Editing MetaFilter (section)

==Content==
MetaFilter's name derives from the idea that weblogs "filter" the "best of the web", and MetaFilter posts would be the best of the best.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.metafilter.com/guidelines.mefi |title=Posting Guidelines |publisher=MetaFilter |access-date=November 22, 2018 |archive-date=November 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181123022710/https://www.metafilter.com/guidelines.mefi |url-status=live }}</ref> Posters are presumed responsible for selecting only the most interesting or novel websites to link, and users' reputations are largely determined by overall posting quality. Half-baked posts, self-promotion, open-ended questions, and other fare common on other community sites and [[internet forum]]s are strongly discouraged at MetaFilter. Posts must contain a link, and the site linked must be of high quality.

===Best of the Web===
What gets posted is diverse. Online art, award-winning web design, photography galleries, and the like fit into a ''cool site of the day'' theme that is highly prized but often generates scant discussion. [[Online game|Flash games]] and funny online movies also appear. Net and [[blog]] culture discussions also percolate through MetaFilter, reflecting its early connections with [[Blogger.com|Blogger]], but this is becoming less common as membership expands.

===NewsFilter===
Open posting permits less rigorous items as well. The derisive term for this on MetaFilter is ''NewsFilter'' (or similar -Filter names for specific news topics, e.g. ''IraqFilter''). Nevertheless, it is accepted that some discussion of current events and politics in particular is inevitable, and a certain level is tolerated. If more than one post is made about a news topic, the extras are often deleted and discussion is redirected to the "canonical" post about the topic, usually the first one made. Important news items or political arguments can turn into very long discussions, such as [[9/11]] (2001), the [[July 2005 London bombings|London Bombings]] (2005), and [[Hurricane Katrina]] (2005)—which generated over 80 front page posts in about a week. The first example of this was arguably the [[2001 Nisqually earthquake]].

===Investigations===
Because MetaFilter bans "selflinks" or posts by a person with a significant conflict of interest, posts tend to be closely scrutinized. Members of the site also have, several times, worked closely together to root out deception and scams. In May 2001, MetaFilter played a key role in uncovering the [[Kaycee Nicole]] hoax,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sptimes.com/News/060301/news_pf/Worldandnation/Kaycee_chronicles__li.shtml |title=Kaycee chronicles: life, death, deception |first=Katie |last=Hafner |publisher=New York Times News Service |date=May 31, 2001 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230001908/http://www.sptimes.com/News/060301/news_pf/Worldandnation/Kaycee_chronicles__li.shtml |archive-date=December 30, 2016 |access-date=November 22, 2018}}</ref> in which a woman made up a fake online persona of a teenage daughter who was dying of cancer, fooling many bloggers and garnering sympathy and gifts.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.metafilter.com/7819/Is-it-possible-that-Kaycee-did-not-exist#84672 |title=Comment by SethSD129 on "Is it possible that Kaycee did not exist?" |date=May 19, 2001 |publisher=MetaFilter |access-date=November 22, 2018 |archive-date=November 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181123022656/https://www.metafilter.com/7819/Is-it-possible-that-Kaycee-did-not-exist#84672 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.metafilter.com/7819/Is-it-possible-that-Kaycee-did-not-exist#84697 |title=Comment by rcade on "Is it possible that Kaycee did not exist?" |date=May 19, 2001 |publisher=MetaFilter |access-date=November 22, 2018 |archive-date=November 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181123022656/https://www.metafilter.com/7819/Is-it-possible-that-Kaycee-did-not-exist#84697 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.metafilter.com/7819/Is-it-possible-that-Kaycee-did-not-exist#84707 |title=Comment by tranquileye on "Is it possible that Kaycee did not exist?" |date=May 19, 2001 |publisher=MetaFilter |access-date=November 22, 2018 |archive-date=November 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181123022656/https://www.metafilter.com/7819/Is-it-possible-that-Kaycee-did-not-exist#84707 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.metafilter.com/7819/Is-it-possible-that-Kaycee-did-not-exist#84799 |title=Comment by aaron on "Is it possible that Kaycee did not exist?" |date=May 20, 2001 |publisher=MetaFilter |access-date=November 22, 2018 |archive-date=November 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181123022656/https://www.metafilter.com/7819/Is-it-possible-that-Kaycee-did-not-exist#84799 |url-status=live }}</ref> In October 2004, MetaFilter members uncovered the identities of the writers of the hoax Website ''Nick Nolte's Diary''.<ref>{{cite news |first=Greg |last=Allen |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/31/arts/directions-timeline-the-positively-true-adventures-of-the-counterfeit.html?sq=MetaFilter&scp=4 |title=DIRECTIONS: TIMELINE; The Positively True Adventures of the Counterfeit Diary of Nick Nolte |newspaper=The New York Times |date=October 31, 2004 |access-date=November 22, 2018 |archive-date=November 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181123023028/https://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/31/arts/directions-timeline-the-positively-true-adventures-of-the-counterfeit.html?sq=MetaFilter&scp=4 |url-status=live }}</ref> An [[astroturfing]] campaign by [[Holden Karnofsky]], the co-founder of the online charity [[GiveWell]], was detected in January 2008 through a [[sockpuppet (Internet)|sockpuppet]] posting to Ask MetaFilter, leading to Karnofsky's resignation.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.philanthropy.com/article/GiveWells-Self-Promotion/192153 |title=GiveWell's Self-Promotion |first=Ian |last=Wilhelm |date=January 2, 2008 |work=Give & Take |publisher=[[Chronicle of Philanthropy]] |access-date=November 22, 2018 |archive-date=November 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181123022633/https://www.philanthropy.com/article/GiveWells-Self-Promotion/192153 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2009, a user detected [[photoshopping]] by photographer [[Edgar Martins]] in a ''[[New York Times Magazine]]'' gallery, which was subsequently withdrawn.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.pdnpulse.com/2009/07/new-york-times-magazine-withdraws-possibly-altered-photo-essay.html |title=New York Times Magazine Withdraws Altered Photo Essay |first=Daryl |last=Lang |date=July 8, 2009 |publisher=[[Photo District News]] |access-date=November 22, 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100107192137/http://www.pdnpulse.com/2009/07/new-york-times-magazine-withdraws-possibly-altered-photo-essay.html
|archive-date=January 7, 2010}}</ref>