Do you get discouraged by "hit and run" askers?

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Question:

I was looking at my answers, and I realized that probably at least half of the questions were never resolved!. They're still open after a week, or actually most of them the asker never picked a Best Answer, and they ended up just going to voting!.

So I have a question for the regulars (Top Contributors and people with a Best Answer rating of 20 percent or more)!.!.!.do you get discouraged by all the "hit and run" askers there seem to be in the Photography category!?

Does anyone have any idea why so many people post a question, but then never choose a Best Answer!? I don't mind if my answer isn't picked as the best one!. What bothers me more is that if they don't choose a Best Answer, it will go to voting and it always seems like the worst answer is voted as the best one!.

And usually, it's the worst, shortest, and most misspelled answer like:

"u have to use photoshop"

It's kind of shame too!. Because I have seen some interesting questions!. There are a lot of people who ask questions about how to do long exposures (for light trails and Christmas lights, etc)!. You try to write a detailed, helpful answer and then they never choose a Best Answer!. And so it goes to voting, and usually the worst answer ends up being picked!.

Has anyone else noticed this!? And do you get discouraged by it!? Why are so many questions lately in the Photography catagory end up being unresolved!?

I've noticed that it usually happens with new members!. Do you think it's because the asker just doesn't like the answers, or do you think it's because they just don't know how to go back to their question and pick a Best Answer!?

It's gotten to the point that I'm starting to avoid questions from people who don't have an avatar and have been on YA for less than a few months or so!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

I am definitely on your side in this!. I often wonder if some people who ask questions even bother reading the answers!. I always answer in the most detailed, knowledgeable way I know!. If someone wants to know about shooting at night without flash I give examples based on the FotoSharp Day & Night Exposure Guide and then later see as "Best Answer" something like "Well you gotta use like a really high ISO and like a really wide aperture and just take like a lot of pictures!." How helpful!.

Oh well!. I'll continue answering the way I do!. Perhaps someone gains some benefit!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I can totally Relate!. I've been here for seven months, and i've seen this time after time!. Someone asks a good question!. I'm there typing an essay, and they don't even have the decency to reward me, or award another presentable answer!. I think That is very arrogant, and disrespectful to the people answering!. I always choose a best answer for my questions, always! It's my little way of saying thank you!. It's whether they don't know how to choose a best answer, or they just don't care!. Don't get my started on voters! They pick the shortest answer they can find, just for the one mere point!. When i vote, i do it decently!.

I think when the asker doesn't choose the best answer, the Yahoo! team should, or at least persons with experience!. It's very annoying to me!. I would say 80% of the questions i answer in the camera/photography section go straight into voting, and into the wrong hands!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It really does bother me for certain types of questions!. One that I almost always avoid now is a request to Photoshop something!. Most of the time, it's easy and takes 3 minutes, but it kills me when I'm the only one who does whatever was asked and the person does not have the courtesy to even add a thank you, let alone choose a best answer!.

Another one that ticks me off - general topic - is when someone finds an old light meter and asks how to use it!. Generally, I am the only one who even answers that question and I answer it right!. How can this person not say thanks or pick me as best answer!?

Another one that ticks me off is the question that say that the party is DESPERATE for an answer and needs it IMMEDIATELY, so I give what I consider to be a good answer almost immediately and hear nothing!.

Another one that bothers me is the person who promises ten points to the best answer and then doesn't bother to come back and choose an answer - even if there is only one answer!. Especially if that one answer is exactly what they need to know!.

This is the reason that - in spite of Yahoo!'s best efforts - many of us have turned this into a place of give and take among ourselves!. Yes, I suppose we have formed a clique where we answer each others' question and ignore many of the rest!. No, I don't ignore EVERYONE else's question (Yes, that's a lot of CAPITALS and I do not have CAPS LOCK engaged!.!.!.), but I just don't bother with too many!. I have certain areas where I have sort of specialized and I give only factual answers and (almost) never give opinions!. There are not enough hours in the day and too many other things of interest!.

You might consider creating a library of stock answers for the things that you might be interested in!. Don't write out a detailed answer for some question without saving a copy for yourself!. You can sometimes post the same answer with almost no alteration 4 or 5 times a week!. It might sound like a cop-out to some, but you are only making it easier to help more people by using stock answers and isn't that what this place is supposed to be all about!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

I tend to avoid questions by people who have never picked a best answer to a previous question!. If they couldn't be bothered to acknowledge people's input in the past, they probably won't bother now!.!.!. so I don't bother typing an answer!.

I also tend to avoid questions that I've already answered 50 times before!. (I've answered 3,000+ questions by now but it feels like I only see the same 20 questions over and over!.)

And I tend to avoid questions where others have already provided a good answer!. I'll give a thumbs-up instead!.

That doesn't leave a lot of questions!.

About 60% of the questions I do answer go to a vote!. I always check back on those and, frankly, I often vote for my own answer!. But I won't vote if there are other good answers (also often); I won't vote if the questions has been answered by another regular; and sometimes I'll vote for someone else!.

I'm in a patch now where this site bores me to tears!. It's happened before and it'll happen again - I keep coming back!. In the end, the occasional thank-you note makes it all worth while!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

To me, choosing a best answer is a way of saying "thank you" to the people who have invested an effort to answer!. Even when my answer is not chosen, I feel comforted that the asker has actually read the answers and just might consider my reply!.

The lack of Best Answerer's only underscores a very sad general lack of basic manners in today's society!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I hope you dont hate my answer!? i am trying to help!.

personally i tend to give short answers unless its a contact that i know will actually read the answer, also im still practicing writen english so im not sure if i make sence sometimes!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.

i have noticed you put alot into your answers and often they are to long for me to read and and i just skim them

someone asks: how do i get good photos, my answer would be study light!. lighting, composition and photography - i could write a book on lighting but whats the point, they either listen or they dont, they either want to use lights or not, if i give a long answer and they dont want to use lights whats the point of all the typing!?

anyway, due to being reported alot and also many dont really want to make good shots and want an easy answer to a complicated art i just keep it short and dont care for percentages n stuff (i was number 2 in photography untill people got jealous - they got Ace kicked off to but hes better behaved than me and protested and they gave his account back this is my third one!.!.!.), people that know me know i know my stuff - and some of get jealous and report me!?

answers is a fun place for me, and i will help those really want it (i mean those that REALLY want it!)

best wishes, enjoy your answers if a bit long :)

EDIT: look another jealous thumbdowner, they should study the craft instead of being so jealous, at least they make me giggleWww@QuestionHome@Com

Yes, it seems pretty thoughtless that all the effort freely given is just taken for granted by some!.
Yet every so often, I do get chosen by the 'asker'!. That seems to make it worthwhile!.

A couple of things that really bug me are the almost identical questions from different askers in Photoshop!. You know the one where the asker wants something in colour and the rest in black and white!?
I have also found that detailed answers I have given using Photoshop are usually ignored!. Maybe the process I described was beyond the asker's expertise!.
I also would like to see some very difficult questions when using Photoshop!. It seems that most askers who use Photoshop haven't a clue about channels, Lab mode or even blending modes in layers!.

I've seen a few of your answers and you go to great lengths answering questions!. So even if the 'asker' doesn't respond I'm sure others read your answers and benefit from your knowledge!.

Cheers,

NickWww@QuestionHome@Com

Not just in this section, but all over!.You get over it or you don't!.That's just the way it is!.Some people look both ways before crossing the street and wait 'till it's clear before walking!. Others just walk right out in front of you putting their life in your hands and rudely so!.Same thing here!. Some have sense and class and others don't!. Just keep on giving your best answers because not only the asker needs the info but others you will never know or see!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I despise it and have recently been going back on the "In Voting" section to the older pages and voting in an attempt to resolve it!. By the way, last I checked it was at 316 pages (I strongly encourage you the go back and vote on these questions, if only for the sake of order)!.

I am rather discouraged by it, and I really hate it when they don't even pick an answer!. Hell, the least they could do is "No best answer", but noooo!. It irks the hell out me that all the poorly constructed answers or completely dead wrong answers get picked by the voters (It seems like typing like a whale hitting a keyboard = being real and not pretentious)
I don't avoid anyone except people who ask the really stupid questions, usually about editing, although one phrase that is on my shitlist is "Photography camera"!. The hell is a photography camera!?!

I also hate it when extremists from both sides ask a rhetorical question about how film/digital is better, because it always brings up the rabid fanboys who give thumbs down to even the people who construct neutral and calm answers (I've seen a 7:1 thumbs down ratio in general for any pro-digital comment)!. Those things are a napalm bomb in a grill!. Another thing, when people ask "Is my photography good!?" and you give them an honest critique, which will at some point include a negative comment, it will end up with about 3 trillion thumbs down from all the MySpace teen "photographers" (I ain't sayin' that teens are inherently stupid, I'm really not that self-deprecating) who simply say "its gud joo kan b pro 1 dai"

The truly ironic thing about this question is that there will probably be someone who will say "But everyone starts somewhere, lay off them" in about 30 words or so, and somehow it will end up as the best answer through voting :P
Either that, or everyone here takes part in the mad rush to self-vote best answer!.Www@QuestionHome@Com