Moderator justification and considerations for closing a bountied question prematurely

Question

Questions

1. I'd like to hear thoughts from non-moderator community members perhaps regarding this and their take knowing all the detail and perspective as I wrote about below regarding the justification of the closure of the question with the fairly accurate timelines as I describe giving or taking some as I mentioned—what would the community consider fair in these instances?

2. I'd like to hear from moderators and understand what strategies or guidelines they use when making these sort of explicit decisions, that would seem to be more easily corrective than an extreme closure, with more clear and concise feedback when you see such posts first instead and allowing ample time.

   • I'm confused as a non-moderator how some of these details regarding the short time lines, lack of feedback (or criticism) before bounty, lack of close votes before the bounty, and the drawing of attention and seeing some dialogue, etc. after the bounty why you feel it's justified with just one and only one community vote and not allowing ample time for reading links, etc. for the OP to make any corrective action before the question was closed.

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My Observation / The Story

Bounty since no attenion

There was an instance where an OP put a bounty on a question after "x" number of days since it had not gotten any useful or helpful, answers, comments, and general feedback or guidance.

Bounty drew more attention

The bounty obviously was doing it's job and in a timely fashion too as drew more attention. I started some comment dialogue with the OP and got some feedback and shared some resources, and shortly thereafter I decided to submit an answer as per the OP's feedback on my comment suggestion/resource—I was just trying to help and an extra bounty is always nice too.

A few hours later the bounty master even join in and declares his answer for a potential solution as well so placing the bounty was important enough for the OP and had already done it's obvious job in it's short life thus far.

It takes a hit—a close vote hit

I'm not sure how to view this sort of history of the question but I believe there was ONE as in 1 and as in only and just one close vote placed on this question after the bounty had been posted and I believe after one or maybe even two answers were added.

A moderator reviewed the question some time after all this too but remember as per everything I mentioned above with regard to "drawing more attention" and "just one non-mod close vote" it was as obvious then as it is now that the bounty was doing it's job.

The moderator ended up leaving a few comments with reading links and such; remember though that this was after at least one or two answers were added after a few days of nothing on the post. No close vote, no criticizing comments, clear, concise or helpful guidance—and thus the bounty strategy was utilized I believe.

Important Note: No one had criticized the OP even in a comment in a direct and clear way to tell him what to edit and adjust the post for clarification and such regarding the close vote it received until the moderator left these comments I believe.

Swoops in for the [kill] close

Reminder: Remember, I don't know how to review this history detail or I'd be sure my wording was more accurate in this story I'm typing from memory so I could be off some but not too much I don't think—these are my observations.

• From the time the bounty was opened, I believe it had gotten 2 answers and went from at least a -1 to a 0 downvote wise in 24 hours or less.

• From the time the moderator left a few comments with links and such to the time the moderator decided to close the post, I'm not certain that even another 12-24 hours had passed.

Recap

So, after a question that lingered around for a few days with no community or moderator criticism in a comment and with no close votes, the OP placed a bounty. That bounty drew 2 answer in less that 24 hour. Afterwards a community member placed a closed vote on it and then the moderator left the link comments, and then let's say 24 hours after that the same moderator just closed it with only the same one community member's vote.

Corrective Action

To my surmise when checked on the status, the bounty was gone, post closed, etc. I left a few comments or whatever and then edited the post myself letting everyone including the OP know what I did and how I think this makes people feel, etc.

The Community Overrides and Re-opens

A few days later, it seems the community has spoken and the post was re-opened and all the comments and such were cleaned up—this is great, this is how this should work, Woooo!!

Answer 1

I'd like to hear thoughts from non-moderator community members perhaps regarding this and their take knowing all the detail and perspective as I wrote about below regarding the justification of the closure of the question with the fairly accurate timelines as I describe giving or taking some as I mentioned—what would the community consider fair in these instances?

I was the user who initially flagged the question to be closed. Once the bounty was offered, I eventually flagged the question to be reviewed by a moderator, which resulted in the bounty being refunded, the question closed, and eventually, the question improved to a point where the question was reopened by the community. However, I still feel the question, is asking for a software recommendation (since the author's problem cannot be solved without third-party software).

So, after a question that lingered around for a few days with no community or moderator criticism in a comment and with no close votes, the OP placed a bounty.

I believe I issued my close vote before the bounty was offered, I believe when I saw the bounty, I flagged it for a moderator to handle. Since the only way a bounty can be refunded in a case like this is with a moderator to get involved. I have often seen, a bounty used, to prevent a question from being closed by the community.

Afterwards a community member placed a close vote on it and then the moderator left the link comments, and then let's say 24 hours after that the same moderator just closed it with only the same one community member's vote.

Once a bounty is offered, a question cannot receive close votes, until the bounty is removed or expires. Which is the reason I believe I issue my close vote before the bounty was offered, and the reason, I believe I flagged for a moderator to review after a bounty was started.

To my surmise when checked on the status, the bounty was gone, post closed, etc. I left a few comments or whatever and then edited the post myself letting everyone including the OP know what I did and how I think this makes people feel, etc.

You improved the title. However, only a moderator took the steps, to remove the meta discussion that should have never existed in the first place. I should have never made the comment in the first place, which was the direct cause the meta discussion that happened, although a different meta discussion might have been added (due to a downvote without a comment) I wouldn't have caused it.

The following is the flag I issued if anyone is wondering, and it was accepted, as being helpful. Although unless a flag is declined, it's helpful so that doesn't really mean anything.

The question is seeking a software recommendation has received two software recommendations, and now there is a bounty on the question.

Answer 2

Its a pity neither user who answered it actually stopped to consider that... it was off topic. Both current answers, to me have issues, in parts or as a whole and well, addressing those might be a seperate problem.

So, here's a few things worth considering.

• Moderators are not omniscient

We basically pop into the site, and for most part, outside a few additional tools have the same faculties you have, and things get missed.

• Bounties make close votes impossible, even for mods.

So if we judge that a question should be closed - we need to refund the bounty

• Before the edits, this was a classic product recommendation question

So, I am slightly disappointed no one stopped up to close it - Heck two users who should know better answered it. And someone finally ended up bringing it to our attention after the bounty

• Now, its still a borderline question

I've got half a mind to fix it up at this point and kick it over to software recommendations. I might later when I'm more awake, cause thats a better place for this question IMO.

Its worth remembering, by SE's own definition - mods are human exception handlers. And OT question being bountied is an exception and the mod around at the time has to make a judgement call. While I wasn't that moderator - this seems like an appropriate course of action.