Why Quora Restricts Questions Dependent on External Links

Many users have noticed that Quora, a popular QA platform, does not allow questions that are dependent on external links to make sense. This is a complex issue that raises several important points about the platform's goals and policies.

Quora's Intent to Keep Traffic on the Platform

One of the fundamental reasons why Quora prohibits questions that rely on external links is its desire to retain user engagement on the platform. James Lacey's answer, while not explicitly stated, underscores this principle. Quora aims to build a community where users stay within the realm of the site to engage with each other and benefit from the collective knowledge shared. By directing users to other sites, Quora risks losing its user base to external content.

Spam and Unwanted Redirects

Quora categorizes any attempt to bypass the platform's internal structure as spam, regardless of the user's intent or financial motives. This means that if a user asks a question that pushes readers to another site, even without malicious intent, it is still seen as contrary to Quora's guidelines. The policy is designed to ensure that all interactions occur within the confines of the platform, thereby maintaining its integrity and user experience.

Impact on Answering and Engagement

For many Quora users, the lack of trust in unknown external sites is a significant barrier. Users may be hesitant to participate in a discussion if they cannot verify the information or are required to navigate away from the Quora environment. This reluctance to use links can lead to a decline in engagement and the sharing of valuable information.

Merging and Loss of Meaning

Another issue is the tendency for questions with external links to merge with other, similar questions. When this happens, the original question's meaning and context can be lost, making it less likely for users to find the specific information they are looking for. Quora could potentially exempt these questions from merging to encourage the use of links, but doing so would go against their stated goal of not compromising user experience on the platform.

Practical Considerations and Technical Challenges

From a practical perspective, links frequently become broken over time or may be behind paywalls, rendering them useless for users. Relying on external links makes questions less reliable and can lead to frustration for users who cannot verify the information. For these reasons, Quora policies discourage the use of external links in favor of self-contained questions that are complete in themselves.

Conclusion

In summary, Quora's prohibition on questions that rely on external links is driven by a combination of user experience, platform integrity, and the maintenance of an engaging community. While this policy poses challenges, it aligns with Quora's mission to provide a reliable and comprehensive source of knowledge.

Keywords: Quora, External Links, Self-Contained Questions