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I feel your pain.

Following the terms of CodeGnome, there are two opposing factions: the fast-answerers, and the most-canonicalers. You're in the most-canonical camp: you like to write detailed, documented answers, but you find that by the time you've finished typing them, three other people have typed the same two-line answer which obeys the admonition of not just posting code by adding “try this”. And if you do write a long, interesting answer, the question gets closed as a duplicate of a similar question with only quickie answers.

Fortunately, there are a few ways to compensate. First, take the long-term view: most of the quickie answers gather 30 upvotes in 12 hours and 2 more in the next year. Longer answers get their votes in the long run. Second, if you've written a good answer, you'll be able to recycle it elsewhere: copy large swathes or link to it in other Stack Overflow answers; copy it on your blog; use it on other forums; flaunt it as the definitive answer on the subject. Even use it for a practical problem of yours one day — it's a nice feeling when you need an answer quickly, search on Stack Exchange, and find an old answer that you'd forgotten posting and that addresses your current problem in addition to the asker's. Third, occasionally the asker does come back and switch his accepted answer to the longer one.

There is also the intangible benefit (or annoyance?) of seeing comments like “I wish I could vote +200!” or “Thanks a lot for your insight.” or “Thanks for the detailed explanation!”…

On the topic of duplicates, we are now explicitly encouraged to close questions as a duplicate of questions with good answers, and in particular a question can only be considered a duplicate if it has an upvoted answer. This should help move away from the “older question wins” habit (which was never a rule, but is nonetheless blindly followed by some), towards the “best answers win” which makes the site better.

That does leave a lot to be desired. The attitude to quick answers is summed up in the debate on fastest gun in the west (FGITW), where what was for long the highest-scoring answer states “I do NOT want to, in any way, discourage the quick and dirty answer.” (I hope you've downvoted that call to mediocrity.) Please stick around and help us change that culture into one that promotes good answers.

Stack Overflow is not a forum. An answer isn't just for the asker: it's for life.

By continuing to post long answers, you do make a difference. On Stack Overflow, it feels like each answer is a drop in the ocean. But drops is what the ocean are made of. On smaller Stack Exchange sites, I do post long answers, and I think I come out ok on the reputation front (I could do better in rep per time spent, but that's not what I'm here for), and I do encourage others to do the same.

So it's not the technology that makes you write bad answers: it's the culture. Admittedly the technology doesn't help, but it doesn't particularly hinder. And you can change the culture, if you persevere.

I feel your pain.

Following the terms of CodeGnome, there are two opposing factions: the fast-answerers, and the most-canonicalers. You're in the most-canonical camp: you like to write detailed, documented answers, but you find that by the time you've finished typing them, three other people have typed the same two-line answer which obeys the admonition of not just posting code by adding “try this”. And if you do write a long, interesting answer, the question gets closed as a duplicate of a similar question with only quickie answers.

Fortunately, there are a few ways to compensate. First, take the long-term view: most of the quickie answers gather 30 upvotes in 12 hours and 2 more in the next year. Longer answers get their votes in the long run. Second, if you've written a good answer, you'll be able to recycle it elsewhere: copy large swathes or link to it in other Stack Overflow answers; copy it on your blog; use it on other forums; flaunt it as the definitive answer on the subject. Even use it for a practical problem of yours one day — it's a nice feeling when you need an answer quickly, search on Stack Exchange, and find an old answer that you'd forgotten posting and that addresses your current problem in addition to the asker's. Third, occasionally the asker does come back and switch his accepted answer to the longer one.

There is also the intangible benefit (or annoyance?) of seeing comments like “I wish I could vote +200!” or “Thanks a lot for your insight.” or “Thanks for the detailed explanation!”…

On the topic of duplicates, we are now explicitly encouraged to close questions as a duplicate of questions with good answers, and in particular a question can only be considered a duplicate if it has an upvoted answer. This should help move away from the “older question wins” habit (which was never a rule, but is nonetheless blindly followed by some), towards the “best answers win” which makes the site better.

That does leave a lot to be desired. The attitude to quick answers is summed up in the debate on fastest gun in the west (FGITW), where what was for long the highest-scoring answer states “I do NOT want to, in any way, discourage the quick and dirty answer.” (I hope you've downvoted that call to mediocrity.) Please stick around and help us change that culture into one that promotes good answers.

Stack Overflow is not a forum. An answer isn't just for the asker: it's for life.

By continuing to post long answers, you do make a difference. On Stack Overflow, it feels like each answer is a drop in the ocean. But drops is what the ocean are made of. On smaller Stack Exchange sites, I do post long answers, and I think I come out ok on the reputation front (I could do better in rep per time spent, but that's not what I'm here for), and I do encourage others to do the same.

So it's not the technology that makes you write bad answers: it's the culture. Admittedly the technology doesn't help, but it doesn't particularly hinder. And you can change the culture, if you persevere.

I feel your pain.

Following the terms of CodeGnome, there are two opposing factions: the fast-answerers, and the most-canonicalers. You're in the most-canonical camp: you like to write detailed, documented answers, but you find that by the time you've finished typing them, three other people have typed the same two-line answer which obeys the admonition of not just posting code by adding “try this”. And if you do write a long, interesting answer, the question gets closed as a duplicate of a similar question with only quickie answers.

Fortunately, there are a few ways to compensate. First, take the long-term view: most of the quickie answers gather 30 upvotes in 12 hours and 2 more in the next year. Longer answers get their votes in the long run. Second, if you've written a good answer, you'll be able to recycle it elsewhere: copy large swathes or link to it in other Stack Overflow answers; copy it on your blog; use it on other forums; flaunt it as the definitive answer on the subject. Even use it for a practical problem of yours one day — it's a nice feeling when you need an answer quickly, search on Stack Exchange, and find an old answer that you'd forgotten posting and that addresses your current problem in addition to the asker's. Third, occasionally the asker does come back and switch his accepted answer to the longer one.

There is also the intangible benefit (or annoyance?) of seeing comments like “I wish I could vote +200!” or “Thanks a lot for your insight.” or “Thanks for the detailed explanation!”…

On the topic of duplicates, we are now explicitly encouraged to close questions as a duplicate of questions with good answers, and in particular a question can only be considered a duplicate if it has an upvoted answer. This should help move away from the “older question wins” habit (which was never a rule, but is nonetheless blindly followed by some), towards the “best answers win” which makes the site better.

That does leave a lot to be desired. The attitude to quick answers is summed up in the debate on fastest gun in the west (FGITW), where the highest-scoring answer states “I do NOT want to, in any way, discourage the quick and dirty answer.” (I hope you've downvoted that call to mediocrity.) Please stick around and help us change that culture into one that promotes good answers.

Stack Overflow is not a forum. An answer isn't just for the asker: it's for life.

By continuing to post long answers, you do make a difference. On Stack Overflow, it feels like each answer is a drop in the ocean. But drops is what the ocean are made of. On smaller Stack Exchange sites, I do post long answers, and I think I come out ok on the reputation front (I could do better in rep per time spent, but that's not what I'm here for), and I do encourage others to do the same.

So it's not the technology that makes you write bad answers: it's the culture. Admittedly the technology doesn't help, but it doesn't particularly hinder. And you can change the culture, if you persevere.

I feel your pain.

Following the terms of CodeGnome, there are two opposing factions: the fast-answerers, and the most-canonicalers. You're in the most-canonical camp: you like to write detailed, documented answers, but you find that by the time you've finished typing them, three other people have typed the same two-line answer which obeys the admonition of not just posting code by adding “try this”. And if you do write a long, interesting answer, the question gets closed as a duplicate of a similar question with only quickie answers.

Fortunately, there are a few ways to compensate. First, take the long-term view: most of the quickie answers gather 30 upvotes in 12 hours and 2 more in the next year. Longer answers get their votes in the long run. Second, if you've written a good answer, you'll be able to recycle it elsewhere: copy large swathes or link to it in other Stack Overflow answers; copy it on your blog; use it on other forums; flaunt it as the definitive answer on the subject. Even use it for a practical problem of yours one day — it's a nice feeling when you need an answer quickly, search on Stack Exchange, and find an old answer that you'd forgotten posting and that addresses your current problem in addition to the asker's. Third, occasionally the asker does come back and switch his accepted answer to the longer one.

There is also the intangible benefit (or annoyance?) of seeing comments like “I wish I could vote +200!” or “Thanks a lot for your insight.” or “Thanks for the detailed explanation!”…

On the topic of duplicates, we are now explicitly encouraged to close questions as a duplicate of questions with good answers, and in particular a question can only be considered a duplicate if it has an upvoted answer. This should help move away from the “older question wins” habit (which was never a rule, but is nonetheless blindly followed by some), towards the “best answers win” which makes the site better.

That does leave a lot to be desired. The attitude to quick answers is summed up in the debate on fastest gun in the west (FGITW), where what was for long the highest-scoring answer states “I do NOT want to, in any way, discourage the quick and dirty answer.” (I hope you've downvoted that call to mediocrity.) Please stick around and help us change that culture into one that promotes good answers.

Stack Overflow is not a forum. An answer isn't just for the asker: it's for life.

By continuing to post long answers, you do make a difference. On Stack Overflow, it feels like each answer is a drop in the ocean. But drops is what the ocean are made of. On smaller Stack Exchange sites, I do post long answers, and I think I come out ok on the reputation front (I could do better in rep per time spent, but that's not what I'm here for), and I do encourage others to do the same.

So it's not the technology that makes you write bad answers: it's the culture. Admittedly the technology doesn't help, but it doesn't particularly hinder. And you can change the culture, if you persevere.

I feel your pain.

Following the terms of CodeGnome, there are two opposing factions: the fast-answerers, and the most-canonicalers. You're in the most-canonical camp: you like to write detailed, documented answers, but you find that by the time you've finished typing them, three other people have typed the same two-line answer which obeys the admonition of not just posting code by adding “try this”. And if you do write a long, interesting answer, the question gets closed as a duplicate of a similar question with only quickie answers.

Fortunately, there are a few ways to compensate. First, take the long-term view: most of the quickie answers gather 30 upvotes in 12 hours and 2 more in the next year. Longer answers get their votes in the long run. Second, if you've written a good answer, you'll be able to recycle it elsewhere: copy large swathes or link to it in other Stack Overflow answers; copy it on your blog; use it on other forums; flaunt it as the definitive answer on the subject. Even use it for a practical problem of yours one day — it's a nice feeling when you need an answer quickly, search on Stack Exchange, and find an old answer that you'd forgotten posting and that addresses your current problem in addition to the asker's. Third, occasionally the asker does come back and switch his accepted answer to the longer one.

There is also the intangible benefit (or annoyance?) of seeing comments like “I wish I could vote +200!” or “Thanks a lot for your insight.” or “Thanks for the detailed explanation!”…

On the topic of duplicates, we are now explicitly encouraged to close questions as a duplicate of questions with good answers, and in particular a question can only be considered a duplicate if it has an upvoted answer. This should help move away from the “older question wins” habit (which was never a rule, but is nonetheless blindly followed by some), towards the “best answers win” which makes the site better.

That does leave a lot to be desired. The attitude to quick answers is summed up in the debate on fastest gun in the west (FGITW), where the highest-scoring answer states “I do NOT want to, in any way, discourage the quick and dirty answer.” (I hope you've downvoted that call to mediocrity.) Please stick around and help us change that culture into one that promotes good answers.

Stack Overflow is not a forum. An answer isn't just for the asker: it's for life.

By continuing to post long answers, you do make a difference. On Stack Overflow, it feels like each answer is a drop in the ocean. But drops is what the ocean are made of. On smaller Stack Exchange sites, I do post long answers, and I think I come out ok on the reputation front (I could do better in rep per time spent, but that's not what I'm here for), and I do encourage others to do the same.

So it's not the technology that makes you write bad answers: it's the culture. Admittedly the technology doesn't help, but it doesn't particularly hinder. And you can change the culture, if you persevere.

I feel your pain.

Following the terms of CodeGnome, there are two opposing factions: the fast-answerers, and the most-canonicalers. You're in the most-canonical camp: you like to write detailed, documented answers, but you find that by the time you've finished typing them, three other people have typed the same two-line answer which obeys the admonition of not just posting code by adding “try this”. And if you do write a long, interesting answer, the question gets closed as a duplicate of a similar question with only quickie answers.

Fortunately, there are a few ways to compensate. First, take the long-term view: most of the quickie answers gather 30 upvotes in 12 hours and 2 more in the next year. Longer answers get their votes in the long run. Second, if you've written a good answer, you'll be able to recycle it elsewhere: copy large swathes or link to it in other Stack Overflow answers; copy it on your blog; use it on other forums; flaunt it as the definitive answer on the subject. Even use it for a practical problem of yours one day — it's a nice feeling when you need an answer quickly, search on Stack Exchange, and find an old answer that you'd forgotten posting and that addresses your current problem in addition to the asker's. Third, occasionally the asker does come back and switch his accepted answer to the longer one.

There is also the intangible benefit (or annoyance?) of seeing comments like “I wish I could vote +200!” or “Thanks a lot for your insight.” or “Thanks for the detailed explanation!”…

On the topic of duplicates, we are now explicitly encouraged to close questions as a duplicate of questions with good answers, and in particular a question can only be considered a duplicate if it has an upvoted answer. This should help move away from the “older question wins” habit (which was never a rule, but is nonetheless blindly followed by some), towards the “best answers win” which makes the site better.

That does leave a lot to be desired. The attitude to quick answers is summed up in the debate on fastest gun in the west (FGITW), where the highest-scoring answer states “I do NOT want to, in any way, discourage the quick and dirty answer.” (I hope you've downvoted that call to mediocrity.) Please stick around and help us change that culture into one that promotes good answers.

Stack Overflow is not a forum. An answer isn't just for the asker: it's for life.

By continuing to post long answers, you do make a difference. On Stack Overflow, it feels like each answer is a drop in the ocean. But drops is what the ocean are made of. On smaller Stack Exchange sites, I do post long answers, and I think I come out ok on the reputation front (I could do better in rep per time spent, but that's not what I'm here for), and I do encourage others to do the same.

So it's not the technology that makes you write bad answers: it's the culture. Admittedly the technology doesn't help, but it doesn't particularly hinder. And you can change the culture, if you persevere.