Understanding the Influence of a Quora User: Moving Beyond Views Towards Upvotes

Quora often presents the number of answer views in the past 30 days as a definitive measure of a user's influence. However, I find this approach misleading. The true measure of influence lies in user-upvotes, as they reflect a lasting impact that readers value.

Evolving the Perception of Influence: From Views to Upvotes

While answer views provide a snapshot of user engagement, they don't necessarily indicate a lasting influence or appreciation from the readers. On the other hand, upvotes serve as a more reliable indicator. If a writer consistently garners upvotes, it suggests that their content resonates with the readers and they are able to build a following who recognizes and appreciates their contributions.

A Balanced Measure: Combining Answer Quantity and Quality

Simply looking at the total number of answers doesn't give a full picture of a user's influence. Quality answers are what truly matter. Moreover, having a large number of low-quality answers doesn't reflect positively on the user's overall influence.

Thus, a more balanced measure of a user's influence involves considering both the quantity of answers they provide and the distribution of upvotes on those answers. This approach accounts for both steady quality and flash-in-the-pan moments. This balanced measure is what I term the Q-index.

The Structure of the Q-index

1. Identify the Most Upvoted Answers: To determine the Q-index, we need to identify the user's most upvoted answers. These are not always straightforward to find since Quora only provides 30-day views as a metric.
If you are analyzing your own profile, check your “Top” section, which typically highlights your highest-rated content. For others, manually going through your answer history and sorting by upvotes can help.

Implementing the Q-index for User Influence Assessment

To construct the Q-index, follow these steps:

Identify Top-Upvoted Answers: Locate and compile the list of your most upvoted answers. This step is essential for accurately assessing your impact on readers. Calculate the Q-index: The Q-index can be calculated by taking the sum of upvotes on these top-upvoted answers divided by the total number of answers provided. This will give a normalized score that reflects steady-quality contributions. Use the Q-index for Comparative Analysis: Compare the Q-index of different Quora users to gain insights into their influence. A higher Q-index signifies a greater influence, as it indicates consistent engagement and appreciation from readers.

Practical Applications and My Experience

In my own experience, the Q-index has proven to be a more accurate measure of influence when compared to raw answer views. Here are a few practical applications:

Identifying Influential Writers: By analyzing the Q-index of users, we can identify those who consistently produce high-quality content that resonates with readers. Measuring Personal Growth: For individual users, tracking the Q-index over time can help assess the impact of their efforts and identify areas for improvement. Improving Content Quality: Understanding what type of content garners upvotes can help users refine their writing style and approach to topics, ultimately enhancing overall influence.

Conclusion

While Quora views are a reflection of short-term engagement, upvotes provide a more accurate measure of a user's influence. The Q-index, by combining the quantity of answers with the quality (as indicated by upvotes), offers a more balanced and comprehensive view of a user's impact on the platform. This approach not only benefits individual users but also helps Quora in recognizing and promoting high-quality contributions.