Answers in comments for questions which you down vote or close vote?

Question

(Sorry, me again.)

I understand that it is not preferred on SE sites to post an answer in comments. I also recognize that it is often done anyway when someone knows the answer and doesn't want to take the time to post an answer with "canonical" references.

That doesn't mean it's a good idea to do this here, especially on a new site where answers - good answers - are important.

However, is it better to down vote or close without explaining why one is doing so?

On this question, someone was asking a question which I knew I was going to both close-vote (I don't believe we should be a consulting service for private product development) and down vote (the question did not show any research effort; it is not useful.)

This is the scenario I pictured that prompted the explanation I gave in this comment.

• Me: down vote and close vote for reason X. Leave no comment.
• OP (or another user with a different opinion): Why the anonymous down vote? How can I improve my answers without feedback? or:
• OP: Why the close vote? This isn't X at all. It's very non-X. All I'm asking for is a specific set of symptoms of heart attacks.
• another user: I don't think this is too X either.

This reflects my dread of comment-annoyance. I learned very early on in SE not to ask for explanations of down votes or close votes. I also learned that when I give them, it often results in unpleasantness. (I made a meta post on EL&U early on in my SE experience. My opinion hasn't changed.)

Although, to my shame, I have been guilty of them myself on more than one occasion, I usually avoid comment wars like the plague. They bring out the worst in many people, myself included. I also think it detracts from the professionalism of the site, and causes unnecessary drama. But that's a personal opinion.

If I don't want to answer a question (for whatever reason) that I know I'm going to vote to close, on some sites (like EL&U) it is common to give a quick, helpful answer so the OP - who might be a contributor someday - doesn't go away mad.

Not to worry, I will try to make my behavior fit a site's culture and rules. I would like to understand, though, what the harm is in commenting on an answer that I strongly suspect is going to be closed. Is it because it discourages someone from answering? Also, anyone who has an idea on comment wars and sundries and how to avoid them (just let it be, or, if out-of-line, flag a mod is my usual stance), please feel free to share.

Thanks.

Answer 1

If I don't want to answer a question (for whatever reason) that I know I'm going to vote to close […] what the harm is in commenting on an answer that I strongly suspect is going to be closed?

The problem is that posting answers in the comments section embraces the worst of both worlds — on the one hand, you (the community) decided the question doesn't belong and are closing it from further participation. On the other hand, you are then posting a comment/answer below the question which is un-vetted, immutable, and isn't subject to any of the sorting or checks that are designed to avoid just that.

I understand that you are just trying to help — I actually have little doubt that the information you provided was correct — but if you believe you should be able to post an answer without all that pesky community vetting stuff, then you also have to believe that everyone else on this site should be able to do the same. People imitate what they see, and when folks find this site through search, they're never going to understand the nuanced difference between a properly-curated answer and one that was "just a comment."

Comments do not have the features of a proper "answer." Maybe the Moderators feel qualified to judge whether answers posted in this manner are all correct, valuable, and complete enough to stand as the answer to that post — but I think it's more intellectually honest to say this is not the way we curate content and we should not allow these types of unsorted answers at all… especially on a site that allows free and open posting to a site about health.

Answer 2

That should fall upon the shoulders of the moderation team, as well as a community that actively flags comments that are chatty, serve no purpose or are warring.

Here are some example comments from a very active, very respected mod on an established site:

Ahem. Take this to [site] Chat or edit this comments in, please. @xxxxxxx if you find yourself needing more than one comment, you need zero comments.

xxxxxx, comments are not for extended discussion. You have needed multiple multiple-comment responses on this answer, which suggests a poorly formed question. Comments are for clarification requests. If you feel like chatting with someone, invite them.

Please do not argue in comments. Take it to [site] Chat if you must.

Don't answer in comments.

So if we have an active community flagging disruptive comments, and active moderators policing, then it should be a very limited problem.

As far as the answering if "you know it will be closed", if you know it will or should be put on hold, then you should treat it as such. If you think it's worthy of an answer, then go ahead and answer. If a question gets put on hold, any answers already there remain.

If you think it will be downvoted but deserves an answer, go ahead and answer. They even have a badge for that. :)

Answer 3

If you don't want post an answer, you don't have to. If you want to comment that is perfectly fine as well. If your comment is truly answer worthy, your peers, health.SE users, can @ping you to request you make your comment an answer. If you decline, well that is what the community wiki can be used for. Another user can turn your comments into a community wiki answer allowing anyone to expand on your answer/comment since ownership is revoked. If a community mod complains, oh well there is no rule against you taken the approach you did.

I can think of math where this is a problem though but it is done in an entirely different manner. However, in that case, users are commenting answers when the post is already closed as a way to circumvent not being able to provide an answer. Since your aren't trying to circumvent closure to provide an answer, I see no foul play.

Moreover, an official anongoodnurse answer means potential rep points. If you are willing to forgo that to add general knowledge, I would think it would be worse to prevent the spread of knowledge since it wasn't in an answer box.