Fulfilling the MetaFilter Promise. What is your vision of what the MetaFilter (and MetaTalk) project could be or should be? Those here tend to agree that this enterprise is important, so why is it so? What is MetaFilter doing and what might it do? As an exercise in originality, consider posting your ideas before reading the others. (Disclaimer: I'm writing a thesis on Blog Communities, and this one's my fave).posted by squirrel on April 13 2000

-Right now Metafilter is acting as a very successful and well-designed discussion board, and not too much more. Besides a strong cast of regulars, there's not much here that you couldn't get on a lot of other chat communities. The difference should be that a system of mutually agreed-upon protocols would be arrived at by the community and adhered to without interference from the benevolent dictator (hey matt!) being necessary. It ought to run pretty smoothly now that most of its users have been using it for at least a year. For one reason or another, human nature or unique historical circumstances, the freedom that could have made it an efficient democracy hasn't worked as well as could have been hoped. What we've got is an often frustrating near-anarchy with some loose Hobbesian social contracts and the odd deus ex machina keeping a fragile peace. What holds it together at this point, I think, is loyalty and a strong cast of interesting characters. Still the best game in town though.Good luck with the thesis. posted by Hildago

-It put the virtue back in virtually. posted by y2karl

-Those here tend to agree that this enterprise is important, so why is it so? 'Good' and 'important' are different things.Is the local bread/cheese shop good, or important?Is the poetry slam on Fridays at the local coffee shop good, or important? posted by The Jesse Helms

- Actually, I think the pub analogy is an apt one - a pub that is open 24/7 (barring technical glitches), where there is a core of regulars who, no matter when you drop in, they seem to have been propping the bar up for hours and where a much larger group drop in from time to time, say a few words, play a game of pool and then disappear. Every now and again, there is an influx of new people and this sets the regulars to bouts of "I remember when" and crying in their beer. After a while, though, it gets hard to remember who the original regulars are and who the new regulars are.Sometimes a fight will break out and that could mean someone being banned from coming back, either temporarily or permanently. Often the regulars will gang up on one of the fighters and drive him/her out by force, sometimes the bouncer will just pick the offender up and hurl him/her out the door. Other times, the fight will be taken out into the alley where it is private and the other patrons resume their activities.The pub is full of in-jokes that are incomprehensible to outsiders, but hilarious to regulars - at least, in this pub, everything is recorded and you can look back in time to see what everyone is guffawing about.The publican is a friendly bloke who lets pretty much anyone in his pub, as long as they behave himself. He is pretty tolerant and, despite the occasional admonishment to stop spilling beer on the floor, he overlooks the occasional transgression. Rub him up the wrong way, though, and he will snap at the offender without warning. He is fond of a joke now and then, but also likes to put something back to the community for particular causes and can get serious about things that matter to him.All in all, a friendly pub and one that looks cozy and warm through the windows if you are out in the cold. Sort of an extended family, some might say, where there is usually a certain amount of respect given and expected all round and where you are free to speak your mind and (mostly) be accepted as you are, despite (or because of) your views. A nice place to be. posted by dg

MetaFilter: Where everybody knows your nickname.posted by wendell hey! *sings happily* its that guy, that was here before //seinfeld standup re dogs//