23
$\begingroup$

This is a situation I find quite frustrating, which seems to be happening to me a lot lately.

I will answer a question. After pondering it, I may think of some additional points.

Later I will go back and fix some typos.

Then the OP will post some or all of his or her data. I will add some displays or other analysis, or maybe just post some comments based on some analysis of their data.

Then the OP may make a number of comments on my answer, with followup questions. Other people add more questions.

Responding to those sometimes requires many changes to my answer (even if I'd like to respond in comments, often my answers are quite extensive and involve research - finding papers, doing simulations and so on). The responses are often much too long for a comment.

As a result, to produce a good responsive answer tends to take a large number of edits over a couple of days, sometimes several edits in quick succession (respond to OP, respond to other people, notice one or more responses to my responses requiring further edits).

At least three times recently I've seen good answers I've invested many hours in polishing turn community wiki, when they really aren't community wiki - I've just been making a better, more responsive answer in multiple stages.

It's a major turn off to fixing mistakes, to putting in illustrative graphics when the data becomes available, to finding more relevant research and to responding to followup questions. That is, it puts me off giving better answers, when that time could be invested elsewhere.

But I also don't want to be bothering moderators to say 'please unwiki this' several times a week.

Is it possible to turn down - even just a little - how sensitive CV is to edits to answers from one person?

Is this something worth pursuing? Is it something that's not likely to be easily done?

Should I just be producing less ambitious, less responsive answers?

Edit: Comment/update added 1 May 2014 (local time)

I think the recent changes to the way automatic CWing works pretty much deals with my concerns on this issue.

$\endgroup$
7
  • 4
    $\begingroup$ The editing facilities can be abused, which is the reason this is in place (by my understanding). After 10 edits by the first author, the post is automatically converted to CW. Other than flagging and requesting that the CW status be reverted, here is an alternative approach if you think your edits are going to be copious and spread out over many sessions. $\endgroup$
    – cardinal
    Mar 24, 2013 at 2:39
  • 14
    $\begingroup$ It's little trouble to respond to flags to "please unwiki this"--it doesn't take any thought and shouldn't be considered bothering the moderators. I think I can speak for all moderators everywhere when I say we appreciate efforts like yours to enhance and improve answers. $\endgroup$
    – whuber Mod
    Mar 24, 2013 at 2:47
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ To answer the question posed in the title (and not all of the subsequent ones, which is why I'm only posting a comment) - my opinion is Yes. If each of the edits are constructive and are not obvious gimmicks to bump the question, then I see no value in having an automatic cap on the number of edits allowed before you stop earning reputation. If there is clear "nuisance" editing occurring, it should be flagged for moderator attention. $\endgroup$
    – Macro
    Mar 24, 2013 at 5:15
  • 3
    $\begingroup$ I'm sympathetic to this; I certainly appreciate people's having put some time and effort into making answers on CV great. That is what will make CV a valuable resource. I didn't know it was possible to 'unwiki' an answer, but I vote that it should be done when answers were edited constructively. I will say that I find this a bit curious, though. I've put some effort into several of my answers, & I don't think I've ever had an answer made CW except by me or b/c the thread is. $\endgroup$
    – gung - Reinstate Monica
    Mar 24, 2013 at 5:47
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ @gung It takes quite a lot of edits. I've worked on making as few edits as I can, but on some questions, over a couple of days I still seem to be hitting it. $\endgroup$
    – Glen_b
    Mar 24, 2013 at 8:15
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ By the way, this automatic conversion has never happened to me, but in several instances (on this site and others) I've flagged the answers of other users that have had their posts converted and have asked that the CW be removed. The moderators have always obliged (quickly). $\endgroup$
    – cardinal
    Mar 24, 2013 at 13:06
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ @cardinal I've never had anything but speedy responses from moderators on any issue. That is not among my worries, at least. Thanks for all your useful pointers and comments. $\endgroup$
    – Glen_b
    Mar 24, 2013 at 21:18

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
12
$\begingroup$

To close the loop:

But I also don't want to be bothering moderators to say 'please unwiki this' several times a week.

As per one of the moderators (whuber, above, in comments):

It's little trouble to respond to flags to "please unwiki this"--it doesn't take any thought and shouldn't be considered bothering the moderators. I think I can speak for all moderators everywhere when I say we appreciate efforts like yours to enhance and improve answers.

So please: continue to flag for un-wiki-ing!

Is it possible to turn down - even just a little - how sensitive CV is to edits to answers from one person?

Please note that yours is something of an....unusual case. Most people don't edit their answers 20+ times. There's nothing wrong with this! And it appears your behavior is 100% in line with things we like to see. As aforementioned: please simply flag your wiki'ed answers to have that removed.

Should I just be producing less ambitious, less responsive answers?

NEVER!

$\endgroup$
2

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .