31
votes
Are answers that advise illegal/unethical actions acceptable?
Update: The answer in question has been deleted as rude or abusive by members of the community.
Or is "cover your ass no matter what it takes" acceptable here?
Answers advising people not to ...
- 23.4k
28
votes
Accepted
Offensive or not Offensive? Moderator Opinion vs 6 Community Flags
The deletion and undeletion was a mistake from me. I meant to add a mod note to the answer, and instead flagged it. My flagging it as a moderator auto deleted and locked it, which was not my ...
- 46.7k
22
votes
Accepted
Why are flags for demonstrably false answers rejected?
flags should not be used to indicate technical inaccuracies, or an altogether wrong answer
Well this basically answers your question but I guess you're trying to get at the motivation behind it. ...
LilienthalMod
- 59.4k
18
votes
Accepted
Can we help users determine what is and isn't rude?
I have seen an increase in rudeness on this site over the last year. I have also seen an increase in short-fuse reactions to rudeness -- things that would have just been flagged and otherwise ignored ...
- 52.9k
14
votes
Offensive or not Offensive? Moderator Opinion vs 6 Community Flags
I never voted or flagged this answer, but I find it offensive as well. I don't agree with the first two paragraphs, but those aren't the offensive part. The last paragraph is really what does it for ...
- 30.1k
12
votes
"As a manager myself..." Do appeals to identity improve or diminish answers?
Is there a way these statements can be interpreted to be enhancing answers and comments? Or are they something to avoid (or substitute with a different reference/analysis)?
Quoting Monica on this ...
DarkCygnusMod
- 82.2k
11
votes
Why are flags for demonstrably false answers rejected?
So, my question is Why?
The answer has a score of -3 and is grayed out, which is a strong indicator to visitors that they shouldn't follow this advice. In fact, the answer adds value to the site ...
- 3,011
9
votes
Accepted
What is our stance on entire answers copied from other websites (with attribution)?
Stack Exchange guidance
The help center has a good explanation on this subject, too.
I would encourage people to make edits to answers which do this and do not clearly show they are copying content ...
- 111k
9
votes
Is it acceptable here to answer a question with "Go ask someone else?"
Is it acceptable here to answer a question with “Go ask someone else?”
No, because you should be voting to close instead. If all you can say is "we can't answer this question" then that's about as ...
LilienthalMod
- 59.4k
9
votes
Accepted
Answering questions that might be duplicates
My opinion is that if you come across a question that you are able to answer, and you are not personally aware of any possible duplicate questions out there, then go ahead and answer the question.
As ...
- 30.1k
9
votes
Why are flags for demonstrably false answers rejected?
Cross-site duplicate: Are blatantly wrong answers very low quality?
If the answer is wrong, you shouldn't flag it, you should downvote and comment explaining why it's wrong.
Wrong answers can still be ...
9
votes
Presenting The "Worst" Accepted Answers
I am going to go out on a limb here and speculate that they all are answers that give the user validation....
Now I will go look and test my theory
- 159k
8
votes
do I have any recourse if someone downvotes not because I don't answer the question, but because they don't agree with the answer?
An answer that fails to actually provide an answer to the question is one reason to downvote - another is when the answer is not a good answer to the question. The whole idea of the voting system is ...
motosubatsuMod
- 107k
8
votes
Is there a consensus in The Workplace regarding the meaning of votes for answers?
Not really. The metric really just remains "is this useful?" and while you can pick holes in what "useful" means to various people, it's rather the point of voting to arrive at a ...
LilienthalMod
- 59.4k
7
votes
Is it acceptable here to answer a question with "Go ask someone else?"
"Ask your manager" may be rather succinct, but in some cases it is perfectly appropriate and correct.
As with all answers, if we don't like the answer we can downvote. If we like it we can upvote. Or ...
- 380k
7
votes
Accepted
Why can I not answer a protected question when signing up with association bonus?
This is a core feature of the StackExchange network and this behaviour is intentional. In short, it's to eliminate "drive-by users" who might answer questions that have been protected for a ...
LilienthalMod
- 59.4k
7
votes
Offensive or not Offensive? Moderator Opinion vs 6 Community Flags
To me the post seems fine if the following is removed:
with appropriately low morals that basically forced herself on you for sex
That's the part that went over the line. The answerer is directly ...
- 4,031
6
votes
Accepted
Why are these answers ordered strangely?
Ah, I missed this the first time - when an OP posts a self-answer, answers are sorted by votes even if it's accepted.
Notice the OP in that case is actually the same user who wrote the accepted ...
- 111k
6
votes
Accepted
To Whom do we Answer? (the questioner or the internet as a whole?)
Personally, I always take comments as suggestions. If they make my answer a better answer, I edit, if not, I do not. It's as simple as that.
In considering factors such as allergies, et cetera, it'...
- 159k
6
votes
do I have any recourse if someone downvotes not because I don't answer the question, but because they don't agree with the answer?
Legitimate reasons to downvote include:
The answer is (in the voter's opinion) wrong.
The answer might or might not be right but is unsupported.
The answer is incomprehensible (also flag as "very low ...
- 52.9k
6
votes
Are answers that advise illegal/unethical actions acceptable?
I think this should depend on legality within common law, else you end up with perfectly valid answers being deleted because of one oddball jurisdiction.
Things that are illegal pretty much anywhere ...
5
votes
Should general answers be allowed even when they don't apply to the specific question?
Is this practice acceptable here?
The practice seems to favor more generalized answers that apply to a wide audience.
For example, if someone asked about drilling a hole and indicated they have a 1/...
- 380k
4
votes
Offensive or not Offensive? Moderator Opinion vs 6 Community Flags
It's difficult.
On the one hand, the point the answer (appears) to be trying to make is "This is how it could be interpreted from the other person's point of view". Which is a useful point to make.
...
- 24.8k
4
votes
To Whom do we Answer? (the questioner or the internet as a whole?)
Do I answer the questioner and edit my answer from the questioner's own feedback, or should I infer a generic question and answer that instead - taking into account any likely edge-cases, even if they ...
DarkCygnusMod
- 82.2k
4
votes
Avoiding or Interacting with "Don't Do That Then" Answers
How should answers that affirm an issue but offer solutions outside of
an asker's abilities to effect that solution be handled?
The system provides a standard method:
These answers should be ...
- 380k
4
votes
Are off-topic political rants encouraged in answers?
I declined the flag because I didn't see a need to do anything.
One portion of the answer does seem a bit ranty but against no one in particular. There is a comprehensive answer in it as well. So I ...
KilisiMod
- 218k
3
votes
To Whom do we Answer? (the questioner or the internet as a whole?)
Do I answer the questioner and edit my answer from the questioner's
own feedback, or should I infer a generic question and answer that
instead - taking into account any likely edge-cases, even if ...
- 380k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible