Timeline for Should I flag answers which contain only a link as "not an answer"?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
15 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| May 23, 2017 at 12:36 | history | edited | CommunityBot | replaced http://stackoverflow.com/ with https://stackoverflow.com/ | |
| Apr 13, 2017 at 12:25 | history | edited | CommunityBot | replaced http://stackapps.com/ with https://stackapps.com/ | |
| Nov 19, 2013 at 13:25 | comment | added | George Stocker Mod | @Qantas94Heavy If I'm processing your flag and you flag something that as 'not an answer' that is an answer (albeit crappy, rhetorical, or lacking good information), I'm going to decline your flag. Key question to ask, "Is the individual attempting to address the question and the problem being the question?" If that answer is yes, regardless of its utility, it's an answer. It could be 'very low quality' (broken link, very poorly written and hard to parse, or some other drastic issue). Otherwise, flag with a custom flag, and tell us what's wrong and what you want us to do about it. | |
| Nov 19, 2013 at 10:58 | comment | added | Gilles 'SO- stop being evil' | @Qantas94Heavy The current official stance is that there is no official stance, so it's up to the whim of individual reviewers or moderators. As a user or moderator, I don't let link-only answers stand (I either add useful text, convert to comment, or delete). I recommend to use VLQ when the link is useless or redundant and flag as other if the link is useful and should be converted to a comment, but many moderators have a different policy. | |
| Nov 19, 2013 at 6:09 | comment | added | Qantas 94 Heavy | @GeorgeStocker: Can I confirm that the current stance that "not an answer" is not appropriate for link only answers? I'm asking as almost all "very low quality" flags that I do seem to be disputed by reviewers, they certainly aren't spam or offensive and using an "other" flag for something as routine as this doesn't really seem appropriate. | |
| May 7, 2013 at 20:45 | vote | accept | CommunityBot | moved from User.Id=138231 by developer User.Id=1037447 | |
| May 7, 2013 at 14:08 | comment | added | George Stocker Mod | You don't have to keep track of them. Just limit your flags to those that have comments (or meet the three criteria I laid out in the other post you're currently commenting on). You only have to keep track of them if you really want to. We have enough people flagging that sooner or later, someone will see your comment, see the link only answer, and flag it. | |
| May 7, 2013 at 14:06 | comment | added | George Stocker Mod | I'll use your own words to disagree with your 'I like turtles' assertion: "while the content behind the link is helpful, its applicability to the question is not immediate." "I like Turtles" is not helpful, because it doesn't address the question. Not an answer should be used for answers that do not address the question. meta.stackexchange.com/questions/167624/… | |
| May 7, 2013 at 14:06 | comment | added | Gilles 'SO- stop being evil' | @GeorgeStocker No. That doesn't scale. As a user, I'm not going to keep track of all these answers. The option that minimizes work for everyone (OP and flagger and moderator) is to leave a comment and delete the post, and then the OP can post a new answer if they wish. Unfortunately, due to an engine limitation, only the deleting moderator can leave a comment. | |
| May 7, 2013 at 14:04 | comment | added | George Stocker Mod | You're missing my point. Comment first. Then (if you want), come back later. If it's not been addressed, flag it. Likewise, if you see a link only answer with a comment that asks the person to address the issue and they haven't, then flag it. If you take these steps, you're taking the same steps a moderator would anyway, but you're helping us by doing some of the actual work of making the site better yourself. | |
| May 7, 2013 at 14:03 | comment | added | Gilles 'SO- stop being evil' | @GeorgeStocker A link-only answer is an answer in the technical sense that it's posted in the answer section, in the same sense that an answer containing only “I like turtles” is an answer. That doesn't make it any more of an answer in the semantic sense. The same flag is appropriate for “I like turtles” and “see this link”. | |
| May 7, 2013 at 14:02 | comment | added | Gilles 'SO- stop being evil' | @GeorgeStocker Comments cannot be left before by users because the engine doesn't support it. I would welcome an engine change, because I agree that the burden should be on the flagger (and as a flagger, it frustrates me that the guidance comment that I do post won't reach the flagger). But the fact is that now, if a user comments and flags, and a mod deletes the post, then the comment does not reach the poster. | |
| May 7, 2013 at 13:58 | comment | added | George Stocker Mod | Where I think this approach fails is that it puts more work at the feet of the moderator (who doesn't scale) rather than the community (which scales). You say, "additional advice for moderators" and then you say we should leave comments. Shouldn't comments have been left before this by users? Also, a link only answer is an answer, and a "Not an answer" flag is not appropriate (As your original answer states). A flag is appropriate, but flag correctly, and take some time to let the OP know before just dumping it on the moderators. | |
| May 7, 2013 at 13:46 | history | edited | Gilles 'SO- stop being evil' | CC BY-SA 3.0 | spell out the consequences for moderators of my stance from the user's perspective |
| Jun 19, 2011 at 13:35 | history | answered | Gilles 'SO- stop being evil' | CC BY-SA 3.0 |