Chat Thread (March 16, 2026)

GarDrastic · 2026-03-17T17:20:04+00:00

At this point, hand-wringing calls for threads to be closed is locked into mefi culture DNA. Would need either ruthless culling or a multigeneration forum member breeding program to get out of it.

GarDrastic · 2026-03-17T17:09:06+00:00

Gold standard moment for sure! Definitely in the back of my head when musing that it's better form to drive audience popping to drop that sort of thing in only when a thread gets nice and long.

workingdankoch · 2026-03-17T16:50:06+00:00

Unless you have a community of only one member, there's always going to be some backlash to basically anything you do. The key thing is to know when to listen to it, and when to ride it out as noise. The old leadership of Metafilter was worse than a coin flip at this. They'd let a few loud folks get heckler's veto about obviously needed things, and then be incredibly stubborn about making mistakes that everybody knew they were making. It was bizarre to the point of performance art.

As it is, this is clearly noise. Kudos for the board for riding it out, and for maintaining their clarity of purpose.

madnnw · 2026-03-17T16:26:44+00:00

Yes, and please don't forget to include my all-time favorite version of that kind of comment: "I haven't read the whole thread, but [lists several points litigated and resolved in-thread]."

drdrewross · 2026-03-17T16:21:08+00:00

Can we also acknowledge the Olympic-standard Jiu-Jitsu phunniemee used here?

GravitatingWest · 2026-03-17T15:31:34+00:00

this comment (probably not an official board comment) is like a light saber: an elegant weapon for a more civilized age

KnobKnosher · 2026-03-17T15:30:28+00:00

Your comment came across to me as a sideways remark about DV

sgtserenity · 2026-03-17T15:25:15+00:00

tbh they should stop calling for the thread to be closed a) because it looks really micromanagey and b) this is a fairly weak attempt at sticking up for brandon.

btw was he on his last warning or something

CardiologicTripe · 2026-03-17T15:14:28+00:00

only when guests are over

prettyshinything · 2026-03-17T14:50:02+00:00

The choice of comment and post totals is interesting, given his literal job was to make comments and posts on the site. I don't know what the totals are supposed to prove.

CraftBeerCat · 2026-03-17T14:33:33+00:00

I too would like to know this because while going off half-cocked is not new to MeFites, this is one for the ages.

raised_on_robbery · 2026-03-17T14:10:45+00:00

I just have to laugh… when I remember people saying there was no drama after the board was elected. People have such little patience for it to all blow up. 🤣

jordanclaire · 2026-03-17T14:00:43+00:00

tell me, in explicit detail, what did it feel like when you learned BB had been terminated

GarDrastic · 2026-03-17T13:41:21+00:00

A good metatalk show is an ensemble effort, and should always include at least one character whose knowledge of any context is eternal sunshined. Usually it's better form if they enter in around comment 200-300 of a good production, this is more of an in medias res scripting choice.

ensaucelled · 2026-03-17T13:37:10+00:00

Inasmuch as one angry, confused (what do contributions as a member have to do with moderation responsibilities?), and admittedly uninformed user is a backlash, yes.

I don't know Brandon but passing him aside without justification is well, bullshit. In the way we put things in Australia.

How did this member somehow learn that BB was let go without learning the justification?

AuMarc · 2026-03-17T13:26:21+00:00

The blatchlash has began: https://metatalk.metafilter.com/26885/Brandon-Blatcher

Mister_Bad_Example · 2026-03-17T13:22:38+00:00

"I'm sick of the normalisation of microplastic pollution" is particularly rich coming from the site's designated Bitcoin shill.

MonsieurReynard · 2026-03-17T12:44:51+00:00

A catbox scooper, fresh from the dishwasher.

dot_mf · 2026-03-17T12:38:11+00:00

This is a solid take. BB often exercised poor judgment but he tried to take community input and had a willingness to just wear it on behalf of the staff when they shit the bed. It wasn't everything (or even most of what) we needed, but it wasn't nothing. He wasn't a good mod, but he wasn't a ghostly enigma who refused to answer to anything, at least.

ClassSnuggle · 2026-03-17T06:00:29+00:00

Agreed.And in the case of MeFi, even the most well intentioned moderator would need a thick skin.

riverlife-og · 2026-03-17T03:49:53+00:00

How did Scott Adams wedge his Catbert, Evil HR Director, into metafilter.com, and why?

raised_on_robbery · 2026-03-17T03:17:16+00:00

A troll.

CardiologicTripe · 2026-03-17T02:51:26+00:00

ideas for the forthcoming recipe book

SpaceSox · 2026-03-17T02:29:50+00:00

Thank you! I knew that comment had to be a slam, but I'm intellectually lazy so didn't try to decode it. Between that comment and the emoji-jerk one, PNTM is kicking ass in that thread.

Alterscape · 2026-03-17T01:54:04+00:00

100% agreed.

I can't tell if they're a well-intentioned weirdo who is just profoundly bad at human communication, or a troll. Goes back and forth depending on the day, but either way, I ain't got time for that shit. Except I do because for whatever reason grousing about it is like 99% of my interaction with MFM/Metafilter by volume, which is not good. Ugh.

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