Please Comment

"Please Comment" WikiTag is an alternative to AnswerMe. Its entire purpose is to provide a reverse index (by clicking the title of this page) of pages containing the tag. Anyone interested in finding pages that have made explicit requests for contributions can do so by using this page. This is an alternative way of contributing to Wiki than RecentChanges.

Because Wiki has no real rules, there are no rules for the use of this tag. However, here are some suggestions for guidelines on how this tag could be used advantageously.

WikiZens can add this tag if:

They would like to make a contribution, but are not 100% certain of themselves and would like comments from a 'more experienced' source.
There is a question that has not been answered in a while.
On FAQ pages for any unanswered question.

WikiZens can remove this tag if:

The question or topic seems to be adequately addressed.

PleaseComment has the following advantages over AnswerMe:

It reads like PlainEnglish.
It is a polite request rather than an abrupt 'command'.
It applies to many more situations. Basically anytime you'd say "Anyone else have any thoughts?", replace that with PleaseComment. Anytime you'd say "But then again, I'm no expert," replace that with PleaseComment.

Technically, the PleaseComment tag is 'noise', but it is searchable noise. Those who would like to increase the SignalToNoiseRatio can search for PleaseComment requests and replace them with appropriate 'signal' content.

I vote "YEA". -- NickBensema

Yea - I think PleaseComment is kind of like a failing UnitTest or AcceptanceTest for Wiki. Change it until it passes the test.

All text on a wiki implicitly says PleaseComment. By marking some text PleaseComment, we would imply that all other text is to be treated differently.

Different text is different in its SignalToNoise ratio, and the authors often know this as they click Save. Noisy text may implicitly say PleaseComment, but can you find it when you want to help tidy up Wiki's loose ends?

Do you really need help finding loose ends to tidy up?

Please find the page I made lots of comments on, but which I feel is still inadequate. I am not up to the task myself, it requires a more complex understanding of the issues than what I have. Please find that page, I beg you.... found it yet? Would it help if I gave you a list of WikiNames - maybe you'll see one that strikes your interest.

Here are some alternatives to PleaseComment. If you want to make a list of pages where you'd like people to add stuff, put the list on your home page. If there is a certain page where you want a question answered, post the question on that page. If you're in that phase where you can't articulate a good question, ask a bad question, or ask an open-ended question like "What's this about?" or "Could someone please explain this better?" If you can't think of anything that seems right, try posting something that you're sure is wrong and thereby spur criticism. (This only works with RecentChanges; i.e. when the changes are recent, and when the people who read RecentChanges care at the time. When these conditions are not met, which is often, then PleaseComment is an effective alternative.)

There is no need to plan a project or establish a new convention. Just make whatever improvement to a specific page that you're capable of making now. Later you will be able to make better improvements. Proposed plans and conventions like PleaseComment are tempting ways to contribute without contributing--ways to put off real participation by thinking more. Have courage, it's only wiki. (If there is no need, then why was it made? Have faith in your fellow WikiZens. There's nothing wrong with trying out new conventions, especially on a new convention like Wiki.)

There are pages which are better off being not further commented on, like WikiPrayer and other WikiFavourites?. Assuming PleaseComment on those pages only leads to sadness.

Yes. People need to exercise good judgement or they will do bad things. Saying PleaseComment doesn't improve people's judgement. Not saying PleaseComment doesn't improve people's judgement. Another solution, when people mung with nice pages that should be left alone, is to wait a little while and then clean up their mess. This might help improve their judgement, and it certainly fixes up the page.

Who said this first?: 'Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement.' asks ChrisGarrod who caught this meme years ago on someone's .sig.

Good judgement isn't entirely a mystical quality -- better information leads to better judgements. WikiTags are a way of communicating meta-information to improve the process of collaboration. Of course, if in your good judgement the PleaseComment tag is inappropriate for that page then you could, well, remove it. That's WhyWikiWorks after all.

Better information does lead to better judgement (though the skill of good judgement is what we're talking about above), but PleaseComment does not add information. If you want to say something, just say it. People here will listen. No need for WikiTaggery? or PussyFootery?. (PleaseComment adds information. Specifically, "There is a request for comment somewhere, and you can find it right here".)

Also, bad judgement is OK, too. That's the only way to develop good judgement.

I vote yes. It's faster than RecentChanges to identify pages where the author is specifically asking for further discussion.

(Hmmm, search turns up twelve pages including ones which only mention PleaseComment to explain what it is. Does that prove it mostly useless?)

Some people are still using AnswerMe. PleaseComment is on some pages many times, especially FAQ-style pages. Actually, comparing the usage between PleaseComment and AnswerMe, I'd say PleaseComment is doing a very good job. It'll just take time for it to rise in Wiki's awareness.

Is PleaseComment appropriate when you would like a comment to be expanded? Would PleaseElaborate? be a better choice? Or perhaps just "PleaseComment further"?

Another Alternative for PleaseComment might be: AskWiki. -- FridemarPache

There are several services on the Web, like AskYahoo?. After my experience they work very well. Why not AskWiki ... This could be a candidate for a set of userdefined TwinPages. As each Wiki community accumulates dedicated expertise, this could be a helpful addon. A page AskWiki (with many TwinPages to related peer wikis) could accumulate a list of more or less open questions. By the way, I have not yet searched, if the domains AskWiki.com, AskWiki.net, ... are registered. If not, take this idea and use it to become a millionaire like the man who sold the domain "wiki.com" for 3 million dollars. I gave the link for this info in (sorry, was just interrupted by my friend, who registered AskWiki.net some seconds later for me, after the idea was posted here) the MeatballWiki. You may do the same thing with PleaseComment and join the first DomainsWiki as a wiki-entrepreneur.

So my answer for deciding on a new WikiWord is:

ask yourself, if it is worth to be registered as a domain-name,
do it in a wiki community with peer entrepreneurs,
discuss openly the value with bringing in your own alternative(domain)s
feel the joy of being released, to spill out all your best ideas (they will increase the value or your domain and the alternative domains of your peers)

-- FridemarPache

CategoryWikiTag