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I asked a simple question, to which I knew the answer for one system. I wanted to create a knowledge base for similar, but different systems, so I started a community wiki answer and have invited others to contribute. I hope that we might build a resource for future reference, that could be updated and extended as necessary.

I have now received a couple of good but separate answers for other systems. Should I incorporate these into mine, invite the authors to do so, or accept that the community wiki system doesn't really work as intended?

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    Part of the problem is discoverability. Even if a post is Community Wiki and has fantastic content, inevitably new users looking for the information can't find it because it gets buried amongst all the other questions once it ages off the first page. Then it becomes a good duplicate target, but that is after the duplicate questions have already been asked. Working on alternative Q&A systems that don't have this problem, but I'm not recommending trying to move as Retrocomputing is a relatively low-volume site so IMHO it needs the traffic that comes from being part of SE.
    – manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact
    Commented Jan 11, 2021 at 5:34

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
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Moderators have a lock we can place on questions to prevent additional answers from being posted.

Wiki Answer
Lock this post to encourage users to edit existing answers. Remember to remove unnecessary answers and to mark questions and their answers as Community Wiki posts.

(Note that Community Wiki etiquette changed a few years after this text was written, so take it with a pinch of salt; as far as I know, questions don't have to be Community Wiki for a Community Wiki answer any more.)

I've tentatively applied a wiki lock to that question, though I have no idea whether that's actually a good idea at this point. It's easy enough to remove later, though.

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    Thanks. Should I now leave the additional answers, or incorporate them into mine?
    – Mark Williams
    Commented Jan 9, 2021 at 14:10
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    @MarkWilliams I have no idea.
    – wizzwizz4 Mod
    Commented Jan 9, 2021 at 14:11
  • Well given no-one gains any reputation from it, I may as well copy the other answers.
    – Mark Williams
    Commented Jan 9, 2021 at 14:15
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    @MarkWilliams Keep in mind that that'll attribute it to you in the stats, though. :-p
    – wizzwizz4 Mod
    Commented Jan 9, 2021 at 14:20
  • Ok, will leave for now.
    – Mark Williams
    Commented Jan 10, 2021 at 11:23
  • A lock does mean that it's much harder to add solutions that appeared after the lock was applied. If there's no improvement in reputation by adding to another person's answer, why bother?
    – scruss
    Commented May 24, 2021 at 15:22
  • @scruss Bounties.
    – wizzwizz4 Mod
    Commented May 24, 2021 at 15:28
  • @wizzwizz4 I see no bounties there
    – scruss
    Commented May 24, 2021 at 16:30
  • There aren't any. But contributors to wiki answers can get bounties. (Plenty of people will be contributing for the intrinsic value of building a library of knowledge, though.)
    – wizzwizz4 Mod
    Commented May 24, 2021 at 16:32
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No, you shouldn't incorporate them into yours, unless they are simply suggestions to improve your own answer.

Each answer should stand alone. In community wiki, this enables each answer to be commented upon separately and clearly. Also, of couse, to be voted upon separately - even if the votes aren't racking up reputation, it allows separate discussion and validation of each answer.

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  • The issue here is that the answers are not alternatives, but suggestions for separate systems.
    – Mark Williams
    Commented Jan 9, 2021 at 18:59

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