The answering-advice tag has no usage guidance.
9
votes
1answer
148 views
Comment(s) or Speculative Answer?
Given a question asking for the original source of a quotation. Some digging around the 'net has thrown up an avenue for further exploration but not an answer. What I've found (and their links) would ...
3
votes
2answers
164 views
In relation to answers in the answer section, what is a “complete answer”?
I made the following partial answer a comment to the question "Word choice: to parent somebody?":
One can certainly parent with tolerance (and love, and kindness, etc). But the verb parent isn't ...
27
votes
9answers
831 views
Answers in comments
There are quite a large number of Meta.ELU questions about answers in comments, but none which definitively settles community opinion, mainly because they are rather old now, but also because they don'...
2
votes
1answer
89 views
What to do with yes/no questions?
I'm sorry if this is a duplicate, but I can't find any prior guidance on this. Closest I could get was Asking questions with very short answers.
Someone just posted this question:
Possibility ...
7
votes
1answer
222 views
Can a newly constructed word answer a single word request?
When I searched for this question, I found questions regarding whether asking for people to coin words is on-topic.
I have a little bit of a different question.
Suppose if OP is making a single word ...
-6
votes
4answers
301 views
Should we discourage the use of argot such as AmE, BrE, ELU, …?
[With Addendum]
Should we discourage the use of argot such as
AmE and BrE—even ELU—[added:]
in answers to nonspecialists' questions at ELU?
Most visitors who find answers here come from ...
14
votes
0answers
269 views
What is our current position on these issues?
I’ve been noticing an increase in answers that, essentially, consist of nothing but a suggestion or bald assertion and that are often lacking any apparent effort to even format, punctuate, or spell ...
16
votes
6answers
5k views
Is Urban Dictionary an acceptable source?
The reason I ask this is because an answer I gave to a question quoted an Urban Dictionary definition and received 2 downvotes without any explanation as to why. Could anyone please tell me what (if ...
5
votes
3answers
223 views
If the answer I was going to submit has already been submitted what should I do?
Here's what occasions my question: I submitted an answer (the first answer) and in the course of the next 24 hours three other users provided essentially the same answer. Until now, my conduct has ...
-1
votes
2answers
179 views
What advice would you offer to a new EL&U user perplexed by the first downvote of an Answer they wrote?
I'm an earnest new user here at EL&U. I'm enjoying the site very much, and I'd like to make useful contributions.
I'm perplexed as to why someone downvoted this Answer that I wrote the other day. ...
1
vote
2answers
182 views
Negativity on other people's EL&U answers
Is there a good way to handle people on EL&U who seem to thrive off of making others feel their opinions and explanations are inferior or "incorrect"?
Is this a forum for constructive, respectful ...
10
votes
2answers
197 views
What's the best way to answer when there's a really good answer elsewhere?
In researching the question Which is correct, “buck naked” or “butt naked”?, I found a very thorough examination of this question at Language Log that I linked to in a comment under the OP. I feel ...
3
votes
1answer
77 views
How should I report the author of a quote on English.SE?
When I include a quote from a book, blog, or a site, how should I report who is the author and from where the quote comes from?
Principia philosophiae, René Descartes
René Descartes, Principia ...
6
votes
2answers
137 views
How should I report the origin of a word on English.SE?
When I report the origin of a word, how should I write the meaning of the word from which the word derives?
I write it in quotes, after the word in that language: Latin minister "servant".
I write it ...
27
votes
4answers
325 views
Is it OK to answer to old questions?
I was wondering—if we find an old question without an accepted answer, are we allowed to answer? Or should we expect down-votes for that?
I don't know if it's a stupid question but I didn't find ...
2
votes
2answers
534 views
Exception to 30 character minimum for answers
Is there any way to create an exception for the minimum answer length for questions tagged "single-word request?" It seems wasteful and inconvenient and seems feasible from a coding perspective.
7
votes
2answers
241 views
What to do with repeated question types?
StackExchange is all about answering questions and spreading knowledge. However there comes a point where particular types of questions are getting asked repeatedly, despite being relatively easy to ...
8
votes
3answers
331 views
How to answer questions about acceptability
Relating to this question about what tag to use for questions about acceptability, I thought I would ask what is the best way to answer these kinds of questions, so as to address both prescriptive and ...
