Should Mahalo employees self-identify on their profiles that they work for the website, if they post as users?
Should employees of the Mahalo be more direct about their association with the company, when posting as users on Mahalo Answers?
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M$24 Answers
However, for the ~30 f/t folks we have in the Santa Monica HQ we will probably put some sort of indication on their user icon.
We have a bunch of freelancers and "remote Guides" who work on Mahalo proper (i.e. the search engine), but they don't get paid to work in Mahalo Answers--they're here just like you. Since they're not employees of Mahalo, but rather freelancers/contractors, well probably keep them noted as regular users since they are.
Mahalo staff don't have any advantage over the general population in Mahalo Answers other than we started in the system a week or so early. That's why we're all Yellow and Green belts. I'm sure you will all go flying past us in belt level soon enough!
Very good point about us being selected best answer by certain folks because we're staff, however we are not going to be able to answer anything more than 1% of questions in the system if it keeps growing like this!
We're answering questions right now mostly to set the tone (helpful), and to test the system (which as you can see from our issue today has been up and down!).
best jason
(CEO of Mahalo)
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M$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$
On the other hand, getting an answer from an employee may give the asker more confidence in the quality of the answers being submitted. So....it could go either way.
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M$
I also do Answers on my own time, because I enjoy it.
You have an interesting point, but I'm not sure that it's necessary to identify Mahalo employees in another way. As was pointed out, all Mahalo employees or former employees have clearly stated it in their profiles, so it is freely available information. I think that re-stating it is redundant.
I'll grant that, as a Mahalo guide, I do have a vested interest in seeing Answers take off. So how does that change my behavior, compared to if I was not affiliated? It doesn't, really. Either way I would be interested in answering questions to the best of my ability.
Perhaps as a Mahalo guide I might even be more thorough in my research and answers just because I want to do an especially good job to set a good example for the rest of the users.
But my interests align pretty much exactly with any other user of Answers.
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M$
Would the ability for people to more easily identify you as a Mahalo employee really change or take away from your contributions?
I imagine not. I would vote for some kind of easy identification of an employee answer then having to look into someones profile. I just think its nice to know without having to browse deeper.
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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$
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$You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$As to Mahalo employees getting paid to answer questions, it is my understanding (and experience) that they will not answer questions on company time for profit. If they are getting paid to monitor the site, then they won't be answering questions.
I look at it this way. I work for a bookstore. When I am there, I don't act like a customer. When I'm off work and I go into the store, I don't wear my name tag. I act like everyone else (although I've been known to help direct people on occassion). It should be the same here.
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$
I am not sure why the disclosure is neccesary. Will that make you more or less likely to choose their answer?
Would you be more more likely to order a sandwich at a restaurant because you recognize one of its waiters sitting down enjoying one? Or will you order the pasta because that's what sounds best to you?
Just a thought. :)
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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$
It's also a good safety feature for the company to let employees post of their own regard - that way, they don't have to stamp, "The views expressed by our employees do not necessarily reflect the views of Mahalo" all over the site.
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$You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
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$
I don't know about you, but in other online communities, if you've been dealing with someone and have a good experience then later find out that they were an employee, it sort of takes away from that experience. You start to think "...did they only do that or say that because they have to..."
...my 2 cents...
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$You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$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$You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
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$You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
Never really thought about the brand building aspect of it. We put our team in the system to a) beta test it and b) set a tone when people came in. The tone we want is VERY helpful, intelligent, carrying and on topic.
We are deleting off-topic comments/questions, unhelpful comments/questions and anything hostile as this is not the place for sure behavior. Of course we can't get to everything so we need you guys to report off-topic or bad behavior.
Also, we don't want to have to police the system... we want a tone set by the community that makes people NOT want to behave badly.
Mark Jeffrey our CTO said walking into Answer is like walking into a library filled with intelligent people--you don't want to act like an idiot or you'll look like one.
I love that! Let's all work to set the right tone.
Note: some joking in the comments is OK, especially on fun type questions. We're not going to police that. However, if someone is asking a good question and you say "google it you fool!" or something like that we will delete it, and possibly delete the persons account.
Mahalo Answers is NOT a forum or chat room, it's a Knowledge Exchange. We have to make that clear to all the new users coming in.
I don't think the question was initially asked to weed out any inconsistencies or abuse. I'd imagine it's because it looks like there are more non-Mahalo related users than there actually are which causes undue trust in a brand that is still developing. If done on purpose, it's an ingenious technique in creating trust in a forming brand; however, if done secretly and exposed it can take a brand and throw it into the trash.
I'm happy to see that someone that has a real stake in the question step forward and answer the question and to clarify that the fact that the employees not being identified directly and quickly (unless a person views the content on their profile and they have identified themselves) is not a subversive attempt to inflate trust but is indeed to promote the integrity and feeling of the site... that we're here to help eachother.
Take care and great work on the site.