I honestly can't remember. I had been reading it occasionally in the months before 9/11, and was obsessively reloading it on the day of the attacks. At times it was as the primary conduit of information in my office full of people trying and failing to get meaningful updates by radio or other websites.
We like to make fun of jrunfilter, but my hat's off to mathowie for building a site robust enough to stay up that day. CNN, Salon, and the New York Times couldn't.
Anyway, for some reason or another I failed to get around to securing an account until five years later. On the downside, I missed some epic threads. On the upside, by my holding out, MetaFilter Consolidated Multinational Corporation, Inc, GmbH was enriched by five bucks, with which an additional can of furniture polish was purchased to ensure an extra-shiny walnut-lined executive penthouse office.
Have your people call my people, Mr. Ferguson
A couple years ago, I dropped a shitty derail about Craig Ferguson's (presence or absence of) laugh tracks, and somebody on his show spotted it. He quoted me on-air and sniped right the hell back.
Turns out I'd touched a nerve raw enough to fire back at Some Guy On The Internet with television cameras and satellites. Who knew that accusations of using laugh tracks were a frequent beef of his? Apparently a lot of people besides me.
The inevitable MeTa called me out on my callout, which was probably unnecessary, but as far as I can remember it was the first I'd heard of the throwdown. And, um. Fortunately it ended there.
This brush of internet-fame (he read my post unattributed, a marginal anonymity I'm okay with) isn't flattering. It also made me sound like I hate him, when I actually like his interviews, his on-air personality and wit. So while I can't say that this episode was my fondest MetaFilter memory, it's a distinguishing one. For better or worse, it helped illustrate to me the reach and potential influence that MeFi can provide, and the importance of owning your words where the accumulated typings of Some Guys On The Internet are connoted a little more respect and attention than elsewhere.
