Why must you take an answer slot before asking a clarification?

I've had to ask a couple of clarifications this week, and was dismayed that I could only do this by takng an answer slot, at least temporarily. I try to help people who are looking for it, but I don't want to try to answer when I don't have enough information to answer authoritatively. I only hold the slot long enough to ask my question, then I abandon the answer untill/unless I get my clarification.

However, I know that other people are reading these questions, too, and I don't want to discourage them from responding if they see that someone else appears to be working on an answer. Asked by IchtheosaurusRex 52 months ago Similar questions: answer slot clarification Amazon > Askville.

Hold your space If you ask a clarification and hold the answer slot, when you go into My Askville, you see what questions you're in the process of answering and if the clarifications have been answered. If you give up your slot, unless you watch the question or have notifications turned on, you won't know when the question you asked gets answered. Also, what if they answer your question, you've given up your answer slot, and you've got the perfect answer now...and all the slots are full?

You can post in the discussion, sure, but you won't get experience points or coins for it. Sources: my guess .

Clarifications It's just the way that Askville feels it works the best, I guess. Many of us have questioned this same thing. I do pretty much the same as you, taking the answer slot then abandoning it after asking the question, usually.

Until I get that info, if I do, I'm not really sure that I want to , or can, answer the question. Other times I don't want to bother with clicking on answer, asking the question, and abandoning, so I just ask in the discussion area. I don't think that I've ever not had someone answer my question in the discussion area.

That seems to work pretty well. I suppose Askville does this to make sure that you are serious enough about answering, as when you send a question through the normal channels an actual email is sent to the asker. If anyone could ask a question, there could be some possible abuse there---swamping someone will silly questions, I suppose, in their real email and then they are mad at Askville for "spamming" them.

Other than that, I really don't see a reason why we have to chose to answer the question before we can ask a clarification question.

1 GeveraBert, regarding your answer "hold your space": You raised some points I had not considered here. Thanks. However, I get an email when my clarification has been answered, so at least I know that someone is listening.

There seem to be a lot of "knock and run" questions asked here - the person never checks to see if anyone has answered (or at least, never acknowledges it).

GeveraBert, regarding your answer "hold your space": You raised some points I had not considered here. Thanks. However, I get an email when my clarification has been answered, so at least I know that someone is listening.

There seem to be a lot of "knock and run" questions asked here - the person never checks to see if anyone has answered (or at least, never acknowledges it).

" "Inspirational Words of Wisdom.......please put something, even just one answer in an answer slot! " "Okay, who is going to humor me and put their picture in an answer slot?

Please tell your best-answer percentage at Askville :).

Inspirational Words of Wisdom.......please put something, even just one answer in an answer slot!

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.