqueline and others. I've gone to some lengths to route all the messages I care about to one email address, from all modes a methods of travel. I really don't want to have to have "check metafilter mail" as well.

If you want to implement an email contact form which sends mail but hides addresses, great. We're adults; the recipient can make up their mind if they want to remain anonymous and reply with their metafilter identity... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 6:28 AM on October 17, 2007

As a further datapoint, with having an address in the clear since I joined, about five years ago, I've never had spam or a commercial email that I could attribute back to the metafilter address. I have had lots of interesting off-line conversations though.
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 7:59 AM on October 17, 2007

It could be a weird corporate firewall setting. Mine allows metafilter, metatalk and ask, but blocks music. Metachat is also out at work.
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 2:23 PM on October 5, 2007

Eskimo: Add to that, the Dene (NWT) and the Slaveys (BC, Alberta and NWT) really, really don't like being called "Eskimos". They were traditional enemies. A bit like calling a Frenchman a Kraut.
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 12:50 PM on September 29, 2007

I'm a preferring-print person myself, but I can see the logic here, particularly for navigation and giving the site owner the ad impressions. The NYTimes just took down the pay wall and I, for one, don't want them going back. A second click on a "print-format" link isn't a huge deal.
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 1:15 PM on September 25, 2007

...they euthanize the books? Without putting them up for adoption first?

This doesn't involve gasoline, does it? I... I don't think I could take that.
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 12:59 PM on September 21, 2007

I'd be interested. Last minute work commitments kept me away last time. Darn pager.
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 8:14 AM on September 19, 2007

The 6th (Saturday) would be my preference. Family dinner on Sunday.
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 12:39 PM on September 21, 2007

You *BLAM*hat scene in the original Batman film Burton did, where at one point Batm*BLAM*aks a curt command to a remote control on his glove and suddenly the *BLAM*mobile, which has bee*BLAM*d elsewhere with its armor up, de-*BLAM*s and drives itself to where he is?

I was *BLAM*hinking that *BLAM* were redone as a... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 4:17 PM on September 20, 2007

Why don't you all want to live in the push-button world of the future? Why? It's got big fins AND it's shiny!

And blimps. Don't forget the blimps.
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 1:37 PM on September 19, 2007

"No, really, I'm not offended. Not squicked out in the least. Carry on Ladies! Ha Ha Ha!"
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 9:07 AM on September 10, 2007

I want fractional favorites, 'cause sometimes I only half-agree.
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 10:11 AM on August 31, 2007

Some of us need a Manufactured line, you [MEATISTS]!
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 6:43 AM on August 28, 2007

We (and by we I mean you) just need to tag every post with a Library of Congress number. That'll fix everything.
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 9:07 AM on August 14, 2007

Of course! And you can look up the subject numbers in the handy card catalogue on the second floor.
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 11:21 AM on August 14, 2007

Thanks for the mail, Phire. I'd have missed this otherwise. It really needs to be sidebarred on the metatalk main page too.
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 7:31 PM on July 31, 2007

I've never been there, but it looks like they have decent food.

What time? 7ish?
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 7:05 AM on August 1, 2007

I'm iffy. A work thing has come up.
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 1:08 PM on August 7, 2007

The obvious pony request is to add an entry for del.icio.us bookmarks to each user's profile, like the Flikr name.
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 1:31 PM on August 1, 2007

"answers", "comments", feh! On travel, they should be "advisories"
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 7:56 AM on July 7, 2007

I too use Goggle Reader, which I like because I can check it anywhere.

When work or life keeps me away from the site for a while, like any student of pop culture, I just ignore anything older than a day or so. I'm more likely to go back a bit on Ask, but often not.

Sure I miss stuff, but metafilter is what I do in spare time, between moments. It isn't a full-time thing.
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 3:00 PM on July 1, 2007

In fact, I kind of hate dogs, sorry.

Theres no reason for that attitude! Dogs are stringy and a bit gamey, but that's no reason to hate them. Just use a stronger marinade.

Cat, on the other hand, can't be disguised by any amount of basting. They make nice slippers though.
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 6:56 AM on June 21, 2007

I vote for profile preference, if implemented. In-browser PDFs work reasonably for all of my Windows boxes.
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 1:27 PM on June 20, 2007

davehat, that's uncanny. But it makes so much sense!

Wait. So does that mean that the guy from Thompson Twins was really Danni in drag?
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 8:49 PM on June 10, 2007

I too find the relative time stamps work well for recent stuff, but they are less useful when someone referes back to a thread.

Here's a suggestion: for unclosed threads allow relative time stamps. When a thread gets closed, use absolute time stamps.

And if I can hook my little pony onto this wagon train: I'd really, really appreciate it if the timestamps in old threads included the year. When someone references an old comment, it can be a little... [more]
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 7:20 AM on June 1, 2007

Actually, for older comments, year and maybe month is all I care about. Day is only useful if tying to a specific event.
posted to MetaTalk by bonehead at 8:25 AM on June 1, 2007