Can we stop answering hate questions?

Question

This is going a little bit too far. It is scary to think that children could be reading in here too.

People that post hate questions of any kind, want attention. IF we don't respond they will get bored. Just report, report, report.

Answer 1

I totally agree because that's the best way to stop anything on here. The worst thing you can do on Y!A (since we're all so anonymous) is to give someone the silent treatment.

A lot of the problem would be solved if more people would take a few minutes to read the guidelines as they are very short and user friendly anyway. According to the guidelines there is a difference between a sincere question and a RANT. We are supposed to be asking sincerely and most of the hate we see on here aren't really even questions at all.

Having said that we seem to have another problem where people get violations because some idiot out there either disagrees with them on something or is just plain bored. I'm worried about that too so my philosophy is to report those who are against the violations because either they aren't asking sincere questions (or aren't answering the question) and not just because I don't happen to agree with them. I have reported people for many things but NEVER because I just didn't agree with them.

For example, say someone asks "Why are Americans so uneducated/ignorant/stupid/fat, violent, etc./?" As an American I'm sick and tired of these type questions but at the same time I can allow for some of this in the name of freedom of speech since there is a chance they might be sincere and open minded. In other words, if they have biased but trying to help themselves I can go with that even though it's rare. On the other hand, if someone gets on here and asks the same thing but then goes off about Iraq, Bush, Vietnam, Abu Ghraib, Hiroshima, etc. then that's not a sincere question at all. They are just using this place to complain and annoy others and that's not supposed to happen.

Personally, I can handle what you might call political incorrectness since so many questions on here could be considered offensive to someone somewhere. However, it's a violation if it can't be answered in the context of a serious conversation- like "why are black people like monkeys" or "what do I do with my pet Muslim", etc. then I report these people since you can't even answer things like that. However, if they just ask something like "why do black people commit so many crimes" or "why are so many Muslims terrorist" then I leave it up to those groups to decide if they want to answer those questions. To me, they are stupid but since they don't affect me I don't answer and wouldn't anyway since it's doubtful you can change these people by a few words. Some people in those groups like that sort of thing though- I've seen some black people who say they aren't that offended by it and like going off on these people so. . . to each his own I guess.

It's tempting sometimes I know. I admit there's a few where I've gone off on a very few people for what I have perceived as prejudice but you know . . . afterwards I didn't feel better like people always say because this place isn't good for "enlightenment". This place is good for straight up questions and answers so I try to go with the guidelines and "share what I know".

Answer 2

I think that after 8 years, it would even be BETTER if Yahoo moderators would actually remove appropriately reported lying hate speech with consistency rather than only remove a very small percentage as a token gesture. There remain egregious violations of Terms of Service in some instances despite many dozens of reports from people around the world, multiple letters to Yahoo and yet they'll remove silliness with rapidity, and permit war mongering hate libels and attacks and even medieval blood libels and incitement to violence to remain AFTER it has been appropriately reported by many people.

Answer 3

Yes, I feel your pain. I hate when I use up 5 miserable points to post up a question and I get one lousy answer. Once you post, and the question gets old, it gets off the little front page of this web site, people only look at the new, incoming questions. But yes, it sucks. I guess one thing that throws people off immediately is if you write an question that looks like a novel. Keeping questions concise helps bring people around.

Answer 4

I think we should
1) Not answer those questions
2) Report inappropriate Qs and As
3) Avoid "people" like the poster above me.
Eventually the tone and scope of Women's Studies will improve.
Good luck

Answer 5

I try not to answer the hateful questions, but sometimes they are so bad!

To the poster who said you have to be 18 to post on Yahoo, you only have to be *13* to post on Yahoo (look at the last two notes on the web page below):
http://answers.yahoo.com/info/community_guidelines.php

FYI: You can only report people who haven't blocked you. Trolls can block whoever they want so you can't report them.

Answer 6

You're right. The only attention we should be giving them is hitting the red flags. Report and block the abusers. Here's a star for you.
<*-*>

Answer 7

I always use the red flag but unfortunately, they can make up a new user name and ask more questions

yahoo should log ip address and start reporting some people to the authorities involving questions with crime

Answer 8

I agree with you. Did you see DG's answer?
I suggest you take a look at his other answers to other ppl's question and report them too. I have x

Answer 9

Good suggestion. I do report some questions without even answering them, especially if they promote violence.

Answer 10

In the past, i asked a very similar question (source).

i just answer the questions that my contacts ask. there are more than enough to keep me very busy.

by the way, thats gorgeous picture of yourself. how'd you take it?