launchpad-users team mailing list archive

[Martin Pool <mbp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

2009/6/30 Charlie Poole <charlie@xxxxxxxxx>:
>> - If it's that you like karma and like answers but don't
>> think asking a question counts as "really participating" in
>> the project in the same way that say proposing a merge to fix
>> a bug does, then I kind of agree...
>
> In part, yes. In part, because the question was not really
> very substantive. Of course, there's no algorithm to
> determine substantivity of a question.
>
>> - If it's that you think it should earn karma but not too
>> much then I also agree, and would say that it's probably
>> because Launchpad normalizes across karma so that you get
>> more points for less-frequently used apps, like answers
>> compared to bugs.  (I think.) This to me seems wrong; I think
>> it should be roughly proportional to the amount of value the
>> action contributes, though machines will never get it quite right.
>
> Well, what attracted my attention was the amount, for sure. It
> seemed unreasonably large but based on what you say it may be
> because we haven't used answers before.
>
> I suppose I was also influenced by the fact that the guy
> had asked the same question on my mailing list and by direct
> mail. However, we all know that happens from time to time
> when folks don't get an answer in the first five minutes. :-)

I think it would be interesting eventually to make more use of
features like "Thanks, that answered my question" to give both social
encouragement and numeric ranking to people who do genuinely helpful
things.  Lots more could be done with Karma but little is scheduled
for the near term, there are other fish.

It will all come out in the wash though - people who ask silly
questions will be swamped in karma by those doing useful work.

>
>> I do think in this case the answer app served some value by
>> giving the person useful information, though maybe it was not
>> the best question ever.
>>
>> > What's a good way to handle such questions?
>>
>> I think you did the right thing by answering his question as
>> you did, and by asking here.
>
> OK. I'm concluding it's not such a big deal and I won't worry
> about it till it becomes one.
>
> Followup question: in what circumstances would you reject a question?

If it's clearly against the wrong product or spam or abuse etc.  In
the first case if it was well intended I'll normally redirect it.  If
it was repeated from the list I might reject it.

-- 
Martin <http://launchpad.net/~mbp/>