10
Yes, it's acceptable. I don't have to like it, but free speech is free speech.
Excellent question, and a difficult one! This is a prime example of how our site is much more subjective than other SE sites.
I don't think we can decide that people are not allowed to post certain content, even if we disagree with that content. Censorship is a slippery slope ...
10
I've locked the post until a consensus can be come to. In general, such substantive edits should not be made without the author's consent. Personally, I felt in this case that an unfiltered experience is important to share, and may be helpful to someone in the future, even if it's uncomfortable to read. If you disagree with the conclusions, you should ...
9
I can think of a variety of reasons that an OP might want to restrict answers in some fashion.
Attempting to create a community wiki (your 1st example)
Reinforcing existing standards, particularly for a topic which may be prone to strong feelings-based answers
providing objective answers (your 2nd example)
not arguing with the premise (e.g. "I'm not ...
8
I feel that in the linked case (and similar cases) the answer should stay. Typically, voting will correctly adjust visibility of the answer up/down appropriately. The answerer was attempting to answer the question - they were trying to adjust the point of view to show that perhaps the parent was approaching the issue in the wrong way, which is a perfectly ...
7
By definition, spam is unsolicited. I think if it comes as an answer to a relevant question, that qualifies as not being unsolicited. I sort of see the problem as like this xkcd comic (language warning). Who cares if their intent is advertising if they're writing helpful and constructive answers? I think that's why you saw the answer as okay-to-leave and ...
7
Please forgive me if I meander a bit, but your question asks more than it seems on the surface to ask.
The Stack Exchange model is not discussion based, but a straightforward Question and Answer model:
Ask questions, get answers, no distractions
where the best answers tend to be to the point, precise and informative.
This is an enlightening video on ...
6
Ref. Are moderators required to report users younger than 13?
In a nutshell, as a SE user, you bring it to a moderator's attention, the moderator then brings it to a community manager's attention.
6
This particular post aside, assuming the edits to the answer are appropriate - ie, are not changing the tenor of the post nor the substance, but are changes to improve readability or similar - the OP does not have a particular right to not have edits made. The correct thing to do in this case if the OP reverts what you consider an entirely valid edit (and ...
6
Additionally to anongoodnurse's answer, I left you a note when I edited your post to tell you it was because of the anecdotal paragraph - and this was precisely one of the reasons you ended up with your previous suspension.
You have posted quite a few answers with good content, hence your Rep score, but when you add extraneous anecdotal information it can ...
5
There are a number of cognitive biases that make anecdote unreliable; and a number of reasons that make an accurate anecdote irrelevant to a correct answer. Anecdote distracts from evidence.
Opinion and anecdote do serve some useful purpose on SE.
When a parent is goin through a distressing experience; or when a parent is discussing something that is ...
5
I just want to add that I agree with Karl Bielefeldt and Joe. @Random Guy, I saw that you did answer, but you also wanted to make his answer more like yours - to suit your sense of decorum. That's not what edits are for.
Far better to interact with the poster in comments, or, also an option, to answer it yourself with a better answer. Down vote the answer ...
5
I agree with everything Beofett says in his answer up until the statement, "Down-vote them if you think they offer harmful advice." In general, I have understood the policy on voting to be that it is up to the user how to apply down-votes etc, but that generally reserving down-votes for questions and answers that are poorly formed or unsubstantiated is what ...
4
I agree with Beofett's approach on how to handle these questions, I just want to additionally point out that whether a point of view is "political" or not depends highly on the context. A post advising someone on an individual parenting decision in their own home is apolitical. The same post advising a law be passed that forces that same decision on ...
4
I understand your point, Monsto, but I'm not sure I agree. To me, the deciding factor when reviewing an edit is whether the overall quality of the post is improved.
I'm sorry to be blunt but as soon as you hit that "Post" button, your contribution is no longer yours. It belongs to the community, and it's in the community's interest to make all posts as good ...
4
I'm worried that posting a factual, valid answer rooted in this would be met with heavy hostility at best, and moderated out at worst (including suspension), either because people assume that "be nice" policy means "fully support and validate everyone's lifestyle choice, even when science says otherwise"...
I don't think you fully understand the role of ...
4
"Is there an expectation that questions posted should be factual?"
Sort of. From What types of questions should I avoid asking:
You should only ask practical, answerable questions based on actual problems that you face.
Generally, that's interpreted broadly. Users don't need to have actually encountered a situation yet (for example, I can ask a ...
4
The user you discussed with is not my sockpuppet account. Whenever a comment is posted to a question or answer, the poster gets notified. in this case, that was me. I sometimes did follow the link in my recent inbox message, which is probably why you found me popping up in that chatroom for a short moment.
To add an answer to your question:
For sure, mods ...
answered Jul 10 '18 at 18:00
Anne Daunted GoFundMonica
3,3651 gold badge6 silver badges17 bronze badges
4
Personal opinion as a physician-user: I believe Joe's comment is completely correct in the case of your face blindness answer. The child does not have symptoms - not even close! - for the diagnosis of prosopagnosia, and if your answer wasn't immediately dismissed by the OP, you might well have caused a lot of unfounded anxiety. The OCD answer is at least ...
3
I would like to answer first as a user who happens to be a physician, then as a moderator; thanks for bearing with me.
As a doc, I'm not overly concerned with answering medical questions; I know when a referral is in order, what's an emergency, etc. What I fear (not only on this site) is users who think their advice is good when it's not. That is my major ...
3
There are a number of ways that one might become a single parent.
A woman has a baby through artificial insemination.
A woman has a one-night stand and has a baby.
A woman gets raped and has a baby.
A committed couple has a baby, and then:
one parent dies.
one parent leaves the family.
the relationship degrades and the parents split up.
one parent leaves ...
3
Certainly I think that requiring research-backed answers is appropriate and welcome; if someone is asking for research we should endeavor to provide such. We're a bit more "opiniony" than most sites, and that means a lot of our answers tend to be personal narratives and opinion; we should enable users who want facts to get those when needed.
Scope-narrowing ...
3
The sum of all fears on our Software Recommendations site is that guerrilla marketers will follow the quality guidelines to the letter and contribute good content while doing their evil deed.
To that, I basically say, mission accomplished (as XKCD did).
If you want to relax a little and allow these, I'm mostly for it, especially when it comes to keeping new ...
3
I was the source of the upvoted comment, I suspect, and want to clarify my particular stance on that answer, as well as in general.
On that answer, I didn't feel it was "not an answer" explicitly. I didn't flag it, and didn't even downvote it. I think it is a poor answer, and would be better as a comment, because of the lack of providing additional ...
Only top voted, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible