My cousin insisted I should never answer a question with 'it depends' on this forum.

I tried giving a straight yes or no for a month, and my comment karma dropped by 40%. Anyone else get advice that backfired here?

3 comments

3 Comments

markm2727d agoTop Commenter

My cousin gave me the exact opposite advice, told me to always explain my reasoning. I started adding a quick "because" to my yes or no answers, like "No, because the API changed last year." My karma stopped dropping after that. The forum really wants that context.

valthomas23d ago

So what's the deal with forums hating short answers? It's like they see a "yes" or "no" and assume you're just being lazy or rude. Adding that "because" turns it into a real conversation, even if it's just a few words. People want to know you actually thought about it and aren't just blowing them off. Makes the whole place feel less like a robot help desk and more like actual people talking.

ruby_fisher127d ago

Listen to your cousin, @markm27. He gets it.