Why aren't people accepting answers?

There are myriad questions with a correct answer that has not been accepted. Why is this?

http://test.lockergnome.net/questions/2967/what-do-you-think-about-the-binary-clock
http://test.lockergnome.net/questions/10/what-web-browser-do-you-prefer (Surely one of these 71 answers must have been someone's favorite (as asked))
http://test.lockergnome.net/questions/19/paid-surveys-that-work
http://test.lockergnome.net/questions/82/when-did-the-dodo-become-extinct
Dozens of others. With 13 pages of "Unanswered" questions out of 16 total pages, surely there are tons of "correct" answers.

Edit: Here's how to do it.

Note you get 5 karma points for accepting an answer.

asked Jun 02 '10 at 08:04

tsilb
21.0k●65●199●333

edited Jun 02 '10 at 08:16

Amen! This is something people really need to get in the habit of doing. Great point!

(Jun 02 '10 at 08:32) rickross ♦♦

Out of this list, I only see one that has a definitive answer. The others are just too subjective. If I see a "definitive" answer on a subjective question, I always toggle it off.

(Jun 02 '10 at 20:52) chris ♦♦

I don't see it so if I can make a suggestion, have a button to possibly promote this answer as the answer for the question. I dunno if that made sense to you all but maybe I just missed it.

(Jun 02 '10 at 21:40) Michael

* Note now we have a reason.

(Jun 07 '10 at 11:38) tsilb

3 Answers:

oldest newest most voted

That's just how people roll. They see an answer, they're like "oh ok it works! YAY!" and then quit their broswers and never return to the page ever again.

answered Jun 02 '10 at 08:56

Ang
4.5k●13●41●76

Sadly, I think you're right. The problem is that for a site like this to succeed, many regulars have to keep coming back. Therefore sites like this end up being more like a wiki, which is of course the point in the whole commwiki feature...

(Jun 03 '10 at 05:27) tsilb

Many questions are posed as a survey, there is no correct answer.

answered Jun 02 '10 at 09:35

jhagedon
2.7k●153●178●215

Unfortunately, you are correct. However, the point of this software (both OSQA and the unique software powering sites such as StackOverflow) is to ask questions and to get answers for when you need help. If this site is going to get spammed down with surveys, then I can safely say that it is already off to a bad start.

(Jun 03 '10 at 06:39) eddieringle

On some questions it's also a bit hard to accept an answer if it's answers just based on opinion like what web browser do you use, as there is no correct answer. But I suppose one might as well be accepted as correct.

answered Jun 02 '10 at 09:14

Dangerous
3.2k●10●20●46

I acknowledge that some questions have no "correct" answer, which of course I blame on either a lack of answers or a poor question. The problem I wish to address here is that many questions here have a correct answer that has not been accepted.

(Jun 02 '10 at 09:17) tsilb

Well, I think you get karma for doing it yourself... so hoard them points. :)

(Jun 02 '10 at 21:44) chris ♦♦

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