What are some questions you've spent entirely too much time answering compared to the tip awarded and why did you spend all that time?
I'm curious. Has anyone else gotten so wrapped up in answering a question that the time you put into answering it is completely disproportionate to the tip offered? If yes, please provide examples.
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$5 Answers
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M$
I think with me, I do like to help, and I love to learn. So I'd start researching something where I knew a little but not a lot, in order to give a quality answer. Later I'd think "Boy, I worked 45 minutes for a chance at $1!"
I'd really rather not post here which questions I spent a lot of time on. I'm always happy when someone picks one of my answers.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
"I think with me, I do like to help, and I love to learn."
We're on the same page here, Trace.
Immediately after I was done school, I was a classroom teacher. One of the most important things that I figured out was that as long as you have an open mind, you learn more by being a teacher than you do as a student.
Regardless of the tipped M$ value of a question, for me... it's about the questions themselves. I've been challenged more here on Mahalo Answers than any other Forum or Q&A site.
I only answer questions that I find interesting or questions that I would like to completely research for tasks outside of Mahalo Answers. I usually have a purpose for deeply answering questions so even when I don't win best answer - my competitive nature usually rests easy knowing that my time made a significant contribution in other arenas.
The questions that I answer almost always have an answer that directly intersects my knowledge and experience. Since I don't often go back to check grammar or spelling even lengthy answers don't usually take too long.
The questions that I find really take time are the ones where there are multiple replies in the comments. I try hard to provide clear, accurate, well sourced answers but sometimes those answers either need to be clarified or further supported through conversation.
I usually look at the tip being offered in a question as a guideline to how much time I should spend. Thinking about how I answer questions, here's a quick breakdown of how I spend my time:
If someone puts a M$1 tip on a question, I'll usually compose a paragraph from my own direct experience and move on.
M$5 - M$10: I'll dive into the answer a little more and try to provide either a unique insight or very good references for further information with a summary.
M$20 - M$50: Answers in this category are usually either time sensitive or require a good amount of semi-formal research to complete. As a result, I'll either answer very quickly with almost bullet point solutions, or I'll begin to formulate a thesis and prepare to support my solution through traditional research.
M$100: Right now, I won't answer these questions unless I consider myself an expert in the field from which the answer will come. I've spent upwards of 5 hours on a M$101 question (http://budurl.com/yjh9 ) and very carefully considered my points, style, proof reading, etc. In the future, I've personally decided not to submit an answer to a >M$100 question without direct evidence and clear support from either substantiated online sources or from industry friends who will also stand behind the facts that I have compiled. This will result in (likely) double the amount of time.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
There are a lot of questions that I won't even answer because I feel I don't have the expertise to answer, and it's a question that requires knowledge outside what Google or Wikipedia can provide. I remember that M$101 question and knew I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole because I know absolutely nothing about marketing. You completely owned it though. There is something to be said about people spending paragraph upon paragraph answering something that could be said in a sentence, but questions like require far more detail and research, so I've no idea how people could reasonably consider your answer too long.
I'm sort of picky in my answers. I'm sure part of it is because I don't want to provide a substandard answer to someone, but another part of it is that I see my stats and I'd like to get my percentage up to where 50% of what I answer is considered the best answer. Sure, I definitely won't be rising to brown belt (or even purple belt) anytime soon doing that, but I'm not answering questions to earn belts or Mahalo dollars. I do it because I like to spread knowledge about the things I know and learn things looking up specifics for things I only sort of know. I do that anyway when I go to Wikipedia, I may as well share that.
If you keep contributing, Cocheese, I think you'll be shocked how quickly the points add up.
I'm less than 1000 points away from a Brown Belt. I remember a couple of months ago being surprised that I broke the top 100 members.
http://www.mahalo.com/answers/mahalo-answers-community/do-wages-rise-in-emerging-countries
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
A few questions had regional info that only locals (or people who spent a lot of time in that region) would be qualified to answer (yet people feel compelled to answer after some google search yields a marginal answer.) Then the other posters get snarky when someone with first hand knowledge actually provides a more accurate answer.
I've answered too many construction (related) questions that offered little or no feedback (from the asker) and no tip at all. (e.g. on insulation, energy efficiency, site location/selection, construction projects & preparation, etc.) I must have lost my mind providing those answers, when the feedback is nil. At least occasionally other Mahalo posters engage in a convo/thread, which often is more valuable than any feedback from the original asker of the question. But it's still a grossly disproportionate ratio of time:value -- unless one decides to answer questions as part of a philanthropic raison d'etre to participate in Mahalo and "help" the world in general.
I just can't afford to spend that kind of time anymore (I fell off the wagon the other day, providing an answer that really is not something MA site's format is set up for. I hope it won't happen again.) And since the feedback is often-- but not always, poor or non-existent, I've decided to spend my time more productively. In fact, I need to sign off now.
The thing I like least about Mahalo, is that people (answering the questions which depend on facts or science) still think they can google something (or look it up on wiki or some other "self-certified expert" website), and falsely believe they have posted all or most of the info (correctly). And it's just not true. I think that erodes the value of answers and 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$
I feel your pain with the feedback.
I really think that Mahalo Answers is setup much better than any other Q&A or Forum style site in terms of feedback though. In the 3 months that I've been contributing here, I've been able to quickly learn how to tailor my answers based on community feedback.
Also, I get more validation when someone sends me an (almost) random tip because they found an answer interesting than I do from direct questioner feedback.
Absolutely no hard feelings!! Do you want your M$2 back?
I was frustrated that I let my silly ego get in the way. Seriously, I'll return your tip.
Wow.
I don't know much about Japanese. But what little I do know, I know that took some time.
I don't think Mahalo guide's will like if we pass Mahalo dollars between each other :). I have the habit of suprising others at an unexpected time for their efforts. You deserve the tips :).
Thanks, karj. You're very kind.
Well, oops I am the questioner!!. The question is not very important to me.Just for your knowledge I voted for you. I was little bit confused with the answers. I will tip you now 2M$ for your efforts. Thousand thanks for your efforts :). I hope there is no hard feelings :)
You are correct in that the background script is done in Japanese caligraphy. Given that it uses both kanji and hiragana, I'd place it in either the late Heian period or the early Kamakura period.
The big blocky characters, though? That's done in a script known as Seal Script. Technically I guess you could call that Chinese since the Chinese did actually use it for writing back in the Qin Dynasty, but the only place you ever see it now is on seals, both in China and Japan.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seal_script
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seal_(Chinese)