Keep it down chatter boxes !

Are opinion seeking questions seen as chatting ?

I was contacted by a yahoo answers user to help determine the understanding of the dreaded chatting violation within the yahoo answers community, so here it goes:

If you are found to have been chatting, then you recently asked question with the intent on opinion seeking to which a definitive best answer can not be provided.

Well what the heck does that mean ?

Basically if you were to ask "what is your favourite colour" you would be presented with a whole list of colours from the lovely community of yahoo answers.

Now, did you really need that list of colours ?

The chances are you were bored and asked a question simply to liven up a rainy afternoon.

Now to explain a definitive answer. With a list of colours, which one is the best answer, the first one for being the early worm - but how is that fair ?

You need to post in a question and answer format in yahoo answers, and seeking opinions really doesn't count as asking a question.

So how can I avoid the dreaded chatting ?

• Try to post a question that requires knowledgeable answers
• Don't ask for user's opinions
  
• If you require a poll, post it in the polls and survey category
• Don't use yahoo answers on a boring rainy day

Okay, so we made the last one up, but if you need more help, read about chatting in the help pages of yahoo answers.

¢hεεrs

'Say Cheese'

Understanding the community guidelines

Taking photographs can be a very rewarding hobby, indeed lifestyle for some; or simply an opportunity to catch that split second when we are looking our best. However is Yahoo! Answers the best place to share such photographs?

Using photographs and images to create guessing games and opinion seeking is a Yahoo! Answers no-no according to the Yahoo! Answers Community Guidelines. Do you really need to ask ‘How old do you think I am?’ based on a photograph to a community of strangers? Such questions do nothing more yet promote chatting and ‘point gaming comments’ – and that’s not the Yahoo! Answers way now is it!

As a member of a vast community of ninety one million users, consider

Who will be seeing my image?
What may happen to my photograph?
Will people be able to discover personal details from this photo?

See where I am going with this – who knows what result from sharing one photo could be…

So when is it okay to share that prized pic?

You are welcome to ask for help or details on a technique, or simply how to improve a photo you may have snapped – it’s common sense really. Users can also use Yahoo! 360 to make a custom avatar for Yahoo! Answers as well as to create polls and blogs which is all fine and dandy.

Take note that many users come to Yahoo! Answers… to answer questions funnily enough. Please don’t fuel the fire of chatting and consider using Yahoo! Answers for its intended purpose before asking that ‘all important question’. The plus side is you’ll save points too….!

Image 'smile #2' by konaboy from Yahoo! Flickr

All the best
¢hεεrs