English Language & Usage

Questions tagged [new-users]

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18
votes
2answers
335 views

We need a site specific message for our advice page

One of the problems that keeps coming up is that many first time users of the site ask questions that are either better suited for English Language Learners don't have enough information for us to ...
10
votes
6answers
400 views

Becoming more welcoming to new users, how?

TL;DR: how to address low-quality posts by new-users without being a jerk or otherwise scaring them away? Introduction I'm writing this question after reading this Stack Overflow blog on the need to ...
16
votes
3answers
362 views

Writing a better help page on “How do I write a good answer” [updated]

New users often give answers that are too short or that have other problems that may cause them to be considered "very low quality" (which means they are often flagged for deletion). People can leave ...
16
votes
5answers
572 views

I am worried about being off-topic

Today is the second time I had an "English Language" question and visited this forum based on the result of a Google Internet search using a query such as: "proper use of the word _______" Both ...
13
votes
1answer
217 views

How to prevent automatic downvotes on an answer after editing it?

I frequently flesh out answers from new users; adding relevant dictionary definitions, links and usage examples. Almost every time I do that, the answer immediately gets a -1 score. Some new users ...
10
votes
2answers
216 views

Hoop-jumping for new users: multiple choice quiz!

Josh61's idea caused me to have my own idea for how we (try to) stop new users posting low quality questions: compulsory multiple choice quiz! It's very easy for anyone to ignore the guidance on the ...
4
votes
6answers
353 views

Are low quality questions and answers here to stay?

For a number of reasons the number of new users who post low quality questions or answers does not appear to be flagging by any measure. This issue had often generated stress among users who rightly ...
10
votes
1answer
216 views

Helping this user read a (somewhat technical) book

Over the past three days, the new user yorgun has asked 10 questions, all seeming to be asking for clarification on various excerpts from the same book, Diplomacy, A Very Short Introduction by Joseph ...
6
votes
1answer
141 views

Why must we assume that earlier answers are better, especially when they are not even related?

This concerns a specific example of a more general procedural issue that bothers me. A recent question is headed Idioms for a 'obvious' or 'needs no explanation'. Its well-stated core is a matter of ...
16
votes
5answers
767 views

Extraordinary spike in low-quality questions by 1 rep users

I can't keep up with them, the brand new users who have 1 rep. There's too many, they're swarming the site and often their questions consist of one or two lines with no context. All the following ...
5
votes
2answers
138 views

Why do we tell users to comment when they don't have sufficient rep to do so?

I have noticed the following comment left pretty much verbatim, and it bothers me: This does not provide an answer to the question. To critique or request clarification from an author, leave a ...
21
votes
8answers
549 views

Repository of polite responses

Several folks have noted that ELU regulars have a predilection towards snobbery and are perceived as generally unwelcoming to new users. I realized today that I'm guilty of this, and I haven't even ...
1
vote
0answers
92 views

Is an english.stackexchange user expected to have searched at onelook.com?

Is an english.stackexchange user expected to have searched at onelook.com before asking a question about a word? If so, should it not mention such an expectation in the Help or Tour sections of the ...
8
votes
5answers
667 views

How can we improve the introduction of new chat users to EL&U chat “culture” and features?

When I recently first visited the English Language and Usage chat room, I arrived with many erroneous expectations. I presumed that the EL&U chat room would center on English language discussion, ...
20
votes
5answers
298 views

Shouldn’t people looking for FAQs be able to find them?

EDIT Since the old FAQ links has been replaced with a Help link, this concern no longer applies now that they’ve begun to call it what it is. The question of whether it should be easier to find ...
31
votes
5answers
686 views

Why are most new questions being downvoted?

I was scrolling through the list of newest asked questions and noticed that only 3 out of 15 had non-negative votes for the question. Is this just an anomaly or is the quality of the average question ...
4
votes
1answer
94 views

What should be done about in-answer or in-question greetings?

I have seen a few questions or answers with "Hello!" or "Hi!" in them. Is it safe to ignore these or should I edit them out? And, since they are new users, is there a tactful way to respond while ...