in reply to Silly questions?

You have a good diagnosis, but I think there's an easier solution. Don't record negative XP against users under level 2.

If experience points are really supposed to be a measure of experience with the monastery, even posting a *bad* question -- and receiving feedback -- should grant that.

If someone new shows up and doesn't know exactly how things will work but posts anyway only to be knocked down to -10 points, is the poster likely to post again? Or will he perceive that the monastery is full of self-righteous old boys like me?

We have at least two mechanisms in place to guide the behavior of posters, voting and comments. I suggest the latter as more generous and less shocking to new posters.

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Re: Re: Silly questions?
by flay (Pilgrim) on Feb 18, 2001 at 00:11 UTC

    You have a good diagnosis, but I think there's an easier solution. Don't record negative XP against users under level 2.

    Hmm...I suppose that would achieve much the same end; after all, the principal purpose of voting is to reflect the quality of the node, not the poster.

    Bearing that in mind, the only advantage of a `newbie corner' would be to segregate much of the chaff so that the 'self-righteous old boys' don't have to plough through it unless they really want to.

    Personally, I don't mind reading that sort of stuff, but I'm sure there are more than a few old-timers who are fed up with seeing the same FAQs popping up time and again.

    -- 
    flay, here to learn

[reply]
      Maybe we could put some volenteers in charge of anwsering newbie questions?
[reply]

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