@darthness how would you deal with a meta post that had been used in creating the help center, that suddenly becomes downvoted as another new answer takes it's place with lots of votes, but this new answer has the opposite view from the help center?
@J.Musser I would help with the change and make sure the post is good for the site with other mods. I think that if the community wants change, I have to help them. I would feature the change and possibly make my own Meta post to assist in any changes.
@SabreTooth They are sort of, but they aren't sort of :)
@darthnesscoveredthesky Good! The community decides change -- if votes on posts start changing, make that public, and figure out what the community's mind is. Good answer!
@J.Musser Then close them, if the community's (viable) decision is such
@J.Musser I can't stop the community. I would see if the majority wanted it, and would help try to put the older post in scope. But again without the community we don't have a scope. So if the change is indeed a good change then it would be implemented. I would try to make everyone happy but that is not always possible,
I don't know if your problem is medical, but unless I see you (and possibly have an SLP look at you), I can't know what your problem is. Since it could be one of many different things, which each have their own solution, I'm going to have to vote to close as "too broad." — Shokhet1 min ago
@darthnesscoveredthesky how would you react if the site slowly dropped in activity to the point where you were only getting .2 questions per day, and you gaot a warning from the SE team?
@J.Musser I would have probably already worked up a plan to raise question rate. I would ask the users, I would try to advertise with challenges, and bounties. That's all you can do right, beside SE advertising
@J.Musser tbh, I haven't read the moderator faq reading list. It's on my to-do list, though. ....I don't believe that I would do much different than what is written there, but I'll find out, I guess.
@darthness how would you respond to a comment war between 3 users under a controversial (but upvoted) answer that goes to the point of a very highly regarded community member getting offended and flag-spamming, and stops posting answers on the site?
@J.Musser I would stop the war. Protect the question and see if there was any way to get the user back. I would also warn the other users to be nice and to take conversations to Chat.
@darthnesscoveredthesky What would you do if the 'lead' moderator on your site (assuming it's not you) leaves, and the new one that SE picks isn't very active, and you find that you have insufficient time to moderate?
@J.Musser Hold a new election and get me and the other mod removed. I am here to help and if I have insufficient time I need to go. I would help the users and mods if I could continue to, but the beloved moderatorship would have to go.
@J.Musser Its the community that counts. And I am asking your opinion if you had somebody like me leading you. Nothing official, but the community counts right?
@darthnesscoveredthesky I think you could grow into it. It would probably be best if you watched another mod (all actions, interactions. etc) for a while first tho imo
@darthnesscoveredthesky What does the community count, in your opinion?
@SabreTooth I'm not judging. I was just saying we lost some good dedicated users, now we need others. I want to help in the formation of the site, so even though I doubt my ability to grab this moderatorship I want to give it a try
@J.Musser My other nomination was deleted. I think that was unfair and I'm not being childish. I just think that if I was decided I would work hard to help this site, but me being decided could be unlikely IDK
Assuming you aren't drinking the coffee black then just add a bit more milk to the coffee. The code milk helps cool down the coffee a lot. If you do drink it black you can add a little cold water to the coffee.
This might need to closed. It was mentioned in another post
@J.Musser I meant delete. And that's spamming. I already spammed once today, I think it doesn't matter if it comes to spamming. I don't want to nominate myself that is pretentious, right ?
@darthnesscoveredthesky That's not always spamming. If it's called for, and you delete it soon after, it's fine. Similar to using a custom flag to report a user.
@darthnesscoveredthesky I'd do ncn, as it's straightforward, but you can leave a comment if you want
@J.Musser IDK. I'll just leave it in someone elses hands, its no that important really. If someone else posts then good, if they don't then it wasn't meant to be :)
Assuming you aren't drinking the coffee black then just add a bit more milk to the coffee. The code milk helps cool down the coffee a lot. If you do drink it black you can add a little cold water to the coffee.
I can't speak for others who have left, or inactive - but, I found the constant changing of scope to be tiresome and lead to uncertainty about what should be contributed and and what would be worthwhile answering (i.e. not closed). A lot of users would be of the mind of why bother post anything only to have the scope again and have the any effort closed (and downvoted), especially if he question/answer was on topic to begin with.
@SabreTooth This is a major problem. We still don't have a well defined scope, so what's closed is often just what 5 users thought was off-topic for...some reason, since users are still bad for not stating why they think something is off-topic.
Any body have any tips to stop one from mumbling?
I have already tried usually speaking loud, then I go quiet. It's like I'm lazy to talk.
When I speak loud, it's like I'm shouting too. Sounds like I've lost the ability to know when I'm shouting or not.
@SabreTooth Sites will usually have a lot of questions about scope early on, but Lifehacks is probably really bad for this since our topic space isn't based on questions.
No matter what scope we come up with we still have the ultimate problem that a Lifehack is an answer, not a question. No scope we can come up with is really going to fix that, in my opinion. It's why we have multiple threads on meta about deleting/downvoting answers which aren't Lifehacks, or closing questions which get a non-Lifehack answer which works.
The changes in scope, while being necessary, will be seen at least as a nuisance by new members that are not aware of the nuances of new sites. Also, there will be members that will not be interested in having their contributions closed-ropened-etc
@SabreTooth One of the most important parts of a site is that a user should able to read a short description of it and should be able to determine if this is the site to ask their question. They shouldn't need to read through several meta posts to know that.
Having a problem getting your Wordpress plug-in to work? Ask on Wordpress.SE. Can't beat the final boss of Legend of ZeldA? Ask on Gaming.SE. Don't understand the ending to The Hobbit? Ask on SciFi&Fantasy.SE.
Our description for Lifehacks right now is "solution to everyday problems", but everyone has a different idea of that means.
Is not being able to beat the final boss of Zelda an everyday problem? I play games everyday, so it must be!
Or I have an upset stomach, and people get those all the time, so that must be on topic!
I'm getting all stressed out about work, and stress is an everyday problem, so I shoul ask on lifehacks
et cetera
All sites have questions which are off-topic which may not seem like it at first. On Arqade, for example, game identification questions are off-topic, which you wouldn't be able to guess just from the description of "It's about playing video games".
However on Lifehacks it seems like we might have a lot of those, and it might also be determined by what you've tried, or what answers you get, and who just happens to be around the site with VTC privileges today.
and, once again "Everyday problems" means something different to every person you ask.
I honestly have no idea if this question will be considered on-topic.
I don't think it should be on Lifehacks.SE, but I can't make a good argument for why.
And when I think about it, I have my own doubts that it shouldn't be.
After all, if someone posts a lifehack answer, does that mean it's on-topic now? What if someone posts a non-lifehack answer which which the OP accepts, no longer on-topic?
Nothing like a good rant to start off the morning, eh?
Is this a Life Hack. I am writing a answer for it that outlines a medically accepted way, and a few Life Hacks, but I truly doubt this being a Life Hack.
Because the question doesn't name what sort of infection they are trying to escape. I don't know if its droplet, direct contact, etc. Coming from a medical point of view, I can't diagnose with out symptoms and a real problem.
@apaul34208 Well, ways to make cheap masks, ways to store sanitizer without carrying around bulky bottles, ways to avoid touching things that were infected ect.
@Wipqozn A cold can be defined differently, that is why I need to what.
@apaul34208 Sort of, sort of not. That is why if the question was properly defined it would be on topic, the medical this site doesn't accept is open heart surgery and how to cut legs off.
This is a non-issue and y'all are wasting your time by talking about it.
What, you're gonna have multiple meta discussions and a big poll in order to swat a mosquito-question? That's just silly.
Wait until you get a question about alternative cancer treatments. Or someone asking how to set a s...
This answer is excellent and explains are goals to a degree.
@darthnesscoveredthesky True, as far as being a waste of time to discuss the issue without a few example questions, but it looks like in the last few days we've accumulated a few poor quality medical questions.
I think that we should take the scope and everything that was agreed upon and put it into a Meta Post that has sections in it. I think that maybe we could do that through a community post or something. Who agrees.
@darthnesscoveredthesky You never explained why you thought it was off-topic.
Hello welcome to Life Hacks Stack Exchange! Maybe you should try consulting a doctor for the problem, to make sure you are doing OK! I hope to see you around Stack Exchange, either way :) — darthnesscoveredthesky13 hours ago
Was that what you were doing here?
Because that doesn't tell him it's off-topic, and it doesn't say why. I thought you were just giving him advice.
@Wipqozn I was trying to find out if the question was medical and I was giving advice. I don't immediately vote for closing, I try to see the problem and see if it can be fixed first without that.
@darthnesscoveredthesky That's good, and taking that course of action is a great idea.
In fact you never voted to close at all, so you don't need to explain anything.
The users who VTC should explain why.
If the site was a year into existence yeah, we don't need to do that, but when we're this early into beta and still seem to have noidea what's on-topic? We should always be commenting.
That's why I've been linking to sternos meta post like I have. It's really, really important.
@Wipqozn I didn't vote, because I didn't get a chance to. I always want to get to know the problem and the person before I do that. I think that way you can see if the user is serious and you can work together to make them understand and get a better experience. Commenting and explaining the problem is better at first, because it tells what needs to be done and how to accomplish it.
@Wipqozn Well in medicine the patient comes first and the care is always patient focused. If you see it that way the person in need comes first and you base things around them.
@darthnesscoveredthesky Just to be clear, I don't think you did nything wrong. I think you did everything right. when you asked me to give an opinion I thought that was because you were one of the close voters.
@Wipqozn I agree. The others that voted to close or most of them did not leave a comment. I saw that someone upvoted a comment, but should they have left another separate comment in your opinion?
@darthnesscoveredthesky I don't think any of the comments expained why it was off-topic, unless I misunderstood one. so a comment should have been left explaining why.
@Wipqozn The reason I asked is that some of those users are trying to become mods. While they have been excellent in the past, I really would have liked to see the reason they didn't comment. Maybe they thought that everything was already explained. IDK, I am not throwing anyone under the bus, just some reasons would be fine.
@darthnesscoveredthesky This is mostly accurate, and I upvoted. The only thing I'd say is that closing questions quickly and then fixing them is a good idea. The idea is close, fix, reopen. If you close first, you can get the question in great shape before people post answers based on the original version which wasn't up to shape. If answers are posted after the question is fixed, they will be a lot better. With that said, you're right: if you can fix the question, ten just fix it. Don't bother VTC
VTC if the question needs to be fixed to stay open, and you're not sure how to do it, or need input from the user.
Although since the ite is still so new, I'd say waiting a bit for a respons before closing would be a good idea.
our userbase is small enough right now that getting a question reopened after it's fixed might take a while.
I don't know if your problem is medical, but unless I see you (and possibly have an SLP look at you), I can't know what your problem is. Since it could be one of many different things, which each have their own solution, I'm going to have to vote to close as "too broad." — Shokhet12 hours ago
That comment?
He voted to close as too broad. that's a good comment, and I think he did the right thing.
But 3 (or 4) of those close votes must have been for off-topic, and no one explained that. That's what I'd want to see comments for.
@Wipqozn I thought all of what you are saying. I think users are really vote happy right now, that is why I take my time coaching and explaining. Because I know that by the time I get across to the user somebody will have already downvoted, deleted or closed. Something that may be inappropriate
@darthnesscoveredthesky Yup, they might not have seen a need to. Don't really mean to be throwing people under the bus too. But it's a problem, and I'm just trying to draw peoples attention to it and get it fixed.
@darthnesscoveredthesky I'd rather a user be taking the time to explain then be vote happy. A user who takes time to explain is always more helpful than one who just tries to vote as quickly as possible and then moves on.
@darthnesscoveredthesky They could be. They lso might just be trying to help in different way.
Some people don't think commenting is all that helpful. They might think the close reason is enough to explain why, or that the user won't listen anyways.
They mightnot feel like getting into an argument, which can happen.
I know from experience at Arqade not all users are willing to learn, and don't take kindly to be told their question is off-topic.
@Wipqozn Yeah. That I agree. And for the users that don't agree just DV and delete. I know the reasons someone might not want to comment or think it necessary. But it is a good habit and so hopefully some more people will follow this, even though they think it may not work.
@Wipqozn Are you a member of Life Hacks. I can't find your profile.
First and foremost methods are using droplet protection and cleaning whenever you touch something that is infected.
Besides washing your hands and making sure you and other people cover their mouth when sneezing or coughing you could also do these methods:
Make a Face Mask. These can be made...
@Sue Yeah. Actually, the crop is a very important part of the bird in Jewish law (halacha), as it's one of the signs of a kosher bird.
@Wipqozn I've seen that all over the network; that was the motivation for my comment on this question.
@darthnesscoveredthesky That's the ideal, correct ;-)
@darthnesscoveredthesky I think you did the right thing -- commenting before closing is great, because it gives the user the chance to respond, and possibly fix their question. However, I think the mumbling question was beyond fixing, so I voted to close with a comment.
“Maybe something foolproof? A real lifehack?” Uh? How can something foolproof be a hack? The very definition of “hack” is a quick-and-dirty solution that doesn't have to work in full generality. — Gilles23 secs ago
^^^^ case in point
@J.Musser rather, there are a dozen contradictory metas
@J.Musser No. It doesn't matter whether the restrictions rule out “conventional” solutions. Not least because what's conventional to one person is novel to another.
basically, I said we need to know why they can't use what they would consider normal solutions, because we need to know what specific circumstances or limited expectations are causing them to ask here (for a hack)
Assuming you aren't drinking the coffee black then just add a bit more milk to the coffee. The code milk helps cool down the coffee a lot. If you do drink it black you can add a little cold water to the coffee.
Any body have any tips to stop one from mumbling?
I have already tried usually speaking loud, then I go quiet. It's like I'm lazy to talk.
When I speak loud, it's like I'm shouting too. Sounds like I've lost the ability to know when I'm shouting or not.
My colleague who has his desk next to mine in the office has a cold.
What can I do not to not become infected?
This is a non-issue and y'all are wasting your time by talking about it.
What, you're gonna have multiple meta discussions and a big poll in order to swat a mosquito-question? That's just silly.
Wait until you get a question about alternative cancer treatments. Or someone asking how to set a s...
First and foremost methods are using droplet protection and cleaning whenever you touch something that is infected.
Besides washing your hands and making sure you and other people cover their mouth when sneezing or coughing you could also do these methods:
Make a Face Mask. These can be made...
The Junk Drawer
The Junk Drawer