Questions tagged [answers]

Anything related to posting answers, e.g. about improving their content, voting on answers, editing others' answers, etc.

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1 vote
2 answers
56 views

Should number of votes and/or higher answers be listed higher?

Unless Im mistaken, answers to questions appear in reverse chronological order, with newer answers being first in the list. Ive always felt that the accepted answer should be listed first and then ...
13 votes
1 answer
186 views

Are there optimal days/hours to post questions in order to get visibility and answers?

I know that maybe that's a a silly and weird question, if it's not appropriate please forgive me and feel free to close it. Given the large amount of questions that the site gets daily, it may happen ...
6 votes
2 answers
244 views

What should you do when you're not receiving any reputation for your answers?

I have posted several answers on Super User where my answers are the only ones posted for the questions, and they have never been accepted, nor have they been voted on. What should I do to ensure that ...
7 votes
4 answers
562 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 ...
14 votes
2 answers
300 views

Should you answer a question that you know will get closed?

There are questions on SU that are sure to be closed for a variety of reasons. Should you post an answer if you have one? I would think so its OK if you know it will get migrated to another SE site. ...
-11 votes
3 answers
107 views

Wouldn't everyone who has a post vote down the other posts?

I see how the answer method works here and on all Stack Exchange sites, but, can someone explain to me why those who have answers to a question can downvote other answers. Doesn't this seem a little ...
1 vote
2 answers
64 views

Should I ignore questions that require more info on SU

Question Internet Explorer 10 immediately closes after opening ends with, "What's next?" More information could lead to a possible solution. Should I do one of the following? request more ...
7 votes
1 answer
59 views

Posting question & answer, why must I wait two days to accept it?

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 ...
2 votes
1 answer
949 views

Dealing with answers that simply discuss other answers to the same question

According to the FAQ, "Answers that are commentary on the question or other answers may be removed". Came across this question with 8 non-deleted answers, 5 of which are fine. The remaining 3 though ...
9 votes
2 answers
523 views

How should trusted users deal with non-answers?

Shortly after earning 20k reputation, I've encountered a couple of non-answers and – out of habit – flagged both posts as not an answer. Then, I've remembered my newly gained super powers,...
2 votes
1 answer
82 views

How to acknowledge comments with corrections to post?

Another user has made an important point about an answer I gave, rather than editing the answer directly. What is the appropriate way to give credit to that user when I edit my answer?
1 vote
2 answers
88 views

Target Audience

I read slhck's awesome answer about the target audience of SU, and I was hoping for a little more clarification. Usually when I see a question post using nontechnical language (random example), I try ...
2 votes
1 answer
48 views

Flagging answers on closed questions?

Just came across this question: Scheduled Tasks - Display the script. The OP might have accepted that "answer" since it pointed him to the proper solution, but clearly a link to a previous SU post isn'...
1 vote
1 answer
55 views

Sorting is showing lower scored answer above higher one, neither accepted

It was my understanding that answers to questions on all SE sites are sorted by descending net votes, with the accepted answer (if there is one) pinned to the top. However, the answers to this ...
2 votes
0 answers
63 views

Should my answer contain many possible solutions, or should I post multiple answers? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: Why “Please only post one answer to a question”? Some times, a question is a good question but maybe some what broad but not broad enough for it to close. In these situations ...
7 votes
3 answers
286 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 ...
16 votes
2 answers
538 views

How to make people do their civic duty?

Voting is important, right? And yet less than 400 people have earned the civic duty badge. Out of how many thousand? Uncool!
3 votes
2 answers
167 views

Increase number of visitors to a question (without bounty)

I need a tricky idea to increase the number of visitors to my questions on Super User. Sometimes I ask a question on SU where the answer is really important to me but after a week or more just has 10 ...
9 votes
1 answer
140 views

What are some good, general guidelines to follow when answering questions?

I thought it might be wise to have us come up with a list of good, general guidelines to follow when posting answers to various questions. Obviously, everyone has their own opinion about how to go ...
6 votes
2 answers
155 views

Is there is a limit of how much "quoting" a linked reference I can have in an answer?

This was actually prompted while I was editing an answer that was link only, but there have been times that I myself have found a useful site with detailed instructions. Most times, when I'm ...
11 votes
1 answer
107 views

Should we edit link only answers?

There's lots of them around, and most times I comment asking the OP to edit the answer and add more detail. However there are some cases where the OP isn't around, but the answer is still valid (...
6 votes
3 answers
171 views

Why do people post their answers as comments?

Often while browsing Super User, I notice that people post their answers to questions as comments on that question. Why wouldn't they post their answers as answers, so that they can be accepted? I ...
16 votes
2 answers
1k views

What do we do with low quality answers from high rep users?

Note: if I directly point you out, please don't take it personal I've noticed for some time now that while I've been cleaning up, that there are quite a few active, higher rep users, that are posting ...
7 votes
3 answers
106 views

Should "Not an answer" include off topic answers? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: When is an answer eligible to be flagged as “not an answer”? What to do? This answer turned up flagged as not an answer. I'm not actually certain which way it goes ...
2 votes
1 answer
89 views

Are welcome messages in answers acceptable?

I saw this answer and am not sure if the “Welcome to SuperUser.” at the beginning should be removed. It seems out of place to me…and aren't new users shown or emailed a welcome page or something ...
11 votes
1 answer
259 views

What to do with questions that can't be solved.....except by re-install?

Taking a look at this question: Problems with sound and flash in Ubuntu 12 The OP asks a questions and then answers it with "Oh! Fixed it by re-installing linux!" I've noticed as I've browsed ...
1 vote
1 answer
51 views

How can I receive e-mail every time I receive a answer?

since some months ago I do not receive any e-mail from Stackexchange sites, nor that ones informing that I receive a new answer (e.g. "1 Question Has 1 Answer - Super User"). I received it normally ...
3 votes
0 answers
85 views

Editing OS-specific questions or answers if the question or answer will also apply to another OS [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: Should the original intent of a question be broadened to make the answers more canonical? I recently found out that this question - How print multiple independent pages in one ...
4 votes
1 answer
106 views

How to express extra appreciation for answer

I asked a question yesterday and the person who answered the questions went to great lengths to help me out. Is there any way that I could express appreciation for this besides just an upvote and the ...
16 votes
4 answers
589 views

Is there a policy for or against providing executables and other self hosted downloads?

My specific case is on my answer here. Is there any policy (on SuperUser or StackExchange) in either direction concerning providing an executable I uploaded myself for others to download? Of course, ...
9 votes
2 answers
217 views

How should I handle ranting in answers?

I removed a rant from this answer. Is this the right thing to do or should I take some other action?
6 votes
1 answer
136 views

What do we think of "Alternative to" answers?

I recently saw this answer, where the user simply did this: http://alternativeto.net/software/games-for-windows---live/ Most of them integrate in games explorer anyway. Are we against just ...
5 votes
0 answers
48 views

Add "views" ordering to answer list again

There once was a views sort order for answers in a user's profile, but it apparently was removed. It is only available for questions. While it might need to be made clear that it's not answer views, ...
7 votes
2 answers
159 views

Retagging questions with the answer

This is a bit related to this topic on MSO. In a recently suggested and approved edit a tag was added to the topic, but it only became applicable through the answer. The user didn't know the tag was ...
2 votes
1 answer
156 views

Why was my "not an answer" flag marked helpful, but the post not deleted?

I flagged this post as "not an answer": I had the same problem as Dan Dyer. I followed slesker's instructions and now my problem is solved. Now, to the openoffice developpers: I really ...
6 votes
1 answer
198 views

When people give good answers to the wrong question

I asked this question last night just before going to bed. In summary, the question was "Why does my browser ask me before it will make an HTTPS connection?" I've got two answers now, but both have ...
6 votes
2 answers
104 views

Should I delete answers with no votes?

Assuming that I had answered a question and didn't get any votes(up or down) for a month or some weeks, should I worry about delete it? I mean, should I assume that it is a bad answer as well if it ...
6 votes
1 answer
179 views

Target audience of answer on SU

You have to remember this site is called "superuser" not "idiotuser". You said "it's useful to have such a warning". I don't think it's useful to you at all. It's useful to somebody that perhaps doesn'...
16 votes
9 answers
757 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 ...
1 vote
2 answers
121 views

Should duplicate answers posted within a short time frame be flagged?

Lets say there are two answers with the same content on the same question. Should the second one get flagged? This has happened to me, and I sent a flag. Want to know if it was the right thing to do. ...
26 votes
4 answers
517 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 ...
3 votes
2 answers
82 views

Should duplicate answers be posted, just to include screen shots?

I stumbled upon this question which has an answer posted (and edited) months ago. Just today, a new answer was posted with the exact same steps as the old answer, but including screen shots of the ...
13 votes
1 answer
168 views

How do I deal with "not an answer" type .. answers ?

So, what should be the protocol for posts in answers sections which are not answers (you know - OMGWTFBBQ I HAVE THIS PROBLEM type posts) Flag for ♦ moderator attention ? Flag as offensive ? Flag ...
4 votes
1 answer
56 views

Is the notification of other new answers whilst typing an answer broken?

A couple of times recently, I've started answering a question and by the time I have posted my answer, another has appeared. In the past, I have received a notification at the top of the screen ...
14 votes
1 answer
98 views

Is it ok to go back and "cleanup" questions and answers that I've asked/answered?

I've been looking though some of my questions and answers and realized that some of them are the highest quality that I want them to be at. Is it bad protocol to go back and cleanup questions and ...
5 votes
3 answers
106 views

Add Another Answer—Why?

What exactly is the point of the Add Another Answer button? What would we need to do with it that we can't do by adding another clause to our already existing answer?
5 votes
3 answers
289 views

Is it OK to downvote link only or link/copy/paste answers? [duplicate]

This is related to this question from Diago last year. I have seen a lot of answers with either a link only, or a link with a short description copy/pasted from the developer's website. Personally ...
16 votes
2 answers
291 views

Should we encourage SO and SF users to answer on SU?

I find the quality and quantity of answers on SO/SF to be substantially better than on SU. Troubleshooting questions on SU often get boxed answers from the first few Google hits. Same goes with How-...
4 votes
1 answer
90 views

Superuser homepage answer bug

I was just looking at this post that had 2 answers, but on the home page it said there were 3 answers. Edit: I just went back and the third one is there now, does SU have some kind of timing problem?

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