Typical MeFi Guy Please Report To Reception
October 12, 2006 6:07 AM Subscribe
There's no such thing but I need one now, please. Help me define the a typical Metafilter guy.
I'm working on a screenplay for a 30 minute movie to be shown on Portuguese TV as an episode of a series (brilliantly) called "Communications". I need to personify a Metafilter user who keeps getting phone calls, letters and nice presents from a 19-year-old male Portuguese teenager who is thinking of moving to America. He's internet-savvy and MeFi-wise but he prefers the old school forms of communication - he's a bit of a manipulator too.
So what does the Metafilter guy who answers his phone calls (patiently, politely, annoyed but curious as well) look like? Male? Female? Age? Appearance? Home? Occupation? Disposition?
MeFi Guy doesn't have to be entirely believable but he/she would have to be typical, stereotypical even as the story involves three typical users of three community blogs.
Many thanks for any help!
I'm working on a screenplay for a 30 minute movie to be shown on Portuguese TV as an episode of a series (brilliantly) called "Communications". I need to personify a Metafilter user who keeps getting phone calls, letters and nice presents from a 19-year-old male Portuguese teenager who is thinking of moving to America. He's internet-savvy and MeFi-wise but he prefers the old school forms of communication - he's a bit of a manipulator too.
So what does the Metafilter guy who answers his phone calls (patiently, politely, annoyed but curious as well) look like? Male? Female? Age? Appearance? Home? Occupation? Disposition?
MeFi Guy doesn't have to be entirely believable but he/she would have to be typical, stereotypical even as the story involves three typical users of three community blogs.
Many thanks for any help!
This post was deleted for the following reason: Is your question regarding MetaFilter, MetaTalk, or Ask MetaFilter? Post it to MetaTalk, which is designed for questions about the site itself.
Consumating also has pictures of a bunch of metafilter users.
posted by dobbs at 6:39 AM on October 12, 2006
posted by dobbs at 6:39 AM on October 12, 2006
Male. Late 20's.
Skinny to slightly pudgy. No muscles. Tattoos. Piercings. Thick plastic hipster glasses. Hipster tshirt.
Caesar haircut or British emo boy haircut. Streaks optional.
Hippy bling (wood beads).
Occupation: graphic design or computer programmer.
Disposition: snarky; self-possessed to narcissistic; passive-aggressive.
Middle class (owns home); decor of someone who's trying to stay hip but whose parents and other normal people drop by from time to time.
Long term relationship with girl, possibly engaged.
posted by By The Grace of God at 6:39 AM on October 12, 2006 [3 favorites]
Skinny to slightly pudgy. No muscles. Tattoos. Piercings. Thick plastic hipster glasses. Hipster tshirt.
Caesar haircut or British emo boy haircut. Streaks optional.
Hippy bling (wood beads).
Occupation: graphic design or computer programmer.
Disposition: snarky; self-possessed to narcissistic; passive-aggressive.
Middle class (owns home); decor of someone who's trying to stay hip but whose parents and other normal people drop by from time to time.
Long term relationship with girl, possibly engaged.
posted by By The Grace of God at 6:39 AM on October 12, 2006 [3 favorites]
...But how to distinguish MefiStereotypeBoy from your other two bloggers? 'Twould be interesting and useful to know what the other two blogs are.
posted by By The Grace of God at 6:41 AM on October 12, 2006
posted by By The Grace of God at 6:41 AM on October 12, 2006
Man: 30-something computer programmer, literate, politically liberal (by US standards).
Woman: 30-something librarian, computer savvy, politically liberal (by US standards).
Either gender: Probably white. Gay or gay friendly. Glasses with heavy frames. Has traveled abroad. Lives in a northern U.S. city (New York, Boston, Portland, Seattle, Chicago). Introverted. Aggressively confrontational online, non-confrontational in real life. Secular/non-churchgoing. Cares about politics and the state of the world. Likes puzzles, math and word games. Likes to create (books, crafts, music, whatever), but may not be very good at it.
posted by croutonsupafreak at 6:45 AM on October 12, 2006
Woman: 30-something librarian, computer savvy, politically liberal (by US standards).
Either gender: Probably white. Gay or gay friendly. Glasses with heavy frames. Has traveled abroad. Lives in a northern U.S. city (New York, Boston, Portland, Seattle, Chicago). Introverted. Aggressively confrontational online, non-confrontational in real life. Secular/non-churchgoing. Cares about politics and the state of the world. Likes puzzles, math and word games. Likes to create (books, crafts, music, whatever), but may not be very good at it.
posted by croutonsupafreak at 6:45 AM on October 12, 2006
Response by poster: By The Grace of God: Thanks, you're right. PopBitch is the UK blog and the Portuguese blog is made-up but based on a well-known music blog where everything (but music) is earnestly discussed.
posted by MiguelCardoso at 6:47 AM on October 12, 2006
posted by MiguelCardoso at 6:47 AM on October 12, 2006
The typical user doesn't write anything, I suspect, or it would be swamped. Of the thousands of people here, only a handful are the grandstanders whose IDs people recognize because they're on every day in a dozen threads.
So do you mean the typical invisible user (an interested reader, perhaps) or the typical grandstander, a performer for whom his dance at this place and the response to it might actually be the high or low point of his day?
The invisible reader is just anyone, someone for whom this place usually is a small part of the day, like checking the mailbox or feeding the cat, or even less. Nothing distinguishes that person as a Metafilter guy.
The typical grandstander, I would bet, is more likely to be someone who doesn't go over as well in person as he does in print. Someone who is somewhat articulate and convincing on the screen but, for all we know, in person almost any horrible, pathetic, cringing thing as long as it can type and read. Someone who is at the keyboard rather than out running the world or at least out running. (Or some unproductive drone at work?)
Not all grandstanders are misshapen aliens in person, of course, as can be seen by the selection that attends meetups. Only half of them, from what I've seen in online pictures, are misshapen aliens, and perhaps misshapen is in the eye of the species. But what are the people like who find time to type type type here all the time but don't find time to attend local meetups, hmmm? I bet they're the ones with two heads, neither of them pretty.
posted by pracowity at 6:55 AM on October 12, 2006
So do you mean the typical invisible user (an interested reader, perhaps) or the typical grandstander, a performer for whom his dance at this place and the response to it might actually be the high or low point of his day?
The invisible reader is just anyone, someone for whom this place usually is a small part of the day, like checking the mailbox or feeding the cat, or even less. Nothing distinguishes that person as a Metafilter guy.
The typical grandstander, I would bet, is more likely to be someone who doesn't go over as well in person as he does in print. Someone who is somewhat articulate and convincing on the screen but, for all we know, in person almost any horrible, pathetic, cringing thing as long as it can type and read. Someone who is at the keyboard rather than out running the world or at least out running. (Or some unproductive drone at work?)
Not all grandstanders are misshapen aliens in person, of course, as can be seen by the selection that attends meetups. Only half of them, from what I've seen in online pictures, are misshapen aliens, and perhaps misshapen is in the eye of the species. But what are the people like who find time to type type type here all the time but don't find time to attend local meetups, hmmm? I bet they're the ones with two heads, neither of them pretty.
posted by pracowity at 6:55 AM on October 12, 2006
Ripped hot brainiac with a penchant to please brilliant women wearing tasteful gray eyeshadow.
posted by four panels at 7:00 AM on October 12, 2006
posted by four panels at 7:00 AM on October 12, 2006
There's a graph I remember from somewhere that chartered a number of mefi users on libertarian-authoritarian and left-right axis. Sure I came a cross it somewhere in mefi. Unsurprisingly the average mefi scored to the left and liberatarian to the 'centre' (the centre was allegedly the US centre score). Think the self administered test that may have been Politcal Compass or somesuch. Anyone remember seeing the graph?
posted by Gratishades at 7:07 AM on October 12, 2006
posted by Gratishades at 7:07 AM on October 12, 2006
I enjoy this a lot: Middle class (owns home); decor of someone who's trying to stay hip but whose parents and other normal people drop by from time to time.
posted by craven_morhead at 7:28 AM on October 12, 2006
posted by craven_morhead at 7:28 AM on October 12, 2006
By The Grace of God's description sounds a bit more Pitchforky to me. On the basis of MetaFilter meetup pictures, no one matches that profile, perhaps thankfully, except for the glasses (at any given time, 93.6% of people viewing MetaFilter are wearing glasses with black frames, designer, vintage or NHS).
I'd think the key trait to get across would be that your average user is as earnest and friendly in real life as they are jaded and prickly online (which sounds like it might fit your story?).
PopBitch is the UK blog
I know you didn't ask, but: overweight, profoundly depressed crys-himself-to-sleep queen whose recreational drug use is so frequent, excessive and sustained that a medical professional would use the term 'self-medicating' without pause. At least 15 years older than he claims to be (evinced by visible Botoxing of the forehead and acquaintance with minor stars and nightclubs at their height of their fame when our man was, according to supposed age, still at primary school). Utterly menial job in PR for an 'edgy' subsiduary of a major record label which is beneath him, but not as much as he likes to think. Secretly believes that the Dan Ashcroft character in Nathan Barley is based on him. Denies being born in Carlisle. Still dines out on anecdotes (possibly involving Boy George, or Marylin, and an 'amusing' dildo) decades after the fact, even though he and everyone he knows is aware that the events described happened to someone else (someone far more attractive, amusing and intelligent, possibly Boy George, or Marylin). Hosts 'exclusive' club night above an East End bar during which he DJs records ironically that he once loved genuinely - all the punters are on the guestlist, including no less than 11 dealers, 7 of whom sell ridiculously exotic or fashionably unfashionable drugs (eg. psychoactive fungi from Guam or Temazepam, respectively). Did I mention that he is overweight?
posted by jack_mo at 7:32 AM on October 12, 2006 [2 favorites]
I'd think the key trait to get across would be that your average user is as earnest and friendly in real life as they are jaded and prickly online (which sounds like it might fit your story?).
PopBitch is the UK blog
I know you didn't ask, but: overweight, profoundly depressed crys-himself-to-sleep queen whose recreational drug use is so frequent, excessive and sustained that a medical professional would use the term 'self-medicating' without pause. At least 15 years older than he claims to be (evinced by visible Botoxing of the forehead and acquaintance with minor stars and nightclubs at their height of their fame when our man was, according to supposed age, still at primary school). Utterly menial job in PR for an 'edgy' subsiduary of a major record label which is beneath him, but not as much as he likes to think. Secretly believes that the Dan Ashcroft character in Nathan Barley is based on him. Denies being born in Carlisle. Still dines out on anecdotes (possibly involving Boy George, or Marylin, and an 'amusing' dildo) decades after the fact, even though he and everyone he knows is aware that the events described happened to someone else (someone far more attractive, amusing and intelligent, possibly Boy George, or Marylin). Hosts 'exclusive' club night above an East End bar during which he DJs records ironically that he once loved genuinely - all the punters are on the guestlist, including no less than 11 dealers, 7 of whom sell ridiculously exotic or fashionably unfashionable drugs (eg. psychoactive fungi from Guam or Temazepam, respectively). Did I mention that he is overweight?
posted by jack_mo at 7:32 AM on October 12, 2006 [2 favorites]
I definately have fish in MY pants. And I am annoyed at everyone. Especially in meatspace.
Now, what did I do with that pipe?
posted by Monkey0nCrack at 7:41 AM on October 12, 2006
Now, what did I do with that pipe?
posted by Monkey0nCrack at 7:41 AM on October 12, 2006
definitely
posted by Monkey0nCrack at 7:42 AM on October 12, 2006
posted by Monkey0nCrack at 7:42 AM on October 12, 2006
Hey Miguel, you are writing a piece of fiction. The key to being convincing is to make the character different enough from the stereotype of a liberal blogger dude that it's believable. I have 4 kids - that's not the "typical" user in anyone's mind, I think, but that's kind of the point: No one is a "typical" user. Your character has to be deeply atypical in important ways, or else he/she will come off as shallow and 2-dimensional.
If you're going for comedy, I say go ahead and make it broad, but if you're not trying to be over the top with the ha-has, think of real people you know and put some of their traits into "metafilter guy". So maybe metafilter guy is a gay republican with a facial tic, or whatever. Make this an interesting character, not a composite of what you think people expect MeFi people are like in real life.
And are you writing this on spec or as an exercise or what? In any case good luck!
posted by Mister_A at 8:09 AM on October 12, 2006
If you're going for comedy, I say go ahead and make it broad, but if you're not trying to be over the top with the ha-has, think of real people you know and put some of their traits into "metafilter guy". So maybe metafilter guy is a gay republican with a facial tic, or whatever. Make this an interesting character, not a composite of what you think people expect MeFi people are like in real life.
And are you writing this on spec or as an exercise or what? In any case good luck!
posted by Mister_A at 8:09 AM on October 12, 2006
By The Grace of God - I'm kinda sad after reading through that as it pretty much perfectly describes me. Thanks!
posted by chrisroberts at 8:14 AM on October 12, 2006
posted by chrisroberts at 8:14 AM on October 12, 2006
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by amro at 6:25 AM on October 12, 2006