Why do the answer boxes dissapear?

If I answer a question that is somewhat controversal or attract a lot of attention, and someone directly responds to my post or others and you have tons of debates going on in the answers which is cool because you get points of view etc (an example would be the religion and spirituality section, lots of debates there) Anyway, I go to respond to someone after a while, but there is no answer box anymore. Its gone. WHY? It has happened several times, and its the most annoying thing. Also, sometimes answers are deleted, like on a question there were four answers removed, and yes they were in a bit of a debate but they were handling it nicely and were still thanking each other for the posts etc, so I dont see why. So I guess in a way…I feel like we are all being censored and babysat O.O Why the removal of answer boxes and answers that are not disrespectful?

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Answer #1

If you review the terms of use, there are a ton of different reasons why we might remove an answer. If something was mentioned that violates site rules or is simply a bit too rude to be on the site, we’ll get rid of it. Something you might not have considered offensive might have been seen as offensive to someone else. I obviously wasn’t involved, so I can only speculate.

We close questions with solid answers to avoid bad ones later down the road that may be contradictory. A lot of people get a wee bit carried away with things, so if the answer on there is solid, there’s really no sense in letting someone else say anything. It would just be repetitive.

We also close questions that are in a heated debate to avoid people turning rude. If things look like they may be getting out of hand, we do what it takes to keep the situation under control.

I understand your frustration, but really you aren’t being babysat. The advisors and admin are around to make sure that the site remains pleasant overall. You might not like what we do, but we do it for the betterment of the FunAdvice community. Believe it or not, we’re keeping the peace. Take it as a good sign though that you have people around here who care enough to do that. You won’t find the same sort of care and dedication on any other site that you go to. It’s one of the many things that makes FA stand out from the crowd.

Hope I answered some of your concerns. I really am sorry that the process upset you, but in the end, we have our reasons for doing what we do.

-Heaven

Answer #2

Here’s the rub: Option one: We treat everybody like adults…trouble is, not all adults act like adults, some will get their feelings hurt and then go home. That sucks for us, b/c we lose members.

Option two: We treat everybody like children…it gets out of hand, wack, we close it, delete it, censor everything. The slightest provocation and it gets dealt wtih.

Option three (what we do now): Try very hard to make everybody happy, by censoring some things where people get hurt, and using our very best judgement…however the rub of this one is that everybody gets upset, AND, every single “group” is 100% certain we’re out to get “them”…I’ve been accused of bias, racial discrimination, religious intolerance by each major group in the US, etc, etc.

We are working on more permanent solutions to these issues and when the site is rebuilt in a month or two, it should work far better for contentious issues…in the meantime, please feel free to drop us specific suggestions as we try to improve the site :)

Answer #3

I see that you guys put effort into the site to make it pleasant and to basically cut back on the bullying etc, and there are definitly some questions in which I was very glad they were closed and certain posts deleted, because lets face it, lots of people become jerks on the internet. So thank you all for putting in the effort to keep it clean etc However (this is nothing towards you specifically heaven because as you said, you werent there so its all speculation) I think the best way to better describe this is an example of two different questions I had answered that had turned into a debate. One of which was asked…and got 70 posts of pure heated debate. At the moment that I was looking at the posts it did make me wonder “where are the advisors now?” while at the same time, another question was in a simple debate, one that had every post beginning with “I respect your opinion but is it possible that…”

So I guess my major point/question is…that maybe the judgement isnt so right? Again I understand and appreciate the thought put into the site.

but a suggestion… I don’t know if its possible but maybe let the asker decide if it should be closed? Like I said earlier, if its not my question and I dont like whats being said, I’ll stop going to the question. If im the asker, I would have the power to say “I got the answer I need, im closing this now, no need for a debate.”

I think the only problem I see with the site right now is that you guys care too much. If the answers begin to suck, trust the askers to stop the madness. If someone is not handling a debate in a mature manner, there is usually someone here who puts them in their place and life goes on.

So overall, now this is just a suggestion, but trust your members a little more and make it easier on all of us. :)

Answer #4

yeah, I guess theres a difference though between the question that has 72 answers of pure arguement that was just now closed, and the one that was closed after like 16 answers that were still pretty decent answers. Also, I finally (after I posted this) found similar questions and they said they also close them because all the good answers have been said. But honestly I think its up to the person who asked the question to decide that lol. hmm…maybe the asker should be able to close the question. That way if they get tired of getting like 70 answers they can close it. Because if the oerson who asked the question doesnt mind the responses, I dont see how it woulld harm anyone to at least be able to see other points of view (or pointless comments lol) way I see it, if it doesnt bug the asker whose gonna get the notifications, I dont see how the answers are a problem. If im sick of the pointless answers I dont go back to the question LOL

Answer #5

I agree . but unfortunitly thats just the way the site is .. it is good in a way though if ye think about it… especially in those religion questions.. they can tend to get really rowdy .. lol… Xo:)

Answer #6

seriously? gah that seriously sucks, if people argue they argue. That doesnt change my feeling of overall censorship lol

Answer #7

Well I don’t know about the answers being deleted but the reason there would be no answer box would be because the question what closed by an advisor or something.. usually because the discussion was going off the point of the question or if it was starting to be an argument… Xo:)

Answer #8

See the contact form on the bottom of the page? Use that to put in your suggestion…seriously. The admin are always looking for ways to improve the site, and if you feel like there is something that would make it better on everyone, put your opinion out there. Granted, someone will read this anyways, but by putting it in writing there, you can guarantee that the right people will get the message. Thanks for pointing out your concerns though. Potentially constructive criticism is always appreciated as far as I can tell :)

Answer #9

heavenly, ill do that, thanks guys