How about a "best answer" tally in profiles under the "favorites" tally? October 8, 2011 2:19 PM Subscribe
How about a "best answer" tally in profiles under the "favorites" tally?
It seems to me that if the favorites tally creates problems -- people saying witty but useless/counterproductive things -- a best answer tally would swing that back in the other direction.
It seems to me that if the favorites tally creates problems -- people saying witty but useless/counterproductive things -- a best answer tally would swing that back in the other direction.
The asker of a question doesn't always know what the best answer was.
posted by koeselitz at 2:28 PM on October 8, 2011 [8 favorites]
posted by koeselitz at 2:28 PM on October 8, 2011 [8 favorites]
Ooh! Awesome!
Could we have achievements, too?
posted by The Confessor at 2:31 PM on October 8, 2011 [3 favorites]
Could we have achievements, too?
posted by The Confessor at 2:31 PM on October 8, 2011 [3 favorites]
I guess what I mean is this: it's an interesting idea, and best answer markings are certainly a better metric for measuring quality than favorites. But, removed from their context, they're still just points. I don't think emphasizing a system of points is necessarily a good idea. Also, don't the mods already just delete witty but useless answers?
posted by koeselitz at 2:34 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by koeselitz at 2:34 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]
Christ, I should change my username to Grandpa Justinian.
posted by Justinian at 2:40 PM on October 8, 2011 [6 favorites]
posted by Justinian at 2:40 PM on October 8, 2011 [6 favorites]
I could have sworn we had this like five years ago or something.
posted by shakespeherian at 2:45 PM on October 8, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by shakespeherian at 2:45 PM on October 8, 2011 [2 favorites]
I find score-keeping bewildering/unnecessary/counter-productive.
posted by hot soup girl at 2:46 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by hot soup girl at 2:46 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]
As one of the people who does think the "favorites tally" creates problems, I don't think adding yet another tally is the solution I'd like to see. Frankly I'd rather see the concerns ignored (as they are now) than addressed this way.
posted by cribcage at 2:47 PM on October 8, 2011
posted by cribcage at 2:47 PM on October 8, 2011
Useless/counterproductive comments are usually deleted in AskMe anyway so adding yet another way to put feathers in caps here probably isn't going to make much difference. I really dislike favorites and the scorekeeping aspect of posting and commenting here and the less there is, the better.
posted by iconomy at 2:50 PM on October 8, 2011
posted by iconomy at 2:50 PM on October 8, 2011
This is a solution in search of a problem.
posted by jason's_planet at 2:57 PM on October 8, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by jason's_planet at 2:57 PM on October 8, 2011 [3 favorites]
I don't think we need another tally to compare/bitch/grar about. But I would love a way to pull up the answers I gave marked best. I guess what I'm saying is I'm forgainst it.
posted by yellowbinder at 2:58 PM on October 8, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by yellowbinder at 2:58 PM on October 8, 2011 [2 favorites]
Whups, got that last link wrong.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 2:59 PM on October 8, 2011
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 2:59 PM on October 8, 2011
Heh, thanks! I was aware of the infodumpster but didn't know it could pull best answers.
posted by yellowbinder at 3:07 PM on October 8, 2011
posted by yellowbinder at 3:07 PM on October 8, 2011
How about deleting the favorites tally?
posted by Wolfdog at 3:11 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Wolfdog at 3:11 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]
If you're going to measure yourself against someone else, there's really only one way to do it. And, knowing that most of you are probably pretty proficient with photoshop, I don't think we could trust the results anyway.
posted by HuronBob at 3:12 PM on October 8, 2011
posted by HuronBob at 3:12 PM on October 8, 2011
More score keeping? Why?
Best answers are too rare to have the desired effect, anyway, even assuming you've accurately described the cause and effect of the witty/unhelpful problem.
posted by J. Wilson at 3:12 PM on October 8, 2011
Best answers are too rare to have the desired effect, anyway, even assuming you've accurately described the cause and effect of the witty/unhelpful problem.
posted by J. Wilson at 3:12 PM on October 8, 2011
Winning!
posted by P.o.B. at 3:18 PM on October 8, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by P.o.B. at 3:18 PM on October 8, 2011 [2 favorites]
It's kind of a busy weekend for us in modland so it might be a while before anyone but your favorite second-most-junior mod chimes in, but I strongly suspect this falls under the category of "Favorites-related things we really, really don't want to mess with."
As an avid AskMe user, I also sort of suspect this isn't going to be all that useful for a lot of people - there are lots of questions that never get best answers marked, anonymous ones can't, etc, and I suspect it will create a lot of offshoot grar about who's marking which answers as best, or at all, etc and etc forever.
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 3:18 PM on October 8, 2011
As an avid AskMe user, I also sort of suspect this isn't going to be all that useful for a lot of people - there are lots of questions that never get best answers marked, anonymous ones can't, etc, and I suspect it will create a lot of offshoot grar about who's marking which answers as best, or at all, etc and etc forever.
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 3:18 PM on October 8, 2011
It seems to me that if the favorites tally creates problems ... a best answer tally would swing that back in the other direction.
Your seemmeter is miscalibrated.
posted by carsonb at 3:19 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]
Your seemmeter is miscalibrated.
posted by carsonb at 3:19 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]
Request a new feature that has already been shot down by the mods at least 3 times previously.
============================================
posted by EndsOfInvention at 3:22 PM on October 8, 2011 [31 favorites]
I believe this has been suggested before and nixed in a "not gonna happen, ever" way.
That is a good attitude, IMO.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 3:30 PM on October 8, 2011
That is a good attitude, IMO.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 3:30 PM on October 8, 2011
Thanks for the answer, restless_nomad. And yeah, this is obviously not something that needed urgent modly attention, and was more "Let me ask the peeps about this and see what they think."
I hear you guys. I think in my mind, seeing one's best answer count would encourage people to be more helpful and try to give better answers. That so many replies here immediately went to scorekeeping, gaming, etc., makes me really reconsider how people would take it after all. And, to me that's kind of a bummer. Yes, scorekeeping totally sucks, and while I'm not totally against faves I think it would be awesome if the profile tally were gone. But to me, seeing the number of times someone said you helped them? And feeling good about that and wanting to do better because of it? To me that's a really nice thing that's about human goodwill, and not something that's about being competitive and wanting to compare against others and "win" or whatever it is. But, point taken.
posted by Ashley801 at 3:40 PM on October 8, 2011
I hear you guys. I think in my mind, seeing one's best answer count would encourage people to be more helpful and try to give better answers. That so many replies here immediately went to scorekeeping, gaming, etc., makes me really reconsider how people would take it after all. And, to me that's kind of a bummer. Yes, scorekeeping totally sucks, and while I'm not totally against faves I think it would be awesome if the profile tally were gone. But to me, seeing the number of times someone said you helped them? And feeling good about that and wanting to do better because of it? To me that's a really nice thing that's about human goodwill, and not something that's about being competitive and wanting to compare against others and "win" or whatever it is. But, point taken.
posted by Ashley801 at 3:40 PM on October 8, 2011
I can understand not wanting to encourage fishing for favorites, but surely we want to encourage good answers.
I want to feed this pony peppermint sticks and brush him before you take him to the glue factory.
posted by Ad hominem at 4:03 PM on October 8, 2011
I want to feed this pony peppermint sticks and brush him before you take him to the glue factory.
posted by Ad hominem at 4:03 PM on October 8, 2011
I want a scintillating-ness meter, I want it now, and I want it pegged in the red.
posted by Devils Rancher at 4:12 PM on October 8, 2011
posted by Devils Rancher at 4:12 PM on October 8, 2011
I can understand not wanting to encourage fishing for favorites, but surely we want to encourage good answers.
The mods already do that by pruning out answers that aren't on topic or that are overly fighty. I can not see how tabulating Best Answers will be an improvement on that.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:13 PM on October 8, 2011
The mods already do that by pruning out answers that aren't on topic or that are overly fighty. I can not see how tabulating Best Answers will be an improvement on that.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:13 PM on October 8, 2011
There's already slightly too much "best answer" jockeying in AskMe [which is to say, more than none] and I don't think we'd like to encourage this further. My feeling is that if we made Best Answers any more visible there would be even more contention surrounding them and people who were giving witty non-answers would remain unphased and keep on doing what they do. I get the motivation behind it, but I think anything that is asking to make this place more of a scorecard for anything is probably something we're unlikely to implement. There are already ways to thank people for good answers and a best answer assignment is really more about the relationship between the OP and the answer, which is sort of subjective. So, while we like that the OP is able to sort of "thank" someone who gave them a good answer, decontextualizing that interaction any further doesn't seem like it would improve the process any.
Put another way, we're not suffering from a lack of good answers really, the problems lie elsewhere.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 4:16 PM on October 8, 2011
Put another way, we're not suffering from a lack of good answers really, the problems lie elsewhere.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 4:16 PM on October 8, 2011
Again, carrot an no stick. Nothing to make me hesitate before posting jokey non-answers besides annoying the mods. Not like I lose a best answer every time I post a shit answer. Why were best answers implemented anyway? Not like the ask closes when someone marks a best answer, people keep answering even after best answers are marked in hopes that they will get one too. They aren't really site wide, they are only usefully in the ask where they were marked.
Just get rid of them.
posted by Ad hominem at 4:24 PM on October 8, 2011
Just get rid of them.
posted by Ad hominem at 4:24 PM on October 8, 2011
I can not see how tabulating Best Answers will be an improvement on that.
I would just like to see them useful, they feel like a half feature.
posted by Ad hominem at 4:25 PM on October 8, 2011
I would just like to see them useful, they feel like a half feature.
posted by Ad hominem at 4:25 PM on October 8, 2011
The infodumpster links who has the most Best Answers anyway. I have 148. That's swell, but I'm not feeling a sudden urge to try for more and anyone who does shouldn't be answering on AskMe. It's not a contest.
I would just like to see them useful, they feel like a half feature.
You are not on the Best Answer list that I linked to, so what does that say about you as Mefite? Not a damn thing, seriously. It doesn't make you more or less valuable or useful.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:29 PM on October 8, 2011
I would just like to see them useful, they feel like a half feature.
You are not on the Best Answer list that I linked to, so what does that say about you as Mefite? Not a damn thing, seriously. It doesn't make you more or less valuable or useful.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:29 PM on October 8, 2011
I want it now, and I want it pegged in the red
ohdeargodwhataretheydoingtothatpony
posted by mannequito at 4:39 PM on October 8, 2011
ohdeargodwhataretheydoingtothatpony
posted by mannequito at 4:39 PM on October 8, 2011
I have 148. That's swell, but I'm not feeling a sudden urge to try for more and anyone who does shouldn't be answering on AskMe.
Well... sometimes I look at the link to questions that have no replies and feel the urge to try to find the answers if I can. Does that mean I shouldn't be on AskMe? I totally believe at this point what everyone has said, that too many people would take a best answer tally as a scorekeeping/gaming thing so I don't want to belabor that point. But, I can't believe that having the sudden urge to try to make a top quality answer to more questions, makes someone unfit for AskMe.
posted by Ashley801 at 4:41 PM on October 8, 2011
Well... sometimes I look at the link to questions that have no replies and feel the urge to try to find the answers if I can. Does that mean I shouldn't be on AskMe? I totally believe at this point what everyone has said, that too many people would take a best answer tally as a scorekeeping/gaming thing so I don't want to belabor that point. But, I can't believe that having the sudden urge to try to make a top quality answer to more questions, makes someone unfit for AskMe.
posted by Ashley801 at 4:41 PM on October 8, 2011
How about a thing on the profile page where you get to vote as follows:
This Mefite is:
a) Awesome
b) Amiable and fun
c) An okay person
d) Meh. You know.
e) A bit of a prat
f) Actually annoying.
g) Ooh, I hate him/her so much
h) A c***
i) The kind of c*** I hate so much s/he makes me use the word c*** even though I know full well it isn't kosher.
j) Probably a Zionist, and fat to boot.
Or we could just go on posting stuff and commenting on it.
posted by Decani at 4:45 PM on October 8, 2011 [4 favorites]
This Mefite is:
a) Awesome
b) Amiable and fun
c) An okay person
d) Meh. You know.
e) A bit of a prat
f) Actually annoying.
g) Ooh, I hate him/her so much
h) A c***
i) The kind of c*** I hate so much s/he makes me use the word c*** even though I know full well it isn't kosher.
j) Probably a Zionist, and fat to boot.
Or we could just go on posting stuff and commenting on it.
posted by Decani at 4:45 PM on October 8, 2011 [4 favorites]
It seems to me that if the favorites tally creates problems -- people saying witty but useless/counterproductive things
So only useful, productive comments would be favorited in your ideal Metafilter? Wit crushed?
posted by longsleeves at 4:50 PM on October 8, 2011
So only useful, productive comments would be favorited in your ideal Metafilter? Wit crushed?
posted by longsleeves at 4:50 PM on October 8, 2011
Ashley801: sometimes I look at the link to questions that have no replies and feel the urge to try to find the answers if I can. Does that mean I shouldn't be on AskMe? ... But, I can't believe that having the sudden urge to try to make a top quality answer to more questions, makes someone unfit for AskMe.
Not sure where you're getting this idea from? High quality/signal/whatever answers, best answers are always needed on AskMe. If you've got the urge and you've got the answer, that's ok! What people in this thread don't like is the urge to keep track of best answers. Making it a metric changes the nature of the beast, and it taints the reasoning (at least potentially) behind answering questions on AskMe.
So if you wanna try to answer questions that haven't been answered yet, go ahead with every encouragement! Just don't expect a best answer marking, even if yours is the best. And keep a bookmark to the infodumpster so you can check for yourself occasionally when your ego needs the boost.
posted by carsonb at 5:01 PM on October 8, 2011
Not sure where you're getting this idea from? High quality/signal/whatever answers, best answers are always needed on AskMe. If you've got the urge and you've got the answer, that's ok! What people in this thread don't like is the urge to keep track of best answers. Making it a metric changes the nature of the beast, and it taints the reasoning (at least potentially) behind answering questions on AskMe.
So if you wanna try to answer questions that haven't been answered yet, go ahead with every encouragement! Just don't expect a best answer marking, even if yours is the best. And keep a bookmark to the infodumpster so you can check for yourself occasionally when your ego needs the boost.
posted by carsonb at 5:01 PM on October 8, 2011
You are not on the Best Answer list that I linked to, so what does that say about you as Mefite? Not a damn thing, seriously. It doesn't make you more or less valuable or useful.
Well I was talking about making the feature useful, not necessarily simply as a tool with which to judge users. There has got to be something that could be done with them that would not offend mefi sensibilities, we are just lacking imagination if all we see is points.
What I would start out with, it a ratio of best answer/tag. This would establish "subject experts". Users can then opt in to get an email if a question gets asked in a tag for which they are a subject expert at. Acknowledge subject experts in some way, in order to encourage them Sharing their hard won knowledge.
I am not even going to bother suggesting a reputation system, where answers from users who are subject experts float to the top, or get marked a different color.
All I know is there is a couple people that knock every single car question out of the park, and they do it for free. Give them a friggin star next to their name, or name the car experts or some damn thing.
posted by Ad hominem at 5:23 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]
Well I was talking about making the feature useful, not necessarily simply as a tool with which to judge users. There has got to be something that could be done with them that would not offend mefi sensibilities, we are just lacking imagination if all we see is points.
What I would start out with, it a ratio of best answer/tag. This would establish "subject experts". Users can then opt in to get an email if a question gets asked in a tag for which they are a subject expert at. Acknowledge subject experts in some way, in order to encourage them Sharing their hard won knowledge.
I am not even going to bother suggesting a reputation system, where answers from users who are subject experts float to the top, or get marked a different color.
All I know is there is a couple people that knock every single car question out of the park, and they do it for free. Give them a friggin star next to their name, or name the car experts or some damn thing.
posted by Ad hominem at 5:23 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]
The hard part here is that MeFi's never going to do this, but it is better than Favorites, which MeFi does have and will never un-have.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 5:28 PM on October 8, 2011
posted by Joseph Gurl at 5:28 PM on October 8, 2011
Best answers are not good enough - I want mefites to personally come round to my house and tell me how they were so mistaken and acknowledge my rightness.
posted by sgt.serenity at 5:37 PM on October 8, 2011
posted by sgt.serenity at 5:37 PM on October 8, 2011
Acknowledge subject experts in some way, in order to encourage them Sharing their hard won knowledge.
Is there a some crisis where "subject experts" aren't sharing their hard won knowledge and do you really think giving them a gold star for every correct answer will suddenly encourage them to start answering questions?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:19 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]
Is there a some crisis where "subject experts" aren't sharing their hard won knowledge and do you really think giving them a gold star for every correct answer will suddenly encourage them to start answering questions?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:19 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]
I see why it's not particularly necessary, but I've always thought this would be a fun idea, fwiw.
posted by naoko at 6:24 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by naoko at 6:24 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]
No, not crisis, but it would be nice to give them a pat on the back for all the time they put in.
You seem pretty combative about this, so I'm going to take my constructive suggestions and run on home
posted by Ad hominem at 6:28 PM on October 8, 2011
You seem pretty combative about this, so I'm going to take my constructive suggestions and run on home
posted by Ad hominem at 6:28 PM on October 8, 2011
The intentions are good behind the request are good, but I don't see how it adds much to the site, while thinking of a quite a few ways it could cause negative actions or consequences.
AskMe has worked pretty well so far without this proposed feature. Seriously, it's grown from an offhand desire to the most popular part of the entire without some tabulating Best Answers. What more would like from the subsite?
Adding tabulations of Best Answers would change how AskMe is used. It raises the bar, IMO, from sharing what one knows to getting a Best Answer. The subsite works because fundamentally people are good and want to share their knowledge and skills to help other people. That is the reward, the ability to give back to humanity and perhaps to friends on the site. That's a good and wonderful thing and I don't think it should be tampered with.
Don't shift the point of AskMe from sharing to getting the Best Answer, please. It's like playing with fire in a beautiful wooden home, at best you manage to keep the beautiful home exactly as it was before. Worst case you burn something or the entire house down.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:46 PM on October 8, 2011
AskMe has worked pretty well so far without this proposed feature. Seriously, it's grown from an offhand desire to the most popular part of the entire without some tabulating Best Answers. What more would like from the subsite?
Adding tabulations of Best Answers would change how AskMe is used. It raises the bar, IMO, from sharing what one knows to getting a Best Answer. The subsite works because fundamentally people are good and want to share their knowledge and skills to help other people. That is the reward, the ability to give back to humanity and perhaps to friends on the site. That's a good and wonderful thing and I don't think it should be tampered with.
Don't shift the point of AskMe from sharing to getting the Best Answer, please. It's like playing with fire in a beautiful wooden home, at best you manage to keep the beautiful home exactly as it was before. Worst case you burn something or the entire house down.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:46 PM on October 8, 2011
I don't understand why we're notified about contacts' best answers, but not our own. What's up with that?
Why can't we know if we got a best answer? Are the powers that be afraid it might encourage people to, I don't know, provide good answers or something?
posted by Sys Rq at 6:46 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]
Why can't we know if we got a best answer? Are the powers that be afraid it might encourage people to, I don't know, provide good answers or something?
posted by Sys Rq at 6:46 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]
If you add yourself as a contact, Sys Rq, you do get notified when your answer is marked best. ;)
posted by carsonb at 6:56 PM on October 8, 2011
posted by carsonb at 6:56 PM on October 8, 2011
Wow, I'm glad that Infodumpster stopped at 75....I think I have one best answer and it was one of the first ones I ever posted. I thought I was going to be tied for last place. Phew! Embarassment averted.
PS Isn't a tally a form of scorekeeping? I don't understand the statement that a tally may be used for less honorably intended purposes as scorekeeping- isn't it by definition?
Google's first definition: tal·ly/ˈtalē/Noun: A current score or amount.
Ok, off to see if I can give any more well-intended but inevitably mediocre answers on Askme.
posted by bquarters at 7:06 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]
PS Isn't a tally a form of scorekeeping? I don't understand the statement that a tally may be used for less honorably intended purposes as scorekeeping- isn't it by definition?
Google's first definition: tal·ly/ˈtalē/Noun: A current score or amount.
Ok, off to see if I can give any more well-intended but inevitably mediocre answers on Askme.
posted by bquarters at 7:06 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]
Not that it's worth much given the contents of the thread so far... But I actually would be interested in such a metric. The only way I've found out that I got marked best answer is if I happen to go back to the thread and check. And I know it's happened a couple of times, but it would be nice to be able to see when.
I don't suppose it could be listed in our profile but hidden from everyone else, if there's concern about combativeness?
posted by leahwrenn at 7:23 PM on October 8, 2011
I don't suppose it could be listed in our profile but hidden from everyone else, if there's concern about combativeness?
posted by leahwrenn at 7:23 PM on October 8, 2011
I got frustrated when I first used askme because no one ever marked my answer as best. I never got one. Ever. I am one that can take a hint, so I was going to realize giving advice wasn't my life's calling. I even complained about never getting one to my girlfriend who was going to ask a question so I'd answer it just so she could give me the pity best answer.
I even showed her how I had great answers that weren't marked "best," but it was, so I got excited that I finally got one! I got one! It was even the one I was showing her. So I went to show her other ones that were not recognized for the great answers that they were, and guess what? They too were marked! Ok, maybe not all of them, but enough where my tears and crying about having never gotten a best before was pure silliness.
As far as i know there's no way to ever know if your answer was marked as best unless you go back and look. This is a bit sad. You get a reminder when questions you ask are a month old, but nothing that says, "Yay! The poster liked your answer!"
I think this pony is a great idea, but I'd say, make it so only the account can see it. So only I can see the tally on my profile page. No one else. What would also be cool is to see how many times I've marked a person's answers as best. But again, only me. I click on artw's profile there's a field that says, "You've favorited 87 of his comment and given him 19 best answers." Then I could say, "Ah, maybe he's not such a...! Just an idea.
posted by cjorgensen at 7:43 PM on October 8, 2011 [10 favorites]
I even showed her how I had great answers that weren't marked "best," but it was, so I got excited that I finally got one! I got one! It was even the one I was showing her. So I went to show her other ones that were not recognized for the great answers that they were, and guess what? They too were marked! Ok, maybe not all of them, but enough where my tears and crying about having never gotten a best before was pure silliness.
As far as i know there's no way to ever know if your answer was marked as best unless you go back and look. This is a bit sad. You get a reminder when questions you ask are a month old, but nothing that says, "Yay! The poster liked your answer!"
I think this pony is a great idea, but I'd say, make it so only the account can see it. So only I can see the tally on my profile page. No one else. What would also be cool is to see how many times I've marked a person's answers as best. But again, only me. I click on artw's profile there's a field that says, "You've favorited 87 of his comment and given him 19 best answers." Then I could say, "Ah, maybe he's not such a...! Just an idea.
posted by cjorgensen at 7:43 PM on October 8, 2011 [10 favorites]
During the last big brouhaha on the topic of favorites when we had the month long experiment of doing away with them in late 2009 I said a metafilter without favorites would be a better metafilter for me than a metafilter with favorites. I was shouted down around ten to one.
I vote against tallying best answers.
posted by bukvich at 8:04 PM on October 8, 2011
I vote against tallying best answers.
posted by bukvich at 8:04 PM on October 8, 2011
No, but seriously folks, if you'd like to be notified in the Contacts Sidebar every time an answer of yours is marked 'best', just copy this link into your URL bar and add your user number to the end after the equal sign. Then add yourself as a contact. Et voila!
http://www.metafilter.com/contribute/xfnlinkbuilder.mefi?to_user=
posted by carsonb at 8:28 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]
http://www.metafilter.com/contribute/xfnlinkbuilder.mefi?to_user=
posted by carsonb at 8:28 PM on October 8, 2011 [1 favorite]
If we had to choose a metric to compete on; I guess I still vote "the biggest Cubit".
After standing stock-still on the portico, allowing the wisdom of the multiverse to rain down upon, or purhaps, to bubble upwards, as an artesian well, regardless, embiggening in spirit, and emboldening speech giving ability; whilst the other guests dined, Socrates finally entered, by this time, the usual time for dinners was half over (has anyone ever made the symposium into a sitcom? I would like to challenge TBBT to put it on [if so, this is the part where there is a laugh track, and applause, and then Simon walks in and says...]).
Jashex asks: Is it best to be loved by a small group who do not lavish grand ceremonials, but share the quiet joys of good laughter and speeches; or is it to be grander to be publicly lauded by the many (...say, 30,000 Hellenes) and showered with bon mots, bon iver and goat head...
posted by infinite intimation at 8:29 PM on October 8, 2011
After standing stock-still on the portico, allowing the wisdom of the multiverse to rain down upon, or purhaps, to bubble upwards, as an artesian well, regardless, embiggening in spirit, and emboldening speech giving ability; whilst the other guests dined, Socrates finally entered, by this time, the usual time for dinners was half over (has anyone ever made the symposium into a sitcom? I would like to challenge TBBT to put it on [if so, this is the part where there is a laugh track, and applause, and then Simon walks in and says...]).
Agathon, who was reclining alone at the end of the table, begged that he would take the place next to him; that "I may touch you," he said, "and have the benefit of that wise thought which came into your mind in the portico, and is now in your possession; for I am certain that you would not have come away until you had found what you sought."That is to say... since Sohcahtoa Socrates' Secretariat established that having those selected wise, by the mob, as a contact, allows the diffusion of wisdom I'v pretty much gotten by on the reflections and refracted light from flabdablet. What do you mean "you missed the whole point of the quote entirely"?
How I wish, said Socrates, taking his place as he was desired, that wisdom could be infused by touch, out of the fuller the emptier person, as water runs through wool out of a fuller cup into an emptier one; if that were so, how greatly should I value the privilege of reclining at your side! For you would have filled me full with a stream of wisdom plenteous and fair; whereas my own is of a very mean and questionable sort, no better than a dream. But yours is bright and full of promise, and was manifested forth in all the splendour of youth the day before yesterday, in the presence of more than thirty thousand Hellenes.
Jashex asks: Is it best to be loved by a small group who do not lavish grand ceremonials, but share the quiet joys of good laughter and speeches; or is it to be grander to be publicly lauded by the many (...say, 30,000 Hellenes) and showered with bon mots, bon iver and goat head...
posted by infinite intimation at 8:29 PM on October 8, 2011
But to me, seeing the number of times someone said you helped them? And feeling good about that and wanting to do better because of it? To me that's a really nice thing that's about human goodwill
I totally agree. When one of my answers is marked as "best," it feels good. But not because I really place any interest in the superlative itself, since I assume the OP also found others' perspectives helpful. I just interpret it as a "thank you." It always feels good to be thanked.
Interpreting "best answer" as "thank you" underlines that what occurred was a transaction between you and another person, not between you and a website. It's more valuable, I think. And it obviates the idea of trying to keep any kind of tally.
posted by cribcage at 8:34 PM on October 8, 2011
I totally agree. When one of my answers is marked as "best," it feels good. But not because I really place any interest in the superlative itself, since I assume the OP also found others' perspectives helpful. I just interpret it as a "thank you." It always feels good to be thanked.
Interpreting "best answer" as "thank you" underlines that what occurred was a transaction between you and another person, not between you and a website. It's more valuable, I think. And it obviates the idea of trying to keep any kind of tally.
posted by cribcage at 8:34 PM on October 8, 2011
Well that was fun, going through my old best answers! (Thanks for the infodump link iconomy!) Some of the thread titles I would read and say to myself, "I knew enough to get a best answer about THAT?"
posted by IndigoRain at 10:09 PM on October 8, 2011
posted by IndigoRain at 10:09 PM on October 8, 2011
carsonb: Not sure where you're getting this idea from? High quality/signal/whatever answers, best answers are always needed on AskMe. If you've got the urge and you've got the answer, that's ok! What people in this thread don't like is the urge to keep track of best answers.
carsonb: Just to clarify, I was replying to Brandon Blatcher about something specific he said about when people shouldn't be answering on Ask Me. Not about the whole keeping track of best answers thing. If what I wrote there seemed like a non-sequitur ("Not sure where you're getting this idea from") you might have missed where I quoted the part of what Brandon said that I was replying to.
Just don't expect a best answer marking, even if yours is the best. And keep a bookmark to the infodumpster so you can check for yourself occasionally when your ego needs the boost.
Well, you have the right to see things through whatever prism you want, but honestly, it makes me feel like the world just sucks that littlest bit more when feeling good about doing a nice little thing is implied to be seeking fodder for egotism.
posted by Ashley801 at 10:56 PM on October 8, 2011
carsonb: Just to clarify, I was replying to Brandon Blatcher about something specific he said about when people shouldn't be answering on Ask Me. Not about the whole keeping track of best answers thing. If what I wrote there seemed like a non-sequitur ("Not sure where you're getting this idea from") you might have missed where I quoted the part of what Brandon said that I was replying to.
Just don't expect a best answer marking, even if yours is the best. And keep a bookmark to the infodumpster so you can check for yourself occasionally when your ego needs the boost.
Well, you have the right to see things through whatever prism you want, but honestly, it makes me feel like the world just sucks that littlest bit more when feeling good about doing a nice little thing is implied to be seeking fodder for egotism.
posted by Ashley801 at 10:56 PM on October 8, 2011
It's always seemed to me that being tagged as a Best Answer should also count as a Favorite somehow.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:27 AM on October 9, 2011
posted by Thorzdad at 7:27 AM on October 9, 2011
Ashley801: but honestly, it makes me feel like the world just sucks that littlest bit more when feeling good about doing a nice little thing is implied to be seeking fodder for egotism.
I think you're conflating 'giving your answer to a question' with 'being told it is best'. Feel good about giving the answer in the first place, and if you happen to notice it's a best answer then that's gravy. The cherry on top. The real good is in the answering—that's what should be making you feel good. Anything past that is, yeah, egotism. Statistics. Gravy.
posted by carsonb at 8:36 AM on October 9, 2011
I think you're conflating 'giving your answer to a question' with 'being told it is best'. Feel good about giving the answer in the first place, and if you happen to notice it's a best answer then that's gravy. The cherry on top. The real good is in the answering—that's what should be making you feel good. Anything past that is, yeah, egotism. Statistics. Gravy.
posted by carsonb at 8:36 AM on October 9, 2011
I think metafilter needs pony prizes that're randomly awarded but that mods don't admit to being randomly awarded. We'd have sooo much fun trying to figure out how they were awarded!
posted by jeffburdges at 8:40 AM on October 9, 2011
posted by jeffburdges at 8:40 AM on October 9, 2011
I remember once in fourth grade there was some sort of competitive event, but one where everyone won something and the awards weren't really ... leveled. Like no award was better than anyone else. The teacher just found some thing that each kid was good at and gave them an award for it. I've always thought something like that would be amusing here, but I don't know if we could think up 10000 awards.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 9:44 AM on October 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 9:44 AM on October 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
but I don't know if we could think up 10000 awards.
Give everyone a star next to their username for a day. Let'em color it anyway they want. Better let, make it a snowflake.
Or everyone receives five extra favorites, just for being awesome.
Or we create national No Pants day, where everyone promises, for one day (at least), to use Metafilter with no pants on. Hell, have people post pictures of themselves with no pants and turn it into a charity! Here, I'll go first.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 10:06 AM on October 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
Give everyone a star next to their username for a day. Let'em color it anyway they want. Better let, make it a snowflake.
Or everyone receives five extra favorites, just for being awesome.
Or we create national No Pants day, where everyone promises, for one day (at least), to use Metafilter with no pants on. Hell, have people post pictures of themselves with no pants and turn it into a charity! Here, I'll go first.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 10:06 AM on October 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
But you've got underpants on...
posted by a humble nudibranch at 10:35 AM on October 9, 2011
posted by a humble nudibranch at 10:35 AM on October 9, 2011
I realise that this may get me kicked out of the site but ... I like wearing pants. And all my other clothes too. Being forced to surf metafilter pantless for a day would feel like punishment to me. Strange I know.
posted by shelleycat at 11:31 AM on October 9, 2011
posted by shelleycat at 11:31 AM on October 9, 2011
I'd like the ability to mark Best Dancers.
posted by box at 11:42 AM on October 9, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by box at 11:42 AM on October 9, 2011 [2 favorites]
Ponytacular!
Too positive. It would have to be "They Shoot Ponies, Don't They?" If you can get three of that achievement, it gets upgraded to Ponygeddon!
And you get a stern talking-to.
posted by GenjiandProust at 12:02 PM on October 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
Too positive. It would have to be "They Shoot Ponies, Don't They?" If you can get three of that achievement, it gets upgraded to Ponygeddon!
And you get a stern talking-to.
posted by GenjiandProust at 12:02 PM on October 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
Being forced to surf metafilter pantless for a day would feel like punishment to me. Strange I know.
Not so strange if you surf with an older MacBook Pro like I do. You can toast almonds with the bottom of this thing! (And for those wondering, yes, that is a euphemism!)
posted by cjorgensen at 12:29 PM on October 9, 2011
Not so strange if you surf with an older MacBook Pro like I do. You can toast almonds with the bottom of this thing! (And for those wondering, yes, that is a euphemism!)
posted by cjorgensen at 12:29 PM on October 9, 2011
My award was "kindest." Much teasing ensued.
it makes me feel like the world just sucks that littlest bit more when feeling good about doing a nice little thing is implied to be seeking fodder for egotism.
Nothing personal at all, but I think we have to be realistic about the fact that people are motivated by different things. One of the toughest things for me to deal with, working here, is that some people, even people who are regulars here, don't quite see online communities as "real" in the same way other people do. So people have different internal moral compasses about what you can/can't do here that vary from how they think you should treat people in "the real world" and other people don't. And then this gets complicated by people who--due to lack of empathy or lack of creative thinking or whatever--literally can not see other people's approach to this sort of thing as valid. So people who literally can not imagine a world where people cry when a celebrity dies, or who laugh at a funeral, or do or do not let their baby cry it out. And so conversations get weird around those sorts of things.
And so I think it's not so much that people presume that people who claim good intentions must secretly not have them in their heart of hearts, but that a lot of people are motivated by a lot of different things and presuming a single motivation seems maybe a little reductive.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 12:40 PM on October 9, 2011 [2 favorites]
it makes me feel like the world just sucks that littlest bit more when feeling good about doing a nice little thing is implied to be seeking fodder for egotism.
Nothing personal at all, but I think we have to be realistic about the fact that people are motivated by different things. One of the toughest things for me to deal with, working here, is that some people, even people who are regulars here, don't quite see online communities as "real" in the same way other people do. So people have different internal moral compasses about what you can/can't do here that vary from how they think you should treat people in "the real world" and other people don't. And then this gets complicated by people who--due to lack of empathy or lack of creative thinking or whatever--literally can not see other people's approach to this sort of thing as valid. So people who literally can not imagine a world where people cry when a celebrity dies, or who laugh at a funeral, or do or do not let their baby cry it out. And so conversations get weird around those sorts of things.
And so I think it's not so much that people presume that people who claim good intentions must secretly not have them in their heart of hearts, but that a lot of people are motivated by a lot of different things and presuming a single motivation seems maybe a little reductive.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 12:40 PM on October 9, 2011 [2 favorites]
I could have sworn we had this like five years ago or something.
Ditto on that. I'm almost positive we used to have this, and then it went away. Unless I dreamed the whole thing.
posted by Faint of Butt at 12:42 PM on October 9, 2011
Ditto on that. I'm almost positive we used to have this, and then it went away. Unless I dreamed the whole thing.
posted by Faint of Butt at 12:42 PM on October 9, 2011
What we used to have, was a view of your Askme answers that would show Best Answers more readily. So this (current) versus this (previous). I find Best Answers easier to locate in the older version.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 12:45 PM on October 9, 2011
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 12:45 PM on October 9, 2011
I remember once in fourth grade there was some sort of competitive event, but one where everyone won something and the awards weren't really ... leveled. --- There's a school of thought that says that when mediocrity is celebrated, people end up feeling entitled to be praised for merely existing. They say that we're living in an age of entitlement specifically because teachers like you describe did what they did, and that it's crippled a whole generation of kids. The Wall Street Journal blames Mr. Rogers.
posted by crunchland at 2:10 PM on October 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by crunchland at 2:10 PM on October 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
This achievement should be called "Beating a Dead Horse".
posted by seanmpuckett at 2:50 PM on October 9, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by seanmpuckett at 2:50 PM on October 9, 2011 [2 favorites]
Brandon Blatcher: Or we create national No Pants day, […] Hell, have people post pictures of themselves with no pants and turn it into a charity! Here, I'll go first.
I suppose I'd better join in.
posted by JiBB at 4:01 PM on October 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
I suppose I'd better join in.
posted by JiBB at 4:01 PM on October 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
"...but I don't know if we could think up 10000 awards."
Aww damn, I totally want one now...
posted by Blasdelb at 4:13 PM on October 9, 2011
Aww damn, I totally want one now...
posted by Blasdelb at 4:13 PM on October 9, 2011
"And the best Comment # 80 in MeTa Thread # 21067 goes to ..... BLASDELB."
*crowd roars*
posted by salvia at 5:14 PM on October 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
*crowd roars*
posted by salvia at 5:14 PM on October 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
As a semi-prolific best answerer (I'm apparently batting .144 according to the infodumpster), I'd like to see this to feed my ego. But I answer people's computer problems, which makes for easy best answer bait.
posted by zsazsa at 11:27 PM on October 9, 2011
posted by zsazsa at 11:27 PM on October 9, 2011
I like to think of it like this:
If someone asked if they should get out of the stock market today and someone answered yes, and the stock market crashed immediately thereafter the answer would be seemingly correct and a best answer and should be marked as such. BUT, if because that person pulled their money out of the stock market they were wheelbarrowing their cash down the street when a tractor trailer jackknifed and rolled over onto them, killing them instantly and catching the money on fire in the insuing fuel spill.... well then with that knowledge that they were not capable of knowing until the events all transpired the answer would clearly be "No."
Best answers are almost always about the perspective where you stand from - they are based on the value assigned at the time of the assignment - not on the long term consequences of the action. Parenting philosophies change, our understanding of finance and changes, and any number of soft decision skills askme is commonly used for change.
Now, if you just need to what the name of the Richard Gere Arturian lore movie was? Well then... the best answer would clearly be An Officer and a Gentleman...
posted by Nanukthedog at 6:47 AM on October 10, 2011
If someone asked if they should get out of the stock market today and someone answered yes, and the stock market crashed immediately thereafter the answer would be seemingly correct and a best answer and should be marked as such. BUT, if because that person pulled their money out of the stock market they were wheelbarrowing their cash down the street when a tractor trailer jackknifed and rolled over onto them, killing them instantly and catching the money on fire in the insuing fuel spill.... well then with that knowledge that they were not capable of knowing until the events all transpired the answer would clearly be "No."
Best answers are almost always about the perspective where you stand from - they are based on the value assigned at the time of the assignment - not on the long term consequences of the action. Parenting philosophies change, our understanding of finance and changes, and any number of soft decision skills askme is commonly used for change.
Now, if you just need to what the name of the Richard Gere Arturian lore movie was? Well then... the best answer would clearly be An Officer and a Gentleman...
posted by Nanukthedog at 6:47 AM on October 10, 2011
And the fact that I know that is really not a mark of distinction, let me tell you.
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 8:02 AM on October 10, 2011
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 8:02 AM on October 10, 2011
shWait... shAre shyou shaying shat shI'm Shean Connery? Becaush shI couuld totaaly bee MeeFi's shown Shean Connery.
posted by Blasdelb at 9:27 AM on October 10, 2011
posted by Blasdelb at 9:27 AM on October 10, 2011
that it's crippled a whole generation of kids
Geez, that seems extreme. Every kid deserves support and encouragement, but sadly not every kid gets it at home. I can't see how giving it at school can really be crippling kids. There is so much competition innate to being human, but people still look down on the occasional activity that purposely removes competition. That's the thing, most of us need a little competition to grow and thrive but we also need times/places where we can just chill the F out and not have to worry about winning or losing. I don't think it healthy to have all of one with none of the other.
I don't think entitlement is specific to one age group. I think it can be an age thing, where it peaks for most people at say, 17-22 or something, but most of us get over it.
posted by soelo at 10:40 AM on October 10, 2011
Geez, that seems extreme. Every kid deserves support and encouragement, but sadly not every kid gets it at home. I can't see how giving it at school can really be crippling kids. There is so much competition innate to being human, but people still look down on the occasional activity that purposely removes competition. That's the thing, most of us need a little competition to grow and thrive but we also need times/places where we can just chill the F out and not have to worry about winning or losing. I don't think it healthy to have all of one with none of the other.
I don't think entitlement is specific to one age group. I think it can be an age thing, where it peaks for most people at say, 17-22 or something, but most of us get over it.
posted by soelo at 10:40 AM on October 10, 2011
jessamyn: "I remember once in fourth grade there was some sort of competitive event, but one where everyone won something and the awards weren't really ... leveled. Like no award was better than anyone else. The teacher just found some thing that each kid was good at and gave them an award for it."
I got "Most Creative Line Reading" for my role as Bill in our 8th grade production of "The Uninvited Ghost." And then I got voted "Most Changed Since 9th Grade" in our senior awards.
posted by Chrysostom at 12:39 PM on October 10, 2011
I got "Most Creative Line Reading" for my role as Bill in our 8th grade production of "The Uninvited Ghost." And then I got voted "Most Changed Since 9th Grade" in our senior awards.
posted by Chrysostom at 12:39 PM on October 10, 2011
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posted by yeoz at 2:22 PM on October 8, 2011 [5 favorites]