Why do you ANSWER questions in the programming forums?
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I don't answer questions in huge volume, typically because when I do go hunting for relevant questions, all the ones I'm a) able to help out; b) Able to decipher the broken English; have already been answered. To answer your questions 1. Usually simply to help out. Not for recognition or pats on the back, but the chance to help out someone to get better at their chosen hobby or career is pretty neat. 2. Being able to filter out already answered questions, and to not split up questions in to fixed categories, but adopt a more keyword oriented way of tagging questions. Often questsions cross domains, and while the person could be trying to solve an ASP.Net question, it turns out to be a C# syntax problem. Allowing other people to tag a question and not just the author would be useful. Also having a difficulty rating, similar to voting, would help. I typically only look at challenging problems. 3. I'm not sure. Getting a thankyou reply helps a great deal, but isn't something that can be enforced of course. 4. Does't interest me. 5. For me this is how the process normally unfolds: a) A question is asked b) One or more people respond with "Hang on, thats not enough information, please post X, Y and Z" c) This goes around a couple of times d) The "eureka moment" occurs when the real underlying problem is discovered and a solution is posted. For me it would be nice to not only have the discussion thread, but have the final question/answer re-written and formatted so when people are searching for similar problems, they don't have to read through up to a dozen messages to discover the solution, but they still can if they feel like it. This sort of lends it self to a "mini article" or more of a knowledge base style structure. And also ties in to number 3. If the final answer is a mini-article with status awarded to members for producing the final edited and nicely presented answer, it might work out well. It is quite a lot of effort though, so participation rates might not be high.
Phil Martin... wrote:
but adopt a more keyword oriented way of tagging questions
Yep - this has been my thought for a long time now. Your other thoughts are excellent (and reassuring!)
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
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1. Why answer? What is the motivation? Kudos. I remember when I was learning and could get bopgged down and frustraed by something which seems so trivial today - we sometimes forget how much we take for granted. 2. What would make it easier to answer, or easier to find questions you could answer? Moderation. Good summary description in the heading. 3. What would encourage you to answer more more? Easier to browse questions. Separation of answered/unanswered questions. 4. What, if any, recognition would be suitable for those who really dig deep? You vould look at a points system - other sites use this - allocate a number of points to the question and the person who is deemed to have first answered the question gets the points. There's enough interest in the 'gold' memebers and the down-voting of posts now that I think many would post answers to accumulate points. 5. What question / answer format would work best in your opinion? I think a single level - Question followed by potential answers. Separate list of questions about the question ... e.g.
+ Q: I needz urgent helps with arias (10 points)
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R: Do you mean Arrays?
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R: Suggest you change the subject to "Array issue - how to detect size of array"
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A: Use Array.Length
+ A: It depends on what you mean by 'size'.
Where Q is the original question, R denote responses rather than answers and A denote potential ansers (the plusses indicate these are the subject lines which can be expanded to show the full text) and the italicised Answeris the accepted answer I'd display the questions (only) in a list - probably latest unanswered first followed by latest answered. Allow a question to be expanded (to another window?) with all of its related information. If moderation is allowed (I know it is expensive) then maybe the original and moderated questions can be shown side-by-side and the original poster emailed to let them know the text has changed.
___________________________________________ .\\axxx (That's an 'M')
Interesting. The whole 'Let's clarify your question before I answer it" is a common theme and not something we immediately realised. Good one.
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
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Chris Maunder wrote:
Why answer? What is the motivation?
I answer fewer questions every year as I become more and more out of date. But I still try, as we are all beginners at something, and all have been beginners at everything at one time. I haven't forgotten. It's depressing to think back on all the projects I've abandoned over the years because I hit a spot where I just got stuck and couldn't get anyone to help. Many people here are extremely helpful - habitually so - and they are gems to be treasured. But too often the response is "read a book" - I have dozens of them and have read every one of them, most several times. There are some things that aren't in books, and almost nothing is in "Help." If I can save someone some measure of the immense frustration I've felt over the years because I got stuck on something that I just couldn't solve, that makes my day, maybe even my life justifiable. There's nothing wrong with the site as is, but we could do with a few less prima donnas and more great-hearted souls like Christian, Nish, Shog, and the hundreds of others who have been here forever, consistently being helpful to those following behind them. I don't mean to denigrate others - I've received some fantastic responses from many of our newer members, too, and I'm glad for their help. The mix has changed, though, and it's a less responsive site than it used to be. I suspect it's one of those cyclical things that you can't control, but just ride out the bad times and enjoy the good. As to rewarding the greats, maybe we should steal part of the TechRepublic formula of old. When someone gives us a solution or simply helpful guidance, let us award them points. Post a Hall of Fame where the top 100 point earners can see their names in lights (well, pixels anyway). Maybe that has to be the top 1000 - there're so many great people here, I dunno. We're a competitive lot; we used to compete for most messages, most diverse signatures, and cleverest hack of the site trying to get around your filters. I imagine the best among us will still be motivated to be #1. :-D
"A Journey of a Thousand Rest Stops Begins with a Single Movement"
I just want to make sure that whoever helps out gets the kudos they deserve (but probably aren't asking for).
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
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I look at our current programming forums and I feel we're not doing nearly as good a job for those looking for quick answers as we could. The issues: - the format isn't condusive to a question/answer type setup - questions are not getting marked as 'answered' often enough to make a difference - the same questions get asked again and again - unanswered questions disappear too quickly - members post good questions, phrased terribly Yet members post questions, and these questions get answered, basically because the guys who answer care more about helping than about having a perfect system. For those who answer questions: 1. Why answer? What is the motivation? 2. What would make it easier to answer, or easier to find questions you could answer? 3. What would encourage you to answer more more? 4. What, if any, recognition would be suitable for those who really dig deep? 5. What question / answer format would work best in your opinion?
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
1. To simply help out and give back to repay or pay forward the help that I have received over the years. 3. I don't think that you can do anything in my case. The east coasters answer the questions before I get out of bed.... 4. Aren't they already recognized as MVPs (CodeProject)?
Why is common sense not common? Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level where they are an expert. Sometimes it takes a lot of work to be lazy Individuality is fine, as long as we do it together - F. Burns Help humanity, join the CodeProject grid computing team here
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"Tabs in the reply box" Not sure which way you mean.
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
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Programmer's editor (tab key works for block indents vs. just moving to the next form field) perhaps?
Oh, TAB tabs. Right.
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
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Oh, TAB tabs. Right.
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
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no, the real stuff, preferably 4 spaces wide! :)
Luc Pattyn [Forum Guidelines] [My Articles]
The quality and detail of your question reflects on the effectiveness of the help you are likely to get. Show formatted code inside PRE tags, and give clear symptoms when describing a problem.
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I just want to make sure that whoever helps out gets the kudos they deserve (but probably aren't asking for).
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
I'd agree with that. Most of the helpful people here find reward enough in knowing that they've provided an answer that is helpful. It's a good feeling to know that you've helped another soul to have a good day. Points and kudos will not change that. I'm just really glad they're here when I need them...
"A Journey of a Thousand Rest Stops Begins with a Single Movement"
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CPallini wrote:
Tabs would be really welcome
Tabs? In what way?
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
To be able to insert tabs in the post submission text field I reckon.
-- Kein Mitleid Für Die Mehrheit
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To be able to insert tabs in the post submission text field I reckon.
-- Kein Mitleid Für Die Mehrheit
You reckon well. :)
If the Lord God Almighty had consulted me before embarking upon the Creation, I would have recommended something simpler. -- Alfonso the Wise, 13th Century King of Castile.
This is going on my arrogant assumptions. You may have a superb reason why I'm completely wrong. -- Iain Clarke
[My articles] -
Because I'm bored, and I decide to see what's going on in the programming forums, and before I get too disgusted too quickly, I try to find a question that I actually know the answer to that hasn't already been answered. I really admire those who hang out in the programming forums and actually devote time and attention to answering questions. You guys are the real heros of the CP community, IMO. Marc
Marc Clifton wrote:
I really admire those who hang out in the programming forums and actually devote time and attention to answering questions. You guys are the real heros of the CP community, IMO.
And mine! Dave Kreskowiak in VB is worth his weight in M&M's!
------------------------------------ "Possessions make you poor, wealth is measurable only in experience." Sun Tzu 621BC
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I look at our current programming forums and I feel we're not doing nearly as good a job for those looking for quick answers as we could. The issues: - the format isn't condusive to a question/answer type setup - questions are not getting marked as 'answered' often enough to make a difference - the same questions get asked again and again - unanswered questions disappear too quickly - members post good questions, phrased terribly Yet members post questions, and these questions get answered, basically because the guys who answer care more about helping than about having a perfect system. For those who answer questions: 1. Why answer? What is the motivation? 2. What would make it easier to answer, or easier to find questions you could answer? 3. What would encourage you to answer more more? 4. What, if any, recognition would be suitable for those who really dig deep? 5. What question / answer format would work best in your opinion?
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
Chris Maunder wrote:
1. Why answer? What is the motivation?
Because getting answers to questions was how i got started, and I know it can be very frustrating. Also, i still post questions, so I reckon it's kinda karmic.
Chris Maunder wrote:
2. What would make it easier to answer, or easier to find questions you could answer?
I don't think the current system is that bad - i look through the technologies that i know, answer what i can.
Chris Maunder wrote:
3. What would encourage you to answer more more?
This might be a bit tricky, but if there was any way you could craft something clever to in some way send a small shock to those people who post a question, when the very same question has been asked recently by somebody else (often on the same page in the forum), then that'd be cool... Bit of an ASP.net forum problem.
Chris Maunder wrote:
4. What, if any, recognition would be suitable for those who really dig deep?
See karmic answer to number 1.
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I look at our current programming forums and I feel we're not doing nearly as good a job for those looking for quick answers as we could. The issues: - the format isn't condusive to a question/answer type setup - questions are not getting marked as 'answered' often enough to make a difference - the same questions get asked again and again - unanswered questions disappear too quickly - members post good questions, phrased terribly Yet members post questions, and these questions get answered, basically because the guys who answer care more about helping than about having a perfect system. For those who answer questions: 1. Why answer? What is the motivation? 2. What would make it easier to answer, or easier to find questions you could answer? 3. What would encourage you to answer more more? 4. What, if any, recognition would be suitable for those who really dig deep? 5. What question / answer format would work best in your opinion?
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
1. Because it's something I'm interested in. To get my own ideas clearer in my head. To show off. Because I'm stuck on my own work. 2. Seeing a list of open questions, categorised. 3. Probably having another section on the newsletter showing latest/top/unanswered questions. And see below. 4. Most sites just do this with points or fancy names for contributors but how about this, code project pay 1c (or 5?) per correct answer, chosen by the asker. Users can also by question credits (in real money) and stump them up for important questions, chosen answers take the cash. You might only make 10 or 20c a question but every now and then it buys you a beer/burger/screenwipe. You'd overtake Expertsexchange in no time. 5. Question always shown at the top of a page, answers shown with clearer votes by contributors (i.e. no need to click an answer to open it or at least to see the score) and chosen answer flagged in a different colour when the asker decides.
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I look at our current programming forums and I feel we're not doing nearly as good a job for those looking for quick answers as we could. The issues: - the format isn't condusive to a question/answer type setup - questions are not getting marked as 'answered' often enough to make a difference - the same questions get asked again and again - unanswered questions disappear too quickly - members post good questions, phrased terribly Yet members post questions, and these questions get answered, basically because the guys who answer care more about helping than about having a perfect system. For those who answer questions: 1. Why answer? What is the motivation? 2. What would make it easier to answer, or easier to find questions you could answer? 3. What would encourage you to answer more more? 4. What, if any, recognition would be suitable for those who really dig deep? 5. What question / answer format would work best in your opinion?
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
In answer to your questions 1) Because I can. It's nice to help people and watch them grow and learn. Conversely if I see a question I don't know the answer to I won't answer it. Whihc sometimes irritates the poster but what he may not think about ts that no one knows the answer to is question. 2) For me easer would be displaying the header of each question and beside it have the number of replies. Then when you click the heading it shows the OP and the heading of the replies. 3) Not sure - nothing really 4) MVP of this site 5) Not sure on another side of things question that I ignore completely is when they haven't formatted the code correctly and there's so much of it I can't read it. It's just a waste of my time trying to understand it.
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I look at our current programming forums and I feel we're not doing nearly as good a job for those looking for quick answers as we could. The issues: - the format isn't condusive to a question/answer type setup - questions are not getting marked as 'answered' often enough to make a difference - the same questions get asked again and again - unanswered questions disappear too quickly - members post good questions, phrased terribly Yet members post questions, and these questions get answered, basically because the guys who answer care more about helping than about having a perfect system. For those who answer questions: 1. Why answer? What is the motivation? 2. What would make it easier to answer, or easier to find questions you could answer? 3. What would encourage you to answer more more? 4. What, if any, recognition would be suitable for those who really dig deep? 5. What question / answer format would work best in your opinion?
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
I think it was time to answer such a question. 1) The motivation for me is simple, I want to help people, that can (at some stage) help me. I am working in the field of science, where this is normal. 2) What would really help is if the title gives you a hint about what it is about. For example programmer questions. I don't know if it is really required, but we also could have a section with noob questions, such that those can be easily be divided from the other stuff. But as I said I don't know if this is really necessary. 3) I don't know, I really try to answer things that I know or where I think I know the answer. so for me it isn't a problem. 4) First of all I think its hard to recognize them. But I think the people how get the answers should vote them good. For my opinion that might be the best. 5) I think it is more or less fine the way it is now. It is straight forward. Hope I could help. Cheers
You have the thought that modern physics just relay on assumptions, that somehow depends on a smile of a cat, which isn’t there.( Albert Einstein)
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"Tabs in the reply box" Not sure which way you mean.
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
Yeah, like wot they said!
Henry Minute Do not read medical books! You could die of a misprint. - Mark Twain Girl: (staring) "Why do you need an icy cucumber?" “I want to report a fraud. The government is lying to us all.”
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I look at our current programming forums and I feel we're not doing nearly as good a job for those looking for quick answers as we could. The issues: - the format isn't condusive to a question/answer type setup - questions are not getting marked as 'answered' often enough to make a difference - the same questions get asked again and again - unanswered questions disappear too quickly - members post good questions, phrased terribly Yet members post questions, and these questions get answered, basically because the guys who answer care more about helping than about having a perfect system. For those who answer questions: 1. Why answer? What is the motivation? 2. What would make it easier to answer, or easier to find questions you could answer? 3. What would encourage you to answer more more? 4. What, if any, recognition would be suitable for those who really dig deep? 5. What question / answer format would work best in your opinion?
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
1. Why answer? What is the motivation? If I can help I will. It's the karma thing in case one day I need to ask something. 2. What would make it easier to answer, or easier to find questions you could answer? Pre-filtering of questions to prevent duplicates. Sorry, but less morons having access. 3. What would encourage you to answer more more? See answer to 2. Also forcing, as much as possible, questioners to mark as answered. Off the top of my head, could we stop people from asking another question until the current one has been answered? Stop idiots from deleting a question because they have an answer. 4. What, if any, recognition would be suitable for those who really dig deep? I like DD's Super-Question-Answerer-Icon_Symbol 5. What question / answer format would work best in your opinion? It's okay now.
Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done.
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1. Why answer? What is the motivation? If I can help I will. It's the karma thing in case one day I need to ask something. 2. What would make it easier to answer, or easier to find questions you could answer? Pre-filtering of questions to prevent duplicates. Sorry, but less morons having access. 3. What would encourage you to answer more more? See answer to 2. Also forcing, as much as possible, questioners to mark as answered. Off the top of my head, could we stop people from asking another question until the current one has been answered? Stop idiots from deleting a question because they have an answer. 4. What, if any, recognition would be suitable for those who really dig deep? I like DD's Super-Question-Answerer-Icon_Symbol 5. What question / answer format would work best in your opinion? It's okay now.
Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done.
Regarding unanswered questions, there should be a way to highlight them. Probably an automatic way of bumping them from the hundreds of post posted. I also like the idea of categorizing quetsions using beginner/middle/complex categories. Also rating the users or giving them badges (next to their names), who answered and their answeres were accepted would encourage them more to answer.
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I look at our current programming forums and I feel we're not doing nearly as good a job for those looking for quick answers as we could. The issues: - the format isn't condusive to a question/answer type setup - questions are not getting marked as 'answered' often enough to make a difference - the same questions get asked again and again - unanswered questions disappear too quickly - members post good questions, phrased terribly Yet members post questions, and these questions get answered, basically because the guys who answer care more about helping than about having a perfect system. For those who answer questions: 1. Why answer? What is the motivation? 2. What would make it easier to answer, or easier to find questions you could answer? 3. What would encourage you to answer more more? 4. What, if any, recognition would be suitable for those who really dig deep? 5. What question / answer format would work best in your opinion?
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
Chris Maunder wrote:
1. Why answer? What is the motivation?
Everyone's a beginner some time. Many of those don't even know what question to ask because they don't even know what the possibilities are. I still don't. So I try to help when I can, because that might trigger them to help when they can.
Chris Maunder wrote:
2. What would make it easier to answer, or easier to find questions you could answer?
If people could learn to fill in the subject properly. Maybe exchange the "subject" line to "Short description of your problem" and "Text" to "Details" Having fewer forums but with tagging. C#, VB, ASP.NET, LINQ and Framework should be one .NET forum and you tag what's applying to your question.
Chris Maunder wrote:
3. What would encourage you to answer more more?
Not having to work for money.
Chris Maunder wrote:
4. What, if any, recognition would be suitable for those who really dig deep?
I think that the original poster should have the possibility to tag the best answer. The voting system open to anyone is misused a lot for personal vendettas or funniest way of taking someone down. (I don't say it should be removed though, we need humour)