Anything related to posting answers, e.g. about improving their content, voting on answers, editing others' answers, etc.

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-1
votes
2answers
43 views

Should number of votes and/or higher answers be listed higher?

Unless Im mistaken, answers to questions appear in reverse chronological order, with newer answers being first in the list. Ive always felt that the accepted answer should be listed first and then ...
4
votes
4answers
102 views

Comments to a question that should be answers

Problem: A trend of questions being answered purely in the comment field of the question. There is no formal migration of this into the answer format to the question. As a result, questions that ...
14
votes
2answers
243 views

Should you answer a question that you know will get closed?

There are questions on SU that are sure to be closed for a variety of reasons. Should you post an answer if you have one? I would think so its OK if you know it will get migrated to another SE site. ...
12
votes
1answer
163 views

Are there optimal days/hours to post questions in order to get visibility and answers?

I know that maybe that's a a silly and weird question, if it's not appropriate please forgive me and feel free to close it. Given the large amount of questions that the site gets daily, it may happen ...
6
votes
2answers
217 views

What should you do when you're not receiving any reputation for your answers?

I have posted several answers on Super User where my answers are the only ones posted for the questions, and they have never been accepted, nor have they been voted on. What should I do to ensure that ...
-9
votes
3answers
54 views

Wouldn't everyone who has a post vote down the other posts?

I see how the answer method works here and on all Stack Exchange sites, but, can someone explain to me why those who have answers to a question can downvote other answers. Doesn't this seem a little ...
1
vote
2answers
56 views

Should I ignore questions that require more info on SU

Question Internet Explorer 10 immediately closes after opening ends with, "What's next?" More information could lead to a possible solution. Should I do one of the following? request more ...
3
votes
1answer
29 views

Posting question & answer, why must I wait two days to accept it?

When posting a question and an answer together (like explained here) why must I wait two days to accept the answer? If I have understood correctly, the Q&A-together format is meant to provide ...
1
vote
1answer
75 views

Dealing with answers that simply discuss other answers to the same question

According to the FAQ, "Answers that are commentary on the question or other answers may be removed". Came across this question with 8 non-deleted answers, 5 of which are fine. The remaining 3 though ...
9
votes
2answers
463 views

How should trusted users deal with non-answers?

Shortly after earning 20k reputation, I've encountered a couple of non-answers and – out of habit – flagged both posts as not an answer. Then, I've remembered my newly gained super ...
2
votes
1answer
60 views

How to acknowledge comments with corrections to post?

Another user has made an important point about an answer I gave, rather than editing the answer directly. What is the appropriate way to give credit to that user when I edit my answer?
18
votes
2answers
868 views

Bad answer repeat offender

There is a certain user I've seen answering some questions on SU that are... well, just bad. Most of his answers consist of a few more questions to the poster (that should be in the comments) and then ...
10
votes
1answer
278 views

Has the possibility of having a “Vote to Answer” been discussed?

I've run across a number of different questions that may have entirely acceptable answers yet an answer is not selected either due to a user not returning to complete it, forgetting, or not thinking ...
1
vote
2answers
69 views

Target Audience

I read slhck's awesome answer about the target audience of SU, and I was hoping for a little more clarification. Usually when I see a question post using nontechnical language (random example), I try ...
1
vote
1answer
36 views

Flagging answers on closed questions?

Just came across this question: Scheduled Tasks - Display the script. The OP might have accepted that "answer" since it pointed him to the proper solution, but clearly a link to a previous SU post ...
1
vote
1answer
27 views

Sorting is showing lower scored answer above higher one, neither accepted

It was my understanding that answers to questions on all SE sites are sorted by descending net votes, with the accepted answer (if there is one) pinned to the top. However, the answers to this ...
1
vote
0answers
42 views

Should my answer contain many possible solutions, or should I post multiple answers? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: Why “Please only post one answer to a question”? Some times, a question is a good question but maybe some what broad but not broad enough for it to close. In these ...
0
votes
2answers
67 views

Can we remove auto-conversion of sloppy answers to question comments?

This answer to another question of mine is the context for this question. I have more than once, had the Post Your Answer button just move my answer to a question comment for me. But only if it ...
15
votes
2answers
501 views

How to make people do their civic duty?

Voting is important, right? And yet less than 400 people have earned the civic duty badge. Out of how many thousand? Uncool!
27
votes
1answer
865 views

How do I recommend software in my answers?

I have a piece of software that I would like to recommend as a solution to problems. I'm trying to avoid answering with "link only" answers, and so I need help on how I can answer valid questions ...
4
votes
2answers
95 views

Is there is a limit of how much “quoting” a linked reference I can have in an answer?

This was actually prompted while I was editing an answer that was link only, but there have been times that I myself have found a useful site with detailed instructions. Most times, when I'm ...
9
votes
1answer
61 views

Should we edit link only answers?

There's lots of them around, and most times I comment asking the OP to edit the answer and add more detail. However there are some cases where the OP isn't around, but the answer is still valid ...
3
votes
3answers
100 views

Why do people post their answers as comments?

Often while browsing Super User, I notice that people post their answers to questions as comments on that question. Why wouldn't they post their answers as answers, so that they can be accepted? I ...
11
votes
2answers
322 views

What do we do with low quality answers from high rep users?

Note: if I directly point you out, please don't take it personal I've noticed for some time now that while I've been cleaning up, that there are quite a few active, higher rep users, that are posting ...
7
votes
3answers
76 views

Should “Not an answer” include off topic answers? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: When is an answer eligible to be flagged as “not an answer”? What to do? This answer turned up flagged as not an answer. I'm not actually certain which way ...
2
votes
1answer
77 views

Are welcome messages in answers acceptable?

I saw this answer and am not sure if the “Welcome to SuperUser.” at the beginning should be removed. It seems out of place to me…and aren't new users shown or emailed a welcome page or something ...
4
votes
3answers
202 views

How should we handle joke or satirical answers?

I ran into this answer to the question "What lasts longer: Data stored on non-volatile flash RAM, optical media, or magnetic disk?": I vote for stone tablets. They survive thousands of years. ...
11
votes
1answer
246 views

What to do with questions that can't be solved…except by re-install?

Taking a look at this question: Problems with sound and flash in Ubuntu 12 The OP asks a questions and then answers it with "Oh! Fixed it by re-installing linux!" I've noticed as I've browsed ...
1
vote
1answer
55 views

Why do some answers don't have edit link?

Currently in this answer of question 226923 I am seeing that there is no link to edit the answer, whereas just below that answer I can see that there is link to edit that answer. Both answers are ...
1
vote
1answer
40 views

How can I receive e-mail every time I receive a answer?

since some months ago I do not receive any e-mail from Stackexchange sites, nor that ones informing that I receive a new answer (e.g. "1 Question Has 1 Answer - Super User"). I received it normally ...
3
votes
0answers
78 views

Editing OS-specific questions or answers if the question or answer will also apply to another OS [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: Should the original intent of a question be broadened to make the answers more canonical? I recently found out that this question - How print multiple independent pages ...
4
votes
1answer
67 views

How to express extra appreciation for answer

I asked a question yesterday and the person who answered the questions went to great lengths to help me out. Is there any way that I could express appreciation for this besides just an upvote and the ...
14
votes
3answers
286 views

When is an answer eligible to be flagged as “not an answer”? What to do?

When I am flagging answers I read This was posted as an answer, but it does not answer the question. It should possibly be an edit, a comment, another question, or deleted altogether. This is ...
13
votes
4answers
511 views

Is there a policy for or against providing executables and other self hosted downloads?

My specific case is on my answer here. Is there any policy (on SuperUser or StackExchange) in either direction concerning providing an executable I uploaded myself for others to download? Of course, ...
4
votes
3answers
138 views

What to do with answers to abandoned questions?

This problem has been discussed in several ways by now, but I did not find the problem I am facing with it. I often face the problem that I answer a question and the user who made the question just ...
8
votes
2answers
176 views

How should I handle ranting in answers?

I removed a rant from this answer. Is this the right thing to do or should I take some other action?
-17
votes
2answers
197 views

Kill the troll! [closed]

This answer is clearly a joke. Jeff Atwood says that the SX network is not a place to have jokes. Could a moderator do something with it?
6
votes
1answer
118 views

What do we think of “Alternative to” answers?

I recently saw this answer, where the user simply did this: http://alternativeto.net/software/games-for-windows---live/ Most of them integrate in games explorer anyway. Are we against just ...
5
votes
0answers
30 views

Add “views” ordering to answer list again

There once was a views sort order for answers in a user's profile, but it apparently was removed. It is only available for questions. While it might need to be made clear that it's not ...
7
votes
2answers
119 views

Retagging questions with the answer

This is a bit related to this topic on MSO. In a recently suggested and approved edit a tag was added to the topic, but it only became applicable through the answer. The user didn't know the tag was ...
1
vote
1answer
105 views

Why was my “not an answer” flag marked helpful, but the post not deleted?

I flagged this post as "not an answer": I had the same problem as Dan Dyer. I followed slesker's instructions and now my problem is solved. Now, to the openoffice developpers: I really ...
4
votes
1answer
127 views

When people give good answers to the wrong question

I asked this question last night just before going to bed. In summary, the question was "Why does my browser ask me before it will make an HTTPS connection?" I've got two answers now, but both have ...
-6
votes
1answer
46 views

Close question after some days of acceptance (if user accept the answer)

I get disturbed by an answer for a question posted by me, if I did accept and confirm an answer a couple of months ago. I better suggest you to close/mark the question as "no more answers needed".
13
votes
4answers
281 views

Are purely non-technical answers to technical problems on-topic?

I edited this question yesterday as part of a cleanup spree. It had already gotten a fair bit of activity, but someone tweeted a link to it after I edited it, and things really took off. The topic of ...
12
votes
6answers
398 views

Why “Please only post one answer to a question”?

What should I do when I know multiple different ways of doing something asked in question? Should I add them as separate answers or as one comprehensive answer? I think they should be separated, but ...
6
votes
2answers
81 views

Should I delete answers with no votes?

Assuming that I had answered a question and didn't get any votes(up or down) for a month or some weeks, should I worry about delete it? I mean, should I assume that it is a bad answer as well if it ...
5
votes
1answer
127 views

Target audience of answer on SU

You have to remember this site is called "superuser" not "idiotuser". You said "it's useful to have such a warning". I don't think it's useful to you at all. It's useful to somebody that perhaps ...
9
votes
1answer
94 views

What are some good, general guidelines to follow when answering questions?

I thought it might be wise to have us come up with a list of good, general guidelines to follow when posting answers to various questions. Obviously, everyone has their own opinion about how to go ...
1
vote
2answers
91 views

Should duplicate answers posted within a short time frame be flagged?

Lets say there are two answers with the same content on the same question. Should the second one get flagged? This has happened to me, and I sent a flag. Want to know if it was the right thing to do. ...
21
votes
4answers
311 views

Recommending own products

What's our stance on relevant product recommendations? The paragraph in the FAQ is clearly not enough in this case. As a recent example, a developer of an Outlook plug-in/addon started answering ...

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