9

For example, How to access the system tray using the keyboard? has been flagged as a duplicate of How to access (or switch between) tray icons with shortcut in windows?. The former one has been asked over 2 months later, but has better score and more accurate answers.

Technically speaking, it's obvious that this one is a duplicate. On the other hand, closing it will redirect users to a question with less useful answers.

Should we flag older question as a duplicate if the newer one is of better quality?

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
13

In the end what matters is giving our users better answers. Given the question wasn't closed as a dupe before getting better answers, I'd say the order is no longer important.

So I'd say yes: close the question with the inferior answers as a dupe of the question with superior answers or leave them both open if they are sufficiently distinct.

4
  • 3
    Just curious: Will a 'googler' find the (better, but closed) duplicate thread or the older thread first on his search results? Does closing cause of duplicate have an impact on google search results or the internal search engine?
    – nixda
    Commented Jun 29, 2013 at 14:48
  • 1
    @nixda Just as long as they link to each other in some way, it shouldn't matter too much.
    – user193782
    Commented Jun 29, 2013 at 16:13
  • Well, thats the point. the dub is linked to the original. But how is the original linked to the dub?
    – nixda
    Commented Jun 29, 2013 at 16:53
  • 4
    @nixda When you're not logged in and visit a question closed as a duplicate, you will be redirected to the duplicate right away. The only way to go back to the original question is to click the "linked" one in the right sidebar.
    – slhck Mod
    Commented Jun 29, 2013 at 17:08

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .