Q&A Answer Solicitation Using Public Ask-To-Answer Signals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing question-and-answer services face challenges in encouraging users to provide answers to posted questions, as direct messages or links may not effectively persuade recipients to respond.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system that allows users to directly solicit answers from others by including a specific call to action, displaying solicitation notifications, and converting responses into votes to enhance visibility and engagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If direct messages or links are used to request answers, then users can be contacted privately, but the effectiveness of persuading recipients to respond is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional private messaging approach by making the solicitation process public. Instead of sending private direct messages to request answers, the system allows users to publicly post solicitations that invite others to provide answers. This public visibility transforms the solicitation from a private request into a social interaction, leveraging community engagement to improve response effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a social dimension to the answer solicitation process by displaying notifications and converting responses into visible votes. This transforms a one-dimensional private message into a multi-dimensional social interaction that includes public visibility, social proof, and gamification elements, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of persuading users to respond.
2Productivity
If the solicitation process is made public with notifications and votes, then user participation is encouraged, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into a unified public solicitation system. Instead of separate private messaging, notification, and voting systems, the invention combines these into an integrated public solicitation mechanism where a single post can solicit answers, generate notifications, and convert responses into votes, thereby managing complexity through functional integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically handles notification delivery, response tracking, and vote conversion without requiring manual intervention. The solicitation process is self-managing, with the system automatically notifying potential answerers, tracking responses, and converting answers into visible votes, reducing operational complexity while maintaining high participation rates.
Data Source
AI summary
A question-and-answer application with an “ask-to-answer” feature is described. The ask-to-answer feature enables any user to solicit an answer to a question from another user. Upon soliciting another user for an answer to a particular question, a message with a call to action is directed to the solicited user. The message may include a copy of the text of the question and may provide a mechanism (e.g., a selectable user interface element) enabling the solicited user to pass on answering the question. Subsequent to the solicitation, the question page for the question will include a notification with information about the solicitation, including in some instances information identifying the user who has been asked to answer the question and the number of times the user has been asked to provide an answer to the question.