What's the most important feature missing from Mahalo Answers?
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M$7 Answers
Here are the 2 things that I think are missing:
Private Message functionality.
This is more of a matter of front end text than it is backend programming.
Everyone (even the site admin's) use the "Ask Me A Question" field to comment privately.
However, users are still required to assign a category and mark the question private to send a quick message. This is counter intuitive.
My best solution would be to implement a web based Instant Message system where (much like facebook) we could see who was online and chat directly with them.
Here's my big one:
CLARIFY QUESTION COMMENTS
The best answers come from the best question. I often run across questions that I'd like to answer but the question isn't clear or I'm not sure exactly what the poser will consider the best answer.
A simple way to ask a clarifying question before posting a qualified thoughtful answer will most likely result in better questions and better answers.
Too many hours on addicting Mahalo
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M$late edit: Also I'd like to see some way to be able to store my "Answer sorting" preference. I don't really like the current sort, so I'd rather have it default to something else.
Also, I would love to have a way to store a filter that will only display questions that are within certain categories that I can store.
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M$
For instance, i am not naming names, nor accusing, just thoughts. i noticed that this one person has a partner almost halo in unison and also, on the answers, this person immediately tags a yes vote as soon as the answer drops. it appears they are maxing out the system. that is cool with hard work, but trying to earn points for the sake of points seems to affect the tide. it actually goes both ways so the feature i like best is to promote gaming instead of the negativity surrounding it. This can be done by adding the feature. We all know there are teams, some really big that do this. They have been doing in Vegas like poker teams, all sorts of exploits which may or may not contribute to knowledge. Even the answers can be gamed, but i've noticed that someone taking an idea further kind of sucks, although i'm sure changes will come. So i think the gaming feature can stand purposely for different things like instead of top members, make it top scores, just like pac man. That doesn't stop others from putting in their quarters. For you younger folk, this means that older folks had to put money in the machine at the store to play video games because we didn't have such things at home.
The gaming feature with other things could be adopted to promote competition and not offend people that clearly see people that do that online. It is no big deal really other than if they are manipulating the slots and getting too much money. Instead, what is usually done is that the gaming features are changed to accomodate these people.
Let's say a whole university opened up just one account under an assumed name. Would we really care if they provided us information. i think ultimately, it makes the user base go down which doesn't sound like the social media that is designed. Gaming features could also include, instead of just best answer, it could be like most user friendly gaming competitions where each answer could award an "honor" answer, "unique" answer, etc, where the points are split up into cents. Thus, it is not a winner take all scenario, but still has high scores. Anyway, in general, that is the most important feature that is missing is the ability to support gaming and also protect the casino.
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M$
This is a key issue and it will require constant monitoring. Unlike other services out there Mahalo has a dozen folks active in the community, and we will NOT allow folks to become upper belts (brown or black) if they are gaming the system or doing anything unethical.
There will be gaming purple and under I'm sure--but not Brown and above.
And for those issues that go unnoticed, a "block questions and answers from this user" feature would be useful, because if I didn't see it, it wouldn't bother me as much.
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M$Even the whitebelts deserve some credit if they have been around a while.
EG: [Member Since: December 2008]
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M$
I think a member since is a great idea. It could exist on your profile page--it doesn't have to be everywhere because it might create an "old boys club" -- as answerman points out.
I don't think Join dates add as much to a community as they take away. Perhaps showing join dates of long-time veterans would be cool, otherwise I've seen it mostly as a tool to senselessly ostracize newcomers.
Thats what i was thinking exactly, maybe we could have it as a toggled option for others that have been around a long time.
So people don't feel they have ostracized anyone .
1) more questions being asked! (this would make Mahalo exponentially more fun)
2) a better interface! (this one is okay but seems clunky and the color scheme is pretty boring)
I used Yahoo! Answers for a while and had more fun on there. Now I just used Mahalo because I like the money incentives, but it still needs more to make it more fun!
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$
