Do you think being able to choose a best answer will change the Answers section?

1. 91

   peeplesposted 12 years ago

   Do you think being able to choose a best answer will change the Answers section?
   
   So it has now been said that soon we will be able to pick a best answer. Do you think this will have any impact on the answers section?

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2. 60

   Shawn May Scottposted 12 years ago

   I do not think it will matter. Some people follow and some people lead and the leaders will read all the answers and make their own conclusions and the followers will read only the best answers and draw conclusions without all the information (similar to the forums that are based on an article or what not, no one reads it but still comments and do not follow what is really happening). So I say most people will draw their own conclusions and it will probably not change it too much.

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   1. 72

      ptosisposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      We have the up/down vote democratic way of rating answers

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   2. 60

      Shawn May Scottposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      ptosis,
      
      So I take it that my saying people will make their own conclusions is not democractic??? People will always draw their own conclusions whether you or any one else votes me up or down. Get it???

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   3. 60

      zinger5posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I think the answers are based on facts, so if you want to vote know them all.

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3. 73

   Ddraigcochposted 12 years ago

   I think this Q&A stuff will lower Hubpages' authority if it is not careful and we will bomb. We are an article platform and that is what we should stay as. Choosing best answers etc just pulls away from what Hubpages is about.

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   1. 80

      J.S.Matthewposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      HubPages is no longer "just" an Article Platform. Considering that they have added Video and Recipes, I think the Q and A will actually give HP a higher presence in search engines. That's just my opinion of course! We are competing on multiple levels

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   2. 60

      zinger5posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Well I also do believe it is all fun too,the voting thing on Hubpages. Give a little take a little.

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4. 36

   ChristinSposted 12 years ago

   This seems a whole lot like what goes on at Yahoo Answers to me - and although that can be a good way to share info, the whole voting thing is not usually about the genuinely best answer, but about what is closest to what the questioner "wants to hear" or it's a popularity contest etc.  I don't have much confidence that a "best answer" vote is a great way to develop one's authority when it can be so easily biased.  Time will tell I suppose hmm.

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5. 0

   Larry Wallposted 12 years ago

   I am not sure who chooses the best answer. I do know, that it does through the chronological order out the window, so I often click on the latest box so I can see how the discussion progressed.
   
   I think the rating buttons are misused. They should be an agree or disagree button and then the number posted besides the comment. There could be a third button with options for obscenity, personal attacks, and the usual stuff used for flagging hubs. I had one comment hidden and I think it was because the people did not agree with me. I used no foul language, I did not insult anyone. I only stated my opinion. Stating opinions should not be an option for keeping a comment hidden.

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   1. 60

      Shawn May Scottposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Good answer. The same thing happened to me when I answered a question when I first joined, it was hidden because it was my opinion and it was not agreeded upon by the questions author. I agree with you that rating buttons are misused and biased.

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   2. 91

      peeplesposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Shawn May, It may not even have been the author who disagreed. I have asked many questions that I haven't even voted on and an answer ends up hidden. People just misuse the voting.

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6. 80

   J.S.Matthewposted 12 years ago

   If it changes anything, I am not sure. I do think it is a good thing that the person who asks the question in the first place can highlight the best answer; that means that the answer has been answered with detail and it may help the reader navigate to the best answer if they have the same question. I personally think it is an improvement.
   
   JSMatthew~

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7. 69

   Mazzy Boleroposted 12 years ago

   It will change it for the worse. Many people will read only the "best answer" and for an opinion question, that defeats the object - the whole point of a debate is to hear different opinions and consider them.
   
   And who will choose the best answer? The questioner or the readers? The questioner may have trouble choosing one if many answers are of similar merit. And readers will vote for the answer they themselves agree with rather than the best considered. They will vote using their own criteria. To get any fair vote, you would have to set criteria for them to use so that there was at least some consistency. 
   
   The questions set here are not often those which would be found in searches, they are viewed mainly by Hubbers, so I can't see the point of choosing one answer.  Also, of course, no one will add an answer once the 'best answer' has been selected. 
   
   We enter answers to join in a discussion too, to participate and communicate, not to be judged. We're not getting paid for it - there's no prize - so why should there be a contest?

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8. 61

   WebsiteConfettiposted 12 years ago

   I don't know if it will make the answers section better, but I think it needed to be done to distinguish the answers section from the forum section.  When if you think about it without awarding best answers, the answers section (with comments) was basically another forum

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9. 0

   Ari Lamsteinposted 12 years ago

   I hope so!
   
   Hubbers who leave great answers will now have the ability to be recognized for doing so.  I hope that this this leads to more Hubbers leaving the best possible answer.
   
   I also hope that the "best answer" feature will help to differentiate the Answers section from the Forums.

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   1. 80

      J.S.Matthewposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Great point Ari about differentiating Answers from Forums; less flagging and less removal of questions means a better Q/A pool. I had a Hubber select my answer to one of their questions as the best and it made me feel good! Change is progress...JS~

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