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Chris Maunder wrote: I'll add it to the bug list.
Ah, the fabled Sisyphus list.
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This is not a rant, or a complaint !
One thing I notice is the degree (in both forums like C#, and the various Q/A forums), to which questions are asked, posed, and intelligent comments are made, in response, or comments are made, asking for clarification, or asking for a code example.
And then, those responses/comments are often totally ignored.
I also notice frequently, that in spite of requests by commentators that the OP use tags, and identify, at a minimum, which .NET technology they are using, those are often ignored.
A hypothesis I pretty strongly embrace at this point in time is that the QA forums have become something of a homework dumping ground.
I find myself wondering if there could/should be some kind of entry-processing for Q/A questions (let's leave forums like C# and Windows Forms out of this for now), where the user at least had to select a certain minimum set of tags in order even to have their question posted.
Similarly, posts to the Q/A forums that involves a large dump of code (also, I notice, questions that the OP ends up ignoring comments) ... could/should such large code dumps be prevented ?
Let me phrase this rhetorically: would it contribute to the overall value of the Q/A forums to have some kind of screening process for admission of questions so that very vague questions, "gimme" questions, or large code-dumps followed by 'fixme,' etc. simply don't get posted ?
Another rhetorical: if a Q/A question has comments requesting clarification, and the OP does not respond within some period of time (a week ? a month ?) do they "deserve" to remain "alive" ?
Another way I could say this would be to ask: what is the responsibility of the asker of the question to CP ... when comments and responses are forthcoming. Is response, or vote, "owed" ?
And, that's enough of the rhetorical for now 
best, Bill
p.s. my applause to folks like JSOP, Abhisek, Simon, Prerak, SAK, Mehdi, Mika, OriginalGriff, and others who really work hard editing, clarifying, and answering so many questions with great patience as well as technical expertise !
"Is it a fact - or have I dreamt it - that, by means of electricity, the world of matter has become a great nerve, vibrating thousands of miles in a breathless point of time? Rather, the round globe is a vast head, a brain, instinct with intelligence!" - Nathanial Hawthorne, House of the Seven Gables
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BillWoodruff wrote: QA forums have become something of a homework dumping ground.
It seems that way to me as well sometimes.
BillWoodruff wrote: where the user at least had to select a certain minimum set of tags in order even to have their question posted.
I disagree with this because not every question needs a lot of tags. Most of the time one tag is sufficient.
I think that some of the comments go ignored because the OP can't read English very well.
Just along for the ride.
"the meat from that butcher is just the dogs danglies, absolutely amazing cuts of beef." - DaveAuld (2011)
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My feeling on this is we could certainly introduce sets of rules that get refined over time that force users to conform to a certain, potentially narrow, band of use, but that any set of rules will always have valid exceptions that become more and more difficult to accomodate.
So why not simply use the absolute best judge of questions - the members themselves.
We have a simple reporting system that allows members to report (and ultimately close) questions that are inappropriate. We also have given higher rep member the ability to edit questions that have merit but fall into the bucket of inappropriate, whether through language deficiencies or forgetfulness.
Further, if we're a dumping ground for homework, does that diminish the value of the forums? Do we try and play at being Headmaster or do we recognise that someone, somewhere, probably has the same or similar problem to that posed as homework so the answer will benefit them, and that further, anyone who hands in an assignment that has the same answer as 20 of their classmates is best dealt with by their school, not by us.
cheers,
Chris Maunder
The Code Project | Co-founder
<small>Microsoft C++ MVP</small>
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Hi Chris,
My comments are not intended to suggest any "draconian" system be put in place that would "force users to conform to a certain, potentially narrow band of use."
However, I do clearly understand there's a natural "inertia" to thinking of imposing any type of structure: because it opens up the question of "how far do you go before you get to 'Big Brother,' and '1984'." And, who wants to "play cop" ?
It's an interesting response to me that the idea of asking questioners to reasonably identify what their questions ask evokes imagery of "headmasters" in you, and, evidently, the thought of putting CP in danger of becoming "in loco parentis/academia" ... that's an image alien to my own experience.
And, I (speaking as a re-cycled leftist-activist hippie from the 1960's) share, I believe, with you, a strong preference for less rules and structure.
In my opinion if CP's Q/A forums are a dumping ground for homework, and a repository of half-asked questions, yes, that does diminish the value of the Forums. Why:
1. better questions, and better answers, are submerged in a pile of lousy questions: as they are now.
2. half-asked questions that get good answers, but where the answers, and or comments, do not get replies, or votes ... drift away on the way the tides to become flotsam and jetsam on the beaches of obscurity.
3. valuable members' time is wasted trying to figure out whether the OP is using WPF or WinForms, or whatever. that some members may be addicted to earning points by constant editing of vague questions is another issue: and one for which I cannot even begin to imagine a remedy
Are "members the best judge:" I'd broaden that to say the CP community, as a whole, to whom this humble flea dares address this message, is the "best judge," and members, like this well-trodden blade-of-grass, are naturally reluctant to ask for messages to be removed unless they exhibit extreme violations of the CP "ethos," are spam, are hateful, etc.
If I felt that what was happening now in the Q/A forums was leading to an accretion of a valuable repository of knowledge that would serve future questioners, and members well ... I would not be writing this message.
'Tis often a "sad fact" that people value less what is given in a way that no energy is required to obtain it: and I think that dynamic is at play in the Q/A forums now.
To re-iterate: my commentary addresses the issue of: should there be some simple means of asking the person posing the question to, at a minimum:
1. clearly identify, within .NET, what technologies are being used: i.e., WPF vs. WinForms, or WebForms, or ASP.NET, or whatever.
I do not believe asking the OP to take one step beyond entering the "C#" tag in any way would discriminate against folks whose 'home language' is not English, and I think, having spent thirteen years of my adult life living in Asia, and having both worked with, and been in the role of teacher to, folks from non-English speaking countries, I believe I am very sensitive to issues of those folks.
2. respond in a timely way to questions from members who go to the trouble of asking the OP to clarify what they are talking about.
While this may seem "draconian:" I personally think messages that do not respond to requests for clarification in a timely way should be placed in some other forum so that those OP's taking the trouble to indicate they value the feedback they are getting are shown the esteem they deserve.
3. some mechanism to clean-out the accreting garbage.
4. consideration of the issue of how to index, and maintain, the best of the Q/A forums, so their content is "first-out."
Of course I do not view CP as "static:" in the last few months, alone, there has been a wonderful increase in features related to point #4 above, as well as many subtle and useful improvements to many aspects of the UI/UX.
And these comments are offered in a spirit of warm appreciation for CP.
best, Bill
"Is it a fact - or have I dreamt it - that, by means of electricity, the world of matter has become a great nerve, vibrating thousands of miles in a breathless point of time? Rather, the round globe is a vast head, a brain, instinct with intelligence!" - Nathanial Hawthorne, House of the Seven Gables
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I have not had any caffeine this morning so bare with me while I attempt to do your reply justice.
BillWoodruff wrote: 1. clearly identify, within .NET, what technologies are being used: i.e., WPF vs. WinForms, or WebForms, or ASP.NET, or whatever.
We have the tagging text box. Is there a direct, practical way in which we can ensure the correct tag or tags are specified? We can't say "You need X tags" because a question on the C++ syntax specifically requires a single tag.
BillWoodruff wrote: 2. respond in a timely way to questions from members who go to the trouble of asking the OP to clarify what they are talking about.
This is a very interesting idea. What about a surrogate value here: we order questions by the last date the OP touched the question (edited, responded etc)
BillWoodruff wrote: 3. some mechanism to clean-out the accreting garbage.
I really do want the members to close unanawerables
BillWoodruff wrote: 4. consideration of the issue of how to index, and maintain, the best of the Q/A forums, so their content is "first-out."
If we had more voting activity then that would be easier. I know that simplifying the voting would help in this regard.
Thanks for the comments and suggestions Bill. We are a small team but we constantly question what we do and constantly wish we had more hours in the day.
cheers,
Chris Maunder
The Code Project | Co-founder
Microsoft C++ MVP
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Homework questions are acceptable as long as it's not a "GimmeCode" scenario, where there is not even a hint of the OP having tried to accomplish the task on his own.
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
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You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
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"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
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This was a very useful feature. Any reason why it was pulled? Or is it a bug?
(IE8)
/ravi
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Still works fine on Chrome 13.
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I've added this back for IE8.
cheers,
Chris Maunder
The Code Project | Co-founder
Microsoft C++ MVP
-- Modified Sunday, September 11, 2011 5:25 PM
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Still doesn't seem to work. Also, your sig displays as "<small>Microsoft C++ MVP</small>" on IE8.
/ravi
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I've fixed but not yet deployed.
cheers,
Chris Maunder
The Code Project | Co-founder
Microsoft C++ MVP
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Chris Maunder wrote: I've fixed but not yet deployed.
You sound like the Microsoft tech support guy, who when asked by radio by a lost plane where he was, replied "I'm at my desk You're in an airplane." 
And <small> now works as it should.
/ravi
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... and I'm not too sure about using the joke icon...
If I was lost in a plane, I'm pretty sure that Microsoft would be VERY low on my list of people to call.
Peter
[amongst various other hats I wear is "Aviation Radio Operator, Rural Fire Service"]
Software rusts. Simon Stephenson, ca 1994.
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Gah! I got the joke wrong. Here's[^] the correct version.
/ravi
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That's much better! 
Peter
Software rusts. Simon Stephenson, ca 1994.
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Caligula773t[^] has an interesting reputation graph.
Cheers, Jani Giannoudis
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 thats not participating in the site.........that's stealing it in its entirety!
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Well if you gotta steal, then why not steal the best 
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I have also just noticed that the reputation graph is not reflective of the overall points.
The graph stops at 80K, the rep score is 120K+, something broke?
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I can't reproduce this one.
cheers,
Chris Maunder
The Code Project | Co-founder
<small>Microsoft C++ MVP</small>
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Try blocking doubleclick.net to repro. It may be why it shows up briefly, then disappears.
/ravi
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It was just one of those fun IE8 foibles.
I will ignore the comment about bypassing the the very thing that allows us to provide this great service to the community. 
cheers,
Chris Maunder
The Code Project | Co-founder
Microsoft C++ MVP
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