Why bother with questions and answers here?

1. 92

   Georgie Loweryposted 9 years ago

   Why bother with questions and answers here?
   
   I've been here for about two and a half years - a baby here according to some standards but I'm okay with that. I've asked and answered a bunch of questions but, from what I've seen lately, many people are only asking questions to get answers that validate their own opinions. Don't get me wrong, I've had some great conversations on this part of HubPages and made some great friends because of it, but seriously. Is there any point anymore?
   
   What do YOU get out of the questions and answers part of this site?
   
   

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2. 65

   pmorriesposted 9 years ago

   I have always had problems with the Questions and Answers part of HubPages. I believe that HubPages wants question like, "How do you apply for a low interest credit card?" True, that type of question may lead to a creation of a "how to hub", but that kind of hub is boring and uninspired. I have been told to go to the forums with my existential an "irreverent" questions, but the forums seem to be a different animal all together. In closing, I hate questions that try to validate the need for Jar Jar Binks in the Star Wars movies (but I digress).

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   1. 92

      Georgie Loweryposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      The forums just confuse me. PS. I LOVE JAR JAR!

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   2. 85

      bethperryposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      pmorries, you comment reminded me of a conversation between my kids. My son asked "who is the antichrist"? To which his sister said, "You know him by the name Jar Jar Binks". I got a laugh out of it...and yeah, almost agreed! lol

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   3. 65

      pmorriesposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Beth, I think most Star Wars's fans think that Jar Jar Binks is the Antichrist (sorry, Georgie). Hmm. It might make for a great hub- Ten reasons Jar Jar Binks is the Antichrist. After all, Star Wars is going to be very popular again

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      bethperryposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      True, and I'm not even a fan!

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      Jackie Lynnleyposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      You cannot delete your question from forum either, another good reason to ask them here and then if you are sorry you can delete it.

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3. 61

   MiloNowherepoemsposted 9 years ago

   Well, if you're the one asking the question, there is a huge chance for a benefit! Apparently your individual question pages are just like your hubs. You get paid for impressions because of the ads that will be on the page. If it's a really good question, you'll attract a lot of answers. Not only will you begin to get impressions from hubbers, but when people search a similar question through the search engine, there's a chance they will land on your question page, and you'll get even more impressions! Ask great questions. This is a great one! Good luck and take care!

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4. 0

   Sri Tposted 9 years ago

   Some people like to help people. In rare cases, a good idea or solution may pop up. Everybody has lots of experiences. It's like brainstorming with a group or tapping into a huge consciousness. Whatever problem you have, someone else has had it before and solved it. Some answers are useful, some are not. Some suggestions open doors to new ways of thinking, new books, cooking ideas, hobbies, inspiration, career solutions, a way to connect with people for fun or just trivia entertainment to relax the mind from pressure, serious issues or the news of a chaotic world.

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5. 85

   tsmogposted 9 years ago

   Personally it is phase orientated. I read the questions and forums contrast answering and commenting (forums) probably at a ratio of guessing 20:1. I read them much more than answer. Not just the question . . . the answers.
   
   That offers opportunity to discover the consensus, opposing views, and with the 'Hot' category a historical view. Of, course the battle is how much a question interests you, how popular it is, and too how marketable it is. Not without oddity going back and looking at your past questions discovery may indicate there is history with it.
   
   Another thing I do is I answer questions all the time, however I don't publish them. I use them as thought exercises, I use them to check my knowledge base, I use them to see how confident I am with writing about the subject, and I use the answer window as a guide.
   
   For the latter I write with my present knowledge base and If I reach the end I feel it has potential. I know the window holds 2,500 characters or approximately 500 words. Once that was pretty close to a hub being 700 words.
   
   Then, I open a word document, I copy/paste the question, and I copy/paste my answer. I got that idea from the movie 'Finding Forrester' with Sean Connery. He taught his protege from example with his many file cabinets with story beginnings only. I stock pile future possibilities. An immensely awesome movie about being an author. Of least, I liked it
   
   So, many mornings I write answers, think a lot about them, sometimes but not always do some research (When I copy/paste to the Word Document I will copy/paste the links from open searches at the bottom), and at times I may ponder a question for hours. And, I may copy/paste several answers onto the word document offering opportunity of choice.
   
   So, bottom line for me they offer opportunity to practice, the convenience of size limitations for organizing thoughts, opportunity for the enlightenment of the questions audience, learning something, and possibility . . . for tomorrow.

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6. 85

   bethperryposted 9 years ago

   Georgie, I think what I like most about the Q&A thing is two things: 1. questions and answers gives a humanity to the otherwise faceless people I meet here at HP's and 2. I am actually surprised -and pleasantly so- by the number of times I have found more intelligent answers to questions I've had myself. These answers are often derived from personal, real experience, as opposed to stuff you find in forums that seem to exist for the sole purpose of either selling something or diss'in something. And while I acknowledge we certainly have our share of the bogus scammers and illiterate ppl posing as folks looking for answers, and yes, some members are obsessed with just preaching about this or that, I enjoy the rest of it very much. I don't write Hubs everyday as I have other professional projects going on, but coming to the Q&A section is a nice (and usually refreshing) break in my day.

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7. 92

   spartucusjonesposted 9 years ago

   It has been awhile since I asked any questions, but in the past I have found answers to questions helpful. For example, on a few occasions I asked questions that were in connection with a potential Hub I had in mind. The answers were helpful in coming up with ideas. I also remember another time where I asked a question about a specific writing site and you Georgie were one of the ones who responded. I then asked a follow up question and you sent me an email that provided helpful info which helped me pursue additional writing avenues. I wouldn't of found that info, if I didn't post the question.

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   JohnGreasyGamerposted 9 years ago

   Whenever I ask a question on HubPages regarding video games, I often get some new perspective on a particular matter, and my eyes are opened to other points of view. Oftentimes I'll ask "what are the benefits of", and while my post following the title might come off as negative, I might get some positive feedback that makes me think twice about what I'll say in future on the matter. The great thing about the community that partakes in Q&A (for the most part) is that they usually give memorable phrases to quote and remember for the future. This isn't always the case though, as many Q&As - especially about big world issues - can become so hot you can't touch them without oven gloves, so I can see why you might not bother with Questions and Answers.
   
   While this doesn't excuse the rare foul behaviour on HP's Q&A, I will say that it's better than most places. I often get polite and informative answers to my questions here as opposed to places like Yahoo! and whatnot. It's great for those who want to interact with the community without having to go to a particular Hub and talk about the subject matter. Here it's a conversation on your grounds, and even then it can be twisted to be about other subjects later on.

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