Does Quora Company Care More About Correctness or the Performance of Their System?

When discussing whether Quora prioritizes correctness or the performance of their system, it's crucial to understand the context. In my experience and that of many others, Quora seems to have bigger priorities beyond the perfect performance of automated systems like Quora Content Review (QCR).

Quora Content Review: An Inspectable System

A few days ago, I received a notification that one of my questions needed improvement and would be restricted until edited. Initially, I assumed that QCR would simply revert the edit once the question was improved. This was a reasonable assumption based on recent experiences, where QCR would indeed revert such changes after edits were made. However, the reality is often more complex.

The question remained in a restricted area, awaiting improvement, even without my intervention. This prompted me to edit the question, effectively “fixing” it to avoid further restrictions. Interestingly, after editing, QCR reverted the changes, which was a notable improvement from previous practices. Previously, QCR would repeatedly restrict questions and revert them, entailing multiple cycles of editing and restrictions.

This example illustrates the backward and imperfect nature of the current system. The fact that a company would engage in such a cyclical process, manipulating content repeatedly, raises questions about the overall efficiency and correctness of the system. It suggests that the company has more immediate concerns than attaining perfect performance from bots like Quora Content Review.

Correctness vs. Performance: Prioritizing User Experience

Quora's main goal is to become a repository of high-quality answers. This aligns with the importance of correctness. They have established guidelines for writing acceptable answers, which reflects their commitment to accuracy and quality. However, the performance of their system is also vital, especially given the global reach and heavy usage early in the day.

Quora operates 24/7, serving a broad audience around the world. Consequently, system maintenance must occur during optimal times, which are typically during business hours in different time zones. For instance, when I noticed issues with server lags or content not loading properly, it coincided with what might be a convenient time for Quora, based in Mountain View, California.

While maintaining optimal performance is critical, it must be balanced with ensuring that the content on the platform aligns with their quality standards. The trade-offs between these priorities are understandable but can lead to occasional inconsistencies in user experience.

Conclusion and Future Outlook

Whether Quora prioritizes correctness or system performance more is a matter of ongoing evaluation. The company must address both aspects to maintain a high standard of content and user satisfaction. As the platform continues to grow and evolve, it will be essential for Quora to streamline their internal processes and enhance their technology to better serve their users.

In summary, while Quora seeks to uphold the correctness of content and maintain a high level of system performance, the complexities of balancing these priorities can sometimes result in imperfect outcomes. Users like myself are keenly aware of these challenges and hope for continuous improvements in both areas.