Timeline for Can we please be more generous to elementary beginners?
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
12 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Apr 16, 2019 at 4:39 | comment | added | Theo Bendit | Hmm, I'll keep that in mind in future. | |
| Apr 16, 2019 at 3:16 | comment | added | goblin GONE | @TheoBendit, different people interpret words differently, but for me, confusion is an emotional state. "I'm feeling confused..." Usually, when someone doesn't know how to ask the questions they want to ask, it's not an emotional state they're in, it's just that they don't know how to ask their question. Indeed, oftentimes, they're thinking much more clearly than their colleagues and are. They're probably the only student who is not confused about the relevant issues. Calling them "confused" imo punishes them for being a better student than other students. | |
| Apr 16, 2019 at 2:15 | comment | added | Theo Bendit | I don't really grasp your animus against the word "confusion". I've only ever heard it used when a student is trying to digest concepts that have previously been taught. The information on the concept has previously been conveyed, and the student is trying to translate this into understanding. Surely "confusion", in the sense of uncertainty about what is intended, is appropriate, even if it comes from a misunderstanding of the language involved? | |
| Apr 15, 2019 at 19:07 | comment | added | quid Mod | One problem is that apparently it is not clear enough. Another is what is "simple" supposed to mean? Why is OP asking this? Etc. In brief it lacks context. That said, as sometimes comes up, giving context for somewhat natural (counter) examples one seeks is not always easy and not always crucial. It's not that bad. That is why I did not close it. | |
| Apr 15, 2019 at 10:10 | comment | added | goblin GONE | @quid, can you elaborate a bit on what (in your opinion) the problem is with the linked question and/or my answer? It seems to me that everything is well and dandy therein, except that I probably should have emphasized that the ambiguity is coming from the word "space"... | |
| Apr 15, 2019 at 7:51 | comment | added | quid Mod | Yes, it is a real problem, not last because often the answers are not of the form you describe. The example you give is a bit peculiar in that it's not a particularly unclear question in my opinion (it's not a great question for other reasons and I had almost closed it back then, but that's orthogonal). I do not really consider your answer as appropriate, at least not as an answer. Further, the entire idea of the platform is conceived around answering to the point and reasonably scoped questions, not conversational interactions prompted by some question-like text snippet. | |
| Apr 15, 2019 at 3:54 | comment | added | goblin GONE | @quid, this happened here for example. | |
| Apr 15, 2019 at 3:53 | comment | added | goblin GONE | @quid, continuing... If someone posts the answer "I think you're asking asking A. If so, the answer is A'." and someone else posts the answer "However, you might also be asking B. If so, the answer is B'. In order to ask clearer questions in future, be mindful of the distinction between X and X'. The difference is Y." I consider that the question is fully answered at this point. | |
| Apr 15, 2019 at 3:52 | comment | added | goblin GONE | @quid, is that really a problem though? A good answer to such questions is often of the form: "I think you're asking A. If so, the answer is A'. However, you might also be asking B. If so, the answer is B'. In order to ask clearer questions in future, be mindful of the distinction between X and X'. The difference is Y." | |
| Apr 14, 2019 at 10:40 | comment | added | quid Mod | SE even built a feature for that: comments. They still work once the question is on hold/closed. Unclear question -> on hold -> exchange with OP to clarify -> edit -> reopen, is the way to go. Not everybody answers whatever they think might be intended. That's precisely why we put questions on hold. Of course that's arguably a cumbersome process, but let's not forget that we are talking about dedicated teachers here to help, not folks that quickly want to cash in some points for an answer launched in a fire-and-forget mindset. | |
| Apr 14, 2019 at 10:39 | comment | added | quid Mod | For this to work everybody would have to show some discipline though. What often happens in practice is that users over-eager to "help" answer based on their reading of the question, worse not even making explicit that their answer is based on some assumption. Then we get competing interpretations etc. If you want to help an asker to clarify their question, by all means do so. | |
| Apr 14, 2019 at 2:59 | history | answered | goblin GONE | CC BY-SA 4.0 |