Comments or Post

ScottGem · #1 Oct 13, 2006, 10:22 AM

This is a subject that some of you know I have sort of a bugaboo about, but I think its time to raise it again.

One of the advantages of the Comments feature is that it lets people affirm their agreement to previous posts. In my opinion, the two should often be mutally exclusive.

If one see someone else's answer that covers the question then add a comment affirming your agreement. Only if you think you have something substantial to add to what has already been said should you add your own post.

Lately I'm noticing a significant number of "me too" posts that really don't add anything to previous answers. Such posts just seem, IMHO, to be done to add to the posters post count rather than any desire to help the OP. I know I don't post my own answer unless I feel it adds something to what's already been said.

Maybe its time to reduce the spread feature to allow people to add comments more.

I do think it can be annoying to the OP to keep getting notices of answers or to read thru bunches of answers that say the same thing.

I also realize this is not absolute. There are times when it is necessary to beat the OP over the head. A prime example was a recent thread from a 15 year old who had a positive home pregnancy test, then had some bleeding and decided she wasn't pregnant after all so didn't need to see a doctor. She needed as many people as possible to try and convince her to see a doc.

But, for the most part, if what we have to say just repeats what has previously been said, we should just add a comment like well said or good job or great points and leave it at that.

Stepping down from soapbox.

RickJ · Oct 13, 2006, 10:36 AM

Good points. This is one of the reasons we made the "Rate" button so big and obvious...hoping more people would use it instead of agreeing with a post.

labman · Oct 13, 2006, 10:44 AM

You bring up some good points again. Common sense doesn't prevail here or any other site I have seen. I have yet to see a site where any rating system isn't abused. I think the comments are a great idea. Sometime a new post will be buried even on another page by the time you find one of the outrageous answers. And then you go on the the next thread, and the same person has given another clunker. I would dump both the spread the reputation and keeping track of approve/disapprove.

If I find 2 good answers Tom gave in plumbing, I am to go comment on 4 other people before I comment on the second? What if I can't find 4 other answers I know enough about and are worth commenting on?

RickJ · Oct 13, 2006, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by labman

I would dump both the spread the reputation and keeping track of approve/disapprove.

We have dumped the spread - and removed the "ranking" from the members list.

The focus is now on the actual comments...and whether they were helpful or not

labman · Oct 13, 2006, 04:43 PM

I got the spread message once today too.

RickJ · Oct 13, 2006, 04:47 PM

I thought it had been removed. I'll check into this.



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