Request Expert Reply: Why You Should Use It Sparingly

Hello, everyone. I am starting a new Verbal topic today that could just as easily fit into the Quant category. However, I know more about the Verbal backend of things, since I was asked to become a Verbal Expert, and I receive regular feeds stemming from such requests. Now, far be it from me to tell anyone else how to interact with GMAT Club. I was standoffish for a while after I had decided to even join. But at the same time, I am hoping to draw attention to an important issue that diminishes what GMAT Club can be, and that is Request Expert Reply abuse. What is the issue, and why do I think it is a problem?

I would define abuse of the Request Expert Reply button as one of the following:

1) Drawing attention to a self-serving or promotional post. (Such obvious SPAM posts are typically removed by moderators within hours, sometimes minutes.)

2) Requesting such a reply without reading any of the dialogue up to that point about the question.

It is this second instance of abuse that is particularly pernicious. We Experts get it: You have a question that you would like to see answered. But if you smash the Request Expert Reply button just because you may have missed the question, you may be creating a problem. Here is why:

1) The question may have already been addressed by one if not several Experts. It is disrespectful to these earlier responders to ignore their insights entirely, especially if your request is nothing more than Please explain. Explain what, exactly? (I understand making such a request for a new question. I am talking more about OG questions or older or more popular questions that might have two or three pages of dialogue.)

2) The request may create a disconnect. As I touched on in my last point, there is often plenty in the way of a thoughtful dialogue on various issues in a given question. An Expert might be reluctant to reiterate a point already well articulated. If no Expert bites, then the member who requested the response might feel slighted, as though the community did not really care. I can only speak from personal experience when I say that I wish I could answer every question that comes through the portal, but if I see that someone else has already posted a thoughtful Expert analysis, especially one that has answered the question, then I will not respond.

3) The question dialogue may prove less useful to others. Remember, GMAT Club is a community whose purpose is to help you its members succeed on the GMAT™. When others come across a post with four requests that ask the same question and one response somewhere that addresses it, will they likely take the time to read through the dialogue and put two and two together? Maybe some will, but others might not, and this latter group will likely walk away feeling as though GMAT Club were less engaging than it should be.

How can you address all these concerns in one easy step? Read through the previous posts to the question and, if your question remains, be specific about what you need help understanding. Chances are, someone else has had the same thought or missed the question for the same reason. The more specific you are in your request, the better positioned an Expert will be to address it. It is win-win. And if you want multiple perspectives? Just tag individual Experts or members for their feedback. Certain Experts may take a more grammar-based bent to SC, for example, while others may prefer a meaning-driven approach. You come to learn about which perspectives resonate with your thinking by reading from the pool of Expert responses. Even if Experts disagree from time to time, our goal is the same: to assist the community by offering our informed opinions.

Please make GMAT Club a healthier community. Do not hesitate to hit the Request Expert Reply button. Just please do so in a thoughtful and courteous manner. Thank you.

- Andrew
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