Timeline for Are certain kinds of link-only answers acceptable?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
15 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Jun 19, 2017 at 17:43 | comment | added | HackSlash | I think if the answer is reading the manual that it is unreasonable to expect someone to reproduce the content of the manual in a forum post. Linking to official documentation should be allowed with the note that the answer is already available, thus invalidating the question. Maybe the question should be downvoted after providing a link with a suggestion on how to learn more about the subject. | |
| Mar 17, 2017 at 9:30 | history | edited | CommunityBot |
replaced http://meta.superuser.com/ with https://meta.superuser.com/
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| Mar 17, 2017 at 9:30 | history | edited | CommunityBot |
replaced http://meta.superuser.com/ with https://meta.superuser.com/
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| Apr 7, 2015 at 21:16 | comment | added | Michael Frank | There are many times where I have found the solution to a question on a website, but simply have not had the time to write out a full answer. In these cases I comment with the link and try to get back to it when I have more time. | |
| Apr 7, 2015 at 21:15 | comment | added | Michael Frank | I agree with Ramhound. There's nothing worse than finding someone else that has your problem but then finding that the only answer is a dead link. If the answer inside the link is long, or a video, then the answerer needs to take the time to create a good answer from that information or put it as a comment. | |
| Apr 6, 2015 at 16:44 | comment | added | Ramhound | @fixer1234 - if the relevant information cannot exist on this website then I still maintain the answer isn't helpful to the community. Anyone and his keyboard monkey can do a Google search and find information on another website, so an answer that just links search results ( i.e. link only answers ), isn't that helpful. | |
| Apr 6, 2015 at 14:11 | comment | added | fixer1234 | @Ramhound: I tried to focus this question on just those few cases where it isn't practical to reproduce the essential information here. The value of the answer is maybe more in the sense of the time it saves reading through Google searches to find that gem, which might be obscure. The choice is sort of either have the value of the link or not. Can you share your thoughts specifically on that special case? | |
| Apr 6, 2015 at 12:05 | comment | added | Ramhound | @Psycogeek - Why should a user have to go to another website to get the answer if it takes only a minimal amount of effort to quote the source material and place all relevant information on Superuser itself. Its my opinion that link only answers are beyond useless, if all the relevant information isn't in the answer, I don't find it helpful and vote accordingly. I apply this rule to new and old users alike. | |
| Apr 6, 2015 at 10:31 | comment | added | Psycogeek | some of what you have to concider sometimes is "you cant just steal the content from another site" , you can get a "primer" from thier site, and point back to it . You can clone the same information using your own pictures and text, having learned the information from that site. So it is not always so easy to convert a LinkOnly Another comment, If people always Start at SU, then go to links from SU, then su still has "good" links for that question. A good site, is still a good place to start at. If time and time again even the link to info does not exist, then it is not a place to start. | |
| Apr 6, 2015 at 6:04 | comment | added | fixer1234 | Voting on this question is pretty ambiguous. For clarification on any downvotes or upvotes, are you expressing that these kinds of link-only answers are acceptable or unacceptable, they should or should not be moved to a comment, they should or should not be flagged, or are you expressing an opinion on the question, itself? | |
| Apr 6, 2015 at 0:35 | history | edited | fixer1234 | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
added 485 characters in body; edited title
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| Apr 5, 2015 at 22:24 | history | edited | fixer1234 | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
added 188 characters in body
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| Apr 5, 2015 at 20:47 | comment | added | fixer1234 | @random: I guess the first question is should I do anything or would those types of link-only answers be considered adequate? Second question, should I flag it to move it to a comment? Are you saying the key there would be to use a custom flag and add an explanation? | |
| Apr 5, 2015 at 19:24 | comment | added | random Mod | Depends. Are the flags giving reasons or just the "not an answer" flag? | |
| Apr 5, 2015 at 18:47 | history | asked | fixer1234 | CC BY-SA 3.0 |