Good Answer?

Charley,

You can do as I and others often do; which is to write a short note of appreciation for a job well done along with the GA. This might, however, be seen by some as self serving and ingratiating.

I usually save a GA (not that I am anybody) for the answers I feel penetrate most closely to the problem, vice the question as frequently horribly mis-stated.

A good way to earn GAs is to point out all the flaws supporting an argument for over-unity devices in an insightful and hard-hitting manner. This is because the clowns who make such claims are usually very childish and will make all sorts of nonsensical comments like the laws of physics are obsolete and so forth. Giving answers that will (hopefully) knock some sense into them usually works very well.

All the best to you, pal.

I have seen this as well, and it may be buddies boosting buddies or people with several accounts in different locations so they can give themselves +feedback.

Hard to say for sure. I have noice some religious people with an agenda so that when any criticism is made otherwise neutral or good posts accumulate bad points. This is like the religious practice of shunning.

I guess the admin types cannot spare the time for time consuming policing for these aspects of bad behaviour

How can a post accumulate "bad points"? I don't even know if there IS a facility for this. And I've never seen anyone apply such an affect, regardless of how they felt about someone else's post.

Of course, they do sometimes argue their position pretty passionately.

But that's all under "free speech".

Micah

Aurizon,

You mention several ways that the GA system can be abused. I agree and would not be surprised if some members have 3 accounts, with which they award themselves GAs. GAs should require much more than just 2 votes! I know there would then be less of them awarded, but that is okay since this will make them more meaningful and prestigious.

I agree with that statement Sven. Shall we lobby for an increase to 5?

A 5-vote requirement for Good Answers sounds like a good compromise, sufficiently discouraging cheating, without making the GA too difficult to attain. But let's not make the new policy retro-active.

.... you are assuming that there are 5 people per thread that feel qualified enough on the topic to rate an answer. I think 2 is fine.

you are assuming that there are 5 people per thread that feel qualified enough on the topic to rate an answer. I think 2 is fine.

And willing...

milo

Nah..you are just too paraniod.

We don't have multiple accounts
....we just PM our secret cartel of imbeciles...ha..ha ...
<exit monitor left cackling insanely>

But seriously, it is only very rare that any collusion has been solicited (AFAIK) and then only when a particulary daft thread (say over unity) is in need of attention, and then only at the discretion of those asked.

Del
(PS Membership to the secret cartel can be obtained from KrisDel^TM for a bag of left over Christmas nuts and a tin of Tuna )
_{This post will self destruct in 30 seconds. Go on, give this a GA...you know you want to}

Hi Del,

You're probably correct. You've been here much longer, and know the other folks much better than I. It would be juvenile and pathetic for any members to go to the trouble to vote for their own answers. I'm willing to believe that such individuals, if there are any, must be very few in number. Please forgive my temporary episode of paranoia. But actually I am not to blame, since one of my other split personalities wrote that.

But there still remains the problem of GAs awarded to answers merely for their humor. Okay, I admit that I've loosened up and learned to appreciate the humor in the forum (yours is some of the best!), but maybe the moderators could create a voting system to award an "FA" label to answers?

FA?

I don't know how it translates elsewhere, but it's hilariously funny here !

OOOHHHH. DUH. Funny Answer, NO?

In a way, it can be used to mean "not much".

In that case it is usually taken with added sugar...

....or even a pinch of salt

Yeah, I'm familiar with that British Euphemism, also. But I hoped that wasn't the one you meant here.

Fear not, Dear micah, and dry your tears. Funny Answer is good

Kris,

You're not implying a double entendre, are you? Tisk! TisK! My intended meaning of "FA" was completely innocent and wholesome

Hee hee ! The FA Cup Final isn't much to shout about

TexasCharley, I have often wonder how many time posters post just to increase their post count because of the number of post that don't have any thing worthy of posting but continue to post even posting about their own posting. Forget the numbers and just serve your fellow man in whatever way you can. Information is useless unless you share it. How they decide to use it is out of our hands. I wish a happy and prosperous 2009 to all and look forward to coresponding with each of you. J.Conway

Well it sounds like I'm off your Christmas card list then . Of course, there was a point in what I wrote, but I didn't bother spelling it out. Ratio of posts to GA's may tell people something (albeit not much since, as you'll know, GA's haven't always existed). Strewth this thread had gone banal. I'll look out for your next post in 2010, I'm sure it will be good.

You are clearly an engineer of humor! (and Del)

Nah, I didn't engineer Del - he can spell !

True, so long as you aren't too picky about what letters are in which word. It's the mathematics that give Del fits. He mispropounces addition...

Good suggestion.. That would give an alternative without distorting the rating of on topic GA.

I'm a left-over Christmas nut, but I'm not giving myself away (whoops, was I logged in?)

Ha ! The chain of command is working on you .

Good day Aurizon,

Per Ardura Ad Astra ? I'm interested in what this means, please.

kind regards, Leon

(oh, and a happy 2009 to all)

Cheers Tex! and a great new year.............

Hi sb

I endorse your view. Good answer .Try t help others if we get time and forget about further comments and reactions.It is noticed that many guests or members do not even bother to read the replies or react to the replies after they initiate a thread.

Hi sb

I think you hit the nail on the head.

Sharing our experience and learning from one another should be our main objective.

Another GA even if you aren't seeking them.

I would like to say that good answer points really don't mean much to me. For the most part, it doesn't. However, I do get a good feeling when I see my numbers change so, in that regard, we are the same. Our only difference is that I don't pursue it.

I, too, have noticed that GA points are awarded to mundane and off-topic remarks. It's just that people see good answers in different ways. A good joke may be taken as a good answer by others though you may not see it that way.

I haven't been very generous with giving GA points, reserving them for what I feel are really good answers. Sometimes, I tell the poster I gave him a GA and, sometimes, I just give it without saying anything.

On the question of, "are some posters marking their own responses?", I wouldn't discount the possibility. I guess the term Good Answer does that to them.

Maybe it should be named "I-like-that-answer" points.

regards,

Vulcan

On the question of, "are some posters marking their own responses?", I wouldn't discount the possibility. I guess the term Good Answer does that to them.

I feel an explanation is needed:

You can't give yourself a Good Answer point but nothing prevents you from registering as someone else and giving points to your other name. I think Mark and Chris can spot those eventually but I think those kind of persons are just a little on the sick side.

regards,

Vulcan

I agree. I feel that GAs should be rewarded for good technical responses to the posters question rather than for jokes or off-hand comments.

A "good" answer is whatever is good in the mind of the person doing the rating.

Good may mean it answers the original question well. Or it may say what the rater agrees with, right or wrong. Or it may teach the rater something, even something off the original topic. Or it may make the rater laugh. Or in my case it is often because the answer contains technical data of serious interest to me, data which I record for future reference.

I suppose it's not all that important to me; but I think ratings encourage an uptick in the quality of the discussions here by encouraging better quality postings in enough quantity that I keep reading them. Sure there will be the quick off the cuff answers and humorous remarks. They are fun to a point. But when a thread deteriorates into a succession of 10 or 20 such posts with little or no substance then I just give up on it and quit opening the new answer links that show up in my email.

Ed Weldon

This is not really a reply...

Good answers are usually self-evident. Perhaps a more fruitfull incentive would be awarding good points for 'good questions'.

There's a "rate this" button at the top of every thread. I believe that this works by averaging the star ratings given. Perhaps rating answers using a compromise between this and the simple accumulation of GAs would be less arbitrary?

Good Answers and high Ratings are nice to have and are probably a measure of the recipient's education, knowledge and willingness to share them. I doubt if these have anything to do with proposing a good question, by which I mean something not obvious, not easy to answer and not routinely covered by a decent and regular engineeing curriculum.

You can't give yourself GA's.
So I'm informed .

I've just reviewed my last 10 GA's.
7 were genuinely good,
2 were funny not very relevant from an engineering viewpoint but good.
1 marginal as the thread itself had no real engineering content.

So on that sample, humour scores....
The one on this thread was a peach

Del

Hi TC,

First, if a GP (Good Post) were available, I would offer you one. I appreciate your honesty very much.

For most of us (I think that's safe to say) there is some ego involved, so a GA is nice to see, but, for me, I don't fret much when I don't get one ... just my own thinking.

I get involved in some of the technical discussions, but most often I tend to get into the less well defined conversations, sometimes controversial. I enjoy writing, and challenging others' ideas, and being challenged. (if you knew me, you would know that I love to talk ... maybe a good thing you don't know me so well )

I know you're not asking advice, but if I were to share any, it would be 'don't give up'. For me I don't miss a day of CR4, not because it is so totally enlightening, but because it is challenging, and it is a 'village' as some say. It gives a chance for folks globally to share their thoughts, information, and as many do, share their own brand of humor. While it may indicate that my days are sometimes dull, often the banter on CR4 is the best part of the day.

So, said again, don't be too disheartened, and 'don't give up'. I, at least, thrive on the input of many, and more than once I have had my own problems solved.

Enjoy the New Year ... life is good if you look for the good things in it.

Kind regards ...

Good Question.

I use a Mac and for some reason the GA button was previously able to be seen by my Mac but for about 3 or 4 months now it's been absent, even though I can see that GAs are still being given, so I presume these are given by Windows PCs who can still receive and use the GA button.

I usually respond now by saying GA in writing when I see one.

As to your question, it might depend on our time and mood.

For instance, today, I have time to read and write but most often i don't and I presume it could be the same for others, so don't feel bad, just be assured that when you DO get one, it was earned and deserved.

I too use a Mac and have no problem using all the CR4 features, including rating buttons. My unit is a G5 desktop dual core running at 2 GHz, with OS X (10.4.11), and my browser is Firefox 3.0.5.

GA button was previously able to be seen by my Mac but for about 3 or 4 months now it's been absent, even though I can see that GAs are still being given,

As you have written as "guest", I assume you have forgotten to log in. This prevents access to the "Rate" button.

Amassing GAs is kind of immature, as I see it.

Back to what strikes me as a good answer, it is just a WOW thing, a new way of looking at something, a very respectful answer or post, something that stirs my mind in a totally different direction, or just something that might fit my mood at the time.

I am tight with passing them out also, and I don't think we can vote on our own A or have that many egoists here who would have multiple accounts or friends rating them.

We come to the forum with a really diverse education, experiences, successes, and failures so all is good when we either Question or answer.

Be verbose!

I have found that I assume too much, because I am making a comment among technical people, that a short answer should be enough. The next comment after mine gets a good answer, when they reiterate what I have said and expound upon it with a 500 word essay.

Some years ago, while I was in college, I worked for a PhD candidate in Industrial Psychology. I was a plant in an experiment as part of his research. My job was to convince the other participants to agree with my answer as the right answer by intentionally continuously talking. It didn't matter if I was right or wrong. Most of the time I was able to convince the participants my answer was the right one, simply by talking the most. I had not thought of this in years,until I made this comment.

No no and thrice no.
Brevity is a virtue, be succinct.

There have been many discussions about GAs alread, on one I suggested there should be a 'Brevquot' rating too.

I'll quit before I exceed my brevity quotient.
Del

Brevity -- I kind of like that word. A virtue....sometimes.

OTOH the 30 second sound byte is the curse of our modern culture; our condemnation to illiteracy. The text message is the guillotine. TTMITG ....... TTMITG.......TTMITG...............

EW

They will no longer pay me for my engineering efforts. My cannon is spiked; my ton of powder soaked. All I have left are the barrels of ink in my computer.

EW

I just went.... here. I was out during this time and find the whole matter rather ridiculous and somewhat disturbing.

Enough with the GA.

Yes, I recall a period of time when you were noted for your absence. Case491 has been gone long enough now that I think I can mention that he and I communicated off-line as well as here. I miss his amateur astronomy input, and I do hope he'll see fit to return some day. FWIW, he's an ex-pat Hollander living in the UK and is an avid motorcyclist. Speaking of MIA's, English Rose has been absent quite a long while. Is it time to worry yet?

Recent comms indicated that a certain blog may be added to in the not to distant future. I forget which chapter it had got to, and will have to read again from the start.........may be worth subscribing, to catch any early sightings.

Yes I remember when he joined up. Started off a bit timid. Then jumped in cannon ball style. I too miss his input.

As you comm outside the forum perhaps you could ask if he is ready to come back.

Indeed.

I suggest that the 200 word rule go into effect.

I just want to make sure I am being clear about something; I find it childishly fun to look for the GA's from my peers. That is all. It is not a seeking out of anything other than honest discussion of ALL matters within the CR4 forum.

Afterall, I am like the 14th least tachnical person on this forum - 1 GA for me is like 5 for some of you guys

you put too much weight on GA's. This I believe was dicussed before on another thread.

A GA may only apply to too few who are looking for a solution or ideas. And that GA may not carry the meaning to others were it does not apply.

Its nice to get recognition when its due, but even with out, that doesn't stop you even when your spot on.

phoenix911

I too believe that GAs should be used to help identify helpful answers, which means I am particularly disappointed when dross (or even humour) is given a GA but properly helpful suggestions are overlooked. One way around this is to spend a little time giving GAs where you feel they are merited - but there's only so much that one person can do.

On the other side, I'm afraid I am not so relaxed about this as some, and when I see unrelieved dross that has been given a good answer I give it an off-topic vote. As regards humour and interesting sidelines - I think it might help to have an additional category for "interesting but not direct reply" answers.

In the end you can't do a lot about human nature.