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There needs to be a better way for users who have questions marked as duplicate to contest the designation.

As of right now, there is no formal mechanism in the system for a user to be able to provide evidence that there question is not duplicated. The only option is to post a complaint on a per incident basis within meta super user. This is not efficient, and certainly not effective.

Here is a link to a clear example of the issue.

Question incorrectly marked as duplicate.

Only one piece of evidence is necessary. The duplicate refers to Win 7, the question refers to Win 8.1.

Do we not need a facility to formalize the process of an OP proving a question is not a duplicate?

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  • Why is the current method not efficient or effective?
    – random Mod
    Commented Dec 7, 2013 at 1:47
  • it is not formalized, you post a question to meta asking why your question was marked duplicate. If I edit a question what happens?
    – gravidThoughts
    Commented Dec 7, 2013 at 1:48
  • To be clear, posting a question to meta is not a formalized process. You should be able to click on a link as the OP that allows you to provide evidence that the question is not a duplicate. This evidence should be reviewed through a formal process like many other stack x features...
    – gravidThoughts
    Commented Dec 7, 2013 at 1:50
  • The meta is the process. You post a link, describe why not, and the community come together to judge if they should overturn it or not
    – random Mod
    Commented Dec 7, 2013 at 1:54
  • So why do we not use meta for edits?
    – gravidThoughts
    Commented Dec 7, 2013 at 1:56
  • Furthermore, is it clear to the OP that they should handle this through meta, as opposed to a prominent link for disputing that it is a duplicate? How many users actually know that meta exists?
    – gravidThoughts
    Commented Dec 7, 2013 at 1:58
  • That question was correctly marked as a duplicate btw.
    – Oliver Salzburg Mod
    Commented Dec 7, 2013 at 9:16
  • Really Oliver? Win 8.1 and 7 are the same system?
    – gravidThoughts
    Commented Dec 8, 2013 at 0:08
  • @gravidThoughts For a lot of questions (probably the vast majority, unless about explicitly new/changed features), they're likely to be the same. There's no point in duplicating the same questions over and over for every new software version that comes out. One needs to identify which questions are version-specific and which aren't, of course, and take appropriate action, but just saying "I'm using a newer version, so it's not a duplicate!" (without providing some evidence that the issue in question actually has changed) doesn't cut it.
    – Daniel Beck Mod
    Commented Dec 8, 2013 at 8:56
  • @Daniel Beck In my opinion the difference between major versions of an operating system merit a separate question. I can't provide evidence because MS does not make the necessary information publicly available.
    – gravidThoughts
    Commented Dec 8, 2013 at 19:07

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
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The only option is to post a complaint on a per incident basis within meta super user.

That's one option. The other options are

  • If you have 3k+ rep, you can vote to reopen
  • Editing the question to make it clear why it's not a duplicate not only puts it into reopen queue, also bumps it up to the front page allowing for people to vote to reopen
  • You can flag to reopen
  • A reopen vote by any one person puts it into reopen queue

if I need to explain to you why that is not a duplicate..... well your not worth my time.

Well, no with that kind of attitude, your post will go nowhere.

ps:you're*, not your

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  • Also it explicitly says below the question, "If those answers do not fully address your question, please edit this question to explain how it is different". Meta isn't mentioned there.
    – slhck Mod
    Commented Dec 7, 2013 at 10:57
  • Grammar lesson noted. I don't have 3k rep, but I am the original poster of the question. Disputing the designation of duplicate is a function of reputation? Maybe if someone besides the original poster wanted to intitiate a dispute. I don't think the question could be any clearer, it states windows 8.1 and even tags it that way. How do I flag to reopen?
    – gravidThoughts
    Commented Dec 8, 2013 at 0:12
  • I apologize for the original attitude, and have edited the post. Please Sathya, explain to me why it is a duplicate.
    – gravidThoughts
    Commented Dec 8, 2013 at 0:14
  • Also, if i flag to reopen, how do I provide evidence that the question is not duplicate?
    – gravidThoughts
    Commented Dec 8, 2013 at 0:20
  • In my opinion, if an original poster has clear evidence that the question is not a duplicate, none of the mechanisms you describe solve the problem of an incorrectly marked duplicate as well as a formalized process for an OP to dispute.
    – gravidThoughts
    Commented Dec 8, 2013 at 0:44
  • 1
    @gravidThoughts the OS might be different, but the same steps/solution would be applicable to both. In such a case, it is deemed as duplicate. If you've tried the steps mentioned in the previous solution and they don't work - mention in the question - "solution xyz mentioned in linked question don't work because of <reasons>". To flag to reopen, click on the flag link under the question i.imgur.com/gnxAPzl.png
    – Sathyajith Bhat Mod
    Commented Dec 8, 2013 at 8:22

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