As I�m away on holiday I�ve only just become aware of this thread, and normally stay out of these things, but I, too, have become aware of the nasty undercurrent that seems to have sprung up lately. I wholeheartedly agree that people should be allowed to express their opinions so here are mine.
1)when I first joined answerbank virtually everybody was really polite and helpful. In my opinion this is no longer so and it would be nice to get back to that.
2) People who answer regularly should each formulate their own policy regarding how and when to answer questions
3) If that policy is different from someone else�s they should accept the other person�s right to answer or not, as the case may be
4) This policy should be applied consistently; that is it should apply to every sort of quiz and puzzle, with no distinctions made between cryptic, general knowledge, charity or �more intellectual�puzzles.
My own policy is as follows:
1) As this is quizzes and puzzles I like to think people would try to puzzle things out on their own first, so I do not answer questions posed early in the morning re. a crossword published that day, or in the first weeks of a charity quiz etc. with a long time to go before final answers.
2) I don�t respond to �blanket�questions that ask for answers to most of the questions in the puzzle.
3) I don�t make a fuss when other people don�t follow these �rules�as they are my rules and not
Site Rules
4) I try to notice if people ask for a �clue�rather than the answer, though I occasionally fail in this
5) For tricky clues I try to provide an explanation to help the person asking the question
6) I try to avoid �rising to the bait�where disputes do break out, but if I do respond I try to do so politely.
One final obsevation: Pauline�s comment regarding people of differing abilities is a very valid one. I love the generosity most people show