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As suggested in another meta post, let's do a Physics Stack Exchange "best of 2016". There's a nice precedent for this in the Puzzles and Code Golf site.

Objective

  • Reward and draw attention to some of the best content our community has created this year.

  • Have fun :D

Procedure

  1. Establish categories. Each answer on this post should name a category for which we'll later vote on the best-of. For example, a category could be "Best answer by a new user (i.e. made their account this year)". Voting on the categories will last until the end of January 10. We do not specify a fixed number of categories, but based on the Code Golf example I estimate we'll have five to ten.

  2. Vote for the winner of each category. We create a meta post for each of the top-voted categories. Under each category meta post, users nominate candidate questions/answers/etc. by posting a answer with a link and a short explanation of why the linked item should win the category.

  3. Select winners. Whichever answer gets the highest score wins the category. Voting lasts a specified amount of time, which I or someone else will decide soon.

  4. (optional) Award prizes. Each winning item might receive a prize in the form of a bounty! If you're willing to award a bounty for a particular category's winner, leave a comment under the category nomination in this meta post.

Results

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    $\begingroup$ I must say, I'm not terribly convinced by the idea: PPCG is about challenges and physics.SE is about questions. Most people here seem to like the idea anyway, so I'd like to help. I'd be happy to spend 500-1000 rep points on two or more bounties for this. $\endgroup$
    – AccidentalFourierTransform
    Commented Jan 1, 2017 at 14:23
  • $\begingroup$ Maybe there should be some categories unrelated to questions/answers? for example, an award to very active voters/editors/etc? (you know, as a thank you to those users without whom this site couldn't possibly work) $\endgroup$
    – AccidentalFourierTransform
    Commented Jan 1, 2017 at 14:43
  • $\begingroup$ @AccidentalFourierTransform why not post your thank-you idea as an answer and let people vote on it? ;-) $\endgroup$
    – DanielSank
    Commented Jan 1, 2017 at 17:17
  • $\begingroup$ See also Get in the spirit: The first annual holiday bounty extravaganza - or bountapalooza for a similar concept in Worldbuilding Stack Exchange. $\endgroup$
    – AccidentalFourierTransform
    Commented Jan 5, 2017 at 17:37
  • $\begingroup$ @AccidentalFourierTransform For the record, Best of Code Review has been running for three years before PPCG. $\endgroup$
    – 200_success
    Commented Jan 24, 2017 at 22:32
  • $\begingroup$ I've locked this post because (a) the context is over and (b) there seems to be an edit war developing over how to report the results. $\endgroup$
    – dmckee --- ex-moderator kitten
    Commented Feb 15, 2017 at 18:59

21 Answers 21

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Rookie of the year

User, who created their account in 2016, who has added exceptional quality to the site in the form of questions and/or answers.

If this category is used, note that the nominations for winners will be in the form of links to user accounts, with a brief explanation of why that user should win, i.e. some links to their best questions/answers.

Vote here

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    $\begingroup$ This could assist: data.stackexchange.com/physics/query/610299/rookie-of-the-year $\endgroup$
    – Kenshin
    Commented Jan 1, 2017 at 3:24
  • $\begingroup$ @Kenshin please post those queries on the nomination posts for each category. $\endgroup$
    – DanielSank
    Commented Jan 1, 2017 at 4:13
  • $\begingroup$ no worries - will do, these haven't been created yet I presume? $\endgroup$
    – Kenshin
    Commented Jan 1, 2017 at 4:15
  • $\begingroup$ @Kenshin we have not made the category posts yet. Awards will be given to users if we go with those categories and someone wants to volunteer rep. $\endgroup$
    – DanielSank
    Commented Jan 1, 2017 at 4:56
15
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Best question

Well researched, well formatted, and absolutely fabulous.

Vote here

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11
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Most underrated answer

Awarded to an excellent answer, posted in 2016, which doesn't seem to have acquired as high a score at it probably should.

Vote here

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Less is More

Best answer to a question in the most concise and clear way.

Vote here

(First suggested by Martin Ender on PPCG)

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    $\begingroup$ I doubt this is a good idea when the main criterion is the actual length of the answer. $\endgroup$
    – Norbert Schuch
    Commented Jan 2, 2017 at 13:57
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ @NorbertSchuch actually I never even mentioned the word length in my description :). Sure concise is similar to length but it also related to the amount of information held (something like information per unit length). $\endgroup$
    – Quantum spaghettification
    Commented Jan 2, 2017 at 22:06
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ This was more regarding @Kenshin 's search. I like the idea, but I also feel that for a tricky question, a (say) 20-line answer might well count as concise. $\endgroup$
    – Norbert Schuch
    Commented Jan 2, 2017 at 22:47
  • $\begingroup$ @NorbertSchuch please feel free to edit the description with something more clear/precise. $\endgroup$
    – DanielSank
    Commented Jan 3, 2017 at 4:27
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Community Work

The best community wiki answer or question where two (or more) authors contributed a significant amount.

Vote here

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Best self-answer

Best question/answer pair written by the same user, either because they figured out their own problem, or because they took the time to write up something useful/interesting for the benefit of the community.

Vote here

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  • $\begingroup$ This could help: data.stackexchange.com/physics/query/610300/best-self-answer. Looks like John Rennie's got this one in the bag. $\endgroup$
    – Kenshin
    Commented Jan 1, 2017 at 3:47
  • $\begingroup$ Why do you say that? Based on the score? $\endgroup$
    – DanielSank
    Commented Jan 3, 2017 at 14:08
  • $\begingroup$ well because 5 of the top 10 scoring self answers are all John's. It's not definite of course and score isn't everything, but John is who I'll be nominating $\endgroup$
    – Kenshin
    Commented Jan 4, 2017 at 7:48
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ I've set a bounty for John Rennie's answer. $\endgroup$
    – HDE 226868
    Commented Feb 15, 2017 at 14:59
7
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Best layman's answer

Best answer directed at the layman, which is very intuitive and well-explained.

Vote here

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  • $\begingroup$ layman = non-physicist? $\endgroup$
    – DanielSank
    Commented Dec 31, 2016 at 20:37
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ yes, but mainly, it's meant to be a very intuitive answer, with minimal mathematics and jargon. $\endgroup$
    – auden
    Commented Dec 31, 2016 at 20:37
  • $\begingroup$ Good point. Some answers dive into mathematics without any consideration for the ability of the OP to understand it. They look impressive and tend to get lots of upvotes, but they leave the OP non-plussed. $\endgroup$
    – sammy gerbil
    Commented Jan 2, 2017 at 19:58
  • $\begingroup$ There are some questions on here that are of the generic form "How to explain to my 6-year-old..." Would this category be for answers that tailor to those audiences, or do you feel it should be a different category still? $\endgroup$
    – Wouter
    Commented Jan 8, 2017 at 11:39
  • $\begingroup$ @Wouter, it could be, but not necessarily. Just an answer that is intuitive and well-explained, with minimal mathematics and jargon. Whether that answer is in response to a "How to explain to my 6-year old..." or not doesn't really matter, in my mind. $\endgroup$
    – auden
    Commented Jan 8, 2017 at 19:39
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Baby Steps

Best answer that starts from relatively simple physics and ends up at a result that is considered fairly complex.

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6
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Never too old to learn

Best question asked in 2016 by a user who's account is at least two(?) years old.

Vote here

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2
  • $\begingroup$ I think this needs clarification. Shouldn't this be restricted to those who have not posted any other question in the last 2 years? I doubt that you intend to include users who have posted questions regularly in the last 2 years. $\endgroup$
    – sammy gerbil
    Commented Jan 2, 2017 at 21:57
  • $\begingroup$ I had in mind any question from 2016 posted by a not-new user. $\endgroup$
    – DanielSank
    Commented Jan 2, 2017 at 22:29
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Best answer by a rookie

Best answer by a user who created their account in 2016.

Vote here

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3
  • $\begingroup$ This could help: data.stackexchange.com/physics/query/610298/… $\endgroup$
    – Kenshin
    Commented Jan 1, 2017 at 3:21
  • $\begingroup$ Perhaps this has substantial overlap with Rookie of the Year? $\endgroup$
    – sammy gerbil
    Commented Jan 5, 2017 at 21:16
  • $\begingroup$ I think there's some room between best single answer and best user. $\endgroup$
    – DanielSank
    Commented Jan 5, 2017 at 21:17
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Most complete or in-depth answer

An answer which addresses a question from multiple angles, covering all aspects and showing, in depth, how these aspects are related.

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Best first answer

The best answer which was posted by someone as his first post after registering (i.e., before asking a question or posting an answer on another PSE question).

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Best Edit

Clarifies the question and turns it from terrible, groan-worthy madness to absolutely fabulous highly upvoted-ness.

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    $\begingroup$ Well, an edit can do great things to a question (or answer) even if it doesn't wind up bringing a lot of upvotes. $\endgroup$
    – David Z
    Commented Dec 31, 2016 at 21:47
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Best Visual Effects

This could include use of original graphic illustrations and/or animation. It could apply to Questions or Answers.

The visual effects should add insight to the Question or Answer, rather than be merely an impressive use of technology.

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2
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Most Under-rated Question

To accompany Daniel Sank's "Most Underrated Answer." A question which has received few or no answers, but is highly deserving of one.

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2
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Most Original Question (or Answer)

Some questions are very popular because they are topical. They might be "doing the rounds" on the internet, and may possibly have been re-posted from another Q & A site. This award acknowledges personal observation and curiosity.

Criteria

  1. There should be some evidence of the personal origins of the question. eg "While I was doing X I noticed Y."

  2. The question should not be similar to any earlier question posted on PSE, and preferably should not be similar to any earlier question found on a major alternative site - eg Physics Forums, Quora, Reddit, Yahoo Answers.

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-1
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Everyday counts

The best question or answer about an physics effect.

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-1
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Unsung question

Question which received alot of views but upvotes less than 5.

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-3
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Clarifying comment

A comment that helps clarify the question.

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5
  • $\begingroup$ I like this. Any idea how we'd award a prize for the winner? $\endgroup$
    – DanielSank
    Commented Dec 31, 2016 at 20:33
  • $\begingroup$ Bounty on one of the user's answers. $\endgroup$
    – auden
    Commented Dec 31, 2016 at 20:34
  • $\begingroup$ Yeah I guess. Just seems weird because we'd have to make a bounty on a random answer. Whatever, it would work. $\endgroup$
    – DanielSank
    Commented Dec 31, 2016 at 20:36
  • 6
    $\begingroup$ The thing about this is that a lot of good clarifying comments have been deleted after they were turned into edits, which probably rules out several of what would otherwise be your top candidates. So it's really going to wind up being "best clarifying comment that happened to escape deletion". Personally, I'm sort of on the fence about rewarding comments anyway. (But if you do it, at least this is the right type of comment to reward.) You could have "best clarifying edit" as a category, which is not the same thing but at least the evidence is permanent. $\endgroup$
    – David Z
    Commented Dec 31, 2016 at 21:30
  • $\begingroup$ @DavidZ, yes, I think "best edit" or something of the sort would be a good category. $\endgroup$
    – auden
    Commented Dec 31, 2016 at 21:31
-3
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Hilarious comment

Funniest comment, including sarcasm.

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    $\begingroup$ Like the other comment category, a lot of these will have been deleted, but probably even more so in this case because comments that are merely funny but don't offer a suggestion for improvement to the post get removed on sight. Not to mention, as much as we all appreciate funny comments, it's not really something we encourage. $\endgroup$
    – David Z
    Commented Dec 31, 2016 at 21:46
-3
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Best Most Stereotypically English Englishman

Ahem, John Rennie, I'm looking at you.

enter image description here

(Seriously, 209,107 rep? Stop embarassing us, please! =)

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  • $\begingroup$ Hmmm, I wonder if I should make an attempt to win this category... $\endgroup$
    – DanielSank
    Commented Dec 31, 2016 at 20:42
  • $\begingroup$ @DanielSank, lol, I can certainly see the resemblance. $\endgroup$
    – auden
    Commented Dec 31, 2016 at 20:43
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    $\begingroup$ i'd give 50 rep for this $\endgroup$
    – mochacat
    Commented Dec 31, 2016 at 20:43
  • $\begingroup$ not that it'd make a difference in john's rep at all... :( $\endgroup$
    – mochacat
    Commented Dec 31, 2016 at 20:43
  • $\begingroup$ @mochacat, that's pennies to Sir Rennie, but yes, we should show our appreciation =) $\endgroup$
    – auden
    Commented Dec 31, 2016 at 20:44
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    $\begingroup$ The problem with this is that you'd also need categories such as most stereotypically Brazilian (Bernardo), most stereotypically American (several contenders) and most stereotypical artificial intelligence (definitely ACM). $\endgroup$
    – John Rennie
    Commented Jan 1, 2017 at 14:17
  • $\begingroup$ @JohnRennie, fair point. =) $\endgroup$
    – auden
    Commented Jan 1, 2017 at 14:22

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