Questions tagged [answers]
The answers tag has no usage guidance.
48 questions
9
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Do we want to enable an "AI-generated content" banner?
Given the recent announcement Sites can now request to enable a banner to warn about their policy on AI-generated content and given our stance in How do we want to handle AI-generated answers?, it ...
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U&L Help Center article for our policy on AI-generated content
Minutes after I posted Do we want to enable an "AI-generated content" banner?, the Main Meta question was updated to ask us to fill in the "Learn more" link with our site's policy ...
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Example: The number of lines matching the pattern G in file and Example: The number of matches in the same file, but counting each match individually
I am currently on a crusade regarding this question. The edits that I made were reverted with a comment saying:
Please don't change your question after receiving answers. You can clarify, but not ...
terdonMod
- 248k
25
votes
8
answers
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How do we want to handle AI-generated answers?
New software has been released recently named ChatGPT that is causing quite a stir around the network:
Could ChatGPT be a viable way to answer people's questions?
Temporary policy: ChatGPT is banned
...
KusalanandaMod
- 345k
7
votes
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answer
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How to help others when you don't have a complete solution?
I've recently joined StackExchange after using it as a resource for many years. Therefore I don't have a high reputation (26), and so cannot use the comments field. Is there any way to PM a user ...
- 68.1k
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2
answers
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Answer question not expertly but with gathered information if Q has no answers
I like to investigate when I find a question that is interesting to me, mainly navigating the man pages, since part of my journey in this site is learning. I can reach, after such investigation ...
- 12.7k
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I use pre-written answers to frequently asked Qs. Is this wrong?
In answering many of the frequently asked questions on Unix& and on AskUbuntu, I use canned answers.
I have written answers that, while generic, will usually solve the problem.
Is this contrary to ...
- 79.8k
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Would you like to have the accepted answer pinned or unpinned on UNIX & Linux?
I've just been made aware of Unpinning the accepted answer from the top of the list of answers where it says:
Currently we are planning to move forward with one of two scenarios,
based on your ...
- 68.1k
5
votes
2
answers
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when to make an answer community
I've just asked a question, and someone made two comments which in fact answered my question; since the answer was in the comments, I wrote an answer and made it community wiki.
Now the commenter has ...
- 121k
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What's wrong with this answer?
Which rules (if any) make this answer:
https://unix.stackexchange.com/a/665367/232326
Invalid, or, at least, wrong ?
Just shocked to get 3 downvotes so quickly for a perfectly correct (IMO) answer. If ...
- 458k
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2
answers
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Was my behavior correct in this situation?
I'm opening this post in reference to this question: Access ext4 disk that lost superblock and its backups
The only person who answered seem to be a a highly regarded member of this community, not ...
- 19.6k
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answers
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Answer with alternative solution not addressing the question directly
I read the meta question Are answers using alternative tools not welcome?, but I'm not sure if my question has nuances that the other doesn't. I have no issues if you consider this is a duplicate.
I ...
- 4,305
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votes
2
answers
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Downvoting answers to questions asked like "do my homework"
Do answers to questions that didn't come with attempts, and are just like "do my homework", deserve a downvote?
Example:
Filtering out numbers that have sequential- consecutive or non-...
- 19.2k
4
votes
1
answer
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Answers that add information but don't solve the problem
I would like to know whether answers like the following one, should get deleted.
On the one hand, it does provide relevant information on the problem, but on the other hand, it doesn't solve the issue....
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Completely changed answer: edit or new answer?
In a recent post I changed my answer completely, so I edited it.
But then I thought that, being a "new" answer, it should be a separate one, so I posted a new answer. (I just let the previous one ...
- 12.7k
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Why is commenting restricted to 50 rep? [duplicate]
Why is it allowed to answer a questions, but for comments 50 reputation is needed. Isn't an answer much higher weighted than a comment, where you can point out something to the questioner without ...
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Why does reviewers not accept? Reject the edits without understanding
I had edited an answer, based on my search and experience.
Like this one.
I am not sure if the peer reviewer understood the question, and then my answer.
If these are the reviewers, then this ...
KusalanandaMod
- 345k
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votes
2
answers
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When to "Comment", and when to "Answer"?
I am trying to contribute effectively to the community, but I am not clear on when to Comment and when to Answer a question?
I see many 'answers' in comments and I am not sure why they chose not to ...
- 3,898
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answer
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Should we display a user's question/answer ratio?
What are the consequences of this? Would it provide any value? My guess is that user's would be more likely to answer questions rather than ask them if some form of reputation were involved as well.
slmMod
- 375k
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How do we feel about copying answers from other SE sites?
One of our users posted a comment on this question pointing out that the question had been asked (not cross-posted, different user) and answered on Ask Ubuntu. Since I had found the question ...
terdonMod
- 248k
7
votes
1
answer
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Best practice: add and harmonize missing input filenames for Qs & As?
Some coding questions provide sample input files but don't get around to naming the input file. The answerers often make up their own unique input filenames, like "file", "input", "inputfile", or "...
- 7,283
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Linking to the POSIX standard text (about editions and HTML fragments)
When linking to the POSIX standard document one may link to a specific edition (as I did here), or to the latest (undated) edition.
Linking to a specific edition may be preferable when linking to a ...
- 19.5k
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What to do when user says they meant different question after you have answered
I posted an answer for a user’s question and he indicated he was going to try my solution. After some time he had not indicated whether or not it worked. I commented to ask if it worked or did he ...
1
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answer
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Is it really that bad?
So this answer seems to be especially scary to some folks. Now it is not the only answer I have given that has a negative score (it happens, along with a bunch that have no score), there are five ...
KusalanandaMod
- 345k
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answer
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How to find some question that I can perfect answer it? [closed]
How to find some question that I can perfect answer it?
- 37k
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answer
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Why doesn't search find my answer?
To give Bond eth0 and LTE Modem a pointer, I was trying to find a previous answer I knew I'd written about how we use multiple ISPs at work. I was also going to point to some other folk's answers, but ...
CommunityBot
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2
answers
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editing an answer to add code example, and then it was reverted
on this answer https://unix.stackexchange.com/posts/283528/revisions I added example code to actually accomplish what was in the answer. It said use tool XYZ and I showed how to use it specifically as ...
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What time was question asked
How do I find the time that a question was asked?
I am looking at a question that is labelled as asked yesterday.
The exact time, may be of relevance in answering the question.
The question is: ...
CommunityBot
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26
votes
1
answer
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An answer you gave is now incorrect/obsolete due to software updates.
I answered this question. linux on baytrail tablets
The answer I gave was correct at the time but it is now completely outdated as it mentions a kernel bug that has been fixed.
What should I do ...
CommunityBot
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5
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2
answers
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How can I link people to arbitrarily specific points on a reference page?
Note: This question could possibly fit as a question on a main site somewhere, whether stack overflow, user experience or somewhere else. I'm asking it here because: (a) I don't know where else it ...
CommunityBot
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Is there a mechanism for dealing with unmaintained questions?
In the case of Can I create a user-specific hosts file to complement /etc/hosts? , the question was asked and answered some time ago. After a while, the landscape in which the question was asked has ...
CommunityBot
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2
votes
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Why is deleting answers discouraged?
I deleted two answers of mine, because after some thinking I came to the conclusion those answers were not very good and/or not really my field of expertise:
how to allocate more storage for home ...
CommunityBot
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35
votes
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answers
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why are we not encouraging posting answers as an answer but not via comments?
I have seen many cases, every time exact answers are posting via comments instead of answers. So I would like to get clarification, is that the encouraged way here?
I have seen at Stack Exchange ...
CommunityBot
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13
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When should I post multiple answers to a question?
Another user asked me in the comments section to my answer here why I combined so many approaches in a single answer. This made me realize we don't seem to have a clear consensus on if and when it is ...
CommunityBot
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1
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Comments of thanks
The help section of the site states
Please do not add a comment on your question or on an answer to say
"Thank you". Comments are meant for requesting clarification, leaving
constructive ...
CommunityBot
- 1
12
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2
answers
196
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The Question vs The Outcome
Consider This
Maybe I'm still too new, but I'm going to put this issue out there:
I'm not good with cars. Say I'm out driving and my car breaks down. I call a tow truck and take it to the mechanic, ...
CommunityBot
- 1
1
vote
0
answers
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Posting an answer triggers the "Confirm that you want to leave" dialogue
For the past few days (since the new profile pages came out, I think), each time I try to post an answer on U&L, I get this dialog when I click on "Post your answer":
If I choose "Stay on page" ...
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Is it ok to move my answer away to create a better question for it?
Sometimes I write answers that may help the OP to solve the actual underlying problem, but match the question as stated only tangentially.
That can work out great, like when the answer matches the ...
CommunityBot
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7
votes
3
answers
65
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How to handle reviewing answers that are only comments?
When reviewing low quality posts, I often find answers of new users, that are just one line and should be converted into a Comment to the question instead (example: https://unix.stackexchange.com/...
CommunityBot
- 1
1
vote
1
answer
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What determines what is the oldest question?
I answered a question this morning, and after finishing my edit, did see that it was answered by someone else with very similar information, 2-3 minutes later. I briefly thought about commenting on ...
14
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2
answers
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Should "command only" answers be flagged, down voted and deleted?
There are a lot of answers that only provide a one to three line commands and nothing else.
Sometimes this is enough since the question was asked in a way that the answer is only one command.
In ...
- 9,801
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Why are we answering how to accomplish a task with X, we are answering with Y? [duplicate]
I've seen this couple of times: How to foo the bar with X? X being a requirement of the asker. Now, maybe I'm biased by my participation in Software Recommendations where all requirements of OP should ...
CommunityBot
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Can't mark as duplicate to other Stack Exchange Question
I wanted to provide an answer but also indicate that this question
variables in crontab was a duplicate an existing question, and provide a link to the answer that I thought was best. ie This one, ...
CommunityBot
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answer
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Proper way to undo an edit made to a working answer
I recently posted an answer that worked exactly as the asker wanted, specific to his needs and maintainable by me (i.e. - I can answer questions about my answer if needed and explain its workings and ...
CommunityBot
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Is it appropriate to "cross post" (parts of) answers?
Sometimes multiple questions can relate to the same topic from different angles. I've considered linking the questions, but sometimes the angles are so different that the answer to one question can ...
CommunityBot
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Is it appropriate to ask askers to accept an answer
Occasionally people will thank for an answer in the comments and write that the suggestion worked for them. Is it acceptable to ask them to accept the answer or upvote it instead, as seems preferable ...
CommunityBot
- 1
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What to do when you've posted an incorrect answer
I thought I had an answer to this question. My answer was accepted and got 2 up votes, but then I realized that it doesn't actually work. I updated the answer with a semi-retraction, but I don't know ...
CommunityBot
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Can't answer my own question!
I asked this question a while back, but I didn't get any satisfactory answers. After poking around the Internets for a while, I found what I was looking for. I'm all happy now, and I went to go answer ...
CommunityBot
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