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What is Quora used for?
Quora’s formative qualities are undeniable, but not in the proclaimed sense. Do the Quorans have clearer ideas? Absolutely. Do they increase their knowledge? It is more doubtful.
The gain of knowledge is based on the presence of experts. Does Quora’s algorithm effectively highlight them? Not really. The Quorans self-select the answers among themselves. But identifying experts is better done by other experts than by laymen. When the uninitiated are in the majority, the relevant answers are drowned out. Worse, the false answers remain widely read. Experts in small numbers are not interested in correcting them all out.
Quora brings a diversity of positions far superior to Wikipedia. It is the only one to give free rein to the multitude of questions that everyone can ask. But the repetitiveness of similar requests is not handled properly, which is tiresome for experts. This diversity is conducive to a real forum for exchanges. Unfortunately the interface is not suitable. You often waste your time traveling in replies and comments without learning anything. Or worse: you leave with a wrong opinion.
Internal contradiction leads to Quora+ dualism
The main cause of these defects? Insufficient prioritization in responders. Generally speaking, the number of real experts is too small to pull the overall level of responses upwards. Quora has not been able to resolve the contradiction between favoring experts and not offending others.
How to motivate experts? Quora’s staff was concerned about this. With Quora+. The user pays a subscription to access the answers of the experts, who are remunerated. Reserved for those domiciled in the USA. For 8 years on the Quora US and expert on neuroscience and consciousness, I am not eligible because I reside in New Caledonia.
But that’s not what bothers me. Doctor, I don’t rely on Quora’s income. The black spot is elsewhere. Quora makes the same fundamental mistake as the specialized scientific press: to establish an abrupt boundary between experts and non-experts.
Quora reproduces the error of scientific editors
No need for exhaustive knowledge to have original ideas. Awakened minds are everywhere. Knowledge is mainly used to channel these ideas, sort them out and make them “land” in reality. Those that survive sorting have the power to edit official views. Impossible with the current barriers. To continue to support an idea, which has become sufficiently complex and assertive, one must show an academic title, and even more.
Very few experts are allowed to publish. Honours and grants are highly coveted. The original idea is no longer engaged in a virtual debate but in a very real conflict, a struggle for academic power. No chance of success without a good address book.
Inefficient system to extract interesting ideas in research in general. It reduces its field to the fraction of brains certainly the most competent, but tiny in number. Not only is progress held back, but the expert/lay barrier favors the proliferation of irrational theses and false prophets. Certainly one of the main causes of the anti and pseudo-scientism galloping on the networks.
Books and magazines are not interactive
Certainly there is an excellent scientific literature available, as well as magazines of good level (Scientific American). But these media are drowning in a growing multitude of news sources. They are not progressive; taking advantage of it requires a good level beforehand. They are not relational; impossible to ask your questions to the authors. The gap is still there.
Quora is now installing its own, while its creators should simply accentuate the hierarchy between responders by improving algorithms. They have not been able to resolve the conflict of the egalitarian principle between Internet users and the inequality of their knowledge. Instead of making this confrontation productive, they forbid it. Everyone in their place. Users are split into Quoran+ and Quoran-! Because we must not delude ourselves: subscribing to Quora+ is paying+ for what was free before.
Personally, I took advantage of Quora’s main interest: to improve my ability to respond and clarify my ideas. Thanks to the platform, sincerely. Unfortunately the questions become repetitive. Interesting comments do not counterbalance the useless or aggressive in greater numbers. I fall back on this blog. Dear followers and curious newcomers, do not hesitate to come and place your comments here. Not all of them will be published, but isn’t their absence the best stimulus to raise the level? Personally it was the little slaps to self-love that woke me up and made me progress. The main source of satisfaction must be elsewhere. Don’t make your virtual exchanges your main existence. Sincerely to you,
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