Cllarifying doubts of myLot users

@allknowing (153544)
India
May 31, 2012 11:00pm CST
Quite a number of users specially newcomers seek clarifications with regard to guidelines and some good Samaritans here offer to help which would mean saying the same thing umpteen number of times. Are these considered as quality responses? Or could they come under duplicate responses?
1 person likes this
4 responses
@McCreeper (777)
• United States
1 Jun 12
The Terms on the guideline could be interpreted in multiple different ways, thus leaving some people confused on what's a quality post and what's not a quality post, but what most people seem to forget is that mylot as I've read in multiple reviews on this site, is depending on how well you contribute to the community. What you put into the community, is what you would get out of it. On one hand, there are a bunch of duplicate responses, while the other do have (might I say,) more descriptive and conversational posts. It really depends on the person viewing the thread and whether he or she is willing to vote downward on a specific post. I would love to say that they come under the duplicate responses, but I'm not the one doing all the financial parts on this website. Thanks.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (153544)
• India
1 Jun 12
The guidelines do not have multiple interpretations as you have put it. There is just one interpretation. Full stop. But those who repeatedly respond to the same clarifications may not benefit as duplicate responses are according to me not considered as quality responses.
@mysdianait (66005)
• Italy
1 Jun 12
"But those who repeatedly respond to the same clarifications may not benefit as duplicate responses are according to me not considered as quality responses." As I have said below, there are often other benefits that go far beyond monetary rewards here on myLot. A new user with doubts might ask a qauestion and if no-one helps them, they could leave myLot. Then we (us Lotters) could be missing out on their future topics. Many new users bring a breath of fresh air to myLot and not all of them grasp how things work right from the start. Finance also involves investing and responding to their topics is very often an investment for the future, even though at the time it may seem pointless and appear to bear no monetary fruits.
@allknowing (153544)
• India
1 Jun 12
As already mentioned by me in your box, if Admin makes a public announcement to this effect I am sure many will come forward to giving a helping hand.
@owlwings (43897)
• Cambridge, England
1 Jun 12
I can only say that, every time I respond to such a query, I write it in my own words at the time. Each response should, therefore, be slightly different and not a duplicate, though, of course, it may involve giving virtually the same information many times. I always try to give as good and complete a response as possible to genuine enquiries. Whether MyLot or other users recognise that as 'quality' doesn't greatly concern me but I am often complimented and thanked for my responses and MyLot continues to pay me for my participation. There are many 'discussions' which are merely questions about how to do something in MyLot and which are quite satisfactorily answered in the Guidelines or the FAQs or elsewhere. Many of these are duplicates and it is these which, perhaps, ought to go under the knife as 'duplicate topics' (rather than the responses, which, by the nature of the question must be very similar). Admin, however, has said that he generally will not remove such questions, even if they are answered in the FAQs, because MyLot wish to encourage the proper use of the site and the social benefits of help from more experienced users.
@owlwings (43897)
• Cambridge, England
1 Jun 12
You would need to ask Admin what his policy is on that. He is the only one qualified to make the decision.
@allknowing (153544)
• India
1 Jun 12
Since there is no clear cut indication about what could be considered quality I wondered whether even those responses on the same subject though worded differently could come under the axe. They would, in my opinion, be considered repeated responses though worded differently.
@mysdianait (66005)
• Italy
1 Jun 12
He replied further down
@mysdianait (66005)
• Italy
1 Jun 12
I respond on many of those topics and some are deleted while others are not. That is up to admin to decide. When I see a new user with a doubt, I am more concerned with helping them than the few cents that might or might not be added to my account. As I said on a similar topic, myLot is all about choice: http://www.mylot.com/w/discussions/2507575.aspx I have also searched for admin's comment (sadly we cannot access his activity) where he thanked those users who do help out but I can't find it. If you (or anyone else) is concerned that those 'discussions' should be removed then there is the report (!) button available. If you (or anyone else) is concerned about not earning because those repeated topics are not quality because they are repeats, then you (and anyone else) can choose not to participate in them. Personally I shall continue to respond if I am here and see that there is need for clarification, regardless of the 'quality' or the 'earning' aspect. A Lotter new or old that is happy because their doubts have been removed is a reward in itself and often worth much more than a few cents would be.
@owlwings (43897)
• Cambridge, England
1 Jun 12
As most long-term users are aware, I'm sure, both the Guidelines and the FAQs are long overdue for a major overhaul. There are many things missing from the Guidelines which ought to be there (the ban on the use of adf.ly and other paid-to-shorten links, for example) and many things which could well be worded better and in plainer English. You and I may see the Guidelines as being unequivocal but there are a number of places where others may see more than one interpretation. Even so, we are clearly asked in the Guidelines to "Help out when you can" and not to "Post to “flame” other users". I have to admit that it is not always easy to deal with people who repeatedly ask the same question, do not appear to take advice when it is offered and who clearly have come to MyLot without any intention of using it properly in an entirely 'magnanimous' way! Posting duplicate responses is also covered, of course, but the intention is to prevent abuse of the system and refers to duplicate responses, not to similar responses (which, by the very nature of the frequently-asked question, they must be!)
@allknowing (153544)
• India
1 Jun 12
I know these kind of topics do appear now and then and rightly so as it is a situation that really needs clarification. I too remember reading somewhere when such activity was appreciated. But that is not enough. There should be a change in guidelines or may be even an alert asking users to go all out and help. In the absence of such an announcement not all would be as magnanimous as some of you are who look at the broader picture.
@shibham (16977)
• India
1 Jun 12
Hi there... hope your browser problem is solved. At first i followed those discussion but now i avoid. It really bothers me. Everyone should read FAQs of mylot or guideline before accessing it. Unless doing that starting such odd discussion cant be a quality post and much can say duplicate post. have a nice time.
@allknowing (153544)
• India
1 Jun 12