Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Server Fault VS MetaFilter

Compare Server Fault VS MetaFilter and see what are their differences

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Server Fault logo Server Fault

Server Fault is a Q&A site for system administrators and IT professionals that's free.

MetaFilter logo MetaFilter

Community weblog
  • Server Fault Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-22
  • MetaFilter Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-12

Server Fault features and specs

  • Expert Community
    Server Fault has a community of experienced IT professionals, which makes it a reliable source for getting high-quality answers to complex server management and network infrastructure questions.
  • Comprehensive Knowledge Base
    The site hosts a vast repository of questions and answers covering a wide range of topics related to servers, networking, and IT operations, providing a wealth of information for users to explore.
  • Reputation System
    Server Fault uses a reputation system that encourages users to provide accurate and helpful answers, as highly ranked users generally have proven expertise in their respective areas.
  • Structured Q&A Format
    The platform’s structured question-and-answer format helps in easily finding and navigating through solutions and discussions relevant to specific technical issues.
  • Community Moderation
    Active moderation by community members helps maintain the quality of content by ensuring discussions stay on topic and inappropriate content is filtered out.

Possible disadvantages of Server Fault

  • Strict Question Guidelines
    The site has strict guidelines on the types of questions that can be asked, which can be discouraging for new users who are not familiar with the platform’s rules, resulting in closed or downvoted questions.
  • Technical Jargon
    Due to the professional nature of the community, answers can sometimes be laden with technical jargon, making it difficult for less experienced users to follow the discussion.
  • Narrow Focus
    The site is dedicated to professional operation of computer systems and networks, which might not be useful for beginners or hobbyists seeking broader IT advice.
  • Limited for Non-Professionals
    As Server Fault is geared towards professionals, it might not be the best resource for individuals looking for information on consumer-level networking and server issues.
  • Potential for Unanswered Questions
    Highly specialized or less popular questions may receive fewer views and answers, leaving some users without the help they seek.

MetaFilter features and specs

  • Diverse Community
    MetaFilter is home to a wide variety of users from different backgrounds and with different expertise, fostering diverse and informative discussions.
  • Quality Content
    The site is known for high-quality posts and comments, often featuring insightful discussions and well-researched content.
  • Moderation
    MetaFilter has active moderation which helps maintain a respectful environment and keeps spam and low-quality content to a minimum.
  • Community Projects
    Members often engage in community-led projects and initiatives which can enhance learning and collaboration among users.
  • Broad Range of Topics
    The site covers a vast array of topics, allowing users to find discussions that match their interests or introduce them to new ones.

Possible disadvantages of MetaFilter

  • Membership Fee
    MetaFilter requires a one-time membership fee to post, which may be a barrier for some users wanting to contribute to discussions.
  • Interface
    The site's interface can be considered outdated by some, potentially detracting from user experience.
  • Tight-knit Community Dynamics
    The tight-knit nature of the community might make it challenging for new users to integrate or feel welcome at first.
  • Volume of Content
    The sheer volume of discussions and content can be overwhelming, making it hard for users to keep up with all the topics.
  • Potential for Groupthink
    As with any discussion community, there can be a tendency towards groupthink, where dominant opinions may overshadow minority viewpoints.

Server Fault videos

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MetaFilter videos

Waves Metafilter Plug-in Review

More videos:

  • Tutorial - Waves MetaFilter Plugin Tutorial
  • Review - Waves MetaFilter Plugin Tour

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Server Fault and MetaFilter)
Social Networks
63 63%
37% 37
Social Network
64 64%
36% 36
Online Services
0 0%
100% 100
Web App
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Server Fault should be more popular than MetaFilter. It has been mentiond 20 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Server Fault mentions (20)

  • Show HN: I made an open source directory of where to showoff your projects
    Isn't that basically https://stackoverflow.com/ and/or https://serverfault.com/ ? - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • Ask HN: Routing Table Lookup?
    The best starting points for this would be the iproute2 man page [1], superuser [2] and serverfault [3]. There are potentially also Linux namespaces to consider. There are also some youtube videos that can walk you through the 'ip' command and debugging routes. Start with "debug route linux iproute2" in their search. That's a topic probably too big for HN I think. [1] -... - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Controlling Swap in Kernel 6.1 (LTS)
    See the link to serverfault.com above, that seems the closest advice so far but too early to tell. Source: about 2 years ago
  • i need to delete a file on multiple machines but change security permissions so modify is selected for the everyone ?
    I would but the guys here are a bit lazy so I thought of a script - this is from serverfault.com so I need to change the security descriptor to modify. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Devs don’t want to do ops
    Fundamentally, "dev" and "ops" require different skillsets. Dev experience does not translate to ops. An experienced "ops" might be able to rootcause an issue by pattern matching its markers to previous experience. A green "dev" is just that, green, and will usually operate with the handicap of a huge learning curve ahead. Sites like https://serverfault.com make it a bit easier to poke around, but are not a... - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
View more

MetaFilter mentions (5)

  • Building ColdFusion for the Web
    Metafilter still runs on ColdFusion https://metafilter.com. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • I got my accounts wiped. Here is how.
    How would I use traceroute? I tried "traceroute metafilter.com" which showed these 4 hops:. Source: over 2 years ago
  • April 13, 2022 Site Update
    The way it should have been handled is cortex should have just announced the new owner "the new owner is so-and-so, they begin to be in charge Friday the Xth, direct all communications to them now." Perhaps "metafilter.com" should just be retired and they start up a new site with better features (any features, you know, blocking, etc). Things are lost off the internet all the time. I greet everyone "who were you... Source: about 3 years ago
  • Ask HN: What do you read for general knowledge?
    Check out Metafilter. It’s pretty good for that kind of stuff. http://metafilter.com/. - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
  • TIL That Betty White hosted a five-and-a-half-hour long live talk show six days a week from 1949 to 1953.
    The /r/science subreddit is decent, metafilter.com is sometimes a noteworthy aggregator. I have seen a lot of inconvenient-news sorts of things show up on The Guardian, although I've heard them increasingly criticized along some axes. Of course there's the /r/covid19 subreddit here that has only the most sciencey of science news here. The /r/medicine subreddit is a good place to gauge medical industry impact. ... Source: about 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Server Fault and MetaFilter, you can also consider the following products

Tildes - A non-profit community site driven by its users' interests

Reddit - Reddit gives you the best of the internet in one place. Get a constantly updating feed of breaking news, fun stories, pics, memes, and videos just for you.

Ureka - We collect, organize, and elegantly display customer testimonials.

Qane - A place to ask and answer questions without registration

Raddle - A web-based forum where users submit links, pictures, posts, etc.

X (Twitter) - Connect with your friends and other fascinating people. Get in-the-moment updates on the things that interest you. And watch events unfold, in real time, from every angle.