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I don't think that it's your fault that Mahalo Answers is degrading, Jeff.
However, I don't think that the problem is in the answers. I've said for a long time (almost as long as I've been here) that Mahalo Answers will live or die based on the questions - not the answers. I'm still quite sure that this is correct. I think you're right; sometimes people just want to be heard. But we can direct what these folks say by giving them interesting outlets for their voices.
I think that most people would rather be rewarded positivity after knowing they have contributed to great answer or a thoughtful conversation. Those answers and comments are fueled by the questions.
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I think that the underlying problem is that recent questions either haven't been interesting or that the interesting questions haven't been seen. Truly interesting questions are asked honestly and have a real need to be answered.
Similar to the "it factor" described by casting directors and talent agents, this "question it factor" is difficult to put into words. However, just like I know Keanu Reeves should not be allowed to undertake romantic comedy roles, I think that users know when a true question which needs a real answer is put forth.
2)
It's difficult for me to find honest, interesting questions.
Beyond the questions themselves, the new main page algorithm is tough. By tough I mean that it's tougher than ever for me to find interesting questions to answer. I've almost stopped answering questions. I can no longer skim a page to find questions where a user cares enough about the answer that he or she was willing to put up their own money for. Sure, much of the time I have available for Mahalo is devoted to page creation, management and other tasks, but when I try to skim the main page, I no longer find questions that I think need answers.
3)
To specifically answer your request
3 etiquette problems that i have seen include:
Providing a thoughtful answer
Increasingly, people are writing simple 1 line sentences for answers. Whether it be a joke, a slight, or simply a somewhat unhelpful answer, a lot of lower belt users who don't care about stats or M$'s don't worry about providing a best answer.
Sourcing Information
Yes, yes... we've all been over plagarisim, copying-and-pasting and how to source information before... but as it relates to etiquette, providing sources for facts isn't done enough. I don't do it as often as I should either so I'll be the first to point a finger in the mirror. I'm going to start proof reading my answers and thinking about what I've said that is a fact. Each fact should have a source even if I know it's true. It often only takes 2 seconds to complete a quick google search.
Being Nice
People have problems. I get it. I have my share too. I was in a horrible mood yesterday. I also have a somewhat stressful life and often need a place to vent that stress. I don't use Mahalo as that outlet. Other people do. MA is an open community based on individual contributions and along with that goes bad moods, tough lives and unknown circumstances that make people write things online that they otherwise wouldn't say. So, I try very hard (especially here on Mahalo) to put negative comments in perspective and either disregard them completely or talk around them. I figure if I'm nice then other people will be nice to me... eventually :)
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I hope that this very long winded answer helps you out, Jeff. I hate to hear that you're taking something personally. You do such a great job around here to keep things clean, friendly and fun.
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What not to do...
1) Never hit unhelpful just because you don't agree with the statement. This button shouldn't be used because your opinion is different than the answerers.
2) Don't answer a question with "I don't know the answer" If you don't know the answer to the question and don't want to take the time to research it then just ignore the question.
What to do...
3) Do welcome a new member when you see one post. Just a quick friendly hello goes a long way!
4) Report anything abusive, never try to solve it yourself.
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The main issues I've noticed that come up, which might be useful to cover...
- Terse answers with no explanations or sources
People often don't seem to realise the level of depth, helpfulness and evidence that is expected, and answer with one liners or even just two words.
- Dubious sources
At the extreme, not realising that Yahoo Answers is not an authority! But more generally not knowing what counts as good evidence or a reliable source.
- Voting helpful and unhelpful
When to do it, and what it means when people vote that way on your answers.
- Writing standard English, not textspeak or chatroom style remarks.
Don't know if those are the most important things to cover, but those are what I notice most often.
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I think that we need to distinguish between answers to questions that are asking for an opinion, and answers to questions that have a definitive, researchable answer. With the former, there needs to be a lot more leeway for both good-and-supported opinions and flip/off-the-cuff/disagreeable opinions - we're going to get both, and I don't think any (OK, ALMOST any) should be tagged "unhelpful." With the latter, than flip, non-responsive answers should be less tolerated.
When I first got here, I suggested that there be some way to respond to the question or the previous answers without clicking on "answer the question." (I wanted to thank all the answerers and thought that was the best way to do so.) I still think that that might help.
I could come up with other suggestions, but I'll have to get to 'em later - if noone else does.
Thanks for all your work! --mm
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Here are the most common mistakes I witness, usually made by newer members who mean well, but just need to fine-tune their Mahalo practices:
1. Copy and Pasting (already covered nicely by the Etiquette page)
2. Off-Topic / Joke Answers
It is the goal of every Mahalo answer to fully respond to the question asked, offering real information, helpful advice, or focused opinions. This means that all answers should not only stick to the topic specifically discussed in the question, but also should not make light of the topic. One-liner jokes and responses are considered unhelpful, and sometimes counter-productive.
3. No Sources or Bad Sources
Whenever an answer OR comment submits facts or statistics that are debatable, controversial, or otherwise not widely accepted or known, a reliable source should be provided. The source should take the form of one or more links at the bottom of your answer or comment.
Additionally, these sources should be from reputable, reliable, fact-based websites that do not proliferate propaganda or one-sided thinking. The more widely-respected and recognized your source is, the better it will support your answer.
Remember that multiple reliable sources are always better than just one.
4. Opinions vs. Facts
When another Mahaloian asks a question that requires factual information, it is considered inappropriate to provide an answer solely based on opinion. By making sure to only provide source-supported factual information (when requested), we in the Mahalo community can prevent false information and opinions from circulating as fact.
5. Using Chatspeak or Netspeak
Using chatspeak abbreviations, incomplete sentences, intentionally poor grammar or spelling, or leaving off most/all forms of punctuation and captialization is distracting and makes answers difficult to understand. Every Mahalo answer should be written in complete sentences (unless specifically otherwise requested) with an effort made to use quality spelling and punctuation.
6. One-Sentence Answers
Unless a one-line answer is specifically requested by a question asker, all answers should be made up of multiple sentences. This helps to ensure that thought, care, and quality are put into each answer and that adequate explanations of your answer are provided. Don't be afraid to add more topical information, pertinent videos, and quality sources to your answer as well.
7. Unfriendly Attitudes and Flaming
A friendly demeanor and rhetoric should be maintained on Mahalo at all times, including in answers, comments, and questions. Polite debate is acceptable, and even encouraged, but language should always remain civil and not become a personal attack on any person or their beliefs.
8. Voting an Answer "Unhelpful" Because You Disagree With It
Personal opinion should not enter into the process of nominating an answer as "unhelpful". Instead of considering whether or not you agree with an answer, you should factor in how well the answer addressed the original question, how well the answer was sourced (including if the sources were reputable), and if the answer made a real attempt to assist the question asker as best as possible. The comments section is a more appropriate outlet to politely voice any disagreement you may have with an answer.
Tags: etiquette, mahalo, quality
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Use polite language.
Also, religious salutations is another thing, may offend people.
Please give an answer for the benefit of all users.
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I like the statement "we are here to help" and it does a great job of describing the Mahalo Spirit to the core.
I would like to see something seriously stressed on the etiquette page about remaining *positive and helpful* when giving and responding to answers and comments. Many times possible negative scenarios can be avoided with a bit of genuine niceness.
I would love to see the statement "Mahalo Answers is not a chat room" :P Unless opinion is called for in the question ones opinion on a matter should only be used in a positive way to improve upon the factual basis of ones answer, never as the answer or the basis of it.
I am guilty of using the helpful button as an "I agree with you button" but I am *very* careful in using unhelpful for any reason. I would be more likely to use the report button over the unhelpful button. What might not be helpful to me could certainly be helpful to others. I would like to see something about using the helpful/unhelpful buttons to minimum and never to move an answer up or down and certainly **never ever without an explanation** (in the case of unhelpful).
The motto "Don't feed the trolls" is a good one to live by as the report button works so much better than having a comment vs. comment session killing the thread.
Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to contribute to this etiquette page and thank you for helping us keep a great standard of behavior here on Mahalo.
Tags: etiquette
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Here's why.... offering extra points for quick answers sort of encourages posting quickly without full researching something, just to get the extra points.
I also think that if someone clicks on 'unhelpful', they should be REQUIRED to state a short response as to WHY they clicked unhelpful.
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Death Metal or Gangsta Rap if you'd like to check it out.
How do we prevent this - and CAN we prevent it? Any way to take back "unhelpful?" I know this was not the original info you sought, but a great example of poor Mahalo etiquette. Bunny, thanks again.
VR
Source(s):
http://www.mahalo.com/answers/music/if-you-had-to-choose-would-you-listen-t...
Tags: unhelpful, etiquette, bad, disagree, mahalo
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- I really like the "add a comment to your unhelpful vote" suggestion and using correct English.
- I think there should be list of unreliable sources or ones Mahalo considers unreliable, to be used only when all else fails I guess but how to say that on the page I'm not sure
- users need to be reminded or shown the TOS ( I don't think I've got it bookmarked or anything either and I should, we all should. )
other than that I think my thoughts on this have already been covered
oh, can I make a suggestion here too? We have people trying to scam Mahalo by asking and then choosing best answer very very quickly ( makes them easy to spot but still! ) ..... can there be a short delay 12hrs/24hrs before Best Answer is chosen or available? It would help stop the rot I think, slow them down and make it more difficult to scam the place.
EDIT - and "read the question"!
Like me I've not actually answered the question so I do now - probably less than 10 in the list
and its a good suggestion for new users, people sometimes don't look at the category and write something serious when its a game question or vice versa
Tags: etiquette, mahalo
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However, as others have added their comments on slightly (or not so slightly...) related topics then I'll do the same.
I've been finding it increasingly difficult to maneouvre myself around Mahalo Answers in general - the fact that tipped questions on the front page then crop up repeatedly on subsequent pages confuses me and makes the whole process of looking through the newly posted questions very hard.
Can the questions not just stay where they are, in the order in which they were originally posted?
Then there's the obvious complaint regarding all the ConundrumLand questions. They've taken over the front page and, again, crop up repeatedly in subsequent pages and, to be perfectly honest, we've all been informing the staff of the problems this is creating since the ConundrumLand thing was brought in and yet nothing has been done about it.
As far as I know, none of the staff have even responded to any of our repeated requests for you (the staff) to provide us with some sort of filter for the ConundrumLand questions so that they're not getting in the way if we don't want to look at them, or if we want to look at them separately.
Surely it wouldn't be so difficult to give them their own Conundrum tab, similar to that of the Undecided questions?
If there HAS been feedback about this and anything you (the staff) are going to do about it, please correct me on that and point me in the right direction. If there isn't, though, then it seems like the staff are perhaps ignoring our requests and hoping it will all blow over... (which it won't).
Basically, I think Mahalo has grown very quickly and is certainly bloomin' brilliant and very successful, but has tried to do too much too soon. Lots of new features = lots of new problems and with all of these problems hitting at once, I feel perhaps the staff AND committed Mahalo members have hit a brick wall and don't quite know what to do about it. We may just be a bit lost now and need to find our direction again.
**PLEASE REMEMBER THIS IS MY OPINION AND I'M NOT TRYING TO SPEAK FOR OTHER PEOPLE ;)
It may be as simple as this: Mahalo AS A WHOLE needs a big Spring Clean. Features that seemed great but have turned out to be naff or unneccessary should be weeded out and the systems and features that DO work (which is most of them - only a small proportion of features are causing these bigger problems) need to be perfected and built on.
I bloody love this site and would be here all day if my real life couldn't find me and, despite my blip the other night when I ranted at innocent people, I know I've given something good to Mahalo Answers and I know I will continue to do so.
I've never been a member of any other site where I've felt so appreciated by the staff, so "listened to" and so valued. The lot of you are doing an amazing job and I seriously hope it's going to carry on that way and we can all help each other in that process.
I feel like I've missed something out, so I'll get back onto your point for a minute...
This new Etiquette Page is going to really help new members and, I don't know if this is possible, but would it be something that perhaps new members could be automatically redirected to after signing up? Just so that they know it's there and, if they're really serious about doing well here, they'll read it.
I vote on undecided questions every day, up to my current limit of 70. Up to this past week or so, it's been very rare that I had to vote NBA unless there was only one answer and it broke some very obvious rules.
However, after voting today I truly couldn't believe how many times I had to vote no best answer because answers were either: directly copy/pasted (with or without a source); one-liners with sarcastic undertones; people saying "I don't know, never played that game" or "I don't know, never tried it" and other similar problems.
I'd say that applied to more than half of my daily voting allowance today.
Needless to say, these answers were mostly by new members I hadn't seen before today. They are not to blame, for some of them it was clearly their first day here and have already or will soon be pointed in the direction of the relevant Mahalo pages to help them learn how to give a good Mahalo answer.
The thing is, a couple of them were Yellow and Green belts who I've seen being told over the past few weeks about the rules and it just seems that they really don't care - they answer a question and see their points go up and that's all that matters to them. I actually pointed out to one person (I won't name names) that when they get to their Brown Belt they'll have to have a Brown Belt Test and, in the nicest way possible, there's no way they'll ever pass it with the answers they're giving!
I really hope this new page will get on the way to helping new members make the most out of their Mahalo experience, and I really hope something's going to be done about those damned Conundrum questions as well... :p
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A critical point which will promote many of the best practices you're trying to get at would be that answerers should consider what they write in their answer as an entry in an encyclopedia or dictionary which will have their name on it as author forever, to be seen by everyone. That may be something useful to include in the Guide Note of the etiquette page.
People who approach questions in the above context should follow the following best practices.
1. Use proper English (grammar and spelling).
2. Support statements of fact using authoritative sources.
3. Report both sides of an argument when responding to a question on politics or other controversial issues, using authoritative sources from both sides.
4. Provide personal opinions only when the question requests it, and identify them as such.
5. Avoid posting non-answers (e.g. 'Gee, I don't know either') and/or partial answers.
6. Avoid plagiarism. Only post answers where you provide original "value added" content in addition to any quotes. This could include e.g. contrasting information from different sources, adding information from multiple sources, analyzing or explaining the quotes you provide, etc.
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1. When asking a question, lose your bias. Don't ask straw man questions comparing your position to a demonized version of the opponent such as:
"Is president Obama's speech to school children just good inspirational role modeling, or is it demonic mind control like his evil opponents claim?"
Be fair when characterizing your opponents position. It's counterproductive to write inflammatory questions and expect quality answers.
2. When answering a question, present the pros and cons of your position and the opposing position, with as much honesty as you can. It is rare indeed for a question to have an answer that is 100% certain, or to have an oponent who is 100% wrong.
3. No name calling. As much fun as you think it is, and as witty as you feel it might be, calling Republicans Reptile Pubes is not appropriate considering your content is quite possibly going to be archived forever in Mahalo page content.
A little of my background. I have a Master's Degree in Library Science, graduated at the top of my class. I was a Reference and Government Documents Librarian for over a decade. It was my professional business to be able to evaluate sources for accuracy, timeliness, bias and completeness, among other things.
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Yes the copying and pasting is definetly a big one that I notice...I personally don't copy and paste anything but pictures and urls but I see a lot of people who don't even give proper citation and it drives me nuts, and I'm sure some others too....
Secondly, I understand peope won't always agree/like what they see/read on this website sometimes they will run across responses that are a total opposite from anything that would ever escape their mouths...however this site is a Q&A site, and although a response backed up by source is great alot of questions are based on peoples opinions, so don't get upset, start yelling and vote unhelpful to knock the person down. Just think would you want them to do that to you? To totallty disrespect and piss on your opinions? No you wouldn't.
Now I agree that sources do make an answer stronger, and I see a lot of opportunities for sources to be used, but they aren't. I will admit I have skipped out on a source before...a few times...But just winging it doesn't always make for a great answer....that's why I still feel strongly about putting a priority level on questions, therefore the asker can recieve the answers he/she desires and can wade out any riff raff, you could say.
Something else I wish there was was a spell check button...I think a good answer is not only said well...but spelt well too...
Ultimately I think it's an easy fix, and yes the etiquette page should be referenced more often...Maybe Jeff, you can send a welcome question to newbies with a link to the copying and pasting page, and the etiquette page and offer the answer any question they may have. Maybe that will help newbies feel more comfortable and get the hang of things quicker?
Good luck hope my answer helps!
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I think this is a great idea. I'd like to see this guide grow.
And maybe in the future their could be a more extensive guide note for new users in the answers section as well as the pages section.
Its also important to mention that we are all still also learning and trying to grow with the system _as _it_ grows_. As more and more new users join mahalo, i can see even further hurdles that might come our way.
For instance the rate of spam is going to rise tremendously as well as the quantity ratio of quality answers. Perhaps a type of mechanism similar to a teachers guide could be implemented, this way upper belts could be given a compound judiciary voice to steer new users in a good yet discreet direction. We want to make sure the system doesn't change to quickly or we will all end up being on a different page almost every day.
I hate to say I myself am also guilty at times of being a little biased, although I try to give others a chance to prove me wrong in my constructive criticism.
I'd like it if the guides number one goal would be to help the new users understand that... ....for exact science based questions we are looking for exact science based answers & for other opinionated questions adding as much experienced background information as possible is something they should put much thought into.
And when I say science I don't mean this from necessarily a biological, or chemical point of view. More of a theological sense.
Simply putting "I don't know" "...but here's something close... ." ...
This really isn't a best answer. Users need to understand they should stick to topics they are passionate and have a adverse background in.
So just to re-cap.
1. ) Stick to questions that you have some kind of GENERAL and vast experience in. And are passionate about.
2.) Keep bias out of your answers AS WELL AS you questions.
3.) Focus on putting thought into answering exact science questions with exact science answers.
4.) Learn from your mistakes.
If higher upper belt users are all trying to give you advice on the same thing time they are probably only telling you for your own good.
5.) Be COMPASSIONATE in your answers.
I have come across far to many answers that start with.
.....There's nothing you can do.
-
PN:
I have spent most of my entire life working from problems "out" .
...Using every hurdle as just another tool in my arsenal.
Not just jumping over it or staying the hell out of its way.
Lets use Mahalo 's growth as a opportunity to set a standard not workaround with hurdles for the week and weary pass off on and give up on so easy.
Kind Regards,
@XDS
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Answered Question
M$8.80
October 25, 2009 06:40 PM
How many points should be on the Mahalo Answers Etiquette page?
...and what should they be?
So, I was away for most of the weekend and returned to notice lots of comments about the quality of Mahalo Answers deteriorating, first of all, this is an accusation I take quite personally and also one I feel responsible to rectifying.
The best way for concerned Mahaloians to help educate newer users on how to provide quality answers would be to point them to How to get a best answer on Mahalo - but sometimes that doesn't work, sometimes it's evident the new user doesn't care about getting best answer, some newer users simply want to have their opinion and voice heard and/or maybe they want points? In most cases they simply don't understand how important quality is on Mahalo. The sooner we can help them, they sooner Mahalo Answers will improve.
Enter the Mahalo Answers Etiquette page. I am looking to ad 5-8 different points highlighting "unhelpful" activity and how it can be easily corrected. The page will become a reference for every Mahaloian new and old to make Mahalo Answers better for current and future users. I want it so that every time you vote "unhelpful" on an answer, you can point that user to the Mahalo Answers Etiquette page and a specific point that they can study.
I started the page off with the first and most obvious point - "Copy and Pasting" - but now I would like to hear from the community, what etiquette would you like to see practiced on Mahalo Answers?
http://www.mahalo.com/mahalo-answers-etiquette
So, I was away for most of the weekend and returned to notice lots of comments about the quality of Mahalo Answers deteriorating, first of all, this is an accusation I take quite personally and also one I feel responsible to rectifying.
The best way for concerned Mahaloians to help educate newer users on how to provide quality answers would be to point them to How to get a best answer on Mahalo - but sometimes that doesn't work, sometimes it's evident the new user doesn't care about getting best answer, some newer users simply want to have their opinion and voice heard and/or maybe they want points? In most cases they simply don't understand how important quality is on Mahalo. The sooner we can help them, they sooner Mahalo Answers will improve.
Enter the Mahalo Answers Etiquette page. I am looking to ad 5-8 different points highlighting "unhelpful" activity and how it can be easily corrected. The page will become a reference for every Mahaloian new and old to make Mahalo Answers better for current and future users. I want it so that every time you vote "unhelpful" on an answer, you can point that user to the Mahalo Answers Etiquette page and a specific point that they can study.
I started the page off with the first and most obvious point - "Copy and Pasting" - but now I would like to hear from the community, what etiquette would you like to see practiced on Mahalo Answers?
http://www.mahalo.com/mahalo-answers-etiquette
Interesting Question?
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Interesting: buddawiggi M$1.00, robbrown M$1.00, gno M$0.25, michelleldevon M$0.25, jobrielyn M$0.25, xds M$1.00, chriswingate M$0.05
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Best Answer Decided by Votes
| October 26, 2009 07:21 PM |
However, I don't think that the problem is in the answers. I've said for a long time (almost as long as I've been here) that Mahalo Answers will live or die based on the questions - not the answers. I'm still quite sure that this is correct. I think you're right; sometimes people just want to be heard. But we can direct what these folks say by giving them interesting outlets for their voices.
I think that most people would rather be rewarded positivity after knowing they have contributed to great answer or a thoughtful conversation. Those answers and comments are fueled by the questions.
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I think that the underlying problem is that recent questions either haven't been interesting or that the interesting questions haven't been seen. Truly interesting questions are asked honestly and have a real need to be answered.
Similar to the "it factor" described by casting directors and talent agents, this "question it factor" is difficult to put into words. However, just like I know Keanu Reeves should not be allowed to undertake romantic comedy roles, I think that users know when a true question which needs a real answer is put forth.
2)
It's difficult for me to find honest, interesting questions.
Beyond the questions themselves, the new main page algorithm is tough. By tough I mean that it's tougher than ever for me to find interesting questions to answer. I've almost stopped answering questions. I can no longer skim a page to find questions where a user cares enough about the answer that he or she was willing to put up their own money for. Sure, much of the time I have available for Mahalo is devoted to page creation, management and other tasks, but when I try to skim the main page, I no longer find questions that I think need answers.
3)
To specifically answer your request
3 etiquette problems that i have seen include:
Providing a thoughtful answer
Increasingly, people are writing simple 1 line sentences for answers. Whether it be a joke, a slight, or simply a somewhat unhelpful answer, a lot of lower belt users who don't care about stats or M$'s don't worry about providing a best answer.
Sourcing Information
Yes, yes... we've all been over plagarisim, copying-and-pasting and how to source information before... but as it relates to etiquette, providing sources for facts isn't done enough. I don't do it as often as I should either so I'll be the first to point a finger in the mirror. I'm going to start proof reading my answers and thinking about what I've said that is a fact. Each fact should have a source even if I know it's true. It often only takes 2 seconds to complete a quick google search.
Being Nice
People have problems. I get it. I have my share too. I was in a horrible mood yesterday. I also have a somewhat stressful life and often need a place to vent that stress. I don't use Mahalo as that outlet. Other people do. MA is an open community based on individual contributions and along with that goes bad moods, tough lives and unknown circumstances that make people write things online that they otherwise wouldn't say. So, I try very hard (especially here on Mahalo) to put negative comments in perspective and either disregard them completely or talk around them. I figure if I'm nice then other people will be nice to me... eventually :)
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I hope that this very long winded answer helps you out, Jeff. I hate to hear that you're taking something personally. You do such a great job around here to keep things clean, friendly and fun.
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Helpful: doubleminaz, lilyloretta, buddawiggi, jobrielyn, unwirklich, xds
Tip robbrown for this answer
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Other Answers (14)
October 26, 2009 07:11 PM
Maybe a few tips to get us started... What not to do...
1) Never hit unhelpful just because you don't agree with the statement. This button shouldn't be used because your opinion is different than the answerers.
2) Don't answer a question with "I don't know the answer" If you don't know the answer to the question and don't want to take the time to research it then just ignore the question.
What to do...
3) Do welcome a new member when you see one post. Just a quick friendly hello goes a long way!
4) Report anything abusive, never try to solve it yourself.
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October 26, 2009 07:14 PM
Since the list has to be appealing and useful to newbies, I'd suggest keeping the list down to 5-7 items max. More than that would be daunting and maybe not get read. The main issues I've noticed that come up, which might be useful to cover...
- Terse answers with no explanations or sources
People often don't seem to realise the level of depth, helpfulness and evidence that is expected, and answer with one liners or even just two words.
- Dubious sources
At the extreme, not realising that Yahoo Answers is not an authority! But more generally not knowing what counts as good evidence or a reliable source.
- Voting helpful and unhelpful
When to do it, and what it means when people vote that way on your answers.
- Writing standard English, not textspeak or chatroom style remarks.
Don't know if those are the most important things to cover, but those are what I notice most often.
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Voted as best: maggieray, geniusofhardwork
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October 26, 2009 07:15 PM
Jeff, I appreciate the concern, too. I haven't been here long, but long enough to formulate some opinions. I think that we need to distinguish between answers to questions that are asking for an opinion, and answers to questions that have a definitive, researchable answer. With the former, there needs to be a lot more leeway for both good-and-supported opinions and flip/off-the-cuff/disagreeable opinions - we're going to get both, and I don't think any (OK, ALMOST any) should be tagged "unhelpful." With the latter, than flip, non-responsive answers should be less tolerated.
When I first got here, I suggested that there be some way to respond to the question or the previous answers without clicking on "answer the question." (I wanted to thank all the answerers and thought that was the best way to do so.) I still think that that might help.
I could come up with other suggestions, but I'll have to get to 'em later - if noone else does.
Thanks for all your work! --mm
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October 26, 2009 07:27 PM
You CAN comment on the answers without 'answering'. Simply click on the 'reply' button that is in the lower left-hand corner of each comment. This replies directly to that comment.
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October 26, 2009 07:31 PM
Thanks, Michelle, but I wanted to "reply" to all of the answers. Cutting-and-pasting a thank you to each one would have been impractical, replying on just one wouldn't have been effective.
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October 26, 2009 07:17 PM
Ya know, the problems you've been noticing I think have recently come from a number of new members who just don't know the Mahalo ropes yet. There's always a learning curve from community-to-community. That's why I think that an etiquette page is an EXCELLENT idea! Here are the most common mistakes I witness, usually made by newer members who mean well, but just need to fine-tune their Mahalo practices:
1. Copy and Pasting (already covered nicely by the Etiquette page)
2. Off-Topic / Joke Answers
It is the goal of every Mahalo answer to fully respond to the question asked, offering real information, helpful advice, or focused opinions. This means that all answers should not only stick to the topic specifically discussed in the question, but also should not make light of the topic. One-liner jokes and responses are considered unhelpful, and sometimes counter-productive.
3. No Sources or Bad Sources
Whenever an answer OR comment submits facts or statistics that are debatable, controversial, or otherwise not widely accepted or known, a reliable source should be provided. The source should take the form of one or more links at the bottom of your answer or comment.
Additionally, these sources should be from reputable, reliable, fact-based websites that do not proliferate propaganda or one-sided thinking. The more widely-respected and recognized your source is, the better it will support your answer.
Remember that multiple reliable sources are always better than just one.
4. Opinions vs. Facts
When another Mahaloian asks a question that requires factual information, it is considered inappropriate to provide an answer solely based on opinion. By making sure to only provide source-supported factual information (when requested), we in the Mahalo community can prevent false information and opinions from circulating as fact.
5. Using Chatspeak or Netspeak
Using chatspeak abbreviations, incomplete sentences, intentionally poor grammar or spelling, or leaving off most/all forms of punctuation and captialization is distracting and makes answers difficult to understand. Every Mahalo answer should be written in complete sentences (unless specifically otherwise requested) with an effort made to use quality spelling and punctuation.
6. One-Sentence Answers
Unless a one-line answer is specifically requested by a question asker, all answers should be made up of multiple sentences. This helps to ensure that thought, care, and quality are put into each answer and that adequate explanations of your answer are provided. Don't be afraid to add more topical information, pertinent videos, and quality sources to your answer as well.
7. Unfriendly Attitudes and Flaming
A friendly demeanor and rhetoric should be maintained on Mahalo at all times, including in answers, comments, and questions. Polite debate is acceptable, and even encouraged, but language should always remain civil and not become a personal attack on any person or their beliefs.
8. Voting an Answer "Unhelpful" Because You Disagree With It
Personal opinion should not enter into the process of nominating an answer as "unhelpful". Instead of considering whether or not you agree with an answer, you should factor in how well the answer addressed the original question, how well the answer was sourced (including if the sources were reputable), and if the answer made a real attempt to assist the question asker as best as possible. The comments section is a more appropriate outlet to politely voice any disagreement you may have with an answer.
Tags: etiquette, mahalo, quality
Helpful Answer?
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Helpful: kty2777, lilyloretta, bunnyphuphu, buddawiggi, topaz5433, jobrielyn, chriswingate, dtvrivera, unwirklich
Tip gno for this answerVoted as best: twinpairs
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October 26, 2009 07:27 PM
Just wanted to point out to @jeffhoard here - it's 'copying and pasting' - not 'copy and pasting'... I noticed the page name was wrong on that too, grammatically.
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October 26, 2009 07:34 PM
@michelleldevon, you're right! But I wonder if it's too late to go back and change that page title now? (unless Jeff sets up a nice redirect!)
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October 26, 2009 08:04 PM
I changed the title, you're the first person to ever point that out.
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October 26, 2009 10:41 PM
Great answer, along with Robs! I would only add that I find it impolite to respond to a question with only a link, or "you can find the answer here" and then a link. A simple, one-sentence intro saying what the person can expect to find at the link makes it so much less...rude.
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October 26, 2009 07:26 PM
People often use short spellings, for example, instead of people, we use ppl in text messages. It is nice to use the correct spelling. Use polite language.
Also, religious salutations is another thing, may offend people.
Please give an answer for the benefit of all users.
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October 26, 2009 07:34 PM
What a great idea Jeff. I think we can all get on the same positive and helpful page with the creation of this page. Good call. I like the statement "we are here to help" and it does a great job of describing the Mahalo Spirit to the core.
I would like to see something seriously stressed on the etiquette page about remaining *positive and helpful* when giving and responding to answers and comments. Many times possible negative scenarios can be avoided with a bit of genuine niceness.
I would love to see the statement "Mahalo Answers is not a chat room" :P Unless opinion is called for in the question ones opinion on a matter should only be used in a positive way to improve upon the factual basis of ones answer, never as the answer or the basis of it.
I am guilty of using the helpful button as an "I agree with you button" but I am *very* careful in using unhelpful for any reason. I would be more likely to use the report button over the unhelpful button. What might not be helpful to me could certainly be helpful to others. I would like to see something about using the helpful/unhelpful buttons to minimum and never to move an answer up or down and certainly **never ever without an explanation** (in the case of unhelpful).
The motto "Don't feed the trolls" is a good one to live by as the report button works so much better than having a comment vs. comment session killing the thread.
Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to contribute to this etiquette page and thank you for helping us keep a great standard of behavior here on Mahalo.
Tags: etiquette
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Helpful: kty2777, lilyloretta
Tip buddawiggi for this answer
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October 27, 2009 01:09 AM
Nicely put, if your "Best Answer" question is still floating around why not suggest it be linked to this new page?
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October 27, 2009 01:16 AM
@chriswingate Good Call..
Here is is about to go to voting~~>What is a Best Answer
A bunch of great answers in here.
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Here is is about to go to voting~~>What is a Best Answer
A bunch of great answers in here.
October 26, 2009 07:35 PM
I think everyone is off to a good start. I have noticed some people doing what Leslie commented about - saying 'I don't know' to a question, usually just to get the points. I also wonder if it might not be best to remove the extra point incentive to answer quickly. Here's why.... offering extra points for quick answers sort of encourages posting quickly without full researching something, just to get the extra points.
I also think that if someone clicks on 'unhelpful', they should be REQUIRED to state a short response as to WHY they clicked unhelpful.
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Helpful: kty2777, lilyloretta, buddawiggi, jobrielyn, r_elizabeth_c_kitchen
Tip michelleldevon for this answerVoted as best: theenlightened
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October 26, 2009 07:43 PM
Well, I can only offer 1 right now. On one of my questions couple of days ago, Bunnyphuphu helped me out a LOT by cautioning the spatting factions that "unhelpful" did not equal "I disagree." It was pretty clear that is was "you did it to me, I'll do it do you." She really tried to bring it home, bless her, but fell on deaf ears. Here's the question link: Death Metal or Gangsta Rap if you'd like to check it out.
How do we prevent this - and CAN we prevent it? Any way to take back "unhelpful?" I know this was not the original info you sought, but a great example of poor Mahalo etiquette. Bunny, thanks again.
VR
Source(s):
http://www.mahalo.com/answers/music/if-you-had-to-choose-would-you-listen-t...
Tags: unhelpful, etiquette, bad, disagree, mahalo
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Helpful: lilyloretta, bunnyphuphu, buddawiggi
Tip victoria_reid for this answerVoted as best: lilyloretta
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October 26, 2009 09:42 PM
"Any way to take back "unhelpful?""
I've occasionally had a hand-slip and clicked on "unhelpful" instead of "helpful", but fortunately if you then just click on "helpful" it will change it to what you meant to click on ;)
My my, that was quite a sentence for me to type whilst making sense at the same time! haha :p
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I've occasionally had a hand-slip and clicked on "unhelpful" instead of "helpful", but fortunately if you then just click on "helpful" it will change it to what you meant to click on ;)
My my, that was quite a sentence for me to type whilst making sense at the same time! haha :p
October 26, 2009 09:56 PM
Hey @victoria_reid -
If you look at your music thread now, you'll see that it's improved significantly! There have been some deleted answers, but that's a great example of the community working together.
(thanks to @buddawiggi for helping with it too)
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If you look at your music thread now, you'll see that it's improved significantly! There have been some deleted answers, but that's a great example of the community working together.
(thanks to @buddawiggi for helping with it too)
October 26, 2009 09:58 PM
I did the same thing once, only worse. I meant to vote as best answer, but hit unhelpful. I wrote the answerer and told him what I had done.
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October 26, 2009 10:08 PM
Hey, guys - checked my page and there are still multiple "unhelpful" answers checked. Don't know what I'm missing...sorry! Do I need to refresh the link? Ha - even the question itself was checked as unhelpful - sort of a paradox.
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October 27, 2009 04:13 AM
I tried to even that thread and a few others that particular user had down rated by doing it back and rating the answers he had rated down up. That question was weird, it was the first time I had seen more than one user vote to just down vote anything they didn't agree with as if the question was a competition for what was better.. metal or rap lol
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October 26, 2009 09:22 PM
Great idea and I'm all for it! I agree with pretty much everything here so far. - I really like the "add a comment to your unhelpful vote" suggestion and using correct English.
- I think there should be list of unreliable sources or ones Mahalo considers unreliable, to be used only when all else fails I guess but how to say that on the page I'm not sure
- users need to be reminded or shown the TOS ( I don't think I've got it bookmarked or anything either and I should, we all should. )
other than that I think my thoughts on this have already been covered
oh, can I make a suggestion here too? We have people trying to scam Mahalo by asking and then choosing best answer very very quickly ( makes them easy to spot but still! ) ..... can there be a short delay 12hrs/24hrs before Best Answer is chosen or available? It would help stop the rot I think, slow them down and make it more difficult to scam the place.
EDIT - and "read the question"!
Like me I've not actually answered the question so I do now - probably less than 10 in the list
and its a good suggestion for new users, people sometimes don't look at the category and write something serious when its a game question or vice versa
Tags: etiquette, mahalo
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Helpful: lilyloretta, buddawiggi
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October 26, 2009 09:30 PM
After reading all the other great answers to this (mainly @rob hit the nail on the head, and @gno), I don't think there's anything I can add with regards to your new Etiquette page (which is a BRILLIANT idea). However, as others have added their comments on slightly (or not so slightly...) related topics then I'll do the same.
I've been finding it increasingly difficult to maneouvre myself around Mahalo Answers in general - the fact that tipped questions on the front page then crop up repeatedly on subsequent pages confuses me and makes the whole process of looking through the newly posted questions very hard.
Can the questions not just stay where they are, in the order in which they were originally posted?
Then there's the obvious complaint regarding all the ConundrumLand questions. They've taken over the front page and, again, crop up repeatedly in subsequent pages and, to be perfectly honest, we've all been informing the staff of the problems this is creating since the ConundrumLand thing was brought in and yet nothing has been done about it.
As far as I know, none of the staff have even responded to any of our repeated requests for you (the staff) to provide us with some sort of filter for the ConundrumLand questions so that they're not getting in the way if we don't want to look at them, or if we want to look at them separately.
Surely it wouldn't be so difficult to give them their own Conundrum tab, similar to that of the Undecided questions?
If there HAS been feedback about this and anything you (the staff) are going to do about it, please correct me on that and point me in the right direction. If there isn't, though, then it seems like the staff are perhaps ignoring our requests and hoping it will all blow over... (which it won't).
Basically, I think Mahalo has grown very quickly and is certainly bloomin' brilliant and very successful, but has tried to do too much too soon. Lots of new features = lots of new problems and with all of these problems hitting at once, I feel perhaps the staff AND committed Mahalo members have hit a brick wall and don't quite know what to do about it. We may just be a bit lost now and need to find our direction again.
**PLEASE REMEMBER THIS IS MY OPINION AND I'M NOT TRYING TO SPEAK FOR OTHER PEOPLE ;)
It may be as simple as this: Mahalo AS A WHOLE needs a big Spring Clean. Features that seemed great but have turned out to be naff or unneccessary should be weeded out and the systems and features that DO work (which is most of them - only a small proportion of features are causing these bigger problems) need to be perfected and built on.
I bloody love this site and would be here all day if my real life couldn't find me and, despite my blip the other night when I ranted at innocent people, I know I've given something good to Mahalo Answers and I know I will continue to do so.
I've never been a member of any other site where I've felt so appreciated by the staff, so "listened to" and so valued. The lot of you are doing an amazing job and I seriously hope it's going to carry on that way and we can all help each other in that process.
I feel like I've missed something out, so I'll get back onto your point for a minute...
This new Etiquette Page is going to really help new members and, I don't know if this is possible, but would it be something that perhaps new members could be automatically redirected to after signing up? Just so that they know it's there and, if they're really serious about doing well here, they'll read it.
I vote on undecided questions every day, up to my current limit of 70. Up to this past week or so, it's been very rare that I had to vote NBA unless there was only one answer and it broke some very obvious rules.
However, after voting today I truly couldn't believe how many times I had to vote no best answer because answers were either: directly copy/pasted (with or without a source); one-liners with sarcastic undertones; people saying "I don't know, never played that game" or "I don't know, never tried it" and other similar problems.
I'd say that applied to more than half of my daily voting allowance today.
Needless to say, these answers were mostly by new members I hadn't seen before today. They are not to blame, for some of them it was clearly their first day here and have already or will soon be pointed in the direction of the relevant Mahalo pages to help them learn how to give a good Mahalo answer.
The thing is, a couple of them were Yellow and Green belts who I've seen being told over the past few weeks about the rules and it just seems that they really don't care - they answer a question and see their points go up and that's all that matters to them. I actually pointed out to one person (I won't name names) that when they get to their Brown Belt they'll have to have a Brown Belt Test and, in the nicest way possible, there's no way they'll ever pass it with the answers they're giving!
I really hope this new page will get on the way to helping new members make the most out of their Mahalo experience, and I really hope something's going to be done about those damned Conundrum questions as well... :p
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October 26, 2009 10:16 PM
just a thought .......
I am wondering if some of the CL errors and bugs aren't really bugs but part of a business arrangement eg no link back to Mahalo, keep all questions under the one tab, no filter to remove them from Mahalo users etc. Not my place to say if its so, and probably some things we aren't going to know....
I have bugs with CL but I am still hoping :) :)
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I am wondering if some of the CL errors and bugs aren't really bugs but part of a business arrangement eg no link back to Mahalo, keep all questions under the one tab, no filter to remove them from Mahalo users etc. Not my place to say if its so, and probably some things we aren't going to know....
I have bugs with CL but I am still hoping :) :)
October 26, 2009 10:42 PM
That's an interesting point, and to be honest I wouldn't be surprised.
As I said in my (slightly-too-long) answer, the staff don't seem to have given any of us ANY feedback on the questions and requests we've put forward about CL :s
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As I said in my (slightly-too-long) answer, the staff don't seem to have given any of us ANY feedback on the questions and requests we've put forward about CL :s
October 26, 2009 09:41 PM
The following is my opinion on the issues raised in the question. A critical point which will promote many of the best practices you're trying to get at would be that answerers should consider what they write in their answer as an entry in an encyclopedia or dictionary which will have their name on it as author forever, to be seen by everyone. That may be something useful to include in the Guide Note of the etiquette page.
People who approach questions in the above context should follow the following best practices.
1. Use proper English (grammar and spelling).
2. Support statements of fact using authoritative sources.
3. Report both sides of an argument when responding to a question on politics or other controversial issues, using authoritative sources from both sides.
4. Provide personal opinions only when the question requests it, and identify them as such.
5. Avoid posting non-answers (e.g. 'Gee, I don't know either') and/or partial answers.
6. Avoid plagiarism. Only post answers where you provide original "value added" content in addition to any quotes. This could include e.g. contrasting information from different sources, adding information from multiple sources, analyzing or explaining the quotes you provide, etc.
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October 27, 2009 05:07 AM
" use proper english "
To me this is kind of a grey area, not everyone who use mahalo has english as a primary language.
I think eventually mahalo should cater to these people as well sometime down the line.
I'd eventually like to see mahalo made universal.
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To me this is kind of a grey area, not everyone who use mahalo has english as a primary language.
I think eventually mahalo should cater to these people as well sometime down the line.
I'd eventually like to see mahalo made universal.
October 27, 2009 05:30 AM
As a disclaimer, in the following "you" is intended to be understood as the generic second person, not you, xds, specifically.
Until and unless Mahalo starts up similar sites in other languages, there is no escaping the fact that the language of Mahalo is English. If you cannot use English correctly, and want to post answers, you should find someone who can help you correct the grammar of your answers (spelling is easier with many automated spell-checking options, though these will not catch errors where you happen to hit the correct spelling of the wrong word).
This may not seem fair, but lowering the level of communication through poor spelling and grammar does not serve the askers, nor does it help Mahalo become the go-to site for online information.
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Until and unless Mahalo starts up similar sites in other languages, there is no escaping the fact that the language of Mahalo is English. If you cannot use English correctly, and want to post answers, you should find someone who can help you correct the grammar of your answers (spelling is easier with many automated spell-checking options, though these will not catch errors where you happen to hit the correct spelling of the wrong word).
This may not seem fair, but lowering the level of communication through poor spelling and grammar does not serve the askers, nor does it help Mahalo become the go-to site for online information.
October 27, 2009 07:50 PM
Opher , Please don't misunderstand what I was trying to say.
When you said proper english, I don't want people to get the idea that people who DO speak other languages and have a different language as their primary one are not welcome here.(Because they are)
Yes, Grammar is extremely important when answering questions.
Just want to let others know we are NOT grammar nazis.
If someone spells a work wrong out of the 5+ thousand average words people type a day, I am not going to shove it in their face.
And don't expect others to do this either & A simple DM heads up is far more Bi-Partisan.
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When you said proper english, I don't want people to get the idea that people who DO speak other languages and have a different language as their primary one are not welcome here.(Because they are)
Yes, Grammar is extremely important when answering questions.
Just want to let others know we are NOT grammar nazis.
If someone spells a work wrong out of the 5+ thousand average words people type a day, I am not going to shove it in their face.
And don't expect others to do this either & A simple DM heads up is far more Bi-Partisan.
October 27, 2009 08:43 PM
Ok. I certainly agree that an occasional misspelled word, even if it happens once per answer, let alone once per 5000 words, is not a problem.
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October 26, 2009 09:56 PM
Ok, here's the summary version: 1. When asking a question, lose your bias. Don't ask straw man questions comparing your position to a demonized version of the opponent such as:
"Is president Obama's speech to school children just good inspirational role modeling, or is it demonic mind control like his evil opponents claim?"
Be fair when characterizing your opponents position. It's counterproductive to write inflammatory questions and expect quality answers.
2. When answering a question, present the pros and cons of your position and the opposing position, with as much honesty as you can. It is rare indeed for a question to have an answer that is 100% certain, or to have an oponent who is 100% wrong.
3. No name calling. As much fun as you think it is, and as witty as you feel it might be, calling Republicans Reptile Pubes is not appropriate considering your content is quite possibly going to be archived forever in Mahalo page content.
A little of my background. I have a Master's Degree in Library Science, graduated at the top of my class. I was a Reference and Government Documents Librarian for over a decade. It was my professional business to be able to evaluate sources for accuracy, timeliness, bias and completeness, among other things.
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October 27, 2009 01:39 AM
- New Source
I have to agree with this. There is just far to much judgmental bias with questions (AS WELL AS ANSWERS) , It not only turns the question into a grey area. But sets kind of a trap for users and goes against the credibility the system was built on in the first place.
Ridiculous questions lately like.
"Should I beat up my wife if she talks back"
or "Is Obama a socialist"
Things like this are just not necessary.
Mahalo at one time mulled over checking questions to make sure they where not spam or inappropriate before they where posted.
Perhaps that idea should be re-visited.
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Ridiculous questions lately like.
"Should I beat up my wife if she talks back"
or "Is Obama a socialist"
Things like this are just not necessary.
Mahalo at one time mulled over checking questions to make sure they where not spam or inappropriate before they where posted.
Perhaps that idea should be re-visited.
October 27, 2009 01:49 AM
By the way, nice to meet your acquaintance and welcome to mahalo :)
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October 26, 2009 10:25 PM
Alright so some of what has already been said I'm sure will be somewhat repeated in my answer but I'm going for it. Yes the copying and pasting is definetly a big one that I notice...I personally don't copy and paste anything but pictures and urls but I see a lot of people who don't even give proper citation and it drives me nuts, and I'm sure some others too....
Secondly, I understand peope won't always agree/like what they see/read on this website sometimes they will run across responses that are a total opposite from anything that would ever escape their mouths...however this site is a Q&A site, and although a response backed up by source is great alot of questions are based on peoples opinions, so don't get upset, start yelling and vote unhelpful to knock the person down. Just think would you want them to do that to you? To totallty disrespect and piss on your opinions? No you wouldn't.
Now I agree that sources do make an answer stronger, and I see a lot of opportunities for sources to be used, but they aren't. I will admit I have skipped out on a source before...a few times...But just winging it doesn't always make for a great answer....that's why I still feel strongly about putting a priority level on questions, therefore the asker can recieve the answers he/she desires and can wade out any riff raff, you could say.
Something else I wish there was was a spell check button...I think a good answer is not only said well...but spelt well too...
Ultimately I think it's an easy fix, and yes the etiquette page should be referenced more often...Maybe Jeff, you can send a welcome question to newbies with a link to the copying and pasting page, and the etiquette page and offer the answer any question they may have. Maybe that will help newbies feel more comfortable and get the hang of things quicker?
Good luck hope my answer helps!
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October 26, 2009 10:44 PM
That last paragraph is a great idea and something I mentioned in my answer, only not so well as you have done ;)
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October 27, 2009 01:32 AM
I've also noticed a decline in answer quality. I think this is a great idea. I'd like to see this guide grow.
And maybe in the future their could be a more extensive guide note for new users in the answers section as well as the pages section.
Its also important to mention that we are all still also learning and trying to grow with the system _as _it_ grows_. As more and more new users join mahalo, i can see even further hurdles that might come our way.
For instance the rate of spam is going to rise tremendously as well as the quantity ratio of quality answers. Perhaps a type of mechanism similar to a teachers guide could be implemented, this way upper belts could be given a compound judiciary voice to steer new users in a good yet discreet direction. We want to make sure the system doesn't change to quickly or we will all end up being on a different page almost every day.
I hate to say I myself am also guilty at times of being a little biased, although I try to give others a chance to prove me wrong in my constructive criticism.
I'd like it if the guides number one goal would be to help the new users understand that... ....for exact science based questions we are looking for exact science based answers & for other opinionated questions adding as much experienced background information as possible is something they should put much thought into.
And when I say science I don't mean this from necessarily a biological, or chemical point of view. More of a theological sense.
Simply putting "I don't know" "...but here's something close... ." ...
This really isn't a best answer. Users need to understand they should stick to topics they are passionate and have a adverse background in.
So just to re-cap.
1. ) Stick to questions that you have some kind of GENERAL and vast experience in. And are passionate about.
2.) Keep bias out of your answers AS WELL AS you questions.
3.) Focus on putting thought into answering exact science questions with exact science answers.
4.) Learn from your mistakes.
If higher upper belt users are all trying to give you advice on the same thing time they are probably only telling you for your own good.
5.) Be COMPASSIONATE in your answers.
I have come across far to many answers that start with.
.....There's nothing you can do.
-
PN:
I have spent most of my entire life working from problems "out" .
...Using every hurdle as just another tool in my arsenal.
Not just jumping over it or staying the hell out of its way.
Lets use Mahalo 's growth as a opportunity to set a standard not workaround with hurdles for the week and weary pass off on and give up on so easy.
Kind Regards,
@XDS
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I am amazed every time I go in to 'vote' on undecided questions how many questions I have never seen that are already up for vote!
I've told Lynn many times... there are some great questions that I would love to have answered, but they never showed up for me. I don't know why I'm not seeing them all, but I'm not. I think part of it is that the questions 'move around'. I start at the top and move my way toward the back, and as I do, when some questions are voted interesting/uninteresting by users, they move around so they get overlooked.
I'd love a way to subscribe to categories of questions, to get an email each time a new question was posted in that category.
But mostly, I just flat-out don't see the majority of Mahalo questions until it's too late for me to answer them.
I also wonder if 3 days isn't too short of a time. I think 5 days, a full work week, is a better option... just my opinion on that one.
Example: Go to the John McCain Mahalo page, where you claim you would like people to go to be able to find the best content pages on the internet. Here is some of the content concerning John McCain, written in answer to the most recent "Let's all bash Republicans and their leaders" Question:
"I just spit coffee all over my monitor, and I hadn't even read the whole text, or watched the video yet. Just the question alone got my involuntary spit-take."
"McCain... considered by uber-right Republicans to be too "moderate". Imagine how twisted it could be if the conservative Reptilepubes were to take a crack at Double-Speaking a piece of legislation like that."
Can you honestly tell me that was an unbiased question with unbiased answers about a respected war hero that nearly half the voters in America voted for in the most recent Presidential election? Regardless of whatever disdain you may have for the Republican party and John McCain, is that really the blatantly biased content you are aiming for? "Spit up" comedy material and "Reptile Pubes"
There's something we can improve on. I hope you really wanted to hear it.
Your leaving an answer as a comment detracts from the overall importance of the topics you bring up.