There are probably as many answers to this question as there are people answering in comments...

I'll do it sometimes if I have a suggestion that doesn't really seem like a complete answer, if the length, and formatting restrictions of a comment allow it.

Sometimes, I just don't want to bother writing up a good answer, so Ill use the comment to post a hint, in the hope that it'll prompt someone else to go to the trouble of researching and fleshing it out.

Others have noted that they'll use comments to provide answers to inappropriate questions. I'll usually still post an answer in that case, but mark it CW... however, this can upset some people, and I'm not entirely sure whether it works to encourage other CW answers (ok), or just encourage other answers (not OK). So Ill occasionally post my answer as a comment then as well.

There are probably as many answers to this question as there are people answering in comments...

I'll do it sometimes if I have a suggestion that doesn't really seem like a complete answer, if the length and formatting restrictions of a comment allow it.

Sometimes, I just don't want to bother writing up a good answer, so I'll use the comment to post a hint, in the hope that it'll prompt someone else to go to the trouble of researching and fleshing it out.

Others have noted that they'll use comments to provide answers to inappropriate questions. I'll usually still post an answer in that case, but mark it CW... however, this can upset some people, and I'm not entirely sure whether it works to encourage other CW answers (ok), or just encourage other answers (not ok). So I'll occasionally post my answer as a comment then as well.

There are probably as many answers to this question as there are people answering in comments...

I'll do it sometimes if i have a suggestion that doesn't really seem like a complete answer, if the length and formatting restrictions of a comment allow it.

Sometimes, i just don't want to bother writing up a good answer, so i'll use the comment to post a hint, in the hope that it'll prompt someone else to go to the trouble of researching and fleshing it out.

Others have noted that they'll use comments to provide answers to inappropriate questions. I'll usually still post an answer in that case, but mark it CW... however, this can upset some people, and i'm not entirely sure whether it works to encourage other CW answers (ok), or just encourage other answers (not ok). So i'll occasionally post my answer as a comment then as well.

There are probably as many answers to this question as there are people answering in comments...

I'll do it sometimes if I have a suggestion that doesn't really seem like a complete answer, if the length, and formatting restrictions of a comment allow it.

Sometimes, I just don't want to bother writing up a good answer, so Ill use the comment to post a hint, in the hope that it'll prompt someone else to go to the trouble of researching and fleshing it out.

Others have noted that they'll use comments to provide answers to inappropriate questions. I'll usually still post an answer in that case, but mark it CW... however, this can upset some people, and I'm not entirely sure whether it works to encourage other CW answers (ok), or just encourage other answers (not OK). So Ill occasionally post my answer as a comment then as well.