@amWhy I've often wondered myself. The explanation I came up with (please, I'm not a psychologist, so this may be mere speculation): if they don't understand a question, they think it must be something subtle and "cool", and upvote it. They upvote answers only if they understand them, though, that's why I earned most upvotes for my... erm... most pedestrian answers. =D
@ProfessorVector What I marvel at most about this site is how much so many users resemble cows in a herd, following "herd mentality" casting Face-book-like "likes";the mere presence of upvotes engenders more upvotes. What surprises me is that this site is presumptuously about mathematics, by and for those participating in the teaching/earning of math. And yet so many users here get so carried away with emotional behavior: trigger-happy upvotes, revenge votes, you're my buddy upvotes
Following Hot Network Questions like a herd of thoughtless morons. Unfortunately, I believe it's SE, as a whole, that started with the notion of garnering the most reward for answering, and prioritizing answering over questions asked, as the back bone of the site.
@amWhy Most definitely. The upvote behavior for sometimes just ridiculously nonsensical questions reminds me of the computer game "lemmings", quite often.
A Q&A model will fail if we don't have answerers (erm, it will fail if we have stupid repetitious, homework-like questions). Most answerers grow up at some point to put rep chasing in perspective; some never do, and too many of those who never do actually benefit from and promote more stupid questions, with no effort, which have been asked well over one hundred times on this site already.
@ProfessorVector That's a good one, hahaha!
Unfortunately, I keep learning time and again that protesting both homework-style questions and those who compete to provide the first answer to them, has only let to unfortunate consequences: downvotes, being called a "terrorist" on this site, being villainized. Of course, I'm a bit disgruntled right about now about the site. It's just hard to be optimistic with this months moderation, in which former active mods aren't around, and only one competent mod trying to resplace them, ...
...but too timid to do anything more than slap wrists, of users who are well past having received "slapped wrists" and "warnings which unheeded will lead to suspensions.
...Onto other matters :) ...
@ProfessorVector Yeah, a lot of folks around here spend a lot of time pretending they know what they are clueless about. There is definitely a phenomenon of "wannabe's" on this site.
@amWhy Unfortunately, I feel that sometimes, your way of handling such things is not optimal. But I'm reluctant to tell you that in more detail in a public place, as it might be seen as a personal attack, and it's definitely not meant that way.
But I don't think I've done anything for users to claim open-season on targeting me with downvotes, not for the quality of my questions, but out of spite, anger, revenge, resentment. I am upfront and honest about what I perceive. When I call an answerer who has been flagged dozens of time and warned a dozen of times by mods, not to enter immediately post in an answer field, e.g. "Because "copy formula from question..."" (edit edit edit one minute later): Because "copy formula from question...
...which means blah blah (edit edit edit edit) two minutes later: and using the identity blah-foo, blah-foo, (edit edit edit edit) one minute later: which means fee fie foe but not fay. (edit edit edit) one minute later: all of the above, plus: Therefore foo...
@amWhy You mean a certain user who (just to be the first who answers) makes edits every 10 or so seconds, starting from nonsense and ending (if we're lucky) with a more or less correct answer? I've always found him to be a pain you know where.
I usually post at the initial nonsense part of the answer, asking the user to wait until they have a sufficient answer to post, before trying to reserve "first answer" slots. That's as bad as it gets. I do not interact with users in the same manner I interact here (where I'm letting off steam about some users). I will speak up when I see a "do my homework for me" question, and I'll speak up when I see an answerer trying to gain an advantage by answering without an answer, or ...
@ProfessorVector Yes, you got it. Me too.
And when I've spoken up, just as I describe re the said user, on three occasions, his reply has been consistent: You lie! You terrorize this site. (or "You're a terrorist to this site. You lie!), followed by one or two downvotes within one minute.
Okay no more venting about "kinds" of users on this site (for me, anyway).
"Yeah, a lot of folks around here spend a lot of time pretending they know what they are clueless about. There is definitely a phenomenon of "wannabe's" on this site. Hello @XanderHenderson!" O_o
@ProfessorVector Once someone quickly posts a comment below such an answer, the grace period ends with the answerer's next (subsequent) edit. So, if I'm on a page, with a "first 'answer'" posted: "Given <copy and paste of formula in question> .... ", then I immediately comment: "this restates the question, only" below the 'first' answer, any subsequent edit will be time-stamped, even if posted 10 seconds after my comment, and will be visible on the edit review.
