Re. Q and P survey

[Christiana]

Many affected people failed to spot the poll and would have voted against the proposed change. Please bear in mind editor, those of us who use the page to answer far more than to ask questions. Our ability to do so will be seriously affected by these subdivisions.
We already have the situation where people are too lazy to type out the clues, numbers of letters etc. and simply put clue numbers, which is hopeless unless you have a copy of the same puzzle. This will only get worse if your proposal takes effect.
If you drive away those of us who are regular answerers then the questions and puzzles section will be greatly weakened.

[Catron]

How do you know there are MANY who failed to spot the poll and how do you know they would have voted against the change, Christiana?

For what its worth, I disagree - Q&P, like most of the other sections is about people asking questions and being given answers. I do not foresee a situation where there are questions that are not being answered and that is surely all that matters.

[Christiana]

I actually posted a query on another site and got a response within the first 24 hours that suggested that many like me had overlooked it. Those people who did respond were against the change in its present form.
As for your second point, that is debatable. The site provides a service, but I would suggest the service is more than just a question is asked and receives an answer. The answerbank exists both for those who ask and those who answer. The answerers, some of whom are housebound for various reasons, get pleasure from answering and this pleasure would be lessened if the proposal goes ahead in its present form.
The questioners often get first class explanations of why an answer is what it is, thus enabling them to improve their skills, leading to greater satisfaction in completing the puzzle. Again this relies on the answerers and I think there will be a drop in these explanations, if people doing the same crossword or quiz just swap answers.

[JoolsTwo]

I agree with you Christiana and I have posted on the other site a reply I've had from ABEd.

[Catron]

Sorry, I do not get the logic behind your response. The number of questions is not going to alter upon any change made by Answerbank - so why do you believe that the 'quality' of answers would drop? - that surely depends on the answerer and if they get pleasure now from answering, why should that change?

[Catron]

I think I also ought to mention that the poll is still there anyway.

[Christiana]

The poll now on my right is to do with football.
People who answer questions from crosswords they don�t normally do will not, I believe, be willing to scroll through all the different sections to find questions that haven�t been answered plus there is a real risk there will be an increase in clue numbers with no clues given. Anyway I don�t think it will be workable for reasons mentioned in other postings in suggestions, so I doubt it will come to pass.

[Catron]

Fair enough. I think most of those that genuinely take pleasure in answering will continue to answer with more topics - there was not a noticeable difference when Q&P 'gained' the sub-categories it now has - but that's my opinion.

The Poll is still there but within Q&P (not sure but think it has always been just in Q&P).

[Catron]

Sorry to be a pain but with 63.7% currently in favour of more sub-categories in the poll, I would not be too sure that it won't come to pass. Those many you talk about will have to get their finger out - or AB drop the idea anyway(!).

[Tichfield]

I don't think it will matter. The vast majority of people will continue to post their questions in the main Q&P section - just like they do now, even thought there is a specific sub-section for crossword puzzle questions.

[shaneystar2]

People will post where they like anyway ...same as they do across the whole of AB ..it will just make the rude miserable old bggrs in Q&P even more miserable than they are now .They will be able blow even more hot air than than they do now and jump down even more peoples throats than they do now .They will be in their element with all the subsections ..I can see it now ....jumping from thread to thread ,shouting at people who don't give the relevant information and arguing the toss over these ruddy quizzes ..

Gosh .... a hanging offence .
As I was told quite bluntly recently ...."encouraging laziness "
Told off as as if I was a schoolgirl by some miserable old man .
Nobody forces them to answer anything ,let alone give people grief ...

It's website .
If you don't like don't use it .It's not as if you have to pay for it is It ?

[cherrycherry]

I agree with Shaneystar wholeheartedly...she is not only one of the most generous to share information on AB but also a well-mannered and generally great person who keeps a lovely ambience on Q*P. Boo to the moaners!

[patsyann]

Well said Shaneystar 2.Why oh why cant people leave our little section alone.Oh for turning back time to a year or two ago when we just had Q&P with no sub titles .We all got along nicely most of the time then. Leave well alone I say.

[Christiana]

I agree Patsyann. I was so impressed when I first found the site, both with the simple but efficient way it ran and with people�s friendliness and good manners. Trouble is that �new and improved� so often means not as good as before, wherever those dreaded words occur.