If one's goal here is to achieve a high percentage of "Best Answers" what's the best tactical strategy?
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M$6 Answers
1) Figure out what the person really needs help with. Sometimes, they ask a question because they know some basics on something, but it's misleading. Learn to take cues from their apparent knowledge level and not take everything asked at direct face value
2) If you don't know a bunch about something, don't bother! Seriously. It's just not going to get you help. I've seen a fair bit of well intentioned, but bad advice in a couple of categories.
3) Go the extra mile. I can give a 1 paragraph answer that may meet the absolute basic needs of the asker, but I can also add in some related information, which makes a merely "good" post actually become very useful.
4) Focus on positivity. First, I'm actually quite pedantic, though most of the time I hide it well. Don't disparage what you disagree with or don't like - either don't mention it, or mention it only in passing... IE, "XXX is best" "No, YYY is best and XXX sucks", but simply saying "I prefer YYY and don't really like XXX, but plenty of people like XXX". It makes you look a LOT more reasonable to every single person reading your post, and lends credibility to your opinions.
Note in this post that I first note my credentials - I'm saying I can tell you how to get "best answers" because I do, in fact, get a lot of "best answers".
Next, I give pertinent information.
If it were necessary, I would gently refute other answers that have been made in earlier answers to the question.
Lastly, edit, edit, edit! Answering stuff quickly can be good, but it isn't needed. You don't need to have the first response to win the tip. If it's a simple question with a 2 line answer, go for a quick response, then edit in more useful information after the fact, just as I have done here.
Here's an example of a question with a LOT of responders, I was probably about the 20th one to respond, but I took care to flesh out a coherent, informative, and detailed post that would stand above what the others contributed. Other suggestions were good, mine was great.
http://www.mahalo.com/answers/casual-games/can-you-help-me-find-a-good-twoperson-game
It helps a lot to know google well, and know the subjects you're answering about very well. I can type full speed and get a response the size of this up when it comes to helping someone with a camera question, for instance. I take advantage of that. It takes me ten minutes what would take others hours to find, because I have the mental resources AND know precisely where I am going to link to as "references" while I'm typing it up. Oftentimes, my reference is me just poking on to Google for a familiar article that I've probably linked to fifty times in the past year alone.
This post took me 10-15 minutes or so to compile (maybe a bit longer, I got some browsing done too). Was it worth a tip to you? I'm all open for donations! ;)
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
Do a little research and answer a few untipped as well as tipped questions.
Don't give one or two sentence answers.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
Also, I would say to be super-picky about which questions you answer. Only answer those that you are sure you can give an excellent response to and that you are clear on exactly what the asker is looking for.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
But Just don't put pressure on yourself and they will come
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$"Best Answers" depends on the person who ask the question.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
most helpful now at 35%. :p