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Suggestion: Open Rating System (for Answers)
Before I begin, yes, I know about the "make suggestion" page: [Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
But I just want to know your opinions on this first. Also, I am pretty sure that someone has already suggested this, but I couldn't find it. Think you can provide me a link to that?
Anyhow, here's the basic idea:
You know what I am talking about when I refer to the rating system for the questions, correct? You know, the one with these three faces: :-( :-| :-) . . . (let's call it "thraces" just for the fun of it [thr = three; aces = faces; thraces = three faces])
What if we apply the same system to answers, too?
Current only the asker have the ability to rate answers, and it is the five-star system. What if we turn it into the "thraces system," and allows the asker AND all moderators to vote? It would be a nice little improvement, in my opinion.
If you think that it would put too much additional stress on the server, maybe we could limit the voting time to one or two weeks, meaning the result will be finalized and closed after one or two weeks and no one can vote for that question and answer anymore.
What do you think?
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Hi there,
Thanks for your patience, I am very behind as usual. It was for the best that you started here right now, seeing as I am only a week or so behind here but months behind on e-mail. :-(
Anywho, the idea is good, and I love the "thraces" names, but I am not sure people of Thracian heritage would approve. ;-)
I have toyed with the idea of open ratings and even tried implementing this in the past with mixed results. Here are my experiences:
I don't know if you have ever been to yahoo answers or not, but we have had a few people move here from there solely because of the open answer rating system that they use.
Reason: Any moron with enough friends(or accounts) becomes "best answer."
My experience was more like this: An answer that was EXCELLENT would be rated down to the bottom for being too long, or unpopular.
Two examples:
I answered a technical question that required an in-depth response, and it was voted to the bottom by users who didn't understand the question, let alone the answer. The answer chosen as "best answer" to a question about automotive computer troubleshooting? Here it is in total:
"wut does that even MEANNNNNNN!!!!!"
... basically everyone who couldn't grasp the concept agreed with that sentiment.
My second example before killing the idea:
A young woman asked the benefits of pads vs. tampons. Why this question evokes such angry responses from the tampon crowd is beyond me, but it never fails.
One user wrote a very comprehensive response which basically concluded that the best way to reduce the risk of cervical cancer would be to stick with pads. This is something you will have a hard time finding ANY doctor to argue with, just as a note.
The tampon crowd voted the following to the top and the other to the bottom:
"First of all, its only bad if you leave it in for more than two days. Second, they sell cigerattes, and that kills people too soo.... you can wear tampons whenever. pads are like diapars. you sit in your own blood all day. groooossss. plus it stinks and they leak. People can choose for themselfes if they want to wear tampons or pads so stop being negative and talking crap."
I routed a great deal of traffic to these things and that was voted BY FAR the best answer.
Here is the problem: You wear a tampon for two days, and you are probably going to die.
Do you see where I am going with this?
What is we get a suicide related question, and the hateful masses vote something like: "It would be better for the world if you died!" to the top spot?
Imagine being one inch from taking your own life and seeing that 50 people, just for a number, think the best possible answer to your issue is for you to die?
Yikes.
... I do welcome your input on overcoming these things and moving forward with the idea in the future... if a sane way can be found to do so.
As for moderators doing the rating... frankly we have a core team of very good moderators, about 5 at any one time, and very few others ever bother to rate questions.
Given that there are several times the number of answers as questions, I question the ability of the current staff to keep up with this.
The cutting off at 10 responses would easily allow people to have their buddies elevate their own answers... yet if the limit were say 25, that would already mean 30 million entries at the current number of answers.
That would rapidly grow out of control, and I am afraid I really can't put any more money into the site than I have on a monthly basis.
As far as the idea of locking a question after x answers, I have always been resistant to this simply because the original asker isn't the only one to benefit from the answers given.
There are questions on this site that literally thousands of people have come to the site for over the years... some of which didn't even get a good answer until a year after they had been asked. This amazes me still, but people will search for something... end up here, knowing the answers given are wrong from experience, and create an account just to answer the one question with their experiences. (Worst grammar ever, sorry about that. A couple more years and I will start telling people PHP is my primary language.)
Anywho, the idea has merit. I tried to find a way to make it work and really wasn't able to find anything that worked across all the issues that cropped up. Whatever ideas you have are welcome, and I hope you have the answer I overlooked.
Thank you,
DN.
P.S. This is on the to-do list. I would point you there but I had to secure it after I caught another site, that shall remain nameless, implementing ideas directly from the list. ;-)
P.P.S. Skype is the BEST way to reach me. Feel free to add me and we can discuss this there. Same username.
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