How do we win the internet? [duplicate]

Some of the sites seem to have a much better performance than others. In particular, during Stack Overflow's first round, I found that the stats always seemed quite low, with no traffic, and no seeming way to get out of the situation.

How can one best get through the launched phase, achieving the best performance?

Solution 1:

As far as I can tell, the following is the optimal strategy for the launched product. Every round, choose the top item from this list. If an item is 4 hearts, then go on to the next level.

1. If an item is red, it deserves prompt attention. It seems there is a 4 day grace period, after which a reset will be forced.
2. Raise the Questions via ask to 4 hearts.
3. Raise the Answers via answer to 4 hearts.
4. Raise the quality to 4 hearts via downvotes. Closed seems to be a waste, as it affects the top priority.
5. Raise the User via upvotes to 4 hearts.
6. Choose either ask or answer if everything is 4 hearts.

Why does this work?

1. If the question score is low, then the answer score will drop.
2. The traffic score increments if both quality and answers are high.
3. Traffic seems to be the biggest incrementer of the score.

Solution 2:

It's generally optimal to alternate between stats, rather than boosting the same stat twice in a row. Boosting a stat clears all of its accumulated decay, so it's better to let it accumulate a little decay before boosting it again. Another effect of the decay system is that it's optimal to let a stat stay in the red for a few days before you do anything about it (unless you have nothing else to be doing), but that comes into play much less often.

I realize the cycles I describe below will be very difficult to follow in a group game, so here are some general guidelines:

1. Keep track of the invisible "decay" stat. It increments by 1 for each stat each day, but resets to -2 when you actively increase a stat. (Also, Downvote increases the decay of Users by 2, and every 2 Traffic hearts increases the decay of Quality by 1 per day.) If a stat's Decay reaches +2, that stat loses a heart and the decay resets to 0. Prefer to increase stats that have their decay at +1 and are also missing a heart. Stats that are at 0 can be left alone for a few days, since they can't go any lower (and all their accumulated decay will go away when you increase them). Just don't let their decay reach +8.
2. When decay points are equal, prioritize Questions first, then Answers. In the Public beta round, prioritize users third; in the Graduated round, prioritize Quality third.

In the first round (Private Beta), loop through these actions:

1. Ask
2. Answer

In the second round (Public Beta), first loop through these actions until Answers is maxed, pausing to boost any stat that turns red:

1. Ask
2. Answer

Then loop through these actions:

1. Answer
2. Ask
3. Upvote
4. Downvote
5. Upvote

In the third round (Graduated), first loop through these actions until Answers is maxed, pausing to boost any stat that turns red:

1. Ask
2. Answer

Then loop through these actions until Traffic reaches 3:

1. Ask
2. Downvote
3. Upvote
4. Answer
5. Downvote

Once Traffic reaches 3 hearts, loop through these actions until you win the internet:

1. Downvote
2. Ask
3. Downvote
4. Answer

(Once Traffic is maxed, Users will take care of itself.)