Questions From The WA Community - Answering vs Responding

Hi Folks

I haven't blogged for a while here in the Community and I've slipped out of the Top 100 and then the Top 200, but hay-ho - rank is not what I'm here for.

Which in a round about sort of way brings me to the point of this post.

One thing that might have slowed my slide in the rankings is that as I've gained a bit more knowledge and experience thanks to the excellent training here at Wealthy Affiliate, I feel a bit more confident in answering some of the questions that members ask.

Note, please, that I said 'ANSWERING' - or at least attempting to! I did not say 'RESPONDING'.

I've also asked a couple of questions myself when I've exhausted the various possibilities that our excellent search facility throws back at me, and it's when I get a response rather than an answer that I spit out my coffee (or my tea, as I'm English!) and scream at my computer 'Aaaargh......why do people do this?' Or words to that effect. It may be a little more colourful if the Wife and kids aren't in the house!

So, what am I getting at?

Well, if you haven't guessed (and if you're one of the guilty ones, you probably have guessed and might be feeling a little embarrassed!), it's things like this:

Answer vs Response

1. 'That's a great question.'

2. 'Sorry, Rich. I don't know.'

3. 'That's never happened to me, Rich. Can't help you there.'

4. 'Look, Rich - xxxxxxx has answered your question.'

If you're one of the above, can I ask you what does any of this achieve?

I would suggest that apart from Number 4 - if it helps whoever is asking the question find the answer in amongst all the non-answers cluttering up the thread - absolutely nothing apart from maybe moving you a little closer to the Top 200 / 100 / 50 or Ambassadorship for 'helping' one of your fellow Community Members!

I feel that sort of thing not only brings no value to the Community and the WA Platform, it actually de-values it.

An Ambassador, or someone heading that way, should more than anyone else actually be able to give the person asking the question a proper, relevant and HELPFUL answer. Unless of course they're simply gaming the rankings (whilst simultaneously flushing their credibility down the toilet!)

If someone asks a question and by good fortune it was something you also needed an answer to, then by all means give the person who answers it properly a 'Like' or a 'thank you' type comment, but please don't clutter up the thread with irrelevant and unhelpful comments.

The ranking system is open to abuse - if that's not too strong a way of putting it - in this way, but at the end of the day we all came on board with Wealthy Affiliate to earn money, not for some ranking score and anybody who posts up irrelevant and unhelpful responses to people's questions is not only wasting that person's time, but also their own.

Wouldn't it be more productive to watch a training video, or do some keyword research, or tweak your website a little? Something that might earn you the money you came here for, rather than get you a brief moment of attention - and not really the kind you'd want if it's a habit that you end up getting the wrong reputation for?

When someone asks the Community a question, they are seeking an answer to a problem. They only want to know what you know, not what you don't know.

Y'know...just like the people out there typing questions into Google because they're looking for something that we might be able to give them, and earn a bit of money for doing so?

If someone gives them the answer they need, they will find it thanks to the notification they get from within the WA e-mail system. They don't need you to tell them that so-and-so has answered their question for them. That just clutters up the thread and increases the possibility that they may actually miss the answer!

There is a huge difference between having something to say and just having to say something.

If you're one of the culprits, please consider how irritating you would probably find it being done to you, and please re-visit your reasons for joining Weatlhy Affiliate in the first place. Crack on with the stuff that's going to put money in your wallet. Once you've achieved that, you'll be able to give people proper answers to their questions rather than waste their time with irrelevant responses.

Sorry if this was a bit negative, guys and girls, but I felt it needed saying and I've got a gut feeling I'm not the only one who feels the same way.

Maybe next time someone does it to you, reply with the link to this blog post (your own affiliate link, of course...!) and perhaps embarrass them a little!

Have a great WA Day!

Cheers

Rich