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Please see this example: "Add Block to Content but set it to appear after the node content?". This question has two answers posted by the same user.

Is it good to post 'n' number of answers? I think it's a bug - there is already an edit option to update the answer.

If one is allowed to post n number of times, then there is no point having an edit option.

9

Yes, it's perfectly ok for one user to post more than one answer to a single question. It's by design, not a bug.

A single user may have cause to answer a question 2, 3, 4 or theoretically even more times if they have several different solutions. If/when that happens, you wouldn't want all n different answers to be included in a single one, as it would clutter things up. Far better that separate answers can be posted.

The edit option is there to edit an individual post, so if there are multiple posts you need multiple edit buttons. The point of having that link isn't diminished by there being more than one answer by the same person.

If someone is posting duplicate/unhelpful answers (or posts that simply aren't answers), however, please flag them as normal.

7
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    I'm not 100% sure I agree here :( - Surely if a question warrants multiple answers, then the question should be clarified. For example: one question could have two possible answers, one involving an EFQ, and the other using Views. Should the question not clarify (either through comments or the actual question) the actual use-case/requirement? – Chapabu Jun 3 '13 at 9:21
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    Not necessarily. What about a question along the lines of "How do I create a table of content programatically?". Assume that it's a decent enough question not to be closed. It would be perfectly reasonable for someone to answer that question at face value, then post another answer suggesting the alternate approach using Views. The OP asking for a programatic solution shouldn't preclude a non-code answer...maybe they don't know about views. If you're limited to a single answer, then those 2 completely separate approaches have to be munged together in a single post. That's undesirable IMHO – Clive♦ Jun 3 '13 at 9:25
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    @Chapabu This problem can be solved in 2 totally different ways, both equally good. Why would it need any clarification? Why should it matter if both ways are by one guy or by two? – Mołot Jun 3 '13 at 9:26
  • Right - my coffee has set in now and I can see straight. I see your points! I was thinking more in terms of an ambiguous question having multiple POSSIBLE answers as opposed to a GOOD question having CORRECT multiple answers. – Chapabu Jun 3 '13 at 9:33
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    @Chapabu 10:30am, a newborn child, and you're only just sinking your first coffee? You are a very brave man – Clive♦ Jun 3 '13 at 9:41
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    @Clive I like to live on the edge ;-) – Chapabu Jun 3 '13 at 9:42
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    Its ok to post multiple answers for same question, infact I came accross one such today. Question was on usage of a particular jQuery APi with examples. User posted a good example with lot of details. After a span of 2/3 months he came back to post another example but he answered the question again. which would make it better for others to check out different types of usage. (cant find that link now, was in incognito I guess :D ) – GoodSp33d Jun 3 '13 at 16:39
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From my point of view, if there are two different, but valid answers, it is OK to post both. It will allow OP to mark as accepted only the part that really got used, and not approach he didn't try or that does not work for him.

If answer is wrong and there are comments proving it is wrong, when answer's author stands corrected, it might be better to delete and post a new one than to make an edit and turn it upside down - to avoid drastic edits.

If both answers are from one users and shows one approach, it shouldn't be OK.

3

In the specific case, the user should not have written two answers as they were both saying the same thing with different words; there was eventually a slight difference, but that didn't require a different answer, but editing the existing one. I have deleted one of the answers.

Generally speaking, there are cases where more than one answer from the same user is possible. Suppose that the solution could be using a module or writing a module; if the user is giving a detailed answer for both the cases, then two answers are fine. In the same way, if the solution for a problem is using one module or another, and the user describes what to do when using those modules, two different answers are preferable.
I am assuming the user is writing a complete answer, not a single-line or a very short answer; single-line answers should rather be written as appendix to another answer written by the same user.

0

This is a case where the person asking the question came back to clarify, but I would think the same procedure applies.

As a general rule, I would suggest that if a question warrants two separate answers from the same user, then chances are the question is too ambiguous and should be clarified. In the case of a question being good, but still needing multiple answers, then I normally concatenate both answers into one and seperate them with good formatting.

The top answer (don't read that as accepted, read it as highest voted) at What is the official etiquette on answering a question twice? suggests that it's actually OK, but StackOverflow is a much broader site than ours.

tl;dr

I imagine that as our site is very focused on Drupal as opposed to a multitude of languages/frameworks, that if a user feels the need to answer a question twice, then the QUESTION needs addressing.

2
  • There was many cases when both I and Clive answered the same question with 2 totally different ways to do something, and both got upvoted. So, if one of us knew both answers, why to glue them into one post if both ways were not connected at all? – Mołot Jun 3 '13 at 9:24
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    I'm going to leave this here as a possible opinion, but please see the comments in the answer provided by @Clive clarification on the question :-) – Chapabu Jun 3 '13 at 9:52

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