Some of the most popular features of the Community are the Discussion Forums and the Knowledge Base. These discussion styles have two methods for acknowledging helpful or awesome content; Solutions and Likes.
If you aren't already familiar with the basics of these two features, check out the Intro to Accepted Solutions and Likes article to learn more.
Why do solutions and likes matter?
In the spirit of Buzzfeed, I am going to provide this answer in the form of a gif list (number 6 will blow your mind!).
1. Search Results
Accepted Solutions and Likes have an impact on our search algorithm. Discussion threads with an accepted solution and posts with a higher like count are returned with higher preference in a Community Search. There is a 99% chance someone will have a question that your thread will help them answer. By marking a Solution on the thread or giving likes, you are making it more likely someone will be able to find that solution. Also, when a discussion has an accepted solution there is an option to navigate directly to the solution post. By making a solution, you are helping those that come after you get results faster.
Also, using the advanced search on our Community, you can limit your search results to only include threads with an accepted solution or a certain number of likes. For tips and tricks on using Advanced Search, please see the Search the Community article.
2. Community Engagement
The Community works best when its members are all active and engaged. Engagement is how new questions get asked, how new solutions and answers are found, and how people continue to upskill themselves through the Alteryx Academy. Marking a Solution or giving content a like is doing your small part in keeping the Community an engaging place.
3. Post Credibility
Likes are effectively a voting system. A post with a bunch of likes or that has been marked as a solution (or both) has been vetted by the community, and is considered to be a more credible resource than responses with fewer likes.
4. Badges and Ranking
Don't lie to yourself. Badges matter. They're fun, and you know you want them. Badges are awarded for earning likes and solutions, and fun fact- the people with the most likes often give the most likes.
5. Acknowledgment
Someone took the time out of their busy day to think about a question you asked and provide you with a potential solution. Wouldn't it be nice to acknowledge their effort, especially if it solved the question, or helped you on your way there?
6. New Features!
Did you know that our Ideas Forums are powered by likes? Our Product Managers are always using the Ideas Forum on the Community to find great new ideas to integrate into the products, and an idea with more likes is more likely to be noticed and considered. If you see something you love on the Ideas Forums, be sure to like it!
7. Closure
Isn't there something deeply satisfying about checking an item off a list as solved? When you accept a solution, you're saying "this question is solved, case closed! On to the next adventure!"
Our Community is founded on collaboration and a shared love of analytics. Our Solutions and Likes are one way to keep the Community strong. So please, take the extra two seconds to mark questions as solutions, or give something you liked a like!
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