54
votes
Accepted
Should users refrain from answers (or partial answers) in comments?
You should not answer in comments.
Not partial answers, not full answers. Not "leads on" an answer. Not "I would answer but I'm tired/just woke up/am drunk so I'll just say this...&...
- 176k
36
votes
What to do about comment misuse?
Don't call it a "comment"
With this feature enabled, you can't "add a comment". You can only "suggest improvements":
This is only a change in wording, so the mechanics ...
- 4,243
34
votes
Should users refrain from answers (or partial answers) in comments?
I'll step in and provide some background here -- the reason why you see things that resemble "partial answers" in other Stacks is because troubleshooting is an iterative process. "Try turning it off ...
- 11.1k
29
votes
Is it ok to ask for comments on downvotes?
It doesn't hurt to ask ...
Many users on many SE site do ask for feedback to help understand what caused a negative reaction to a given answer or question.
... but don't be upset by a lack of ...
- 144k
24
votes
I have some information to add to help someone solve their issue, do I answer or comment?
There's two expectations going on you're running into:
If you're attempting to partially or completely solve the problem, exclusively do that in an answer.
from Should users refrain from answers (or ...
- 36.6k
23
votes
Why are site comments being deleted?
In the interests of visibility, I'll say I'm (part of) the reason comments are being deleted.
In my year on the site I've flagged comments ~230 times for deletion. I'd estimate based on my "helpful" ...
- 102k
23
votes
I need 50 reputation to post a comment, how can I gain reputation without commenting?
Post interesting questions and useful answers to questions. Upvotes on those will give you reputation. Being able to comment is among the first perks gained by gaining reputation.
As a closely related ...
- 34.9k
21
votes
Who should make welcoming comments?
You should welcome new users!
Going from lurker to user is an enormous risk that the community should recognize. It's easy to overlook that someone has taken that risk and, instead, focus on what the ...
- 192k
20
votes
Why is an answer being downvoted without any comments?
If someone hasn't explained their downvote, chances are there's nothing much helpful they can say, or their comment would be the kind that historically causes problems. Or, they just haven't gotten ...
- 36.6k
20
votes
Accepted
Further Reading in Questions, not comments
Related links are one of the good uses of comments, and we don't delete them.
- 176k
19
votes
Accepted
Flagging comments for deletion: flag one or all?
Now that I've served as an elected mod and seen the tools...
Flag them all.
This post is all about moderators' workflow, so I'm going to get a little into the weeds, here:
When you cast a flag (on ...
- 102k
19
votes
What is the best way to respond to an incorrect answer when a comment is not enough?
Downvote it. Leave a concise comment. If I can, write a better answer.
Downvote because I find the answer unhelpful: this gives the writer a signal that there's something wrong, and more importantly ...
- 53.4k
19
votes
How are users supposed to suggest questions might get better answers on a different SE site?
It comes down to that we're having some problems with IPS.SE users undermining the domain expertise of RPG.SE, and dissuading users from asking interpersonal questions here. I removed your initial ...
- 36.6k
19
votes
Should resolved comment conversations that revolve around improving an answer be kept or deleted?
Please delete your obsolete comments
Comments were added as a site feature to enable temporary communication with the post author, for exactly that kind of use. Emphasis on temporary:
Comments are ...
- 244k
18
votes
Why are site comments being deleted?
A tidy site is safer from trolls
Another, way less obvious reason to ruthlessly remove comments used for anything other than managing Q&A posts: innocent but chatty comments would provide “weeds” ...
- 244k
18
votes
I was told to not correct misconceptions in the question comments, what should I do instead?
Correct the misconception(s) in the answers
Unless the misconception makes the question unclear about what the asker is actually asking, usually these questions can be answered. If the misconception ...
- 37.2k
18
votes
Are "how to handle sexism/racism/other-ism at the table" questions exceptions to the "Good Subjective" rules?
These questions are still subject to Good Subjective.
Basically all questions and answers are either Objective or Subjective or a mix of both. And all Subjective stuff is expected to be Good ...
- 36.6k
18
votes
Accepted
Why were my comments deleted?
You did nothing wrong, but the answerer didn't want to make those changes
Hi, I'm the mod who deleted those comments (and others) in response to NLN flags from the post owner. We generally take those ...
Someone_EvilMod
- 48.8k
17
votes
Accepted
Why were comment flags declined but comments deleted?
That was me. Sorry about the mix-up.
When I received your flags I looked over the situation. I thought it was still a developing situation, which means the comments would need to stay. I dismissed ...
- 36.6k
17
votes
Accepted
Can a new user answer to comments under their own question?
Users can always comment on their own questions and answers regardless of reputation, see the end note of this meta.SE post.
- 908
16
votes
16
votes
Is there a reason for RPG.SE deleting comments especially "radical"?
In short: RPG.SE's comment curation is a citizen-facing action to avoid the divisive habits in which many RPG sites frequently indulge.
In long:
RPG.SE is in a sweet spot where we can enforce Stack ...
- 53.4k
15
votes
What to do about comment misuse?
Flag Inappropriate Comments
From How do comments work? on Meta.SE:
Who can delete comments?
A user may delete one of their own comments at any time by clicking on the (x) icon that appears to the ...
- 176k
15
votes
Use of comments to summarize an answer or request confirmation thereof
Phrase it as a request and/or suggestion
Another mod handled that comment, but I took a look at it:
Good perspective! Maybe the friends aren't being malicious but capricious.
Honestly, it looks ...
- 244k
15
votes
How can I suggest that a comment may have problems without violating the "no discussion" rule?
Short discussions that are working to improve a post aren't a problem
Clarifications can be further clarified (or corrected) in comments as long as it is directly working towards that. If it diviates ...
Someone_EvilMod
- 48.8k
15
votes
Is it ok to ask for comments on downvotes?
It's always ok to ask, but there's no guarantee you'll get a response.
The reason for this is because downvotes already have their own reasons.
This question/answer does not show any research ...
- 23.1k
14
votes
Why was my comment requesting clarification on an answer deleted?
Intentions aside, the comment does not actually read as a request for clarification. Here's the comment:
So you don't think Vanessa's behavior is at all wrong or problematic (since you didn't ...
- 36.6k
14
votes
What is expected/customary procedure for crediting info from comments?
There's no formal (or informal) policy, but it's usually nice to do
As the header mentions, there's no real policy around this. When someone suggests a change in the comments, the answerer sometimes ...
- 50.2k
14
votes
How to address undue criticism that targets diverse answers?
Your answers were not being downvoted because they were taboo or too diverse. Answers are going to be downvoted (and in extreme cases, removed) whether they are diverse or not, when they are poor ...
- 45.5k
13
votes
Flagging comments for deletion: flag one or all?
For obsolete or too-chatty messages, you can flag one with a custom flag describing which ones need attention, or flag them each individually — whichever is more convenient for you. (That includes “...
- 244k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible