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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 knowledge to others and to act as a future reference for a problem that I've managed to solve by myself, so why can't I accept my own answer (which I know to work) immediately?

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This encourages others to post alternative solutions (or at least doesn't discourage them like an already accepted answer would). Source:

  1. Wait 48 hours. You must wait 2 days from the time you originally asked your question before you can accept your own answer. This gives other users a chance to answer the question in good faith, and earn the accepted answer.

As an example, check out this question I answered myself. While I had a "solution", the other answers are clearly better.

And it's not like it's a problem either, especially now that the accept rate is no longer shown. Just come back after a few days and accept the best answer.

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  • This encourages others to post alternative solutions (or at least doesn't discourage them as an already accepted answer would). I wasn't thinking about that, but I understand it. Thanks for your explanation.
    – Sekhemty
    Commented May 11, 2013 at 16:17

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