Reference comments: what's the point of agree/disagree/neutral?
Thread poster: Spiros Doikas
Spiros Doikas
Spiros Doikas  Identity Verified
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Jan 3, 2009

Is there a point in having the option to agree/disagree/neutral in Reference comments?
Can one "agree/disagree" with a source of reference?


 
Tina Vonhof (X)
Tina Vonhof (X)
Canada
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A point Jan 3, 2009

I suppose there is a point in that you can agree or disagree that the reference is applicable to the given context.

 
Spiros Doikas
Spiros Doikas  Identity Verified
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TOPIC STARTER
I suppose Jan 3, 2009

you can agree with a term (as it is concisely put); a reference though could span pages and pages and one would have to read it all in order to be able to ascertain whether it is relevant or not.

I guess you get my drift...


 
RichardDeegan
RichardDeegan
Local time: 21:23
Spanish to English
Probably needed more for references Jan 4, 2009

With current tendencies for answerers to blindly Google terms, it is probably more vital than ever that someone take the time to peak at the references and see if they are applicable or have anything to do with the context.
The mere fact that a word or phrase can be found in the source language through a Google search does not prove it has any relevance to the question asked


 
Spiros Doikas
Spiros Doikas  Identity Verified
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I am not sure Jan 4, 2009

about that. As a reference link could contain a lot of information which is potentially contradictory/misleading or perhaps only a small portion is applicable, and most of it is not. If one focuses/reads what is not, then there is a problem there. In other words, to ***what*** exactly one agrees/disagrees is at the very best, unclear.

So, if we accept the assertion that it is more necessary for reference postings, then perhaps the point system should be extended to include the refer
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about that. As a reference link could contain a lot of information which is potentially contradictory/misleading or perhaps only a small portion is applicable, and most of it is not. If one focuses/reads what is not, then there is a problem there. In other words, to ***what*** exactly one agrees/disagrees is at the very best, unclear.

So, if we accept the assertion that it is more necessary for reference postings, then perhaps the point system should be extended to include the reference answers as well.

You catch my drift

[Edited at 2009-01-04 12:18 GMT]
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Charlie Bavington
Charlie Bavington  Identity Verified
Local time: 02:23
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Radical proposal Jan 4, 2009

Spiros Doikas wrote:
As a reference link could contain a lot of information which is potentially contradictory/misleading or perhaps only a small portion is applicable, and most of it is not.


If you are posting a link to a page with a lot of info, not all of which is relevant to the point at issue, then perhaps it would be helpful to indicate which particular part of the page constitutes the "reference".


 
liz askew
liz askew  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
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Hardly anybody uses this facility, so why the fuss or the debate? Jan 4, 2009

Why all the fuss?

If you are a frequent user of the Proz site, you would notice that this feature is not used a great deal in any case...

What is the point of withdrawing the facility of "agree/disagree" or even debating over whether it should be "agreed/disagreed" to in any case when it is a reference provided with the aim of helping, otherwise why provide a reference in the first place?

Would the cynics have it that there is an ulterior motive other than
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Why all the fuss?

If you are a frequent user of the Proz site, you would notice that this feature is not used a great deal in any case...

What is the point of withdrawing the facility of "agree/disagree" or even debating over whether it should be "agreed/disagreed" to in any case when it is a reference provided with the aim of helping, otherwise why provide a reference in the first place?

Would the cynics have it that there is an ulterior motive other than helping?

Somebody has provided a reference in all good faith, so why make an issue of it?

Liz Askew
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Emmanouela Patiniotaki
Emmanouela Patiniotaki
United Kingdom
Local time: 02:23
English to Greek
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Agree Jan 4, 2009

I agree..the point is helping and being helped. We should agree or disagree with the interpretation, not with the source. We should all be responsible for the sources we provide, as well as critical of the sources others provide.

 
Charlie Bavington
Charlie Bavington  Identity Verified
Local time: 02:23
French to English
The outcome, not the intention Jan 4, 2009

liz askew wrote:

What is the point of withdrawing the facility of "agree/disagree" or even debating over whether it should be "agreed/disagreed" to in any case when it is a reference provided with the aim of helping, otherwise why provide a reference in the first place?

Would the cynics have it that there is an ulterior motive other than helping?

Speaking as a professional cynic, I find it hard to attribute any ulterior motive to posting references, of the kind that are in the specific "references" response area (as opposed to those supplied as part of an actual answer).

Hence, for me, the point of responding to references lies not in inferring any motive, ulterior or otherwise. It lies in responding to their impact - is this reference going to be helpful to the Asker, or not.


 
Nesrin
Nesrin  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
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Very simple Jan 4, 2009

Tina Vonhof wrote:

I suppose there is a point in that you can agree or disagree that the reference is applicable to the given context.


I agree with Tina and don't see why these functions need to be put in question.
I often agree with a reference function when I want to add a comment to it.
I haven't yet used the neutral/disagree but can imagine doing so if someone decides to suggest a reference that is misleading, doesn't fit the context.

Spiros Doikas wrote:

you can agree with a term (as it is concisely put); a reference though could span pages and pages and one would have to read it all in order to be able to ascertain whether it is relevant or not.


A good reference answer is not one that simply gives a link to a site that spans pages and pages (or worse, one that pastes pages and pages of relevant as well as irrelevant information, but one that is concise and gives direct pointers to specific information. In that case, it is easy too judge whether or not the reference is useful.


 


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Reference comments: what's the point of agree/disagree/neutral?






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