Mark McClure

general recent conversations

$Mathematics$ CURED

For feedback/discussion/requests of Close/Undelete/Reopen/Edit...

Mark McClure

Dec 9, 2024 19:27

@user2661923 I don't think it makes sense to close/delete old questions that were well received at that time based on evolving standards. I agree with you, though, that it makes a lot of sense to close poor, old questions with zero voted answers precisely because they're going to be bumped and clutter the front page.

Mark McClure

May 28, 2024 16:36

Oops - I mean this answer

Mark McClure

May 28, 2024 16:22

I voted to delete this answer to a question that I also answered. I rarely vote to delete posts but I'm confident this answer is incorrect and see little evidence that the poster likely to address it.

Mark McClure

Feb 23, 2024 22:51

Thanks for the feedback!

Mark McClure

Feb 23, 2024 22:50

It is possible I read the phrase "Quality Standards" too specifically. I don't know for sure.

Mark McClure

Feb 23, 2024 22:46

@amWhy addressed you and I and referred to Quality Standards capitalized, which I take to refer to that post. I don't think that we as users should take that as encouragement to delete borderline posts.

Mark McClure

Feb 23, 2024 22:43

Right. But that's a different issue.

Mark McClure

Feb 23, 2024 22:43

> Questions which don't meet the consensus quality standards of the site have always been at risk of closure and deletion by the community.

Mark McClure

Feb 23, 2024 22:40

While the post does conclude with several suggestions that other users can take to help out, none of those include deleting questions - or even closing them. Thus, the "Quality Standards" don't seem to be germane to this discussion.

Mark McClure

Feb 23, 2024 22:40

Not only are the "Quality Standards" subjective but, as articulated this Meta post, they largely concern the actions that Moderators now take in response to prolific answerers of low quality questions.

Mark McClure

Feb 23, 2024 20:09

@XanderHenderson I know!!

Mark McClure

Feb 23, 2024 20:09

Closure is a much smaller issue.

Mark McClure

Feb 23, 2024 20:08

@JoseAvilez My viewpoint is that if some reasonably responsible community member champions a question then deletion is ill-advised. I mean there's just so much genuine absolute crap that's posted that there's plenty of moderation work to do, without worrying about deleting things that you and I and Xander saying - hey, that's interesting.

Mark McClure

Feb 23, 2024 19:51

That was directed @XanderHenderson

Mark McClure

Feb 23, 2024 19:51

:65236279

Mark McClure

Feb 23, 2024 19:51

I guess I'd like to think that one could attain a level of respect here where your opinion on borderline cases like these could preserve material on the site. That does not seem to be the case.

Mark McClure

Feb 23, 2024 19:50

Having said that, I don't find the question to be too interesting. This question, which you and I both voted to reopen, is much more interesting and I think really unjustified in its deletion.

Mark McClure

Feb 23, 2024 19:50

In the case of the current question, we have five reopen votes after an initial closure, a 12K user active in chat who champions the question, and a moderator who feels the question is borderline himself. Thus, I find deletion to be objectively excessive.

Mark McClure

Feb 23, 2024 19:50

I have no problem with the closure of that question. Deletion is much harsher, though. It seems to me that there should be a distinction between the two. One might argue that, if closure is borderline, then deletion is objectively excessive.

Mark McClure

Feb 14, 2024 14:29

@Ѕᴀᴀᴅ I think it would be a shame to delete that question. Not only is it interesting but the attribution to G. H. Hardy is a clear context - much better context, I would argue, than a muddled attempt to show incorrect work.

Mark McClure

Feb 7, 2024 23:38

@XanderHenderson It seems OK to me. I suppose the assumption that x=(x/2)+1 is not very well motivated but it did lead the OP a value p with the desired property, as pointed out in the accepted answer.

Mark McClure

Oct 21, 2023 13:17

Perhaps, this answer should be deleted? At least, it doesn't address the question that's asked and the comments seem to indicate a lack of basic understanding.

Mark McClure

Dec 30, 2022 16:58

We'll see where it goes. :/

Mark McClure

Dec 30, 2022 16:56

To be clear, I don't mean to call out that user; just to point out the general problem.

Mark McClure

Dec 30, 2022 16:55

My impression is that the user is using ChatGPT to answer lots of questions. They've posted at least six today that have all been deleted. This could become a common practice and I just don't know where it's going.

Mark McClure

Dec 30, 2022 16:51

@amWhy I did not refer to any user - much less target one. ChatGPT is a powerful new chatbot produced by OpenAI whose implications are profound. Output produced by ChatGPTS has been banned on StackOverflow and discussed but not yet banned here on Math.StackExchange. This is a topic that I would think might be of great interest to those involved in content moderation.

Mark McClure

Dec 30, 2022 15:53

Here, as well.

Mark McClure

Dec 30, 2022 15:51

Evidently, ChatGPT isn't proficient in LaTeX.

Mark McClure

Oct 21, 2021 12:41

@user2661923 I voted to undelete the question. Of course, you could as well, if you think it's worth it. Also, the question was automatically deleted by the Community user, which I think only happens to closed questions with no upvotes. So, if you think a question is interesting enough to answer and maintain, then it's probably worth your upvote as well.

Mark McClure

Mar 14, 2021 11:18

@XanderHenderson I wonder if you have any thoughts on this fractal question? I don't particularly think it should be deleted but I find it odd that an ill-defined question would have 11 upvotes.

Mark McClure

Dec 14, 2020 19:48

Incidentally, I pinged Quid in large part because he had already commented on the topic.

Mark McClure

Dec 14, 2020 19:48

These folks seem to be missing the point that the question is not about application of the differentiation rules but, rather, about differentiation when those rules aren't applicable. Thus, I would say that my answer is correct and, again, somewhat surprising to some others who answered incorrectly.

Mark McClure

Dec 14, 2020 19:48

This comment and this answer, for example, make that argument.

Mark McClure

Dec 14, 2020 19:48

Thank you for your input @amwhy. As I indicated before, there is a perfectly reasonable answer that could be considered pleasantly surprising. More specifically, several users seem to think that all derivatives are easy simply because the differentiation rules are easy.

Mark McClure

Dec 14, 2020 17:51

Could we please consider undeleting this question? As I indicated before, there is a perfectly reasonable answer that could be considered pleasantly surprising. In addition, @quid seemed to think the question is fine.

Mark McClure

Dec 2, 2020 20:03

@quid That is reasonable - thanks.

Mark McClure

Dec 2, 2020 12:25

I should point out that I edited out an erroneous example that invalidates the accepted answer. That was not my intention but it seemed the only way to edit it for clarity to potentially reopen it. It's also worth mentioning that @quid indicates that the question is not bad.

Mark McClure

Dec 2, 2020 12:25

Please consider reopening this question. The crux of the question, as I read it, is: are there functions that are differentiable but not by the basic algebraic rules of differentiation. The commentary and at least one answer seems to indicate confusion over this so my affirmative answer is, perhaps, pleasantly surprising.

Mark McClure

Dec 2, 2020 04:29

Thus, folks who point to the fact that the rules are easy are completely missing the point. To answer the question, you've got to find differentiable functions where the rules are not applicable. There are many such and I posted a response with a couple.

$Mathematics$ 2024 Mathematics Stack Exchange Moder…

Open discussion for math.stackexchange.com/election/10

Mark McClure

Aug 10, 2024 00:11

Thanks for your participation!

Mark McClure

Aug 10, 2024 00:10

Having said that, I certainly understand your decision and, if you want to withdraw to preserve your sanity, you certainly should! I doubt that it gets easier. :)

Mark McClure

Aug 10, 2024 00:10

@Shaun I'm sorry to see you withdraw, Shaun! You were far and away my first choice among all the candidates who I've seen this cycle and you would certainly have had my vote.

$Mathematics$ Math Mods' Office

For informal chat with the site moderators about moderation, s...

Mark McClure

Feb 2, 2024 01:24

@XanderHenderson Thanks! I'll take the simpler approach if needed in the future.

Mark McClure

Feb 1, 2024 22:55

@XanderHenderson Would you please consider cleaning up the comments on this answer? The OP incorrectly asserted the answer was correct and ignored my response for some time. It certainly looks like they won't be back to repair it now.

Mark McClure

Dec 20, 2021 12:49

@cineel Search for "flags" on your activity page and click on it. That should take you to this page. The moderator who processed your flag might (or might not) have left a comment there.

Mark McClure

Apr 21, 2021 00:37

@quid That sounds reasonable - thanks!

Mark McClure

Apr 20, 2021 22:01

Or any mod, really. I just mention Xander since I know he's knowledgeable in the subject matter.

Mark McClure

Apr 20, 2021 22:00

Q: Contraction Transformation With Contraction Coefficient

$(X,d)$ a metric spaces and let $f:X→X$ be contraction transformation with contraction coefficient $s$. In this case, the transformation $f^n:X→X$ is a contraction transformation in the metric spaces $(X,d)$ with a contraction coefficinet $s^n$. Show that. I have this question. I know how prove ...

fractals

Mark McClure

Apr 20, 2021 21:59

Q: Transformation $f^n:X \rightarrow X$ is a contraction transformation with a contraction coefficinet $s^n$

$(X, d)$ a metric spaces and let $f:X \rightarrow X$ be contraction transformation with contraction coefficient $s$. In this case, the transformation $f^n:X \rightarrow X$ is a contraction transformation in the metric spaces $(X, d)$ with a contraction coefficinet $s^n$. Show that. I have this qu...

fractals contraction-operator

Mark McClure

Apr 20, 2021 21:59

@XanderHenderson These two questions in the fractals tag are identical. Maybe from a take home?