Statistically speaking, isn't it true that the first few to answer usually get best answer?

Question

I seem to find this to be true, even when the question goes to voting.

Answer 1

No, it's the first person who tells the asker what they want to hear.

Answer 2

Good question. It'd be an interesting little study to undertake. Personal experience shows me that Best Answers chosen by the Asker can be from anywhere in the line-up (except if there are multiple pages of answers). Best Answers most often come from the first page.

As for those questions that go to vote, I think it happens most often that answers within the first 5 or so get picked because people who go to the vote pages (even if they didn't answer the question), don't always look for the best answer. They're more interested in getting points for voting. So, they don't want to read through a bunch of answers just to vote. Maybe they'll read a few. If the answers are short, they probably read more than just the first 5. If the answers are long, and the first 2 or 3 are reasonably good answers, people may just vote for them without giving the rest a shot.

Just conjecture...but seems plausible to me. And as my answer to this question appears on the 2nd page of answers, we'll see if YOU even read it! lol ; )

Answer 3

How would one even know that unless you waited and watched until the question was given the best answer?! I think the person with the best answer gets the points. The persons answer is subjective to the person rating it anyway. What that person picks may not be what you'd pick.
jw

Answer 4

That's because if it goes to voting, people just vote for the points and click on the first response without reading the rest..

Answer 5

no, I read all my answers when I ask a question and pick the best one. I think it could be true if people get lazy reading their answes - especially if there is a whole bunch of them. The same is true for voting - people get tired of reading and pick the best so far I guess..

Answer 6

The best answer goes to the person with the best answer to the question instead of a random remark.

Answer 7

Yes. When voting, I, like most, read the answers in order. If I encounter one which is germane, correct, and concise, especially if the spelling and grammar are correct, it will get my vote, even though there may be a subsequent answer which is actually better.

Answer 8

Could it be that people are lazy and don't want to read all the way through? If my answer is anywhere under the first five, and I get best answer, then you get a big gold star for not being lazy!

Answer 9

In voting it does. But I read all my responses and rate them..I did have 71 answers once that made it hard to pick because I couldn't remember the good ones.

Answer 10

Most of my best answers have come this way. Voters who pick will choose the first answer to get a quick point.

Answer 11

Probably but I guess it depends on the question you are asking. Some questions only have one correct answer. So the first correct answer usually wins.