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The case for minimizing (initial) information (LONG)

Posted By: Chuck Bower
Date: Tuesday, 19 April 2011, at 5:02 p.m.

I used to think I had allies on this issue (and I probably still do), but it seems every few months I (or someone else) bring up this issue. Here is my attempt to things back where (I think) they belong.

The issue is this: how should positions/problems be posted? Although there is a spectrum of ways, they really (in my mind) break down into two classes:

A) those with poster's opinions about candidates and/or bot opinions of candidates, and

B) those with as minimal information as possible.

What are the advantages of A? Since I'm WAY in the B camp, I'm not likely the best person to argue for this. My guess, though, is that people think they will get a quicker solution (i.e. reasoning) if they post hints and/or bot opinions. As always, there is an alternate reason which is "they just never thought about it".

What are the advantages of B? Now I can really brainstorm. :)

1) You get peoples' unbiased answers (assuming they don't go consult bots themselves before answering -- another thing I don't like to see).

2) You get to see why others make mistakes, besides finding out your own weaknesses.

3) You actually do others a favor (whether they realize it or not) by allowing them to use their brains (first). If people truly learn more from their mistakes (don't really know if this is true, though) then they are better off without extra information.

4) Sometimes you realize experts make mistakes, too. That can be encouraging.

An issue I'm not sure favors one or the other is: which will lead to more responses? I know that I tend not to answer posts with extra info, particularly bot info. Part of this is my dislike of this type of post, but also I'm sure there is some reluctance to look stupid. (We all suffer from that, I suspect. I mind less looking stupid if I have some intermediate time to at least fantasize I actually might look smart. :) Another reason is that I don't like to be influenced by anyone (human or bot) else I feel like I'm not giving my answer but someone else's.

OK, now I'm going to make an argument that even if you get the quickest answer, you aren't necessarily getting the right answer (but there is much more aura about answers post-bot that lead one to think you ARE getting the right answer).

There was a recent BQ position where all of the responses (IMO) missed a key component of the problem. (There were also a handful of misleading 'reasons' as well, which came off looking right.) So if you want a quick answer, then maybe you get that by posting hints or bot info, but if you want the right answer, don't count on it. (Of course getting the right answer is far from guaranteed when you don't post extra info, either.) However, in the problem I refer to, I suspect at least some of the posters would have mentioned the missing issue if they hadn't been biased by bot info. (BTW, I'm doing multiple rollouts of this particular BQ problem so you'll see in a day or so which problem I'm referring two, and what issue I believe was missed by the responders.)

OK, I got that off my chest. Now I'd like to year your opinion on this subject.

Messages In This Thread

• The case for minimizing (initial) information (LONG)
  Chuck Bower -- Tuesday, 19 April 2011, at 5:02 p.m.
  • The case for minimizing (initial) information (LONG)
    Timothy Chow -- Tuesday, 19 April 2011, at 5:53 p.m.
    • The case for minimizing (initial) information (LONG)
      leobueno -- Tuesday, 19 April 2011, at 6:31 p.m.
      • The case for minimizing (initial) information (LONG)
        Tom Keith -- Wednesday, 20 April 2011, at 2:44 p.m.
        • The case for minimizing (initial) information (LONG)
          leobueno -- Thursday, 21 April 2011, at 4:01 p.m.
          • The case for minimizing (initial) information (LONG)
            Chuck Bower -- Thursday, 21 April 2011, at 4:43 p.m.
  • The case for minimizing (initial) information (LONG)
    Henrik Bukkjaer -- Wednesday, 20 April 2011, at 12:23 a.m.
  • The case for minimizing (initial) information (LONG)
    Maik Stiebler -- Wednesday, 20 April 2011, at 8:07 a.m.
  • The case for minimizing (initial) information (LONG)
    Casper van der Tak -- Wednesday, 20 April 2011, at 9:52 a.m.
  • There is a compromise solution
    Chuck Bower -- Wednesday, 20 April 2011, at 2:24 p.m.
  • The case for minimizing (initial) information (LONG)
    Stick -- Thursday, 21 April 2011, at 4:29 a.m.