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Recently, I've developed a solution for bulk searching excel spreadsheets for keywords, after doing research on various sites, including superuser, and finding there was no real universal solution, I had decided to build my own.

After much testing of my solution (basically an excel spreadsheet that can search other excel spreadsheets) and finding it works reasonably well, I decided I'd do the right thing and return to post my solution and VBA code freely for anyone to use so all could benefit. I decided I'd sign up to superuser so I could start by posting it on the question on superuser. Except, I can't.

I find it's been locked for low quality answers, that my association bonus doesn't count, and the fact although I've been a good egg elsewhere, that I'm still not trusted lest I force some moderator somewhere to actually do some work.

Now naturally, I could be 'rewarded' for my eagerness to help by doing even more work by contributing to other questions, except all the questions I see are out of my depth, not in my field of knowledge. I could pointlessly ask some questions, but per SE cliche, they'd likely be closed as duplicates or they wouldn't be very high quality questions.

I could of course try to answer easier questions, but classically far more capable people will have already answered them, and answered them better. Likewise for grammatical corrections (which only really earn 2 points per correction).

And all I really want to do is simply post my custom crafted VBA code based excel spreadsheet of which anyone can use the code from (or just use the spreadsheet itself) into a question I had previously come across in order to help others.

This is, to be fair, a common problem I encounter across a lot of SE sites. I see that 'one question' I actually know something about, but realise it requires I have 10 rep, so then I don't bother signing up, and so thus I don't earn the rep. I'm a busy man, I don't have time to jump through hoops just to try to do a single good deed. It's at a point it'd be easier for me to register a wholly new account on obscure forum and post my solution there than to tack it on to an SE site.

I'm sure regular users of SE won't blink at 10 rep, but for someone whose pushed for time, it's more of a resistance. It's actually easier for me to essentially pseudo complain rather than lurk for hours for the vague possibility I can answer a question before someone else does in a highly competitive environment.

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  • And yes, I do mean competitive. If your answer seems duplicitious, a lot of people will downvote. That's of course assuming I can even find a question I can answer on SE that isn't already, ironically, locked from new users. Apr 15, 2017 at 12:51
  • You can ask and answer your own question
    – DavidPostill Mod
    Apr 15, 2017 at 12:57

1 Answer 1

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shrug

It has 2 deleted answers, most of which were terrible. Some people just ruin it for the rest of us.

I'll unlock it - if you can write a good meta post, I can expect you to write a good, as self contained as possible answer with necessary information on how to use it.

It is an unusual way to answer, so I suggest treating it like a software recommendation. Detailed instructions and some screenshots of it in use would be nice (and maybe even get you lots of upvotes)

That said, the original question is not that good. You could ask a more general question, not specific to 2007 (and if you haven't tested it on 2007, its a great excuse for a newer question), referring back to that. If your question is better (and you can do better than a oneliner, with a more compelling use-case) we'd be inclined to close it the other way instead.

You have a few options at this point

Do not let me down ;p

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  • He can ask and answer his own question
    – DavidPostill Mod
    Apr 15, 2017 at 12:58
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    It does feel like an answer to the other question though - pretty much a complete dupe. Unless you're suggesting we do it the other way. Unlocking the old question, and throwing him a set of guidelines feels right here. (Also, already done)
    – Journeyman Geek Mod
    Apr 15, 2017 at 12:59
  • Thank you. I've posted my reply. Apr 15, 2017 at 13:04

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