10

Downvotes and close votes should always be accompanied by a comment. While not strictly required as per SE policy this is especially important for new users. We should direct our criticism at bad or unwanted questions, not at unwanted users. Especially beginners – no matter how otherwise knowledgeable or qualified – make mistakes, that is to be expected.

Because there are a lot of similar situations, below is a list of comments that can be copy-and-pasted to provide new users or repeat offenders more insight into how this site works and give reviewers a little help to save on keystrokes.

We adopted the stance that comments are our barn cats. Very useful for improving a post, but also easily gone. Re-use of comments is difficult if they get deleted.

Obviously, self-written comments are always preferable, but because we are often lacking comments before closevotes and downvotes come, and really canned close-reasons are limited, here are a few suggestions that should provide a backbone for standard situations. These should not be copied blindly but preferably adapted to the individual case, if possible.

Especially for new users:
It should be our goal to first post

  • a welcoming comment
  • that's useful for improving the question and familiarise the new user with the site, it's conventions and policies
  • before we see any half-answers posted as comments (which are not entirely bad, but still…)

Please edit the existing answers here and add more examples as answers and as needed.

General inspiration for comment format, language or application might be found on TeXSE, CSTheorySE, MathSE and some more sites (please edit if you find good ones.)

A list of "magic-links" to save on typing and character limits is on meta.

For dedicated reviewers who are also script-savvy in their browser: AutoReviewComments - Pro-forma comments for SE No more re-typing the same comments over and over!.
The browser extensions may already no longer work (only Chrome one tested positive for me now), but the userscripts seem to still work as advertised, universally.

Note that while I want to 'discourage' using this blindly as 'mindless copypasta', preferring quite strongly a 'tailored to needs' response, the above may still be a time-saver of quite some proportions. Any patterned responses listed here below as answers are still just suggestions, and the pro-forma-comments can still be edited, once pasted…

12
  • 3
    Excellent post! In particular, there seems to have been a major increase in 'please write my essay for me' questions in recent weeks (or maybe that's just my imagination). For my part, though, I would like to see OPs given a little more time to fix problems before voting to close - especially, check to see if the OP has visited the site since comments were posted.
    – Lars Bosteen
    Nov 3, 2018 at 5:07
  • 2
    @LarsBosteen Agree on certain leniency for newbies. But we should somehow make it clear that "on hold" is different from "closed". Close-voting is a bit of a misnomer in my view. At least I treat VtC in most cases as Vt-put-on-hold, just to avoid needless effort in answers that might benefit from or need clarification in questions.
    – LаngLаngС
    Nov 3, 2018 at 10:29
  • Related: Encouraging people to explain downvotes
    – Peter Mortensen
    Nov 8, 2018 at 19:54
  • 3
    Great question. Downvotes should be provided with the reasons. Otherwise, we are heading to non constructive world.
    – user12387
    Feb 17, 2019 at 3:10
  • Feels as if we still got more 'half-answers in comments' popping up quickly before any of this shows up below Qs. Hoping that we could nudge the earliest comments away from that 'AinC' and towards constructive, welcoming feedback to imprive the Q before As start pouring in.
    – LаngLаngС
    Jul 1, 2020 at 18:43
  • I wish that the extension worked on history - the extension seems to no longer be supported, and I can't find any way to add history to the permissions list
    – MCW Mod
    Aug 18, 2020 at 12:42
  • @MarkC.Wallace The extensions I don't know about much (my main browser was never supported, now Firefox extension is srsly deprecated…), but the userscript may be 'unmaintained', yet for now it still works?
    – LаngLаngС
    Aug 18, 2020 at 12:52
  • If it works, it doesn't work for me. Might be a user error.
    – MCW Mod
    Aug 18, 2020 at 12:54
  • 1
    @MarkC.Wallace After trying all extensions with all browsers I have access to: only Chrome/Chromium ext works for me. On eg Opera it installs, but does nothing. But it looks as if you'd wanted to add H:SE to the list in ext-prefs? Then: that's not even necessary. It should be enabled as long as the default all is selected, as that then covers http://*.stackexchange.com/*, which again applies to H:SE. The userscript requires an extension itself. Haven't figured out which to recommend, as it was greasemonkey, but now tamper* and violentmonkey seem to be preferred.
    – LаngLаngС
    Aug 18, 2020 at 16:49
  • Thank you for this!! Personally, I think my bar is a bit lower. Sometimes I get a downvote/close vote and "I know what I did." Enough said ;)
    – capet
    Oct 25, 2020 at 19:58
  • That said, in all downvotes/close votes I've received I think I've only ever gotten one comment, and that includes a bunch of times that I've asked for comments. Thank you Brian Z, you're a Mensch!
    – capet
    Oct 25, 2020 at 19:58
  • I should add: I don't think I have been thus offended by any moderators ;)
    – capet
    Oct 25, 2020 at 20:06

9 Answers 9

Reset to default
11

Question from new user lacking prior research

Variant 1:

Welcome to HistorySE, [USERNAME]! What has your research shown you so far? Where have you already searched? Please help us to help you and edit this information into the question. You might find it helpful to review the site tour and the help center. You may improve your question to comply with site guidelines with an edit and the help of How to Ask. Thanks!

Source to copy and paste:

[Welcome](https://history.meta.stackexchange.com/q/4053) to HistorySE, [USERNAME]! What has your research shown you so far? Where have you already searched? Please help us to help you. You might find it helpful to review the site [tour] and [help]. You may improve your question to comply with site guidelines with an [edit] and the help of [ask]. Thanks!

Variant 2:

Welcome to HistorySE, [USERNAME]! Could you [edit] your question to clarify where you've searched and what you found already, complete with links and references, and context if applicable? In particular, please let us know what you find missing or unclear about the Wikipedia entry on the topic, if one exists. This allows those who might want to answer to do so without needing to redo all the work you've already done. You might find it helpful to review the site tour and Help Centre and, in particular, How to Ask.

Source to copy and paste:

[Welcome](https://history.meta.stackexchange.com/q/4053) to History.SE [USERNAME]! Could you [edit] your question to clarify where you've searched and what you found already, complete with links and references, and context if applicable? In particular, please let us know what you find missing or unclear about the Wikipedia entry on the topic, if one exists. This allows those who might want to answer to do so without needing to redo the work you've already done. You might find it helpful to review the site [tour] and [help] and, in particular, [ask].

Variant 3:

Welcome to History:Stack Exchange. Thank you for your question; please consider revising it to be more in line with our community expectations. Like many other stacks, we expect questions to provide evidence of prior research. That helps us to understand the question, and avoids our repeating work you've already done. Our [help], and other stacks provide additional resources to assist with revisions.

Source to copy and paste:

[Welcome](https://history.meta.stackexchange.com/q/4053) to History:Stack Exchange. Thank you for your question; please consider revising it to be more in line with our community expectations. Like many other stacks, we expect questions to [provide evidence of prior research](https://interpersonal.meta.stackexchange.com/a/3227/1599). That helps us to understand the question, and avoids our repeating work you've already done. Our [help], and [other stacks](https://interpersonal.meta.stackexchange.com/q/3224/) provide additional resources to assist with revisions.
4
  • 4
    Some may think that the tour is pretty useless, and to a certain degree I do agree. But if pointed to it a user following earns the "informed" badge, that signals a strong "can read and follow instructions" + good will portion on the side of the user. In turn my good will also increases significantly.
    – LаngLаngС
    Nov 5, 2018 at 11:38
  • 2
    This comment is taken from the meta discussion we had a few months ago, but the top answer from that thread suggested the format: Hi [user], welcome to H.SE. Does [relevant links] have what you are looking for? If not, please edit your post to explain what you find missing or questionable with the article. This helps other users understand the issue, so as to better answer your question. Although it's more effort (perhaps substitute "the relevant Wikipedia articles" for [relevant links]), I suggest this should be considered especially when the user claims they can't find any research.
    – Semaphore Mod
    Nov 9, 2018 at 11:55
  • Variant 2 has a redundancy with edit. Seeing how often people respond to requests with further comments, I think it might stay doubled. However, if you don't like redundancy, perhaps cut the second (old) appearance of edit?
    – LаngLаngС
    Sep 20, 2019 at 6:42
  • 1
    In the third option, "help center center" doubles up on the "centres".
    – gktscrk
    Jul 1, 2020 at 4:53
7

Question that appears as a homework essay type

This appears to be a question that is purposely subjective, with the intent of providing the author an opportunity to dump all their knowledge on the subject without worry of being objectively wrong (as long as the argument can be supported). This is great for school essays, but is simply not the kind of question we can field here. Our format requires objectively answerable questions. If your own research on this topic turns up a question that looks objectively answerable, feel free to ask that here.

Source to copy and paste:

This appears to be a question that is purposely subjective, with the intent
of providing the author an opportunity to dump all their knowledge on the
subject without worry of being objectively wrong (as long as the argument can
be supported). This is great for school essays, but is simply not the kind of
question we can field here. Our format requires objectively answerable
questions. If your own research on this topic turns up a question that looks
objectively answerable, feel free to ask that here.
3
  • 3
    I can't speak for anyone else, but my favorite feature of this formulation is the "Its not you, its us." tack it takes.
    – T.E.D. Mod
    Nov 2, 2018 at 16:11
  • 2
    @T.E.D. As much as I like the narrative as well, I think it would still benefit from further edits, including some links, that nudge newbies further into reading the manuals, ahem, help-docs & meta.
    – LаngLаngС
    Nov 2, 2018 at 16:49
  • 6
    Most of the time when this is applicable, the poster realistically has no other interest in this site than getting a pre-written essay for their class with 0 work on their part. It doesn't hurt to be nice about it, and probably wouldn't hurt to put some links in as you say, but it seems unlikely to help either.
    – T.E.D. Mod
    Nov 2, 2018 at 18:32
7

Answer is basically nothing but a link/URL, but not SPAM

Rendered:

Your link might or might not answer the question. However, it would be preferable to include the essential parts of the answer here, and provide the link for reference. Please edit your answer to improve its quality. Thanks!

Plain-text:

Your link might or might not answer the question. However [it would be
preferable](//meta.stackoverflow.com/q/8259) to include the essential
parts of the answer here, and provide the link for reference. Please edit
your answer to improve its quality. Thanks!
1
  • 4
    Note that in this circumstance, you can (and if you have a problem with it, probably should) flag the post to have a post note added which reads: "We're looking for long answers that provide some explanation and context. Don't just give a one-line answer; explain why your answer is right, ideally with citations. Answers that don't include explanations may be removed". I'd suggest that may be sufficient, but if its not, any canned comment needs to play well with the fact that its almost certainly going be seen immediately following that post notice.
    – T.E.D. Mod
    Nov 5, 2018 at 14:22
5

Theory dependent, no inquiry into the past

This question is entirely dependent on the meaning of terms or theory, to the point that the question’s answer is entirely dependent on what the terms or theory mean. This question doesn’t interact with “the past,” and so is not historical in content.

1
  • 5
    I'm not sure if this is related, but I often see questions that are not even phrased in the past tense. I'm still kind of experimenting with the comments I throw on those.
    – T.E.D. Mod
    Nov 2, 2018 at 15:59
4

Request to be welcoming to a new user

This is a question from a new user, who may not be familiar with the culture of H:SE. Please make an extra effort to be welcoming, to phrase feedback in a positive manner and to explain our assumptions. If possible, offer constructive advice on how to improve the question

This is a question from a new user, who may not be familiar with our [culture](https://history.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/4053/faq-historystack-exchange) on H:SE. Please make an extra effort to be welcoming: phrase feedback in a positive manner and try to explain our assumptions. If possible, offer constructive advice on how to [improve the question](https://interpersonal.meta.stackexchange.com/q/3224).
2
  • Excellent. 2cents. 1. Sticklish, this is against policy as it addresses primarily other commentators; but really, it seems too often also necessary in some form like this! 2. Not sure yet which, but I imagine that prepping up this with further links ("our expectations/assumptions"/"help center, etc"?) might reduce over-all comments redundancy and alleviate some of the 'comment against policy' aspects in one go?
    – LаngLаngС
    Dec 28, 2020 at 11:25
  • 2
    Better? I think I'm willing to bend the rules if it can improve the new user experience, but I'll wait to see whether the community upvotes & uses the suggestion. Edits & improvements welcome.
    – MCW Mod
    Dec 28, 2020 at 11:36
4

Question shows no research/effort

Mainly when from a somewhat established user. For a new user, please consider the more welcoming Question from new user lacking prior research

Variant 1:

What has your research shown you so far? Where have you already searched? Please help us to help you. Can you explain why the relevant Wikipedia pages and google searches didn't answer the question? SE sites work best if the questions are supported by preliminary research

For easy copy and paste:

 What has your research shown you so far? Where have you already searched? Please help us to help you. Can you explain why the relevant Wikipedia pages and google searches didn't answer the question? [SE sites work best if the questions are supported by preliminary research](https://meta.stackoverflow.com/q/261592/2085030)

Variant 2:

Thank you for your question; please consider revising it to be more in line with our community expectations. Like other stacks, we expect questions to provide evidence of prior research. That helps us to understand the question, and avoids our repeating work you've already done. Our help center, and other stacks provide additional resources to assist with revisions. Please revise your question to document your preliminary research.

For easy copy & paste:

Thank you for your question; please consider revising it to be more in line with our community expectations. Like other stacks, we [expect questions to provide evidence of prior research](https://interpersonal.meta.stackexchange.com/a/3227/1599). That helps us to understand the question, and avoids our repeating work you've already done. Our [help], and [other stacks](https://interpersonal.meta.stackexchange.com/q/3224/) provide additional resources to assist with revisions. Please revise your question to document your preliminary research.
1
  • 1
    There is a little redundancy now to 'new user lacking prior'. Maybe we should make this more explicit for 'repeat offenders' (ie: for users no longer 'new')?
    – LаngLаngС
    Jul 9, 2021 at 13:35
2

Question is between off-topic and push

This question is not framed in the field of historical research. It is based on assumptions which are not made explicit, are not well-motivated (e.g., referenced), or are not held to be true within any of the research fields on-topic here. After reading [/help/how-to-ask] please [edit] your question to provide more information on … (your research, why you are asking this question, what problems are you having understanding your research…)

This question is not framed in the field of historical research. It is based on assumptions which are not made explicit, are not well-motivated (e.g., referenced), or are not held to be true within any of the research fields [/help/on-topic] here. After reading [ask] in [help], please [edit] your question to provide  more information on … (your research, why you are asking this question, what problems are you having understanding your research…)
1
  • 2
    I like where you are going with this, but it might benefit from a link or two along the lines of your top post above.
    – Pieter Geerkens
    Dec 18, 2018 at 13:58
1

If anyone intended this suggestion to be taken seriously, the post needs to be pinned at the very top of Meta. Absent that, I'm not interested the slightest in going looking for it before every Close vote.

0

Question touches heavily trolled topic and lacks to be expected quality

Current site policy has been the following:

Questions on these topics have a hair-trigger for being put on hold. This goes in particular for new users who don't have a proven track-record of asking good questions.

There is a certain quality bar that all questions on SE sites in general, and this site in particular, must reach in order to remain open. However, questions on these topics in particular, due to excessive past abuse, are not given nearly as much leeway.

These questions can't be sort of on topic, or even mostly on topic, they must be fully on topic. They are expected to fully comply with our SE help center guidelines, and with our site expectations for good questions. Any issues with this that are pointed out in comments, particularly those with multiple upvotes, are expected to be promptly acted upon by the poster. User edits to fix perceived problems should not be blindly reverted. If this is a problem for a new user, they should probably start their participation experience with another topic where the standards aren't as strict.

Text:

as inspiration to be used in such situations that are not just full-on trolling:

Welcome! Please consider this: According to site policy for very heavily trolled topics: questions on these must reach a high quality bar to remain open, especially from new users. Such question "must fully comply" with the guidelines set forth in help, ask and site expectations for good questions. Questions not conforming to the rules should be closed swiftly.

Source to copy & paste:

[Welcome!](https://history.meta.stackexchange.com/q/3988) Please consider this: [According to site policy site policy for very heavily trolled topics](https://history.meta.stackexchange.com/q/3683/) questions on these *must* reach a high quality bar to remain open, especially from new users. Such question *"must fully comply"* with the guidelines set forth in [help], [ask] and [site expectations for good questions](https://history.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/618/why-did-i-get-a-downvote). Questions not conforming to the rules should be closed swiftly.

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