Questions tagged [answers]
Anything related to posting answers, e.g. about improving their content, voting on answers, editing others' answers, etc.
149 questions
7
votes
1
answer
264
views
Understanding the flawed audit review system
I came across a post, analyzed its content, and subsequently answered, drawing from my own experience of encountering a similar issue in the past.
In an effort to provide a comprehensive answer rooted ...
4
votes
1
answer
236
views
Is this refusal to accept an answer aligned with community standards?
I added an answer to the following question, thinking I fulfilled what the OP expected:
Is there an equivalent of a downloads list for attachments saved from MS Outlook?
The OP says the answer is not ...
- 13.9k
82
votes
4
answers
25k
views
How do I recommend software in my answers?
I have a piece of software that I would like to recommend as a solution to problems. I'm trying to avoid answering with "link only" answers, and so I need help on how I can answer valid ...
- 26.5k
-2
votes
2
answers
75
views
Please review the deletion of my answer of the post mentioned here
Several days ago, I posted an answer to the following question:
rsync: identical files (contents, size, timestamp) between source and destination are not being seen as identical
A moderator deleted my ...
- 409
4
votes
1
answer
55
views
Is it okay to point readers to the edit history of an answer for old, (mostly) out-of-date information?
Background: For the last year or so, new features for Windows Subsystem for Linux (currently my primary area of expertise here) have been limited to Windows 11. With a recent release of WSL last week,...
- 25.6k
-4
votes
1
answer
96
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retaliatory down votes
At various times, my questions have received answers not properly addressing the original question, but instead targeted at a different question. Often, the user posting the answer will decline ...
- 235
33
votes
7
answers
965
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Is "It's impossible" a valid answer, or is it a comment?
Sometimes you can see a question like How to do <something> in <some program>, asking for advice how to replicate a feature of competitive program or how to do something that OP expects to ...
- 57.9k
4
votes
1
answer
52
views
How to look at deleted answers on my question?
I would like to know how to view the deleted answers on my question. How do I do that?
I don't need to view deleted answers on other peoples' questions—just my own.
- 191
26
votes
2
answers
301
views
Should answers suggesting a tool that is no longer available be flagged?
While reviewing a different answer to the same question, I noticed this answer:
The answerer is providing a solution using a software they wrote themselves, but the link to that software has gone ...
- 4,788
12
votes
1
answer
299
views
Answer copied and filled up with spam
The content of one of my answers was copied and a new answer was created (with some spam added). This was then "corrected" by a user with a score over 2000. Since he was only shown the "...
- 11.3k
29
votes
6
answers
592
views
Old posts and answers need protection?
As member of SU for more than 5 years, I have quite a number of old answers
lying around. Some of them are so old and outdated that today they are just
ridiculous, such as recommending the ...
- 1
21
votes
5
answers
859
views
User tries to do something forbidden by license. Is explaining why it's illegal an answer?
Specifically, I'm speaking about this question: Windows 10 License in UEFI.
Long story short, OP currently uses Windows with a license provided by his university through DreamSpark. He's going to move ...
- 57.9k
0
votes
1
answer
126
views
How can I post an answer to this question on SuperUser?
I viewed a topic on this site which hasn't really been answered for 4 years:
“How to go to the next/previous picture using the Windows 10 default photo viewer?”
On reading the responses, it gave me ...
- 1
3
votes
0
answers
25
views
Review queue "Late answers" - flag when choice was "recommend deletion"?
When reviewing "Late answers", many of them are not actually answers but comments, other questions and so on (as you can select when saying "recommend deletion").
If I choose to ...
- 1,919
1
vote
1
answer
51
views
How to deal with answers that are "Essentially a spam" [duplicate]
So I came across an answer while reviewing late answers that was essentially a spam and was focused on promoting the poster's own program and website. His own profile and his answer ("our" ...
- 3,283
32
votes
2
answers
575
views
Old questions - system discourages answering them?
I've been a member on other SE sites for a while now, but only recently joined SU. I found a few things a bit different here, and there are a couple of things I think could use some discussion.
1. ...
- 1,275
21
votes
5
answers
1k
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Are purely non-technical answers to technical problems on-topic?
I edited this question yesterday as part of a cleanup spree. It had already gotten a fair bit of activity, but someone tweeted a link to it after I edited it, and things really took off.
The topic of ...
- 8,553
3
votes
0
answers
34
views
Answer box cursor broke
I just went to answer a question and my cursor is moved one space over to the left for some reason. Here's an image of it (I just pressed space before taking the screenshot, I didn't move the cursor):
...
- 64
-3
votes
2
answers
143
views
Do Mods get Rep for Deleting Downvoted Answers? [closed]
Second time I've seen the same moderator call an answer a "comment" (and delete it), when the real issue is (let's be generous to the moderator here) the quality or correctness of the answer. Why ...
user268926
12
votes
2
answers
224
views
Undelete an answer on a closed post that was deleted before it was closed
My Question
If you delete an answer on a question that is opened and then that question is closed, can you undelete that answer after the question is closed?
The Story
I noticed in some comments on ...
17
votes
2
answers
384
views
Can someone write another answer for our canonical malware question?
Our canonical malware question is a gem. At the time it was written, though, the various malware that encrypts your files weren't even a thing. We periodically get questions on how to recover from ...
- 27.8k
22
votes
1
answer
485
views
Two long answers disagreeing with each other - how to canonicalize?
Someone posted a new answer to a rather old question of mine, Disadvantages of partitioning an SSD?.
The answer I accepted has 13 upvotes at this time, and I have accepted the information therein as ...
- 1,622
2
votes
3
answers
91
views
What sort of content does SuperUser want? What is a "useful" contribution?
I tried to contribute on Super User, by:
Answering "yes" (with an explanation as to why) to a yes/no question
Commenting on an UNSOLVED issue, that has been idle and open for about 2 years ...
- 11
19
votes
3
answers
456
views
When is an answer eligible to be flagged as "not an answer"? What to do?
When I am flagging answers I read
This was posted as an answer, but it does not answer the question. It should possibly be an edit, a comment, another question, or deleted altogether.
This is very ...
- 57.7k
18
votes
1
answer
283
views
Promotional text in answer
On this answer, there is a text and link that seems like promoting a service from the user. The answer itself seems good. It does not disclose its affiliation, though, although can be inferred from ...
- 1,766
18
votes
4
answers
309
views
Show your Excel results
I see a lot of Excel questions, but also ones involving command lines, batch files, and other similar scripts, that entail some mental challenge. I'm not referring to ones where a novice needs some ...
- 27.8k
20
votes
2
answers
266
views
Question in close queue is marked as duplicate, but the duplicate is terrible!
Recently I was looking through the close votes review queue when I came across this question, and it was flagged as a duplicate of this question. These two questions really are exact duplicates of ...
- 14k
11
votes
1
answer
219
views
Can an answer be backed up only by personal experience?
https://superuser.com/a/1275976/456385
This answer is only backed up by the answerer personal experience, with no explanation provided.
if it was my customer i would dismantle the screen on the ...
- 1,766
13
votes
6
answers
757
views
Why "Please only post one answer to a question"?
What should I do when I know multiple different ways of doing something asked in question? Should I add them as separate answers or as one comprehensive answer? I think they should be separated, but ...
- 17.5k
16
votes
2
answers
309
views
Are link-only answers fine if they link to Super User questions?
Let's say someone asks a question: How do I upgrade a widget for defrobulator?. There are many possible answers, each one correct and the question isn't too broad. (And defrobulator in this case is a ...
- 57.9k
1
vote
1
answer
73
views
Downvote for a working answer, only because it means too much effort compared to available answers?
Is there a kind of rule to post only those answers which offer a solution with a needed time investment that is in good proportion with already available answers? So that a working answer may get ...
- 2,531
18
votes
4
answers
473
views
Is it rude to answer a question that has been solved in comments?
In this question
Make system sounds louder than device
A couple different people helped the OP discover the solution to his problem in comments.
In cases like this, is it best to just suggest to ...
user201262
26
votes
4
answers
520
views
Recommending own products
What's our stance on relevant product recommendations? The paragraph in the FAQ is clearly not enough in this case.
As a recent example, a developer of an Outlook plug-in/addon started answering ...
Daniel BeckMod
- 111k
4
votes
2
answers
171
views
How to improve this answer?
I was wondering how to improve this (my) answer:
https://superuser.com/a/1342178/201818
Unfortunately the down voter did not leave any comments. Thanks!
PS. Note sure I'm should ask this question ...
- 11.3k
12
votes
2
answers
227
views
Link-only answer - but already self-explanatory
links to a zip containing drivers for Windows running in Bootcamp. I think the answer is pretty self-explanatory, but somehow I don't feel right to just leave them at is. I don't know what to comment ...
- 1,766
12
votes
1
answer
98
views
My answer keeps getting suggested edits from spambots
I have been noticing a trend that my this answer, always gets edited by some spammer (may be a bot). It's only that answer and no other answer in any of the other SE network.
Finding subdirectories ...
- 352
4
votes
1
answer
94
views
Who can technically view saved drafts for questions and answers
As the post When I go to "Ask Question" here at superuser, how do I get an empty form? My previous question keeps showing up. states. . .
Stack Exchange sites will save a question or ...
16
votes
9
answers
780
views
Is downvoting link only answers acceptable?
Related:
Ban lmgtfy (le me google that for you) links
Based on the Why is linking bad? question as well as Are answers that contain only links really good answers? question, is it acceptable ...
- 20.8k
17
votes
2
answers
906
views
Bad answer repeat offender
There is a certain user I've seen answering some questions on SU that are... well, just bad. Most of his answers consist of a few more questions to the poster (that should be in the comments) and then ...
14
votes
1
answer
320
views
Old "link-only answers" by a former moderator
When I report answers (new or old) that point to a link instead of answering the question on Super User, they get deleted or edited to reflect our policies.
However, I've tried to report this answer, ...
user33758
3
votes
1
answer
48
views
Question closed on Server Fault, then make here again - should I repeat the answer?
I answered a question on ServerFault yesterday. It appeared off topic there (probably that's true), but it was just asked again on SuperUser, where it is probably on-topic. Should I copy that answer ...
- 2,919
2
votes
0
answers
40
views
Should I delete my answer after finding a similar answer on a SuperUser sister site?
I apology if this question has already been answered in any form.
Today, I answered this question. I knew the answer will be found in archive.org website, so went there, copied the relevant ...
- 20.1k
18
votes
2
answers
438
views
What should we do with answers that are low quality but otherwise legitimate attempts to answer the question?
In my extensive time on the review queues and 10k tools, there's one thing that's always been bothering me: low-quality answers that consist of no more than a few sentences and often a link to ...
- 46.4k
12
votes
4
answers
271
views
What to do with answers to abandoned questions?
This problem has been discussed in several ways by now, but I did not find the problem I am facing with it.
I often face the problem that I answer a question and the user who made the question just ...
- 3,428
6
votes
2
answers
423
views
Is this kind of "non-answer" appropriate?
Edit: After posting this question and receiving feedback, I expanded the answer to make it more of a direct answer to the question. So the referenced answer is no longer a good example of the issue ...
- 27.8k
11
votes
2
answers
274
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Should I answer my own question? Was I wrong to post it?
Here's my question (oh boy, the meta effect is about to descend upon it):
Suppress Google Chrome's "Your Connection is Not Private" for specific Address?
Am I wrong to be asking the ...
- 731
7
votes
1
answer
272
views
How should I deal with link-only answers where the information in the link can't be copied?
Usually link-only answers are considered low quality and their author is encouraged to edit them to include the relevant part of the linked page in the answer itself and if they don't do so, their ...
- 2,589
1
vote
0
answers
43
views
Cross-posting an answer between AskUbuntu and SuperUser
While looking for a way to activate an X window from the command line, I found two particularly relevant results. One on AskUbuntu and the other on SuperUser.
The answers given in both questions didn'...
- 145
7
votes
4
answers
570
views
Comments to a question that should be answers
Problem:
A trend of questions being answered purely in the comment field of the question. There is no formal migration of this into the answer format to the question. As a result, questions that ...
- 1,492
7
votes
3
answers
292
views
How should we handle joke or satirical answers?
I ran into this answer to the question "What lasts longer: Data stored on non-volatile flash RAM, optical media, or magnetic disk?":
I vote for stone tablets. They survive thousands of ...
- 46.4k