What is meta? ×

Since questions are auto-CW-ed on their 30th answer, it would probably be nice to make sure this does not happen because of 10 "thank you" answers but due to real answers that actually justify the CW-ing

share|improve this question
Do you have an actual example for that? –  Time Traveling Bobby Sep 27 '11 at 11:08
@PaddedCell: not from memory... maybe it's a border case and questions are more likely to become protected or CW-ed before that, but since CW-ing is irreversible it would still make a useful mechanism –  Tobias Kienzler Sep 27 '11 at 11:52
@Tobias: CW-ing is not irreversible anymore; mods can undo it. –  Hendrik Vogt Sep 27 '11 at 12:17
@HendrikVogt: thanks for telling, I skipped recent meta-class :-7 –  Tobias Kienzler Sep 27 '11 at 12:18
Eh. If you ever see it happen, flag and request un-wikifying it. –  Won't Sep 27 '11 at 14:20
I think this is a good idea. Protect after 25 or something, make sure the question really needs those extra answers. (No good question does, but hey.) –  Matthew Read Sep 27 '11 at 15:29
How about automatically flagging a question which has received it's 25th answer? There's a very good chance that it needs moderator attention anyway (if it has that many answers). –  Time Traveling Bobby Sep 28 '11 at 8:09
@PaddedCell: that could be a good alternative - you should post this as answer –  Tobias Kienzler Sep 28 '11 at 8:23

1 Answer 1

I propose a different solution.

There's a very good possibility that a question on the Stack Exchange network should not have 30 answers in the first place. If a question has 30 answers it most likely fits into one of the following categories:

  • Popular and attracts loads of Thanks answers.
  • Argumentative, open ended and/or needs discussion.
  • It's a list (therefor not a real question).

Only the first is worthy of a protected status, the other two should be closed and/or deleted.

After the 25th answer an automatic Moderator Attention-Flag should be issued with a warning.

Dear Moderator. There's a question out there which attracts a hell load of answers. Please make sure that this answer is valid and not something which should be burned in the Stack Exchange Super Hot Extreme High Temperature Emergency Intelligence Incinerator (now with extra flames).

If the question is in need of the protection status, it will be cleaned up at the same time and protected afterwards. If it is something which should be closed/deleted, this will also happen.

share|improve this answer
...Emergency Intelligence Incinerator. Or, on second thought, maybe not, guess you're right with that omission –  Tobias Kienzler Sep 28 '11 at 8:55
Added it none-the-less...maybe the Incinerator is intelligent. ;P Or, as it seems on the Internet, the Intelligence is optional anyway. –  Time Traveling Bobby Sep 28 '11 at 8:57
not optional. discouraged. –  Tobias Kienzler Sep 28 '11 at 9:00

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .