Suggestions: Changes to the Unity Answers Section...

After digressing on a question recently about improving the Unity Answers section, I have been considering what we can do to change the forum for the better of everyone involved. Now don't get me wrong, I love Unity Answers. It has helped me many a time with my own personal endeavors, and allows me the delight of logging in after school and helping as many people as I can, new people especially. I think Answers is one of the best themed public discussion boards on the internet and helps forward the already wonderful Unity community.

But nothing is perfect.

Before I start on my rant, I would like to say that if the Unity Answers section stayed exactly as it is I would be happy. So I would like to be clear in what ever I say is constructive criticism and is of no intention to insult any of the forum developers or moderators currently existing on the forums.

<rant>

Things that we could stress more:

1. So first of all I would like to say that GOOGLE IS INDEED A RESOURCE. I would like to define the fact that we do not like answering questions that have been answered a million times before. That would be what the search bar is for.

2. No we will not write scripts, model assets, or otherwise create a game for people who simply ask for it. Learn some Javascript. Try out blender. The answers section needs questions, not demands.

3. I'm afraid the answer box is indeed for answers, not comments.

4. Remember to mark the correct answer as correct. If so, everyone involved prospers.

5. There is a FAQ... read it.

6. Good grammar, spelling, punctuation and everything else you learned in Pre-School should be applied to your posts.

</rant>

Okay, okay. I know this happens in every forum and no matter what we do, the problem will remain. All I am trying to do is lessen the impact. There are perfectly mature and sane people on the forums. The moderators and admins are honestly and truthfully the best I have ever seen on any website ever. And the Unity community, oh the community. Wow. Really wow. You guys are awesome. This is why in the next section I only have one problem...

Fluidity:

1. Why do moderators let by (almost) every post in the waiting approval section?

After I passed 1k I got my little moderator icon next to my name and I was overjoyed. I could help new people before they even get to the forum. Yes they were ALL MINE. (Mwahahaha.) Still, do you really have to publish every post? Like the ones with only a title asking for something and no text in the body. I simply send them a message telling them they made a no-no and go on my way.

Only I find that these (when I don't get to them first) make it on to the forums anyway. I suppose you could show them as an example to other users, but why clot up the section? I don't get it. I never take down waiting approval posts, in case anyone disagrees with me, so they end up getting approved. Is some one going down the line clicking all of them? Or maybe just reading the title. If someone could explain that to me, it would be appreciated.
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What I am now going to dive into is the major change section. These are simply what I think could make the answer section a better place. Or maybe just a cleaner one. Now I know that the answer system is made by an external company (AnswerHub I believe), but I'm sure Unity retains some control.

Major Chages:

1. Display similar answers. Now I know Unity has the whole "find similar title" thing when your making an answer, and that's good, but I think we could take it a step further. Maybe a system where if Unity does not find any matches to your answer you can post. But if it does it will display them for your first. A nice little "Are you sure you want post this question; We have found similar questions in our system." This will also save old posts that have a lot of good information. These tend to get buried unless you are searching for them directly.

2. More stress on tags. Speaking of taking a step further, we could really improve on the tag system. We already have some good focus on it but it could be so much more. We could have posts in sections, so people with certain tags will automatically will move their posts to a section where a certain field dominates. For example, artists will answer questions in the art section, or programmers in the C sharp or Javascript section. Maybe even sections for other languages. We should still have the ability to view all the new posts at once though. So something a bit like Stack Exchange.

3. Flaunt the FAQ. We have a very good one, we might as well show people how to use it.
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Well that's my two cents. What does everyone else think?

 

I think you just spent (insert time here) writing a post that is

1. Old news to most people here
2. Not going to change anything (the people that need to read this stuff dont)

if people cant figure out how to use google, game development is not for them.

 

I really just wanted to see what people had to say. I would like to help people getting into game development, and Unity along with its answers section can really do that. It would also take some stress off moderators.

 

I think James is right that nobody will do anything, but I agree strongly about:
1. Display similar answers. Now I know Unity has the whole "find similar title" thing when your making an answer, and that's good, but I think we could take it a step further. Maybe a system where if Unity does not find any matches to your answer you can post. But if it does it will display them for your first. A nice little "Are you sure you want post this question; We have found similar questions in our system." This will also save old posts that have allot of good information. These tend to get buried unless you are searching for them directly.

Most of the other stuff is rules that the mods need to enforce, but not something they can technically change.

 

Although I agree with some of your points, James has it right.

 

These threads pop up from time to time. They are all created with good intention of making everything better, but the problem isn't forums, its the users and their attitudes. When you've been lurking for a lot longer, you will understand


Also, the solutions are not as easy as 1 2 3. With forums come contradictory opinions on how stuff should work, or be handled.

The collab section for example, was an 'improvement' that was implemented to try and minimise the amount of crap that gets posted there.

Of course, the collab section is nearly dead now, because without being able to post, and half of the posts waiting too long for approval, or not getting approved, the frequency at which it gets updated is low, making it seem a low attention area (I might be completely wrong about this). I always used to go and look, but these days dont give it a second thought.

 

@JamesLeeNZ

I understand what you mean completely. Like I said before, I really just wanted opinions, but you brought to my attention some things that I haven't really checked in a while. Thanks for the reply, I haven't been on the forums long and its good to have an early inside look. See ya around.

 

+1

 

Yes, because replies there are disabled. That does not mean it's "dead". Topics in the commercial forums typically also have few or no replies, because anything worthwhile there is normally done by PM or otherwise handled outside of the forums. Collaboration merely has that enforced (because of endless trolling).

--Eric

 

Okay, thanks for the clarification. Also, 20,500 posts! Holy S*** Eric, you're making me look bad!

 

Eric's an addict

 

I can stop posting anytime I want!

--Eric