If you're not familiar with Yahoo Answers, it is one of many, many services that allows people to ask questions and then have others give answers to that question. It also allows for people to vote other answers up or down, and the asker can select a Best Answer or allow voters to select a Best Answer. There is a point system involved that progressively allows privileges.
If a question or an answer violates the "Community Guidelines" it can be reported. An appeal can be made to counter the tattling, but to do so risks points.
Some bigoted coward has taken to reporting my answers again. This happens from time to time, even though I can give the very same answer to essentially the same question and get Best Answer frequently. Anyway, when your answer gets reported, you aren't told who the rat is, or what the specific violation/offending statement was, but you're allowed to appeal at the risk of losing points. So, I appealed a recent reporting, and explained that I had not violated the Guidelines. My appeal was denied. Why? I was only given a one word answer inferring that the topic of my answer was the problem... but the QUESTION was ABOUT that word/topic in the first place. How do you answer a question about a topic without referring to that topic in some way?
If an answer is reported for violating "Community Guidelines," the answer writer should get to know WHO reported the answer AND the person reporting the answer have to quote which part of the answer or what about the answer violates which guideline. Isn't that basic fairness?
I put thought and effort into my answers and I am available to be contacted if someone has a problem with an answer. People can vote down answers or give their own if they don't like mine or anyone else's, so reporting an answer should take some effort and come with some accountability.
Will there be some people who will retaliate against someone who reports their answer? Probably... in which case the Yahoo Answers administrators can suspect or ban the retaliatory person, right?
Bigots are full of fear. They are losing their fight to deny equality and relationship rights. They're going to act on their hate in many different ways. And although they may win very small battles, their on the wrong side of history... regardless of what happens at Yahoo Answers.
Google is used and run by mostly liberals, Yahoo is used mostly by bible thumping conservatives. Didn't you know that?
ReplyDeleteHaven't you ever wondered why yahoo censors so much of it's stuff? or why the news from yahoo news is mostly stuff that FOX news puts out?
If you want to expand your audience and make a change, start running a campaign. make some signs and protest. start handing out pamphlets to people on the street. Send letters to congress. Yes, you need people on board, but if you are fishing for big fishes in tiny ponds, you won't get very far.
Thanks, Sydney. I have considered diverting my efforts to other forums. I do work via this blog, discussion forums, and some behind the scenes stuff. There are actually a lot of people who visit my blog via Yahoo Answers, and some of them contact me, so I know I'm helping to open minds as well as reassure people who feel alone.
Deletethank you for every bit f support ~big or small~ one day love for our chosen life partner will be respected or at least tolerated....hopefully durinb our lifetime!
ReplyDeleteNamaste!
Thank you so much for that.
DeleteAH! I was just coming over here to ask if you were the one who's questions got deleted; I follow you on Yahoo! & when I went to answer a question that I got in my email, it said, "Deleted" or some crap. (I did, however, find a cahed copy of it and agree w/you 100%; people should at least be allowed to know what part of the question pissed someone off---even then, I don't remember any of your quesions OR answers ever being offensive.) That TOTALLY sucks--did you delete your whole profile or did they delete you? And if so, are you going to go back to Yahoo!? It sucks because you ALWAYS have some of the best, most thoughtful answers on there. They definitely need more rational people like you on Yahoo! Answers because there are so many IDIOTIC responses to questions. I had NO idea that Faux "News" was connected to Yahoo! or that it was run by the religious Reich, but that figures. Anyway, I hope you'll be back on Yahoo! Answers at some point again because I really enjoy your comments. :)
ReplyDeleteWow, thank you so much for your kind comments. Could you do me a favor and write to answers-appeals@cc.yahoo-inc.com to tell them pretty much what you wrote here? You see, my Answers account got suspended, probably automatically due to someone reporting my answers and questions so many times. THAT is what happened. I didn't delete anything it was all someone else... probably one prejudiced person. Hopefully, this will get straightened out and I'll be back answering questions. If not, I will become more active at another answering service. If you DO write to them, you can identify me as fullmarriageequality at yahoo dot com under the name Keith
DeleteYou're welcome---it's true. It's obvious you give a lot of thought to what you put into your comments. I get sick of the stupid answers people come up with as either jokes, or from narrow-minded people who feel the need to mandate rules as to how other people should live their lives. That sucks that they removed it, and also that one individual obviously has nothing else to do with their time other than to stalk you over some religious hang ups. Sure, I can write and tell them what great answers you had---shouldn't that be obvious, tho, since you've had a lot of your answers chosen as "favorites"? Stupid conservative freaks. Anyway, I hope you get back on Yahoo! Answers. Good luck! :)
DeleteThey will not entertain inquiries from anyone else other than the email address of the account holder.
ReplyDeleteAs for being a conservative arm of Fox News, I would gently direct anyone to any of their politics forums. Liberalism, and support for the LGBT community is quite alive, and quite well. I do not wish to speak ill of anyone answering on this thread, but your 1st respondent hasn't a clue what they are talking about. Bigotry is not tolerated on Yahoo Answers, and I do spend a good bit of my time removing juvenile,bigoted and even disgusting posts about the LGBT community, and on subject matter ranging from necrophilic beastiality to the eating of one's own feces. I have no clue who is responsible for your plight, but if your content is adults-only, you are making yourself a target.
One must remember, there is an audience on that forum that is LEGALLY as young as 13 and even as young as I have seen as 9 yrs old ILLEGALLY . If content or subject matter isn't suitable for PG13 audiences, it will eventually be removed by someone. Bigotry has nothing to do with that.
Adult discussion amongst adults is one thing. Adult discussions with children able to view it is quite another.
Thanks for your input. My answers and questions are certainly not adults-only. I do keep in mind the audience, and if the asker is a minor, my answer will not contain any links to anything that might be off-limits for them. Even on this blog, I try to avoid printing language that is not permitted on terrestrial radio/television in the US.
DeleteKeith, do you plan on registering on another forum or re-register at yahoo? Or none at all? I found you via yahoo,so I was one of those you opened up lol.
ReplyDeleteGlad I had a positive impact on you. Drop me a line via email. I'm still suspended, and I would think that creating another account to get around that would be a violation. I am dabbling at other places, such as Quora. We'll see what happens. Other people have been picking up where I left off, at least a bit, at YA.
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