Question of the Day - 19 February 2009

For those of you who missed the question, here it is again: "Why do you go on and on with answers for Question of the Day? A simple quick reply would work!! If more wanted, send to message center."

We asked QoDers to weigh in on whether we should keep our answers simple and quick or keep doing what we do -- answer the questions to their completion and our satisfaction.

We received an overwhelming amount of feedback that stretched from the day before the QoD to nearly two weeks after -- 109 responses in all. It’s extremely gratifying to know that so many of you care enough about QoD to rise to this critical occasion. Thanks to everyone who took the time to weigh in. We wish we could reprint all the comments, but there were 23 pages of them.

Of the 109 responses, only three supported, and only partially, the original submitter’s "simple quick reply." Here they are.

• "I tend to agree on tomorrow’s question about going on and on with the answers. I will, admit, however if the question is extra interesting to me, I like all the information."
• "A quick answer will do just fine with me. If you feel you need to say more, you could continue on and I could decide if I wanted a more in-depth answer. I do read your post daily and appreciate the fact that you really care."
• "How about making the answers shorter and giving answers to two questions a day? You say after a question is submitted that you have so many you can't print them all. I know I have sent in many questions and have never had one used. Perhaps you thought my questions were stupid or not relevant but we all may find some of the one's used as stupid or not relevant. My point is with more questions used more people will have a better choice. Not everyone will be interested in every question. It's nice that you do questions like tomorrow’s. You people don't shy away from your critics and that's good."

A dozen or so of you suggested that we use proper journalistic protocol and give the short version of the answer up front (the "lede" in J speak; "lead" in common usage). Here’s a sampling.

• "I believe your answers should follow the old top-down newspaper-article format I was taught years ago. The first paragraph should quickly answer the question and the following paragraphs should provide added details. That way one can stop reading or keep reading, depending on their interest."
• "How about listing the short answer in the first line or two, while those readers wanting a more in-depth answer can continue with your researched answer? Those who want the short answers don't have to continue reading. I personally like all the research LVA does and commend you for it."
• "Regarding the length of answers to QoD, how about, where possible, short simple answer first, followed up by in-depth supporting musings?"
• "Why don't you do both? First give a ‘brief’ answer and then provide a link (Read More) to the more in-depth proclive-to- your-hearts-content answer. Personally, I'll be hitting that link button every time."
• "I'm one who enjoys getting all the info in one place... so how about you structure your answers to have two headings: THE SHORT ANSWER (one paragraph summary answer) followed by THE WHOLE STORY."
• "Your answers could have a summary at the top and then the full explanation. Sometimes we don't have time to read the full answer."
• "Maybe the person that wants just the sound bite needs to learn to skim articles for the answer. Or if you, as writers, are feeling extra 'writy,' you could give the 'yes/no' quick answer at the beginning of the QOD and give the long answer after for the rest of us!"
• "I'd suggest you provide a quick answer for those with an attention disorder and then go on with your ‘writerly’ complete answer for those of us who appreciate getting it all. If we aren't interested in a particular topic, nothing is forcing us t

And more from some late arrivals:

• "Actually responding to today's question (2/19/09). Probably by far your biggest response getter, but I'd like to add my two cents. I live in Las Vegas and work for a casino company. I ready your QoD daily for personal reasons, but a number of times I have used your in-depth answers for casino research. Like many of the responses, if you don't care to read the in-depth then don't (sometimes it is about a subject I could care less about), but others may (the world does not revolve around one individual). Thanks for your great work and still would love to know about the history of Rock-a-Hoola just outside of Barstow."
• "Not a question; just a response to today's QOD, re: the feedback from the Christmas Eve QoD. I think that you have more than proved that you know what you're doing, so as we used to say in the 1970's - "Keep on keepin' on!". Don't change a thing! Sometimes a short answer at the beginning can ruin the journalistic twists and turns that the article may take (spoiling the surprise). Thanks for all the great QODs. Keep up the great work!!"

And for those of you who've actually gotten to the bottom of one of our longest answers ever, here are a few responses to today's QoD:

• "Is your answer to why there are long answers a record length for QoD? How ironic!"
• "I know you've done the 'reply to the short answer guy' to death, but I just wanted to add that it even goes further than most of the respondents said. They say if you're not interested, stop reading or just skim, but I've found that your elaborate researched answers often get me interested in a subject that originally I didn't think I would be. Thanks, again, for almost making us feel like we're in Vegas, even though we're almost 2,000 miles away."
• "I like the depth of your answers. Sometimes it's amazing. What I don't like is the polls. Why not just take a day off, hire one more s/he, anything. Why would I care, in this or other lifetimes, what a bunch of your readers poll to think? Why does A.C. think this is valuable? Waste of time."
• "It must feel good to get such an overwhelming response. You guys really deserve it. The QoD's are fabulous, imho. Outside of my beloved subscription to the New Yorker, it's some of the best writing i encounter every week."
• "Please let me know when the answer comes out in paperback."