in reply to Re: Encouraging comments for downvotes
in thread Encouraging comments for downvotes

In my opinion, questions should be exempt from voting completely. Homework aside, a poor quality question still represents someone needing some assistance, and if we -- a question, what exactly are we conveying? Do we really want the OP to restate the question?

I see the voting as almost a Darwinian system designed to encourage high-quality answers. ++ complete, thoughtful, accurate, or maybe just succinct answers. -- obvious "me too" duplicates, inappropriate golfing, non-portable solutions (where it matters), inefficient or just plain wrong answers.

That's what my votes have come to mean.

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Re: Re: Re: Encouraging comments for downvotes
by Happy-the-monk (Canon) on Apr 05, 2004 at 21:43 UTC

    In my opinion, questions should be exempt from voting completely.

    • Yes, very good point. - There seems to be no reason to vote for the quality of a perlquestion.

    • and yet - No, there may be a need to downvote a flame, trolling, non perl-community advertisement, or a post that's otherwise off-topic and of no relevance:
      Make it appear in Worst Nodes for the monks to notice so it will eventually be reaped.
      And then there are questions where you read the monk in question has worked hard to make the discoveries he presents to you, but hasn't reached his goal.
      You will want to upvote him for the effort sharing his work experience with Perl.

    Cheerio, Sören

[reply]
Re: Encouraging comments for downvotes
by Abigail-II (Bishop) on Apr 05, 2004 at 23:24 UTC
    In my opinion, questions should be exempt from voting completely.
    But, but, asking questions is a fast way of gaining XP! It's far from uncommon to have the root node (the question) have the most node-reputation of the entire thread - especially if it was frontpaged. Just take a look at the best nodes every now and then.

    Now, what we need is a voting system on the acts of frontpaging and approving.

    Abigail

[reply]

      You're right, of course, but I still feel that the votes should go for/against the quality of the responses, not the questions.

      But, then again, to disagree with myself, and support your tongue-in-cheek first sentence, isn't a good question that stimulates constructive discussion, and exploration of perl-space a good thing, perhaps worth voting for?

[reply]
        I still feel that the votes should go for/against the quality of the responses, not the questions.
        Well, yes, we all have ideas how others should spend their votes. But what you think should happens isn't what seems to be happening.
        A good question that stimulates constructive discussion, and exploration of perl-space a good thing, perhaps worth voting for?
        Does that mean that questions that don't get responses, that have responses that aren't constructive, that are FAQs or off-topic should be voted down?

        Abigail

[reply]

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