How to handle answers which have been changed AFTER being accepted as the correct answer?

Question

In particular How to ask for a job referral from a person you don't know? where the top answer was changed after criticism and surprise that it was the accepted answer. (Albeit the question title was reworded as well).

The initial answer which was accepted was summarised in the line

"Don't waste your time, or theirs."

After being accepted the answer was revised. With the "edited" answer coming to a different conclusion:

"If you're really asking about referral, go for it;"

(NOTE: title edit was from "reference" to "referral")

Despite the fact I agree with the new answer over the old answer, the answer has now completely changed from the initial accepted answer. I understand the merits of improving an answer even (or especially) after being accepted to benefit the community. However this answer has not been improved but actually the intent changed. This is misleading to future people with the same question.

How should we respond to the changing of the answer? Or is the onus purely on the question asker to review the approved answer now it has been edited?

Answer 1

While this is a requested feature on Meta Stack Exchange, notifying question owners that an answer has been edited is not automatic.

However, anyone with the 50 reputation commenting privilege can leave a comment on the question to notify the op that the answer has been changed. One suggested comment may be:

Hello, I wanted to notify you the top answer has been edited. Can you please review and see if you still think it is the accepted answer or if you would like to vote on it or otherwise change your vote.

In most cases, an edit wouldn't be so drastic as to change the core message of an answer, so it may create a lot of noise to notify question owners automatically. Hence, we should use our judgement as to when would be an appropriate time to notify versus when we should pass.