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Site Guidelines.

What is Answerbag?

Answerbag is a community where you can ask, answer, and interact around questions and answers with thousands of people around the world. If you're registered and logged in to your account, you're ready to join us!

How do I ask a good question?
1. Make sure it's unique. You may be able to find your answer immediately if it has already been asked on the site. From the home page, type your question into the search box in the header and hit the "Submit" button. On the next page, you will see a list of similar questions already on the site.Navigate to one of those questions, or submit your new question via the box on the right:
2. Make your question clear, concise and stated in the form of a question. If you need to include more detail about your question beyond the 140-character limit, click on the "add a description" link beneath the question box in Step 1.
3. No txt spk pls:). You have the best chance for people to view and answer your question if you use correct spelling, since misspelled or abbreviated words are difficult for others to find when they search online.
4. Choose the right category. Choose the appropriate category carefully so that those with expertise can find and answer it. In Step 2 on the Ask Page, either select one of the categories we recommend...
...or browse for a category yourself:
How do I post a good poll?
Make your question a poll by clicking the checkbox labeled "I would like to make my question a poll" beneath the question entry box:
Posting your question as a poll lets you give people a few answer options, and you can see the aggregated opinions of many Answerbaggers at a glance. Good poll options may be as simple as Yes, No and I don't know. You can also add your own spin to the question in your poll options-like this poll, Is it too soon for Tiger Woods to come back to golf?. For more on how to write a great poll, check out our Top 7 Tips on the Answerbag blog.
How do I submit a good answer?
Answers should always address the question being asked, and should not violate any other policies listed here or in the Terms of Service. Generally, make sure your answers are clear, be polite to other users, and do not add links or other content that could be considered spam. But don't just take our word for it. Check out How do I write a good answer? to see more great suggestions from the community.
As for how to actually, technically answer a question, either click on the "Answer Question" button just below the question itself, or scroll to the box after the last question and enter your answer.
When you've finished, click the "Answer Question" button. Your answer will move toward the top of the list as more people "Like" it.
How do I submit a comment?
Click the "Post one" link, located just beneath an answer, to comment on that answer. Comments are limited to 1,000 characters.
How can I view and edit my user profile and avatar?
On the dark blue navigation bar near the top of the page, click "Profile" to navigate to your profile page.
You can also click on your username anywhere it appears, such as on a question or answer.
Use the "Edit avatar" link just to the right of your avatar to add or change the picture used for your avatar.
Use the "Edit profile" link to add to or modify your profile information, such as your name, gender and location. Material posted in the "About Me" section of your profile will be visible to others when they view your profile.
To set your email notification preferences or change your username tagline, use the "Edit preferences" link, also to the right of your avatar.
What are points on Answerbag?
Points are a way for people who submit good questions and answers to be recognized by the Answerbag community. This means the best questions and answers as rated by other Answerbaggers-whether they're interesting, useful, funny, or some combination thereof-are promoted to the top of the results list.

Here's how points work:

  • Each "Like" on a question or answer yields 1 point.
  • Each approved "flag" yields 1 point.
  • Each answer marked as "great" by Staff, Moderators or Community Leaders yields 5 points.
For more on the points system, and to take a peek at a Great Answer, check out How does Answerbag's new system for points and levels work?.
What are levels on Answerbag?
When you hit certain numbers of points, you advance in level. It's easy to level up at first, but it gets harder each time, so give as many good answers as you can to level up quickly. When you make it to higher levels, your badge and title may change.
When you hit certain numbers of points, you advance in level. It's easy to level up at first, but it gets harder each time, so give as many good answers as you can to level up quickly. When you make it to higher levels, your badge and title may change.
You can also check the Leaderboards to see where you stand in the rankings. A complete list of level titles can be found here.
How do I rate questions and answers?
When other members submit questions or answers, you can rate them using the "Like" button underneath the question or answer (you can't rate your own submissions):
You can also unlike a question by clicking "Unlike":
Give Likes to questions and answers that are useful, funny, interesting, informative, well-written, or otherwise a positive addition to your Answerbag experience. Every point is a vote for the kind of site you want Answerbag to be.
If someone edits their post after you've Liked it, or a question/answer is genuinely offensive, you can unlike it and report it to the moderators by flagging it.
What are friends on Answerbag?
No matter which part of Answerbag attracts you, you'll get to know specific Answerbaggers pretty quickly. One easy way to keep track of their activities is to add them to your Friends list. Click on their username to go to their profile page, and then click the "Add as friend" link.
A notification will immediately be sent to the person. Once they accept your request, their username and avatar will appear in the Friends tab of your profile page. You can also see your pending requests from this page.
When someone sends a Friend request to you, a notification will appear on your toolbar. Clicking the Request will take you to your Friends page, where you can accept or decline requests.
Why should I flag questions and answers?
Flagging inappropriate content keeps the site clean and useful. Merging duplicate questions, placing questions in their most appropriate category, and removing inappropriate content creates a better experience for everyone. You earn 1 point each time a flag you submit is accepted by our moderators. Careful though‒submitting a large number of frivolous or disruptive flags can get your account suspended.
How do I flag questions and answers?
Clicking "Report" under any question, answer or comment reveals a pulldown menu with several options. You may flag a question as a Spam, Offensive, Nonsense, Duplicate, Bad Tag(s) or Wrong Category.
What is considered spam?
Spam flags are typically approved when it is obvious that someone is trying to promote a product or a website through posting a question or answer. If a relevant website is posted with a genuine question (for example in the "description" field), the flag will be rejected and the question kept active. Similarly, an answer can contain a website that directly addresses the question. However, if the same link is submitted multiple times, mostly to questions for which it is irrelevant, or it links to a spam site, the answer will be considered spam and removed.
What is considered offensive?
Generally, anything that couldn't be shown on U.S. broadcast television is considered offensive. This includes anything you post on the site, including questions, answers, comments, user profile information, links, avatars and usernames. While we encourage you to express yourself freely, this cannot impinge upon others' right to a positive Answerbag experience.
Questions on the regular Answerbag site must be appropriate for users aged 14 and above. Questions and answers that are sexually explicit or graphic belong in the AB4Adults section (linked at the bottom of every page) of Answerbag.
Question context and category factors in as well: Some questions that might be offensive in one category can be appropriate in another. For example, you can talk about sex in the Relationship Advice category but not Kids, or you can use profanity in Word Origins, but usually not elsewhere.

When content is flagged as offensive, the flag will be approved if:

  • The content doesn't meet the broadcast TV rule of thumb.
  • An individual user is being attacked.
  • The question is intended to be malicious or hurtful, in the opinion of site moderators.
Sometimes opinions may seem offensive, and some questions are intended to challenge the way others think. We tend to be careful about censoring these types of questions, and err on the side of preserving content. Within the larger goal of preserving a useful and harmonious community, we believe in people's right to speak their mind, and we have found that allowing questions that may seem offensive can lead to very thought-provoking discussions about why the question is or is not offensive.
We recognize that this is a fine line and can involve some very tough judgment calls. If you feel that a flag was accepted or rejected erroneously, let us know by clicking the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of the page and submitting the details in your description. Be sure to include a link to the question and why you think the acceptance/rejection was erroneous.
What is considered a duplicate?
A duplicate question is a different way of posing the same question that does not require a different answer from the original. Think of it this way: If a great answer to the potential duplicate would be the same as the answer to the original question, it's a dupe. Here are some examples:

Duplicates:

  • How do I clean grass stains in carpet?
  • How do I clean grass stains out of carpet?

Not considered duplicates:

  • What's your favorite drink?
  • What's your favorite drink on a summer day?
We want to keep as many unique questions as possible, so duplicate flags are only accepted if the questions are exactly the same, or if the two questions can be merged without any of the answers seeming out of place.
What is considered nonsense?
Nonsense flags are typically only accepted when there is definitely no question, problem stated, or request for information. This usually means things like "alfepoai eh agoeapoen a?" can be flagged as nonsense and the flag will be accepted.
By contrast, a question like "Do rhinos like to eat peanut butter on sunny days?" may seem nonsensical, but it is still a question that may generate some interesting or funny answers and would not be removed. (Questions like this are appropriate in the Outside the Bag categories.)
When is a question considered to be in the wrong category?
Questions can be posted in one and only one category, and with the thousands of categories on Answerbag, it's not always easy to choose the right category the first time! Generally, wrong category flags will be approved if they propose moving a question from a general to a more specific category, and to one that better suits the topic of the question. Questions that are flagged to move to less specific categories, less appropriate categories, or to categories that are considered to be a lateral move offering no significant improvement will not be approved.
Make your new category selection when flagging by either doing a keyword search in the space provided (type in a few keywords and suggestions will appear), or by manually searching via the pulldown menu:
How do I choose my question type?
Some Answerbaggers just want factual questions and answers, while others want to share opinions-many want both! You can help when you post your questions by selecting one of the following under the "My question is:" section: For advice, For facts/instructions, To encourage discussion, or Just for fun, shooting the breeze:
Why should I post my question to Facebook?
As you submit your question, we allow you to share it with your Facebook friends. This helps you get personalized feedback from your circle of friends, and also widens the pool of people who see your question and can potentially give you a great answer.
When you select "Post this question to my friends on Facebook," a dialog box will pop up enabling you to share your question:
Who's here to help?

Apart from our thousands of members, Community Leaders are longtime members who have graciously agreed to help us moderate the site. If you have questions or want to report potential bad behavior on the site, notify a Community Leader and they can intervene. Answerbag's current Community Leaders are:

Usually the best way to contact a Community Leader is to visit their profile page and send them a message. You may also leave a comment on a thread in which they've recently participated, so they receive a notification. For issues requiring immediate attention, post a request on the Answerbag blog. (NOTE: BigDaddyBS has also created a list of CLs, their profiles and email addresses.)
Moderators review flags and category suggestions, maintain the category structure and site policies, and help administer the site.
Administrators review feedback and bug reports; coordinate the work of moderators and Community Leaders; and work with Demand Media, our parent company. You can send feedback to site administrators through the "Contact Us" link at the bottom left of every page (under About Us), or directly to admin@answerbag.com.
How do people get suspended (penalty-boxed) or banned from Answerbag?

Here's a list of common site don'ts:

  • Attacking, stalking or otherwise harassing other users
  • Reposting content that has been removed by moderators
  • Posting spam, profanity or other inappropriate content
  • Vindictively flagging all content by a particular user
  • Vindictively or frivolously flagging content
  • Creating multiple accounts (sock puppets) to attack other users
  • Creating new accounts to get around the penalty box

These and other violations of site policy are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and will result in either a warning, content removal, account suspension (the penalty box) for a period of time, or the permanent removal of your account. You may appeal a penalty, but the judgment of site administrators is final.

While we know it's tempting to fight back if you feel you've been attacked, the best way to stay out of the penalty box is to report it. Send a message via Contact Us to the CLs (see above) explaining the situation, and we'll review it and take appropriate action.

How can I best enjoy the site?
Answerbag is far more than questions and answers, and far more than the sum of the official rules and tools. Each user and each group of friends creates their own Answerbag experience, and helps define Answerbag for all community members. Many have created clubs, pages and guidelines of their own to discuss the finer points of Answerbag etiquette, and to make the site enjoyable in many different ways. Have fun exploring!

Answerbag

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