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Mahalo is adding a tip to all questions that don't offer a tip.
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April 26, 2009 09:53 PM
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When I notice a new (or even old) member who offers unhelpful answers I generally comment on the answer and explain why I feel it's not helpful.
Also if I see an answer that could have been made better by adding additional content, I'll let the user know. Here is a good example of that.
http://www.mahalo.com/answers/cell-phones-and-plans/my-screen-on-the-front-of-my-titanium-voyager-is-much-dimmer-than-it-should-be-and-it-blinks-and-there-are-wierd-colors-in-the-backroundhelp#a6dcf381292536c534f651332041eee76ace4c3388daf92573cce1fb816ad9b97
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cjd
I realize now that when I started, a number of my answers are ones that I would now consider to be sub-par. But after being here long enough, I have read enough other people's answers that I have picked up tips.
The first thing I would say is that if you're trying to back up your answer with evidence, don't cite Wikipedia as your only source. Yes, it's a great reference, and it's a good starting point to learn more. But if you're citing that as definitive evidence, that is a mistake. There are any number of examples of Wikipedia being incorrect.
The second thing I would say is that for a number of questions, you really do need to cite evidence. If somebody is asking for personal advice, then there's no need to cite. But for scientific facts, such as the depth of the deepest part of the ocean (for example), you shouldn't just say "it is (x) feet deep." There's no way for your questioner to know if that is true or not. You may be right, but if you can't back it up, the answer is not helpful.
So really, just read other people's answers, especially the good ones. See why they're good, and how they're helpful. And just do the same thing as they are doing.
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Answered Question

Mahalo is adding a tip to all questions that don't offer a tip.
Poor members?
Have you noticed any members which are not keeping up to the standards of Mahalo?
What advice would you offer them?
What advice would you offer them?
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| April 26, 2009 10:02 PM |
Also if I see an answer that could have been made better by adding additional content, I'll let the user know. Here is a good example of that.
http://www.mahalo.com/answers/cell-phones-and-plans/my-screen-on-the-front-of-my-titanium-voyager-is-much-dimmer-than-it-should-be-and-it-blinks-and-there-are-wierd-colors-in-the-backroundhelp#a6dcf381292536c534f651332041eee76ace4c3388daf92573cce1fb816ad9b97
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cjd
April 26, 2009 10:04 PM
Commenting is one of the most popular ways of helping improve ones answer or improve their strategies!
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Other Answers (1)
April 26, 2009 10:09 PM
I would just say that people should learn from other users' answers. I realize now that when I started, a number of my answers are ones that I would now consider to be sub-par. But after being here long enough, I have read enough other people's answers that I have picked up tips.
The first thing I would say is that if you're trying to back up your answer with evidence, don't cite Wikipedia as your only source. Yes, it's a great reference, and it's a good starting point to learn more. But if you're citing that as definitive evidence, that is a mistake. There are any number of examples of Wikipedia being incorrect.
The second thing I would say is that for a number of questions, you really do need to cite evidence. If somebody is asking for personal advice, then there's no need to cite. But for scientific facts, such as the depth of the deepest part of the ocean (for example), you shouldn't just say "it is (x) feet deep." There's no way for your questioner to know if that is true or not. You may be right, but if you can't back it up, the answer is not helpful.
So really, just read other people's answers, especially the good ones. See why they're good, and how they're helpful. And just do the same thing as they are doing.
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