"Please Comment"
WikiTag is an alternative to
AnswerMe. Its entire purpose is to provide a reverse index (by clicking the title of this page) of pages containing the tag. Anyone interested in finding pages that have made explicit requests for contributions can do so by using this page. This is an alternative way of contributing to Wiki than
RecentChanges.
Because Wiki has no real rules, there are no rules for the use of this tag. However, here are some suggestions for guidelines on how this tag could be used advantageously.
WikiZens can add this tag if:
- They would like to make a contribution, but are not 100% certain of themselves and would like comments from a 'more experienced' source.
- There is a question that has not been answered in a while.
- On FAQ pages for any unanswered question.
WikiZens can remove this tag if:
- The question or topic seems to be adequately addressed.
PleaseComment has the following advantages over
AnswerMe:
- It reads like PlainEnglish.
- It is a polite request rather than an abrupt 'command'.
- It applies to many more situations. Basically anytime you'd say "Anyone else have any thoughts?", replace that with PleaseComment. Anytime you'd say "But then again, I'm no expert," replace that with PleaseComment.
Technically, the
PleaseComment tag is 'noise', but it is
searchable noise. Those who would like to increase the
SignalToNoiseRatio can search for
PleaseComment requests and replace them with appropriate 'signal' content.
I vote "YEA". --
NickBensema
Yea - I think
PleaseComment is kind of like a failing
UnitTest or
AcceptanceTest for Wiki. Change it until it passes the test.
All text on a wiki implicitly says
PleaseComment. By marking some text
PleaseComment, we would imply that all other text is to be treated differently.
Different text is
different in its SignalToNoise ratio, and the authors often know this as they click Save. Noisy text may implicitly say PleaseComment, but can you find it when you want to help tidy up Wiki's loose ends?
Do you really need help finding loose ends to tidy up?
Please find the page I made lots of comments on, but which I feel is still inadequate. I am not up to the task myself, it requires a more complex understanding of the issues than what I have. Please find that page, I beg you.... found it yet? Would it help if I gave you a list of WikiNames - maybe you'll see one that strikes your interest.
Here are some alternatives to
PleaseComment. If you want to make a list of pages where you'd like people to add stuff, put the list on your home page. If there is a certain page where you want a question answered, post the question on that page. If you're in that phase where you can't articulate a good question, ask a bad question, or ask an open-ended question like "What's this about?" or "Could someone please explain this better?" If you can't think of anything that seems right, try posting something that you're sure is wrong and thereby spur criticism.
(This only works with RecentChanges; i.e. when the changes are recent, and when the people who read RecentChanges care at the time. When these conditions are not met, which is often, then PleaseComment is an effective alternative.)
There is no need to plan a project or establish a new convention. Just make whatever improvement to a specific page that you're capable of making now. Later you will be able to make better improvements. Proposed plans and conventions like
PleaseComment are tempting ways to contribute without contributing--ways to put off real participation by thinking more. Have courage, it's only wiki.
(If there is no need, then why was it made? Have faith in your fellow WikiZens. There's nothing wrong with trying out new conventions, especially on a new convention like Wiki.)
There are pages which are better off being not further commented on, like WikiPrayer and other WikiFavourites. Assuming PleaseComment on those pages only leads to sadness.
Yes. People need to exercise good judgement or they will do bad things. Saying
PleaseComment doesn't improve people's judgement. Not saying
PleaseComment doesn't improve people's judgement. Another solution, when people mung with nice pages that should be left alone, is to wait a little while and then clean up their mess. This might help improve their judgement, and it certainly fixes up the page.
Who said this first?: 'Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement.' asks
ChrisGarrod who caught this meme years ago on someone's .sig.
Good judgement isn't entirely a mystical quality -- better information leads to better judgements. WikiTags are a way of communicating meta-information to improve the process of collaboration. Of course, if in your good judgement the PleaseComment tag is inappropriate for that page then you could, well, remove it. That's WhyWikiWorks after all.
Better information does lead to better judgement (though the
skill of good judgement is what we're talking about above), but
PleaseComment does not add information. If you want to say something, just say it. People here will listen. No need for
WikiTaggery or
PussyFootery.
(PleaseComment adds information. Specifically, "There is a request for comment somewhere, and you can find it right here
".)
Also, bad judgement is OK, too. That's the only way to develop good judgement.
I vote yes. It's faster than RecentChanges to identify pages where the author is specifically asking for further discussion.
(Hmmm, search turns up twelve pages including ones which only mention
PleaseComment to explain what it is. Does that prove it mostly useless?)
Some people are still using
AnswerMe.
PleaseComment is on some pages many times, especially FAQ-style pages. Actually, comparing the usage between
PleaseComment and
AnswerMe, I'd say
PleaseComment is doing a very good job. It'll just take time for it to rise in Wiki's awareness.
Is
PleaseComment appropriate when you would like a comment to be expanded? Would
PleaseElaborate be a better choice? Or perhaps just "
PleaseComment further"?
Another Alternative for
PleaseComment might be:
AskWiki. --
FridemarPache
There are several services on the Web, like
AskYahoo. After my experience they work very well. Why not
AskWiki ...
This could be a candidate for a set of userdefined
TwinPages. As each Wiki community accumulates dedicated expertise, this could be a helpful addon. A page
AskWiki (with many
TwinPages to related peer wikis) could accumulate a list of more or less open questions. By the way, I have not yet searched, if the domains
AskWiki.com,
AskWiki.net, ... are registered. If not, take this idea and use it to become a millionaire like the man who sold the domain "wiki.com" for 3 million dollars. I gave the link for this info in (sorry, was just interrupted by my friend, who registered
AskWiki.net some seconds later for me, after the idea was posted here) the
MeatballWiki.
You may do the same thing with
PleaseComment and join the first
DomainsWiki as a wiki-entrepreneur.
So my answer for deciding on a new
WikiWord is:
- ask yourself, if it is worth to be registered as a domain-name,
- do it in a wiki community with peer entrepreneurs,
- discuss openly the value with bringing in your own alternative(domain)s
- feel the joy of being released, to spill out all your best ideas (they will increase the value or your domain and the alternative domains of your peers)
--
FridemarPache
CategoryWikiTag