Many RG colleagues give so many answers which are almost similar in rephrasing just to increase the number of reads. Don't you think it is necessary to give just one or two answers is better than giving multiple answers?
Dear Drs Orlando M Lorenço andHein Retter. Thank you very much for your marvellous answers. Sometimes, I come across 10 short answers in a row for the same question. All of them give the same sense; to me, they are just repetitions for one possible answer. Best regards.
Dear Hazim,
I do not see any problem in giving several answers to the same question or questions on the condition that the several answers are the same or almost the same. It can be the case that an answer we had given to a certain question can be improved and hence we want to give another different answer. Even so, we should take into account Ockam's razor, that is, entities or answers should not be unnecessarily multiplied.
Kind regards.
Orlando
Much is true in this remark. But people seldom read what other forerunners had written.
Dear Drs Orlando M Lorenço andHein Retter. Thank you very much for your marvellous answers. Sometimes, I come across 10 short answers in a row for the same question. All of them give the same sense; to me, they are just repetitions for one possible answer. Best regards.
Hazim Al Dilaimy
Never mind! I think it is the fate of such questions and has to do with the whole RG system.
Hello Hazim,
My answer is that it is what social media does. In print media, for example, there are throttling mechanisms, such as editors, referees, page limits, discrete issues (volumes), etc. Social media because of its immediacy and unthrottled nature is democracy at its best or worst depending on your viewpoint, although, I would say that, on balance, it is for the better as it places the burden more heavily on the reader's powers of being able to discern what is an original idea or thought. Democracy is a chaotic process, and there is no guarantee that it works, only the hope that it will.
Regards,
Tom Cuff
I'd say it depends. If you are asking a question and an answer is required, sure enough one answer should suffice, but often a time there starts a discussion amongst those who reply and then they start to reply to each other.
The key question should be: what is a thread all about?
- Is it about one question that wants to be answered? If so: one answer should suffice.
- Is it a topic of debate? If so, multiple contributions might be necessary if participants are reflecting on each other's posts.
As for the suspicion that some people are only posting in order to increase their rating and reading-count - beats me. I never really understood the impact of a high rating in real life. Whats´ the use anway?
It is just sharing what the RG member knows about or feels about. Sometimes you cannot change the facts, resulting in same kind of answers. However, if an RG member is participating in the discussion means, he/she is also interested in being a part of the discussion or the question that is being put up.
All depends on the member who is answering the question. Sometimes after reading the discussion, we want to add something or reaffirm our stand, so we added more answers.
From my point of view, you can sometimes get this impression when I think of RG discussions. But it is not predictable. Sometimes there is a very broad spectrum of opinions, which seems desirable to me - then the question was good. But if the participants only confirm the opinion of predecessors, because they are mainly interested in collecting points, then this is less good for the result of the question asked. I would leave it open.
You see that the severity of the question has even dulled Stephan's usually lengthy contribution! But he's hardly ever repetitive, so he can be forgiven his vice here.
Yes, people repeat their own answers from other threads. People also repeat other people's answers from "this" thread. But it's not just that. People want recommendations from their buddies! A answer give, some reads garnered, 5 recommendations. Not bad reward for the answer "Following".
Christopher NOCK
I think, Christopher, you are right. One should write a book about this, but I am too old; I hope also to quit RG in time, that means: lively! (Is it to early for me now to say: follow?
Hein
I suspect Hein that I will keep going until the day I die. It's the only thing I can do now. If I left, as I shoul, there'd be nothing for me to do!
NOCK
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Cognitive Science
- Thinking