6

Consider:

https://superuser.com/review/low-quality-posts/536732

Why is this voted to delete?

I mean, my answer probably is not exactly what the OP was asking for, but it still fits as an answer. In a way the OP did not exactly specify and therefore it might even be helpful for future readers. Or am I wrong here about something?

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  • 8
    You don't ask questions of the OP in an answer. That is what comments are for.
    – DavidPostill Mod
    May 24, 2016 at 23:18
  • Steam Link doesn't connect an external GPU to a network. You asked two questions within an answer. Additionally your answer was suggested by Dan a full day before you. Having a answer in the review queue isn't a good thing either
    – Ramhound
    May 25, 2016 at 1:51

4 Answers 4

14

The automatic comment used indicates that the reviewers thought you were asking a question to get clarification. I can understand why they would think that - if it's unclear what a question is asking, you should leave comments to accomplish that. If you're giving a solution that depends on information not given by the poster, that can be acceptable if you're careful.

It would be better if you wrote such answers in "if... then you can do..." form. Your specific answer might be written something like this, if I'm understanding it correctly:

Yes, if you're willing to use an adapter. The Steam Link device can transfer GPU-rendered data onto an output medium via Ethernet.

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  • Hm, kind of what I was tryong to answer. I answered this as... well... the op looked to me like asking if this is technically possible. And the accepted answer was bolded saying "no". So I just named the device to proof there are devices that technically send gpu data over ethernet. My answer it self should even be possible to be worded without naming the device. But I understand that my wording might sound like asking for clarification. Im gonna change this.
    – Zaibis
    May 25, 2016 at 7:31
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As one of the reviewers that recommended the removal of your answer I can give you a breakdown of my reasoning. Firstly I did not judge it on the technical merit of your suggestion.

I felt that you were asking the OP clarification questions and only providing a vague solution in addition to them. This sort of thing is exactly what comments are for. In fact had it been a comment I would have probably upvoted it as it is a good point and the OP could do with addressing it.

Additionally I took into consideration your reputation at the time, which was high enough to have posted a comment, and thought "you should know better". If you had under 50 rep I would have still flagged it for delete but added a custom comment to point you to the tour and How to Answer help pages in the hope that you would improve the answer. In that scenario I wouldn't have downvoted it as well.

My rule of thumb is:

If you are asking the OP questions which could drastically alter the usefulness of your answer (and potentially other, existing answers) it should be done as a comment.

Something like @BenN's recommended rewording would have got a pass from me. I believe in cases of 50/50 vote splits the system errs on the side of keeping the post. In its current state if it came up again I would still vote to close.

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  • If you want to chat to me about it, I'm in the SU chatroom most of the time.
    – Burgi
    Jun 2, 2016 at 18:19
  • I just reread it. And In my eyes by just ignoring the first sentence it would be answering 1 part of a not so clear question. But aren't partial answers ok too for the SE network? And thats whaat on a break down the answer actually is.
    – Zaibis
    Jun 3, 2016 at 6:44
3

There's a few issues with this answer. I personally considered it marginal but and most other answers covered streaming to some extent.

The first part of the question should have been a comment

It is not clear what you intend to use as primary device. The Laptop? or would an adapter that connects the devices also be acepted?

While you made a specific hardware recommendation, hardware recommendations are typicall something we don't want - we even have a close reason. The first part of the

Questions seeking for hardware shopping recommendations are off-topic because they are often relevant only to the question author at the time the question was asked and tend to become obsolete quickly. Instead of asking what to buy, try asking how to find out what suits your needs.

Which is kind of why recommending a specific device isn't quite recommended. Its better to talk about a 'class' of devices, and give this as an example along with how it solves the issue (And before you ask, the way the question's worded kind of sidesteps the "shopping recommendation" issue)

While I wasn't inclined to delete it, but I'm not inclined to undelete it either

1

Without me looking at the question I see your answer is in a poor style. I can't comment on the technical side really but just the style/structure, some of the logic of how to reply to a question.

You wrote

It is not clear what you intend to use as primary device. The Laptop? or would an adapter that connects the devices also be acepted? In the latter case the Steam Link device would exactly do this (transfering GPU rendered data over ethernet and just provides them to an outputmedium.)

That looks like very poor style

Your first sentence is a request for clarification, when it should be an answer. You can use the word IF, where you want to cater to different possibilites. Remember that you're not just answering the person that wrote the question, you are answering anybody that were to ask that question. And by covering more than one option, or by making clear that there is at least more than one option, you're making your answer more informative.

Better would be

If you are using an adaptor to connect the devices, then the Steam Link device would exactly do this (transfering GPU rendered data over ethernet and just provides them to an outputmedium.). Though if you are using a laptop as primary device then I don't know.

And also, if somebody other than you has already mentioned this 'steam link device' then you aren't really adding much/anything. (I don't know if they have, but just saying).

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