Why Does Quora Omit the Year in Dates for Questions and Answers?

Many users on Quora have encountered questions and answers that lack a year in their posted dates. This can indeed be confusing, especially for older posts. But these date omissions are intentional and part of the platform's design to make information more accessible and relevant. So, why does Quora choose to date only in years for recent posts and include full dates for older ones? This article will explore the reasons behind this policy and how it impacts the user experience.

Quora's Date Presentation Policy

Quora takes a strategic approach to date presentation, aimed at enhancing user engagement and the overall utility of the information shared. Here’s a breakdown of how Quora typically presents dates:

As you can see, for recent posts, Quora only shows the month and the day, whereas for older posts, the full date, including the year, is displayed. This practice is designed to ensure that users understand the context without overloading them with unnecessary information.

The Reason Behind Date Omission

Quora believes that most users can deduce the year when the date of an answer is shown as '27 October'. This strategy stems from the idea that evergreen content, which remains relevant over time, is at the core of the platform. By not displaying the year for recent posts, Quora helps users quickly filter information, making it easier to engage with the most current and pertinent content.

For example, if a question is tagged with a date, such as '27 October', users are presumed to understand that it is from the current year. This means that if you see '27 Oct', it would likely refer to the current year, which is '2023' in this example.

Clarity Through Context

Seems straightforward, right? However, there are nuances. For instance, Quora does provide year indicators for older posts, especially those published in the last few years. You might see '1 yr', '2 yr', or '3 yr' appended to the date, indicating when the post was published relative to the current year. For posts from even earlier, the full date is shown.

This principle applies even within the application. When you answer questions in your feed, note that the last activity date, such as '2014', could be meaningful, especially in sensitive contexts. For example, if a question is about a pregnancy from 2014, it could now be relevant to a baby in kindergarten.

The platform encourages users to focus on recent questions. This doesn’t mean you can’t answer older questions. You can still engage with older posts if you find them valuable. The key is to look in the question detail area to find the precise date. On iOS, for instance, this date is conveniently located just below the writer's name.

Visual Clues for Question Dates

Quora’s user interface includes several visual cues that can help you determine the date of a question or answer. When you view the question details, you can often find the exact date in the question. For older questions, Quora does provide year indications (e.g., '1 yr', '2 yr', etc.), which make it easier to understand the context.

Additionally, the top of the answer always includes the date, just below the writer's name. If you need more detailed information, such as a full date breakdown, you can use the ellipsis menu (…) and select 'View question details'. In the past, this option was called 'View stats and log.'

Quora’s Philosophy

While Quora's policy is designed to enhance usability, it also aligns with their goal of providing evergreen content. The platform’s evergreen content strategy means that answers should be re-usable and relevant to a wide range of users over time. This is why the bot will often delete explicit year mentions, as they can undermine the evergreen nature of the content.

However, there are instances where a precise date in the question could be useful or necessary. Despite this, the policy remains in place to maintain the overall user experience and align with evergreen content goals.

Concluding Thoughts

Understanding Quora's date presentation policy is crucial for harnessing the platform's full potential. By being observant and leveraging the available tools and visual cues, you can navigate Quora more effectively. Whether you are looking for the most recent answers or delving into older, still-relevant content, Quora’s strategy is designed to provide the best possible user experience.

So, the next time you see a date like '27 Oct', remember that it likely refers to the current year, and this is intentional for a reason that balances usability and the evergreen content philosophy of Quora.