I think you answered your own question.

dude, here's a clue: mefi sucks these days. quonsar didn't ruin it.

On the other hand, you're assuming that everyone who read the links commented. What's the point of reading the discussion on a good post if it always degrades like that? I, for one, greatly enjoyed your post (I am a big-time Annie Proulx fan), but I generally avoid the Inside of those things.

neither did pretty_generic.

Hookers and blow, apparently is the point. See

Hmmm. This doesn't work for me now. But anyway, http://metatalk.metafilter.com/mefi/10749

A lot of people who take the time to read the links and then wish to comment are, when they are finished reading and ready to make an intelligent and thoughtful comment, overwhelmed by those who have already thoughtlessly spouted crap and so they don't comment at all. But they did read the post and they were enlightened and entertained by what you thought to be the best of the web.

Metafilter does have a silent majority, I think, and they certainly appreciate your wonderful posts.

Don't let the bastards get you--or MetaFilter--down. There are many more names on the front page of MetaFilter these days and as I filter MeFi for myself I often rely on the presentation as to what I should click and read. But any time I see a post of yours I click because I know it will be good.

On preview: exactly, muddgirl, and yes, q, you were a great part of the ruin I think. Sometimes, anyways: you set a bad example with good humour.

My first FPP didn't get a single god damned comment, but the person who ran a site I linked to later told me that he got over 400 hits from metafilter.com. Thus lots of people click but don't comment. Anecdotally speaking.

frankly, quoting South Park episodes isn't funny. This is funny.

Holy cow, it sure didn't, goatdog!

i'm dying to read that story and the other links--but i'm still stuck at work (it's 10:15)

: (

Comments do not necessarily indicate a good post. Some of the best have almost no comments at all, because people enjoy bitching, moaning and goofing off way more than leaving a simple compliment.

Having said that, searching for supporting links doesn't necessarily make a good post either - if the main link is enjoyable, then that's usually enough, and don't waste your time finding out more information for people becuase the ones who liked your post will search for more information themselves. When I see a post with six or seven "supporting links", my brain thinks "someone spends too much time on Google" and my eyes drift over it entirely as being too much hard work.

Having said that, searching for supporting links doesn't necessarily make a good post either

Methinks that is not kirkaracha's MO.

You're probably right, but you see it so much in others. People who have the impression, for some reason, that "single link posts are bad", so they try to make some super-macho-mecha-post with 17 links around seemingly random words to the far flung corners of the internet, and it's clearly the result of some quick Googling. When people put that many links in a post, they can't really expect everyone to read every word of them, can they? I dunno, maybe people have got more spare time than I have...

Interesting point. I do tend to avoid multi-link posts, just because I'm lazy.

I bookmarked this comment by interrobang a while back. I find it very encouraging, especially since most of my posts have gotten minimal comments.

I hadn't read the original short story til you put it up on the blue, and to be honest, it tore me up so bad that I went and took a long, sniffly nap. How will I make it through the movie??

i'm home--going to read it--people are in a mood lately in the blue, kirk--don't take it to heart.

I am going to self-link here becaue I can and it is relevant to points made above and it is lost in the mists of MeFi. I used Google to assemble the eight links of my first FPP and it worked, going by the tenor of the comments. I found the initial link somewhere and then I found supporting links to support one awsome link.

In terms of reaction measured by responses to kirkaracha's posts I am hopefully an average in quantity and quality. I'm guessing here. kirkaracha's post are a benchmark for me, anyway.

kirkaracha rocks, pure and simple and consistently, and Metafilter needs posters who rock like that *over time* and take the time needed to present the best of the web.

that's a great story--thanks, kirk!

that tire iron stuff--ooo

The honest-to-spaghetti flying monster-truth is that lately I only scan MeFi blue for the most part and kirkaracha's post was the only one in the last 24hrs where I read the whole paragraph. I thought to myself - well that sounds pretty interesting, I'll have to have a look later (still haven't, other than to cursorily inspect the thread after reading this post)

Not to harp on about it - because I mentioned it yesterday in orthogonality's thread here - but this particular thread would do much much more good towards promoting a better/more positive attitude if it were posted to MeTa. It may not be been seen by a majority of MeFi one-liner types but I suspect that it will have brought forth some encouraging commentary that helps to solidify the better parts about Metafilter. My opinion of course.

I do see what you mean when I scan the thread kirkaracha but frankly, I don't see it as a really bad thread by comparison with some.

It's virtually impossible to not have something invested in how a post will be received but I'm starting to think, if editing is all checked and there's no mistakes and the links all work and due thought about wording etc etc etc has been carried out, that a damn good idea after hitting the 'send' button is to leave for a few hours and not watch the proceedings unfold.

I also agree very much about one's inability to really sense what the viewing populace's reactions to the post will have been. There are what? a few thousand commenters at most who come and go with the wind so the majority of the audience is unseen and unheard from.

When you do come back to the thread you should tell yourself that the bottom line ought to be that it's a success if someone says thanks. So perhaps try and view it filtered through .kobayashi's eyes and all is pretty well and good with the world.

And Cryptical Envelopment said it well too.

No religion, no politics (sexual or otherwise). No ego. That's what makes a good FPP. Make it interesting and not about you.

i have to thank you for posting it, i haven't had a chance to read it yet but saved it. heard a recent frsh air about it and i've been wondering where i could find a copy of the story for a while now.

i miss the days when i didn't read comments.
i use to think mefi was cool.
then we got to know each other.
*sigh*

I read the links. I enjoyed them. Thank you.

The point is that you have something you want to share, and some people will appreciate it, even if they aren't interested in the "culture" of MeFi commenting.

i want the porn version to be called "brokebutt mountin'"

I've repeatedly asked for a clik-thu kounter pony. Silence from the powers that be. That would at least provide some feedback to posters that the crap comments have become do not.

Thanks for the nice comments, everyone. I'm a little embarassed at hosting my own pity party (and sorry for not using more inside).

I agree that the quantity of links isn't directly related to the quality of the post. In fact, I think it would've been fine in this case if I'd just linked to the short story, but I like to provide supporting info, kind of like the special features on the DVD.