26
$\begingroup$

Almost all the time, new users post a question with no explanation with no context given, and no mathjax used. I have written "Please write what you tried" a countless number of times. There should be a popup or message that asks new users to confirm that the met all of the following requirements before posting:

  • Did you add context to your question?
  • Did you search to see if your question has an answer already?
  • Did you use Mathjax?

Maybe there can even be a requirement that users open the Mathjax page before posting a question. I know some users will skip through all of this like they skipped through the advice page that new users get before asking a question, but I believe this will improve the quality of new posts on the site. Also, an idea is to only make the "proceed" button available after they have checked the box and reviewed their question for at least 10 seconds.

$\endgroup$
7
  • 6
    $\begingroup$ BTW it should be pointed out that probably correct question should be not asking "What have you tried?" but "Could you add context to your question?" See: Can we stop the “Show your work craze”? $\endgroup$
    – Martin Sleziak
    Sep 16, 2016 at 6:19
  • $\begingroup$ I was not entirely sure what you meant by "Does your question have an answer?". But I guess that you mean whether the user have searched whether answer to their question has already been posted on the site. $\endgroup$
    – Martin Sleziak
    Sep 16, 2016 at 6:19
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ And quid pro quo, perhaps we should suggest a pop-up message for users posting an answer so that before being allowed to post, they must read the SE "be nice" policy, and click on an icon that says [I understand] before being allowed to proceed? $\endgroup$
    – amWhy
    Sep 16, 2016 at 19:24
  • $\begingroup$ Be nice! $\endgroup$
    – amWhy
    Sep 16, 2016 at 19:33
  • 8
    $\begingroup$ "There should be something asks new users to confirm that the met all of the following requirements before posting:" But that seems exactly what the advice page does. There even is a check box to tick "thanks, I will keep these tips in mind when asking "It is pretty unclear to me what you want to propose. A second check box? Saying, 'I did not just blindly check the first one'? Likely, not. But what do you want to propose? $\endgroup$
    – quid Mod
    Sep 20, 2016 at 14:56
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ @MartinSleziak I personally hold the "What have you tried?" question when the answer seems somewhat easy and that whatever the OP may have tried, there were probably only a few steps away. It also promotes new-users to realize that we are not a homework site, but an actual Q/A site. $\endgroup$
    – Simply Beautiful Art
    Sep 21, 2016 at 0:07
  • $\begingroup$ I edited the main post; would like feedback and suggestions about my idea. $\endgroup$
    – suomynonA
    Sep 23, 2016 at 3:52

0

Reset to default

You must log in to answer this question.

Browse other questions tagged .