What’s the big deal about chat on Yahoo! Canada Answers?
What do we have against chat? Absolutely nothing. Chat away on Yahoo! Canada Messenger or Groups — just not on Answers. We’re not trying to be mean or limit free speech — we just want to maintain the mission of Yahoo! Canada Answers:
Answers connects people to the information they’re seeking with those who know it. Everyone has life experience and knowledge about something, and Answers provides a way for people to share their experience and insight.
Like any other community, we have a core set of principles that must be followed by all members. Some of those core principles are: sharing what you know, being courteous and asking clear questions. Examples of unacceptable behaviour include: ranting, hate speech, cheating, behaving maliciously and chatting. If you want to participate in Answers, we ask that you abide by the Yahoo! Canada Community Guidelines and Yahoo! Canada Terms of Service.
While chatting seems innocuous in comparison to more obvious offenses, we discourage it because it doesn’t add to the intent of the site: to share quality knowledge. Answers was never meant to function as a chat room or forum. There are other outlets (like Yahoo! Canada Groups) that are ideal for this type of social networking, and we hope you’ll channel your inner chat into these more appropriate venues.
Just to clarify, it’s fine to be conversational within your actual question or answer. But if you’re still unsure about what’s considered chat, here are a few examples to help clear up the confusion:
Chatty: “Do you like my poem?”
Better: “How can I improve my poem?”
Chatty: “Do you like my avatar?”
Better: “How do I make my avatar look more fun or attractive?”
The Guidelines weren’t created as a cloaked attempt to exercise ultimate universal power over Answers members — really. They’re meant to provide common sense ground rules so we all know what to expect inside the Answers community. That’s not such a bad thing, is it? Instead of having to report abuse, wouldn’t you much rather see it prevented in the first place?
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this is very true and very well said.
i do think we need some changes
I’ll tell you now I was pretty upset about all the seemingly random deletions of my answers. Thanks for making some sense of it.
Yamster,
I know what the rules are
and I emphasize this
when I answer questions like what violation is this
Also I dealt with a question
do you look like your avatar
This was considered chatting
so I reported it.
noted,
☞ chat requires two way communication, no response required, (no ~ you, I, me, mine ) ♬♫
☞ a lot of new users don’t get this, innocent persons could get hurt, unknowingly, ♡
☞ the new contacts network unfortunately adds to it more than it hides, be careful, 〠
☞ the yamster is still having breathing relapses, suggest warmer attire, and vicks vapor rub, ☼
☞ possibly limit beginners to alloted space, so to deter 20 pages of blank ascii art,
☞ possibly limit beginners to answers and questions without linking,☆
☞ keep tabs on cyber bullying, poking, an other related nuance nuisances,
☞ though divvying up internationally is progress, one may have an answer to questions never seen,
☞ and how to make a black and white pic with green envy to infinity and beyond, ∞
☞ back to answers, take care ►
..
I also know that chatting is forbidden because yahoo answers is a knowledge seeking sight.
I have nothing against chatting but the chatting can be done in email, messenger and comment part after a best answer is chosen.
I read those guidelines faithfully
the terms of service too technical ( lingo not understandable )
Some parts I understand others not quite.
Some things I would get printed
like
what is considered chatting
what is considered cheating
solicitation.
misusing
Then I would read the moderation
http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/answers/moderation
I tried to start cycling chat rooms over the years but always failed.[tried over 12 years ago and stopped trying about 8 years ago]
Bikers are usually biking not chatting.
Yet,after trying to answer many questions in cycling in yahoo answers and seeing that there are many interested in more detailed descriptions and hands on help I do feel that it can be done .
Any forum type of communication will always be safer than chats but a chat room would not be unwise in my mere opinion.
I think Yahoo Inc should consider how much of the total volume of Questions and answers are “not what they intended YAnswers to be ” and see if the volume is high enough to warrant to create another forum that these users would like and could be tailored even more towards their wants.I think it would be popular also add an adult section.Why fight what users are using answers for? ~ go with the flow.
balogna!! People report stupid things mostly because they don’t like the questioner or the answerer. By the way-where were you when I had a stalker and you refused to help me. The person ruined my reputation, stalked my friends and hurt all of us grievously. This chatting thing is nonsense. Deal with the important issues.
If I see one more “Am I fat?” or “iz my girlfrend pregnant ’cause she is l8?” and “transl8 my cht spk & thN rEsrch d Ans & waste yor tym.” I will frEk.
I understand that you’re trying to protect peoples’ sensitivities, but when I find Homo sapiens turned into **** sapiens, I think you’ve gone too far.
While you’re at it, could you *please* either create a Recreational Drugs category or install a filter that bounces any questions about Salvia? The Botany section is, at times, little more than a place for young punks to ask about how to get Salvia (and “shrooms”).
This is very interesting site…w