Don't you think the new points system is a great opportunity?

You're thinking twice about asking new questions?
Now all users can take some time to search those old open or unresolved answers and help resolve them! Think about it: +2 points for each answer (and you can rescue those one-answer only's), and +1 point for voting. Use the Advanced search and you can easily compensate for point loss, and then continue asking :-)

2006-03-04T06:00:14Z

I almost forgot... + 1 point for rating. Plus who knows, you may learn new stuff while browsing.

2006-03-04T06:16:18Z

New users (Level 1) can vote for 20 answers and rate another 20 answers. This means that they could get 40 extra points daily (41 if we include the login point) in a relatively easy way.
It's not all about asking, by voting and rating you're giving back to this community.

2006-03-04T12:25:00Z

Jane, I did not say that fewer questions were an opportunity. I wanted to emphasize that the same point deduction that could discourage people from asking, could be turned to something positive: more people doing other important activities, such as answering and voting.

2006-03-04T12:25:01Z

Jane, I did not say that fewer questions were an opportunity. I wanted to emphasize that the same point deduction that could discourage people from asking, could be turned to something positive: more people doing other important activities, such as answering and voting.

2006-03-04T12:25:46Z

Great, now that's double :-/

2006-03-07T07:44:38Z

MsKnowItAll, I aggree with you that this won't eliminate stupid/lame/bad questions and answers. _Nothing_ will.
And no matter what the Y!Answers team do, there will always be that kind of users.
I rather think this new rule is aimed at new but intelligent users that might otherwise be tempted into asking silly questions, along with some good ones. If the cost for asking is higher, they could feel inclined to save their points for "real" questions. Or, if they still want to ask that type of questions, they could vote and answer for compensation.
Of course, they might vote and give points mindlessly, but (again, sadly) that cannot be controlled.
All of us who have been using the site for a while know how to behave in here. And I'm sure you can see that my "question" was intended as a suggestion for new users that were complaining about the new points system.

2006-03-07T07:45:10Z

The changes introduced so far have not eliminated bad users (as I've said before, I don't think that's possible) but it _has_ helped.

BioGeek2006-03-10T12:00:51Z

Favorite Answer

I think it is very beneficial to the community.

It does curb those borderline questions and encourages people to search past questions for answers.

While the dumb and stupid will always waste their points and ask away, those can be easily ignored. Many of the people here are intelligent and willing to engage on a good discourse.

I think the new system encourages those obsessive compulsive folks to 'equalize' the points they lost for asking and encourages browsing of 1 answer and orphaned questions as well as rating. Far too few people vote or rate answers. Not only is it a lot fo points for the points hoarders, but it helps validate the good from the bad.

Sadly, there is a stupid question about a tree octupus with two scientifically valid answers and they are LOOSING the votes to an internet website meant as a spoof. If more people browsed questions in need of voting, hopefully sanity would win.

chyrelanne2006-03-06T13:09:26Z

Grrrrrrrrr Rah! Rah! Rah! I hate it.

As I am sure you remember, that is what -2pts was suppose to do. Did it work? Nope! THAT is why we now have -5 pts.

Guess what??!!???

IT AIN'T GONNA WORK EITHER!!!!

The fatal flaw, is in the thinkikng.

So sorry, but so true.

This whole -ANY points was to curb the "very stupid questions" as well as an incentive to have people come back and close their questions. The belief was that these acts were being performed by people " that are just interested in POINTS". This is not true!

People "that are interested in POINTS", would never waste their time with stupid questions. There is no POINTS in it. The "points" are in RECEIVING Best Answer and following through and resolving questions. Just the opposit of the appearently popular perception.

I personally think that thoses problems are being caused by some of our youngest users. But that is a whole other topic.

Flif2006-03-04T11:29:31Z

I don't know if "a great opportunity" is the best way to describe fewer questions being asked. It may result in a cleaner site with more serious answers, as well as more resolved questions, but there will likely be less good content added as well. I'm sure there are many people who have great questions to ask (not just "noise" or repeat questions) but will be discouraged by the point deduction.

Abhyudaya2006-03-06T22:09:15Z

Well, this rule is great if you ask me. This rule is to discourage the people who are gaming for points. It is not exactly to "discourage" people to ask questions, it is to eliminate questions like "Who wants some free points?", "What is your name?", "What is your age?" etc.

Maybe The Yahoo! Answers Team observed that people were asking meaningless questions & then awarding the best answers to their "friends" which is a total abuse of the system. This rule will make people more selfish about the points, now, nobody would like to lose points only to donate his/her "buddy" some points, right? So, basically this rule will cut down the noise.

So, I think this rule is a great opportunity for the persisent abusers of the site, but, I can't say the same for the people who occassionally hit the site, ask a silly question and then go away to never come back. We will have to deal with such abusers via the "Report abuse" button, that's all we can do. I guess, we'll have to rely on the Yahoo! Answers Moderators for things we can't avoid.

So, "Moderator, thy job is safe".

Thanks for listening...

Anonymous2006-03-04T06:27:23Z

Hi!Good morning!
Yes,I agree whith you!
What I like most is that,now,people get one more point for choosing a best answer than for calling a vote.
A lot of people here don't care enough for the ones who gave them serious and good answers and don't bother choosing one and thanking all the others.I'm getting tired of this!I've called a vote before,when I was new here,but regret it and won't do it again
I hope and belive that this new system will improve things here!
Have a nice day! :)

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