What have people been aiming for with their posts the rest of the time?

I might be up for an Adequate Post Contest in January though. Or even a Just Link To The Damn Site And Briefly Explain What It's About Without Presentational Gimmicks Contest in February.

I have made 267 posts. Upon reviewing them just now, I find that only 5% of them could be nominated for an "awesome post" contest without embarrassment.

This is fine with me. I would rather hit 200 singles than 15 home runs. I like being on base.

Also: the link-heaviness that I associate with awesomeness usually ends up being only for show. My "music critics' top 25 list from 1984" post is a prime example. I spent, by my standards, a great deal of time on it - assembling live performance clips from the period that together made up what I thought was a wonderful documentary of where popular music was at the time. And, as best I could tell, almost no one noticed the links at all.

And as far as awesomeness deriving from the discussability of the subject goes...

My single most awesome post in that respect, as I judge it, was one that earned me a good deal of abuse in the thread and bonus helping in MetaTalk afterwards.

I've posted so little that for me, it would just be my own personal "just post something damn it!" contest. Perhaps one day I'll aspire to entering some kind of best post contest.

I've made exactly 2 posts on the blue. One of them is a throw-away. The other is one I put some time into. I've had one in my pocket for the better part of 2010, with notes to myself in an e-mail or two. (Yes.) It's an obscure-but-neat-and-totally-cool-on-MeFi topic. I think. Most likely, it'll just be a solid B+ post. The best part will be clearing the e-mail to myself out of my inbox.

I have only 1 post in the blue. I think I got a C- on that one. But I balance that out with my 1 or 2 best answers in askme :p

I am just sad that Miko busted out her cool-ass Alice's Restaurant FPP before the first of the month. That would DEFINITELY be a contender. I actually think we should backdate the contest to include that post.

Did I mention that I love Miko?

I am just going to repost my "Two Gentlemen of Lebowski" post. That was my most popular post and the only one to make the podcast.

I come across good FPP topics pretty frequently, but actually get around to posting them much more rarely. So I've got literally dozens of ideas (including maybe a half-dozen "contenders"), but there's just the little matter of actually writing them. Which is kinda the important part.

One of them is a sort of spiritual sequel to my winning Cartoon Network post from 2008, something I've been kicking down the road for literally years. I was going to post it on a relevant anniversary in 2009, then put it off till last Christmas, then later still. I could finish it up for the contest, but that strikes me as unoriginal, considering it would be of a very similar topic and format. I do want to get it done eventually, though. Maybe post it but self-disqualify it?

Miko's would definitely be the one to beat, though. Holy crap. I just wish the topic had been closer to my personal experience (it's a little before my time), so I could appreciate its awesomeness more.

I've been kicking an idea for a post around for a few months now, but I have this hurdle about posting on the blue that I can't quite get over. Like I'm afraid to or something. Meh.

I am just sad that Miko busted out her cool-ass Alice's Restaurant FPP before the first of the month. That would DEFINITELY be a contender

Aw, but I HAD to do it on (US) Thanksgiving! And actually I was pretty far along on it even before the post contest idea came up for this year. I think I'm going to sit this one out, since I did place in the last round of the contest. It does really make MeFi interesting for the month, so i look forward to reading what everyone puts up.

I've been kicking an idea for a post around for a few months now, but I have this hurdle about posting on the blue that I can't quite get over. Like I'm afraid to or something. Meh.

I used to feel exactly that way and a long time went by before I made my first post. I might never have done it except that jessamyn really encouraged me. It's really not so scary. I hope you do it...I mean, I still get nervous about how people are going to react, but even if you lay an egg, 1) at least you contributed, 2) they don't let people be total asshats anymore, and 3) you can live to post again. I'd always really like to see a greater diversity of posts and especially participation by women, so please go ahead, youngergirl44.

thanks msali!