How to reverse DES decryption code was closed due it not being a real question.

Now it was reopened and it is a duplicate. So, as usual, I click on close but I get this dialog:


Hmmmmm… This is odd; I voted to have it closed before, but that was something completely different.

Should I not be able to vote to close for completely different reasons (or even for the same reason if the opinion stands?) since the question has now been reopened?

This has been discussed previously on Please re-allow expired close votes to be re-cast and Bogus "You have already voted to close this question" on expired votes.

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Sort of similar:… –  eldarerathis Sep 19 '11 at 18:38
@eldarerathis I have added it to the OP –  amanaP lanaC A nalP A naM A Sep 19 '11 at 18:40
Why was that reopened...oy. Voting to close when my votes come back. –  user7116 Sep 19 '11 at 23:58
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1 Answer

up vote 14 down vote accepted

This restriction exists because when it didn't exist folks would get into "close-wars", wherein the same sets of users would repeatedly re-open and re-close controversial questions. Yes, it does break use-cases where questions must be closed repeatedly. Fortunately, those are less common.

When you find a question that you've already voted on in need of some closin', flag for a moderator. Resolving these situations is their bread-and-butter*.

Note that the expired vote scenario you link to is a little bit different (and a much more recent change to the closing system). Though again, the idea is that if you can't get a resolution by normal voting, the solution is to escalate it to the moderators, not keep voting impotently in hope that something will change.

*Ok, so mods don't get paid, so this is strictly non-nutritional fake imitation bread and non-dairy butter.

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hah. Exactly what I thought, as of my comment "Can you imagine that war between close voters and reopen voters?" –  genesis Sep 19 '11 at 22:24
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