IMO, the best thing we could do to both increase the size of the userbase and improve the quality of the site would be to rebrand math.se so that it is not publicly preceived as a homework site
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users feel entitled to this because they think that's what math.se is for
moderation is one vector to dissuade PSQs but it's just mitigation. i don't think it makes any progress towards stopping the problem. i've thought a lot about this
this is why i make a fuss about encouraging good content. pearl dive is my best attempt so far, but at its current scale the effects are limited. i'm not sure what could be done to make it more effective apart from widespread adoption (which seems unlikely).
does anyone have any other thoughts or ideas on how we could induce or encourage systematic change? something to steer the culture away from poor questions more durably?
@AlexanderGruber One major reason why PSQs keep getting posted is because they are being answered. And PSQs being answered faster than they are being closed. Maybe one way to get more systemic change would be to discourage answers to PSQs, particular by high-reputation users.
@supinf The problem is well known, but a solution is not in sight. Maybe, a limitation of the possible reputation-score would change something, but I am pretty sure that this won't be established. Another reason might be the fear about a loss of many reputation points in the case of users leaving the site. To be honest, I see no logic behind this handling the scores. A drastic method would be a temporary ban, but this has its drawbacks as well.
@AlexanderGruber The SE network, and hence all its sites, are designed to reward primarily on upvotes and accepts. Most badges are only rewarded once, e.g., in the review queues, gold badge is earned at 1000 reviews per queue. After that, there is no acknowledgement. We need to find ways to acknowledge, publicly, the users who invest in maintaining quality on this site. Unfortunately, those of us protesting tactics and behavior of the FGITW, and trying to hold askers accountable for good questions..
subjects us to harassment, downvotes, bullying on meta, bullying behavior on our own work and contributions... At some point, it is only healthy to ask ourselves: Why am I subjecting myself to this sort of abuse? I'm simply suggesting that gaming, alone, does not a good site make, and without a community appreciating the efforts of those who make possible the very arena in which the FGITW play. Who in SE-land is looking out for the caretakers?
We don't need awards, but we should earn the respect of the community, not resentment from the FGITW for interrupting occasionally their hunting prowess, but but most of all, we do need protection from the abuse directed at us. Not just from mods and policies, but also from. And that really doesn't exist right now.
(I hear the gavel pounding: You're turn is up, amWhy...Next?) ;D
"Fastest Guns In the West", meaning the once who are quick to answer the worst of questions... I prefer to call them rep-hoarders, rep-hunters, rep-seekers, rep-bingers... etc.
...meaning the ones who are quick to answer ... or Fastest pickers of low-hanging fruit.
could i ask you to please escalate this to moderators and then leave it for them to handle, rather than repeatedly targeting a user out of the room? because that does not seem okay either—just let moderators investigate. raise your claims privately via flag.
if need be, use a mainsite flag on any post of your own and ping moderators to take a look at that flag. i do that plenty.
@doppelgreener: yes. definitely and thank you for your message. This room is very popular for nominating posts to edited or cleaned. I would like to suggest some too. I feel very offensive my nominations were immediately moved to trash. That's not good.
