Help me understand...?

Question

As I look through Yahoo answers, I see a lot of people asking questions that are solely based on opinion. For example, I once saw a question in which the asker asked, "Do you think Fall-Out Boy is a good band?" Then the details went on to explain that this young lady just so happened to like this band. The question received approximately 7 answers. 6 of them said something along the lines of, "No" or "they suck". The only answer that said that the band was good was chosen, by the asker no less, as best answer. Solely because this young lady simply didn't like the other answers because they did not share the same opinion as hers.

Now, my question is this:

Why do so many people waste time and server space asking such ridiculous questions, only to ignore answers, no matter how intelligent, just because they don't agree with them.

I was under the impression that this site was created as a way for the community to help itself. One asks a question and the group collectively helps the asker find a solution to the question.

I just don't get it. Please help me understand. Now, if I wanted to be like the countless multitudes of dolts on this site, I would award "Best Answer" to the person that agrees with me. But I am going to try an unusual new method. I am giving the 10 points for the most intellectual retort.

equinebeing, this is not an opinion question. This question was placed in the psychology category because I want an an answer explaining human behavior. That is the premise of this site. Is it not?

Answer 1

People are asking whatever is important to them. Some people are more shallow than others, some are deeper and we all are opinionated in many ways. It's just human nature.

What you are getting here is a good cross section of society. Read for a while and you'll see something from almost every walk of life and intellectual level. I imagine that it is a little one sided because some groups of people have more time than others to play. I would venture the opinion that no matter how mundane the question it is still better than the author sitting in front of the TV being a vegetable.

In the end, as in the example you mentioned, some people are only looking for somebody to tell them what they want to hear, to reinforce their opnion and make them feel better about how they believe. So they reject those that don't agree. I see it all the time in my profession as well. People pay good money for my opinion, then they ignore it and listen to their neighbor because he/she tells them what they wanted to hear.

Answer 2

The people who do that are just looking for validation. They want other people to tell them that the decision or opinion they have is the right one, and they get snippy when people disagree.

I think some of the opinion questions are valuable and can really help the asker out, if it's a serious question.



Most of the Q&A here is crap, but it's fairly easy to pick out the serious questions.

It's just like when someone asks a question, and a person gives them the true facts, and everyone else is pulling the wrong answer out of their back ends - the wrong answer gets the points and the only correct answer gets rated down because nobody LIKED IT, nevermind that it actually answers the question.

I just figure that on the serious questions, when I have an answer, I do it. When someone asks an opinion, I give my opinion. If I get a best, GREAT! If not, who cares. Its not like I get anything other than relieving boredom for a little while by being here. And maybe someone will be helped.

Answer 3

I completely agree with you. I believe the answer to your question is this: Some people that ask ridiculous questions do so because they have nothing better to do and are guaranteed an answer on this site. Then again I feel some people are alone (or feel that they are) in this world and truly have no one else to turn to. Or maybe the questions that seem ridiculous to us seem very important to them. As far as answers being ignored; some people will only agree with an answer if it is what they wanted to hear, never caring that one of the other answers may have actually been better suited to their question. Some people do not handle constructive criticism well even if they would greatly benefit from it.

Answer 4

I've only been on this a short while, and have not figured it out totally, but I certainly notice a lot of young people who are very silly using it. So far, it seems there are some politically opinionated people, some whacky teeny boppers, and then the legitimate questions. It is too bad that all the really silly stuff is being allowed, but I guess they don't want to be too controlling.

The teeny boppers are the only ones with enough time on their hands to ask such silly stuff.

Answer 5

Good point. I skip over those kinds of questions because it's someone just trying to make conversation (this is the wrong site for that).
They want confirmation of their place among "others", or their self-worth, It doesn't matter how many disagree, they just need one pea in their pod.
They don't have to kill the doom-sayer, but they sure don't have to vote their answer either.

Answer 6

Parents need to "parent" their children and monitor their child's on line activity. Yahoo is accessed by millions of people daily, a majority of those people are adults. Children do not need to interact with adults in this fashion.

The reason questions regarding "what band is better" are posted is because children are bored and looking for some sort of attention.

Answer 7

Haha. How true. I suppose these people have opinions that can't be bothered by others around them. So they come here where they are assured of people answering and responding to their "questions". Since their "questions" are really opinions, they tend to pick those who agree with them.

Answer 8

The only bad question is the one that is not asked. People have a varied level of comprehesion and interests. There is someone out there that thinks like you, me, and the other guy too. BTW, I never heard of FALL-OUT-BOY, any good?

Answer 9

The same reason why you would waste server space asking a question that really has not definite answer.

Because they can.

Ironically, your 'question' was opinion-based as well.

Answer 10

It should be a sociology question.
Just because this site was designed for one purpose, it became used for another - in this case, to kill time, provide enjoyment, and essentially a more developed one sided chat room.