Ars Technica is reporting that, "A class-action lawsuit has been launched against domain registrar Network Solutions and ICANN over the controversial practice of domain tasting. The suit was initiated on behalf of Chris McElroy, a search engine optimization specialist who goes by the handle NameCritic. McElroy has long been an extremely vocal critic of ICANN and is a regular participant on the organization's mailing lists." Users everywhere, likely including a number of MeFites, rejoice. More: Network World article, Press Release, Network Solutions defense of the practice, ICANN comments on the practice.
posted to MetaFilter by NotMyselfRightNow at 7:21 AM on February 26, 2008 (12 comments)

I think that the main reason for the practical intelligence and the political good sense of the Americans is their long experience with juries in civil cases. I do not know whether a jury is useful to the litigants, but I am sure it is very good for those who have to decide the case. I regard it as one of the most effective means of popular education at society’s disposal.

Dissent offers commentaries on jury duty from Alexis de Toqueville, Joanne Barkan, Paul Berman, Susan Cheever, Nicolaus Mills, Maxine Phillips, Ruth Rosen, Jim Sleeper, Michael Walzer, and Darryl Lorrenzo Wellington.
posted to MetaFilter by anotherpanacea at 3:28 PM on February 18, 2008 (8 comments)

FreakAngels. Warren Ellis has a new web-based graphic novel starting today, with art by Paul Duffield.
posted to MetaFilter by monju_bosatsu at 5:00 PM on February 15, 2008 (29 comments)

Nature Aquariums. Little plastic castle and bubbling treasure chest don't do it for you? Me neither. But the living landscapes Aqua Forest Aquarium creates in fishtanks are gorgeous. [Flash-based image gallery]
posted to MetaFilter by scarabic at 10:51 AM on February 15, 2008 (18 comments)

What lens to buy?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by oxford blue at 1:44 AM on January 30, 2008 (23 comments)

It may lack the hilarity of an unaccompanied David Lee Roth crooning to himself like a lunatic, but surely someone has a use for twenty three unaccompanied John Bonham drum tracks.
posted to MetaFilter by The Straightener at 6:25 PM on February 14, 2008 (71 comments)

Can you think of any children's albums by good adult artists? (more inside)
posted to Ask MetaFilter by waxpancake at 8:55 AM on June 28, 2004 (36 comments)

I need quality music to play around my young kids.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by crapples at 8:47 PM on September 6, 2005 (48 comments)

The site must be marked: What is here is dangerous(?) and repulsive to us. This message is a warning about danger...This place is best shunned and left uninhabited.
posted to MetaFilter by never used baby shoes at 8:23 PM on January 3, 2008 (78 comments)

I let my company's domain name expire, and now someone else owns it. What can I do to get it back?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Anonymous at 6:34 PM on December 28, 2007 (11 comments)

Open Culture's "10 Signs of Intelligent Life at YouTube" features "intellectually redeemable" channels from UC Berkeley, @GoogleTalks, TheNobelPrize, TED Talks, FORA.tv, the European Graduate School, the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, BBC Worldwide, National Geographic, PBS, UChannel, MIT, Vanderbilt, and USC.
posted to MetaFilter by Soup at 5:40 PM on December 27, 2007 (21 comments)

Editor wars are some of the most divisive debates among programmers and writers. These days, the battles are between proponents of IDEs like NetBeans, Eclipse, and the like as often as they are between proponents of vi and Emacs, the traditional battlegrounds. That fight hasn't ended, of course. The support of the vi camp has largely solidified behind Vim, the largest and most feature rich (or bloated, if you like nvi) variant, and GNU Emacs has essentially vanquished its internecine rival. Are you a traditionalist? You can find an argument if you really want to. Of course, a lot of people now vote for third parties. There are candidates for the ignorant, for the masochistic, and the insane. Some people are more comfortable with familiar interfaces. Still others are obsessed. [Previously]
posted to MetaFilter by sonic meat machine at 1:04 PM on December 22, 2007 (96 comments)

Life-altering experiences. Can you point to a single experience in your life, as a child, which you can define as having contributed to the person you are today? (+)
posted to Ask MetaFilter by jeremias at 4:41 AM on February 2, 2005 (210 comments)

I collected book related askMes on the wiki into readMe.
posted to MetaTalk by shothotbot at 8:26 PM on December 8, 2007 (77 comments)

I'm heading to the States in a month, and would like to pick up some Canon EF lenses for my film body (now) and DSLR (later). Interests and budget are after the jump.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by heeeraldo at 9:30 AM on October 18, 2007 (14 comments)

"If the emergence of techno and the proliferation of its related genres thrust DJs and producers into the spotlight, it also spawned artists who, like Kraftwerk before them, chose to remain anonymous and distant. The Scottish duo Boards of Canada (Marcus Eoin and Michael Sandison) is a case in point, an even more enigmatic presence on the UK's electronic music landscape than Aphex Twin and Autechre. Eoin and Sandison have consistently minimized their role in the commercial side of music-making and have avoided its attendant lifestyle: They've shunned city life for the rural seclusion of their Hexagon Sun studio and its local collective of artists. They claim to record primarily for themselves and their friends. They have reportedly amassed an enormous archive of unreleased music dating back to the early '80s (numerous apocryphal BoC tracks make the rounds). They seldom give interviews or perform live."
posted to MetaFilter by bigmusic at 9:11 AM on November 26, 2007 (70 comments)

Has anyone done any sociology-type studies about online message board behavior between users? The stuff that we're used to - flame outs, pile ons, and the like. Bonus points for any books that might be a good read.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by agregoli at 7:34 PM on November 9, 2007 (14 comments)

How can I find a good/widely-respected/well-received recording of a given piece of classical music? I know such a thing as "the best recording" doesn't exist in most instances, so I'm just looking to make sure I get a good quality recording.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by anonymous78 at 1:45 PM on November 6, 2007 (14 comments)

We just launched contacts activity (looks like this, also on the sidebar of the front page showing the most recent 10 things). More explanation inside.
posted to MetaTalk by mathowie at 3:11 PM on November 2, 2007 (166 comments)

Is there any way to "break" a mirrored disk set in Mac OS X (that was created with Disk Utility) back into two separate -- but identical -- drives?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by teradome at 7:30 AM on December 2, 2006 (3 comments)

Any ideas for interacting with a newborn?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by justonegirl at 12:33 PM on December 7, 2006 (35 comments)

I just had a baby, and I'm looking for ways to keep being the "strong one."
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Anonymous at 6:58 PM on August 25, 2007 (22 comments)

What happened to the future? Forbes has a terrific special feature on the future that offers a smörgåsbord of cool things. In addition to the usual predictions and "whither the videophone" discussions, there are also interviews with futurists such as David Brin, Robert Sawyer, Stuart Brand, and Nicholas Negroponte about their mistakes and surprises (as well as an article on the value of futurists and one on why you don't want to make futurists angry). On the fiction side, it features short stories by Cory Doctorow, Max Barry, and Warren Ellis, all dealing with the American workplace in 2027 during a financial crisis, as well as a discussion of nine great books about the future. It ends with a quiz about your ability to predict what will happen next year - Forbes will send you your score in January 2009.
posted to MetaFilter by blahblahblah at 8:14 AM on October 24, 2007 (50 comments)

MeFi Mail is being rolled out, so pardon the dust for the next hour or so and once it's live, feel free to discuss it here.
posted to MetaTalk by mathowie at 2:26 PM on October 19, 2007 (431 comments)

Margaret Talbot's wonderful profile of David Simon, the creator of "The Wire." Simon said, he and his colleagues had “ripped off the Greeks: Sophocles, Aeschylus, Euripides. Not funny boy—not Aristophanes. We’ve basically taken the idea of Greek tragedy and applied it to the modern city-state.” He went on, “What we were trying to do was take the notion of Greek tragedy, of fated and doomed people, and instead of these Olympian gods, indifferent, venal, selfish, hurling lightning bolts and hitting people in the ass for no reason—instead of those guys whipping it on Oedipus or Achilles, it’s the postmodern institutions . . . those are the indifferent gods.”
posted to MetaFilter by geoff. at 10:50 AM on October 15, 2007 (34 comments)

The Nebraska Sandhills [wiki] make up the largest vegetated sand dune in the Western Hemisphere-- almost 20,000 square miles of rolling dunes covered with prairie grass. The region is sparsely populated-- dotted with tiny towns, and contains the only man-made National Forest in the US and one of the best golf courses in the world. All told, the area's pretty damn photogenic. Just ask NASA.
posted to MetaFilter by dersins at 9:43 AM on September 7, 2007 (33 comments)

I've got about $3,000 per month to invest, and I don't have time, knowledge, or energy to "beat the market". What's my best safe bet?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Anonymous at 8:09 PM on September 3, 2007 (42 comments)

John Lennon's Jukebox (BBC,Google vid,48min) wiki "In 1989, John Lennon's jukebox surfaced in an auction of Beatles memorabilia at Christie's, and was sold for £2,500 to Bristol-based music promoter John Midwinter. Lennon had apparently bought the jukebox – specifically a Swiss KB Discomatic – in 1965, and filled it with forty singles to take with him on tour. Midwinter spent several years restoring the box and researching the discs catalogued in Lennon's spidery handwriting. When Midwinter developed cancer, and his health began to deteriorate, his desire to see the player featured in some kind of documentary became all the more important." Guardian article,music.
posted to MetaFilter by vronsky at 5:59 PM on September 1, 2007 (61 comments)

What is the origin of pronouncing "I've got you" like "I've gotchew?" Does this go back to ancient English speaking times, or is this merely a sloppy, learned Americanism? Is there a name for it?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by iguanapolitico at 8:55 AM on August 30, 2007 (32 comments)

Do you love learning? I know you do. This might help keep you busy for a while.
posted to MetaFilter by loquacious at 10:44 PM on January 13, 2007 (42 comments)

Our own fandango_matt, of Metafilter design contest and multiple pissing elephant fame, has come up with his own Boy Scout inspired Metafilter safety guide.
posted to MetaTalk by Krrrlson at 10:25 AM on July 16, 2007 (184 comments)

I'm looking for suggestions for a list I'm making of things that I want to enable my kids to experience while growing up. Kind of "life experiences" or education that isn't the kind of thing they'll learn or experience in school.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by greenmagnet at 10:21 AM on July 9, 2007 (63 comments)

a soulful meditation on a future where both water and human kindness are in scant supply.
posted to MeFi Music by kimyo at 7:16 PM on July 2, 2007 (22 comments)

What is the best software to create 'screencasts'. I need to create training videos for software my company has created. Users would access these videos over the net and see the software in action as I narrate. I would prefer that the output files are flash / youtube style and not wma / mpeg.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by kaizen at 8:32 AM on July 6, 2007 (20 comments)

Can you recommend outstanding wineries in or around Willamette Valley, Oregon?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by Asherah at 7:56 PM on June 28, 2007 (7 comments)

What are you favorite Photoshop CS2/CS3 books? I have a handful of books that cover the basics and efficient photo processing/improvements, so I'm most interested in books with innovative tips and special effects to really energize photos.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by jacksides at 8:23 AM on June 27, 2007 (13 comments)

Fritz Kahn was a German writer & illustrator in the 1920s who specialized in illustrating the physical processes of human bodies as though they were machine powered. Perhaps it's easier to show than describe.
posted to MetaFilter by jonson at 2:49 PM on June 13, 2007 (18 comments)

Taking a stroll somewhere in France. Sonic snapshots : Purchasing food. Driving. Walking in the street. Listening quietly. Playing the guitar.
posted to MeFi Music by nicolin at 2:46 AM on May 30, 2007 (7 comments)

Is Metafilter too labyrinthine, for a new comer at least? I’ve been here for a couple of months now, and I’ve gotten to know a few people, but I still don’t feel as if I’ve become a part of the community yet? Not sure if that’s my fault, may be I should post more often, or comment more in other peoples’ threads, or post better FPPs, but the question’s been on my mind for some time now. It just feels like a tough nut to crack. I am still trying though.
posted to MetaTalk by hadjiboy at 7:54 PM on May 18, 2007 (245 comments)

The Evolution of Modern Speech balloons (in painting and caricature). One small part of Andy's Early Comics Archive.
posted to MetaFilter by anastasiav at 5:25 AM on May 18, 2007 (10 comments)

Woodstock^ (YouTuner)
Day ☼ { Richie Havens ♪ Country Joe McDonald ♪ John Sebastian ♪ Sweetwater ♭ Incredible String Band ♪ Bert Sommer ♭ Tim Hardin ♪ Ravi Shankar ♭ Melanie ♪ Arlo Guthrie ♪ Joan Baez ♪ }
Day ☼☼ { Quill ♪ Keef Hartley Band ♭ Santana ♪ Canned Heat ♪ Mountain ♪ Janis Joplin ♪ ♫ Sly & the Family Stone ♪ Grateful Dead ♪ Creedence Clearwater Revival ♪ The Who ♪ ☻ ♫ Jefferson Airplane ♪ ♫ }
Day ☼☼☼ { Joe Cocker ♪ Country Joe & the Fish ♪ Ten Years After ♪ The Band ♪ Blood Sweat & Tears ♪ Johnny Winter ♪ Crosby, Stills & Nash ♪ ♬ ♫ Paul Butterfield Blues Band ♪ Sha-Na-Na ♪ Jimi Hendrix ♪ ★ ♫ }

posted to MetaFilter by pruner at 6:20 AM on May 15, 2007 (49 comments)

Find and discuss free audio and video lectures from around the web. You can filter audio/video/mp3 only, create playlists (which can be exported to iTunes and other players), and add tags and comments to lectures.
posted to MetaFilter Projects by gwint at 11:26 AM on April 9, 2007

Apropos of nothing: a preview of this week's upcoming podcast.
posted to MetaTalk by mathowie at 4:50 PM on May 8, 2007 (26 comments)

What are your favorite resources for buying dirt-cheap used books online?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by willie11 at 8:38 PM on May 3, 2007 (21 comments)

I liked cortex's song so much I had my band record a backing track for it.
posted to MeFi Music by mexican at 3:50 AM on March 5, 2007 (29 comments)

A second pretty much complete song for the RPM Challenge. Fancy ears will be able to pick out my attempt at learning to play the Cuatro that was hand-delivered to my front door from the awesome and amazing Micayetoca in Venezuela.
posted to MeFi Music by chococat at 2:28 PM on February 23, 2007 (42 comments)

Where can I find more podcasts like the TED talks?
posted to Ask MetaFilter by alby at 1:54 AM on March 18, 2007 (19 comments)

I added a new feature: Custom CSS for profile pages. You simply create a .css file on your own server, write whatever CSS you want, and it will load after all the mefi CSS when anyone views your user page. Here's mine (which loads this). Just plop in the URL of your custom CSS file on your server in your user prefs. Be sure to post here when you've got something cool to show. Let the ugliness/coolness begin!
posted to MetaTalk by mathowie at 9:43 PM on April 14, 2007 (185 comments)

Episode 6 of the MetaFilter Podast: the one where we interview pb.
posted to MetaTalk by mathowie at 8:47 PM on April 13, 2007 (56 comments)

I'm due to give birth anytime and we are still stuck with a name. We already have two other boys: Hewitt Gareth Miller and Rupert Johannes Postma. It's a boy and we like old names obviously. Got any cool ideas?We are dead locked. We like names that translate into adult names nicely.
posted to Ask MetaFilter by gina at 10:13 AM on October 18, 2005 (93 comments)