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Q&A Should we start displaying the score of a post instead of the raw votes?

If we show raw Wilson score I think we're going to see a lot of confusion and questions -- "is 0.65 good?" "what does it take to get to 0.8?" etc. Even if we explain that it's a value from 0 to 1 ...

posted 4y ago by Monica Cellio‭  ·  edited 4y ago by manassehkatz‭

Answer
#3: Post edited by user avatar manassehkatz‭ · 2020-07-15T02:43:27Z (over 4 years ago)
  • If we show raw Wilson score I think we're going to see a *lot* of confusion and questions -- "is 0.65 good?" "what does it take to get to 0.8?" etc. Even if we explain that it's a value from 0 to 1 indicating some quality measure, I don't think it's all that meaningful to show that number to most people -- and certainly not as the only indication.
  • We should consider context. I think it's very important to show the raw votes for *answers to questions*. The sorting conveys relative ranking, so we don't need to show meters or scores or anything else there -- just the votes. I'm not averse to making the scores available, but they shouldn't be primary because the page *already conveys* this information in a more intuitive way.
  • Why is it important to show the raw vote counts? Because ranking, and scores were we to show them, give a *sense*, but if you're considering which of these answers on EE to follow to modify your phone, you really ought to know that while that answer has lots of upvotes it *also* has lots of downvotes. That should prompt you to look more closely. Maybe the downvoters are wrong or misunderstood, or maybe disabling they know one missed step and you'll brick your expensive phone.
  • For *top-level posts* (questions or articles), though, our priorities might be different. Is it actually valuable to see question scores on the question list at all -- either raw scores or a meter or both? What are we trying to accomplish by showing this? If we answer *that*, I think we'll be in a better position to decide what to show there.
  • Finally, on the question page I talked about answers but not the question. Since we're showing raw votes for all the answers, I think consistency demands that we show them for the question too. And just as we're not showing graphical meters for answers (because we don't need to), I wouldn't show one for the question on the question page.
  • A final thought about meters on the question page: when we were kicking ideas around on wireframes, someone suggested that the meter should take other factors into account, for example that a question is closed. If the function of the meter is to highlight questions that are likely to be most fruitful for a busy skimmer, then we should take such factors into account -- at which point the meter *isn't* just a reflection of score. If, on the other hand, the meter is just a reflection of score, then what are we trying to accomplish by showing it? (The answer might be multi-modal communication, but I'd rather ask and find out than guess.)
  • If we show raw Wilson score I think we're going to see a *lot* of confusion and questions -- "is 0.65 good?" "what does it take to get to 0.8?" etc. Even if we explain that it's a value from 0 to 1 indicating some quality measure, I don't think it's all that meaningful to show that number to most people -- and certainly not as the only indication.
  • We should consider context. I think it's very important to show the raw votes for *answers to questions*. The sorting conveys relative ranking, so we don't need to show meters or scores or anything else there -- just the votes. I'm not averse to making the scores available, but they shouldn't be primary because the page *already conveys* this information in a more intuitive way.
  • Why is it important to show the raw vote counts? Because ranking, and scores were we to show them, give a *sense*, but if you're considering which of these answers on EE to follow to modify your phone, you really ought to know that while that answer has lots of upvotes it *also* has lots of downvotes. That should prompt you to look more closely. Maybe the downvoters are wrong or misunderstood, or maybe they know one missed step and you'll brick your expensive phone.
  • For *top-level posts* (questions or articles), though, our priorities might be different. Is it actually valuable to see question scores on the question list at all -- either raw scores or a meter or both? What are we trying to accomplish by showing this? If we answer *that*, I think we'll be in a better position to decide what to show there.
  • Finally, on the question page I talked about answers but not the question. Since we're showing raw votes for all the answers, I think consistency demands that we show them for the question too. And just as we're not showing graphical meters for answers (because we don't need to), I wouldn't show one for the question on the question page.
  • A final thought about meters on the question page: when we were kicking ideas around on wireframes, someone suggested that the meter should take other factors into account, for example that a question is closed. If the function of the meter is to highlight questions that are likely to be most fruitful for a busy skimmer, then we should take such factors into account -- at which point the meter *isn't* just a reflection of score. If, on the other hand, the meter is just a reflection of score, then what are we trying to accomplish by showing it? (The answer might be multi-modal communication, but I'd rather ask and find out than guess.)
#2: Post edited by user avatar manassehkatz‭ · 2020-07-15T02:42:35Z (over 4 years ago)
change example
  • If we show raw Wilson score I think we're going to see a *lot* of confusion and questions -- "is 0.65 good?" "what does it take to get to 0.8?" etc. Even if we explain that it's a value from 0 to 1 indicating some quality measure, I don't think it's all that meaningful to show that number to most people -- and certainly not as the only indication.
  • We should consider context. I think it's very important to show the raw votes for *answers to questions*. The sorting conveys relative ranking, so we don't need to show meters or scores or anything else there -- just the votes. I'm not averse to making the scores available, but they shouldn't be primary because the page *already conveys* this information in a more intuitive way.
  • Why is it important to show the raw vote counts? Because ranking, and scores were we to show them, give a *sense*, but if you're considering which of these answers on EE to follow when wiring your house, you really ought to know that while that answer has lots of upvotes it *also* has lots of downvotes. That should prompt you to look more closely. Maybe the downvoters are wrong or misunderstood, or maybe disabling that safety really isn't a great idea.
  • For *top-level posts* (questions or articles), though, our priorities might be different. Is it actually valuable to see question scores on the question list at all -- either raw scores or a meter or both? What are we trying to accomplish by showing this? If we answer *that*, I think we'll be in a better position to decide what to show there.
  • Finally, on the question page I talked about answers but not the question. Since we're showing raw votes for all the answers, I think consistency demands that we show them for the question too. And just as we're not showing graphical meters for answers (because we don't need to), I wouldn't show one for the question on the question page.
  • A final thought about meters on the question page: when we were kicking ideas around on wireframes, someone suggested that the meter should take other factors into account, for example that a question is closed. If the function of the meter is to highlight questions that are likely to be most fruitful for a busy skimmer, then we should take such factors into account -- at which point the meter *isn't* just a reflection of score. If, on the other hand, the meter is just a reflection of score, then what are we trying to accomplish by showing it? (The answer might be multi-modal communication, but I'd rather ask and find out than guess.)
  • If we show raw Wilson score I think we're going to see a *lot* of confusion and questions -- "is 0.65 good?" "what does it take to get to 0.8?" etc. Even if we explain that it's a value from 0 to 1 indicating some quality measure, I don't think it's all that meaningful to show that number to most people -- and certainly not as the only indication.
  • We should consider context. I think it's very important to show the raw votes for *answers to questions*. The sorting conveys relative ranking, so we don't need to show meters or scores or anything else there -- just the votes. I'm not averse to making the scores available, but they shouldn't be primary because the page *already conveys* this information in a more intuitive way.
  • Why is it important to show the raw vote counts? Because ranking, and scores were we to show them, give a *sense*, but if you're considering which of these answers on EE to follow to modify your phone, you really ought to know that while that answer has lots of upvotes it *also* has lots of downvotes. That should prompt you to look more closely. Maybe the downvoters are wrong or misunderstood, or maybe disabling they know one missed step and you'll brick your expensive phone.
  • For *top-level posts* (questions or articles), though, our priorities might be different. Is it actually valuable to see question scores on the question list at all -- either raw scores or a meter or both? What are we trying to accomplish by showing this? If we answer *that*, I think we'll be in a better position to decide what to show there.
  • Finally, on the question page I talked about answers but not the question. Since we're showing raw votes for all the answers, I think consistency demands that we show them for the question too. And just as we're not showing graphical meters for answers (because we don't need to), I wouldn't show one for the question on the question page.
  • A final thought about meters on the question page: when we were kicking ideas around on wireframes, someone suggested that the meter should take other factors into account, for example that a question is closed. If the function of the meter is to highlight questions that are likely to be most fruitful for a busy skimmer, then we should take such factors into account -- at which point the meter *isn't* just a reflection of score. If, on the other hand, the meter is just a reflection of score, then what are we trying to accomplish by showing it? (The answer might be multi-modal communication, but I'd rather ask and find out than guess.)
#1: Initial revision by user avatar Monica Cellio‭ · 2020-07-14T21:47:36Z (over 4 years ago) 
If we show raw Wilson score I think we're going to see a *lot* of confusion and questions -- "is 0.65 good?" "what does it take to get to 0.8?" etc.  Even if we explain that it's a value from 0 to 1 indicating some quality measure, I don't think it's all that meaningful to show that number to most people -- and certainly not as the only indication.

We should consider context.  I think it's very important to show the raw votes for *answers to questions*.  The sorting conveys relative ranking, so we don't need to show meters or scores or anything else there -- just the votes.  I'm not averse to making the scores available, but they shouldn't be primary because the page *already conveys* this information in a more intuitive way.

Why is it important to show the raw vote counts?  Because ranking, and scores were we to show them, give a *sense*, but if you're considering which of these answers on EE to follow when wiring your house, you really ought to know that while that answer has lots of upvotes it *also* has lots of downvotes.  That should prompt you to look more closely.  Maybe the downvoters are wrong or misunderstood, or maybe disabling that safety really isn't a great idea.

For *top-level posts* (questions or articles), though, our priorities might be different.  Is it actually valuable to see question scores on the question list at all -- either raw scores or a meter or both?  What are we trying to accomplish by showing this?  If we answer *that*, I think we'll be in a better position to decide what to show there.

Finally, on the question page I talked about answers but not the question.  Since we're showing raw votes for all the answers, I think consistency demands that we show them for the question too.  And just as we're not showing graphical meters for answers (because we don't need to), I wouldn't show one for the question on the question page.

A final thought about meters on the question page: when we were kicking ideas around on wireframes, someone suggested that the meter should take other factors into account, for example that a question is closed.  If the function of the meter is to highlight questions that are likely to be most fruitful for a busy skimmer, then we should take such factors into account -- at which point the meter *isn't* just a reflection of score.  If, on the other hand, the meter is just a reflection of score, then what are we trying to accomplish by showing it?  (The answer might be multi-modal communication, but I'd rather ask and find out than guess.)