New Phuture Phorum Pheature. Best Answer.

[Papist]

I think this would be problematic b/c of the fact that most things here are subjective/views/opinions. If determined by mod/admin/etc, then it is really an opinion of what is the best answer. If determined by number of props, then it will be most liked answer. Perhaps have a button that would take you to the most proped post.

[Papist]

[quote name='dUSt' timestamp='1348680556' post='2486957']
The feature does not move the post to the top, it just creates a blurb underneath the original post which allows you to jump to the post deemed as the best answer.

I actually see people competing to get the best answer is a [b]good[/b] thing, not a bad thing. Why not encourage people to take more time and effort to make really quality posts?

We may have some guidelines around how to choose the best answer, such as number of props, and obviously, fidelity to church teaching.
[/quote]
Anything outside of number of props would be subjective, no?

[dUSt]

You get what you get and you don't throw a fit.

[Basilisa Marie]

It seems like it'd be great if someone was asking a question or looking for advice, like Trisha said, in Transmundane and Open Mic. And it'd help keep those really good responses from getting lost in the rubble. It seems to me like it really wouldn't be used in situations where it'd potentially cause problems, like the Debate Table. And doesn't the peanut gallery already have a voice in what the best posts are, with the prop system? So you'd still be able to see what answers are the most popular, even if they aren't deemed the best by the OP.

[Nihil Obstat]

Perhaps only specific types of threads can use the best answer feature, and then chosen only by the OP.
I agree with Basilisa that the props system already does the general task for us for most purposes.

[Papist]

[quote name='dUSt' timestamp='1348681075' post='2486962']
You get what you get and you don't throw a fit.
[/quote]
Sorry boss. I was just trying to be productive.

[AnneLine]

Not sure about this one (although it has possibilities, dUSt, and thanks for coming up with new and innovative things for us...!)

There are times when the 'best' answer is the funniest, or the most outrageous, and other times it is the most 'charitable' or most 'theologically correct' or just all of the above. I wouldn't have a clue how to figure out how to choose the 'best' response to some of CatherineM's posts... or those in VS regarding some of the more controvercial answers.... I can definitely see times when I would want to NOT have the feature lurking around....

Maybe it should be an option for the OP to put it on or remove it from post when s/he wants to get that feature working/not working?

Any chance of something like those posts being a different color or different type so we would know that THIS is one of those times when we want to focus on good info versus good clean Phatmass Phun?

Edited September 26, 2012 by AnneLine

[AnneLine]

Also... if the 'best' is determined by propping... then those with CM and higher status have a better ability to vote... because the others can only vote 10 times... and wouldn't be able to just have fun with their props. That doesn't seem too fair...

Maybe the Admins can consider giving some extra props (maybe an extra 10-15 per day?) to the non CMs if this feature gets added?

[i](Not intended as criticism... just as a thoughtful suggestion....)[/i]

Edited September 26, 2012 by AnneLine

[i<3franciscans]

I like the idea but I see where it cold have its faults. Could you try it out for a while and see how it works for the pham? If everyone hates it you could always disable it right?

[carmenchristi]

I think it could be a good idea but as discussed it creates a series of problems too.

It seems to me that it should be the OP's option whether to allow the function on a post or not. I agree that it isn't appropriate for all types of posts...

Maybe the OP could have the option to either choose the best answer or open it up for voting.

There is still a problem though. Some threads go on for a long time, and good answers get added all the time. So what happens when I get a great answer on day 1 and choose it as the best answer, and another even better answer comes along on day 2?

So maybe like on Yahoo answers there should be a time limit to be able to reply with a "best answer" even though the thread will stay open after that.... idk just brainstorming.

[carmenchristi]

Maybe it could include a rating system... something like what AnnieLine said. When you chose best answer you rate it for funniness, correctness, informativeness etc.

[cmaD2006]

I like the idea for Transmundane. Open mic is really too much of a mishmash for a best answer to work. It is really meant for the Q&A section, and if more than one scholar answers then the "best answer" thing would work great.

Think wikianswers or yahoo answers ... where a specific question is asked. THEN best answer is a great feature.

Finally -- maybe the way to make it work is to ask the OP to categorize the new topic as a question. THEN enable best answer. I don't know if that will be possible, but it is the one way I can see it working ok. Otherwise to have a best answer to an (lets say) open mic topic that is something like "I just had a baby" or "Pope just declared xyz a saint" doesn't work imho.

[xTrishaxLynnx]

If it's only the OP with the power to choose and the Mods don't have an option to, then there's also an issue of the OP never choosing a best answer, thus defeating the purpose of having the feature: for others who "Google it." Plus, a lot of people asking questions won't even know what the best answer for them[i] is[/i] (non-Catholics or those with poor catechesis.) In fact, if someone trolls the thread and gives the OP, a non-Catholic, maybe the answer that they WANT to hear rather than the one they NEED to hear, they might choose the first as the best answer, and then the confusion will really begin for those stumbling on the thread.

I kinda think it should be only CM and up - those who have proven they know what they're talking about and are 100% in line with Church teaching.

[dUSt]

Maybe I'll create another forum, so we'll have:

- Catholic Q&A: Ask a Scholar
- Catholic Q&A: Ask the Peanut Gallery

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='dUSt' timestamp='1348695354' post='2487049']
Maybe I'll create another forum, so we'll have:

- Catholic Q&A: Ask a Scholar
[b]- Catholic Q&A: Ask the Peanut Gallery[/b]
[/quote]

So basically take about 10% of Open Mic and move it to a new subforum?