9

The title pretty much sums up the question.

If a question has already an accepted answer, should I still try to answer it?

Provided that the answer is not similar to the accepted answer, but an alternative method which may also solve the problem.

4 Answers 4

11

Yes.

If you have something new to offer that answers the question and is not appropriate as an edit to another answer, then you are helping the community (and sometimes even the OP) by posting it as a new answer.

5
  • 1
    Wouldn't this drive my acceptance rate down, though?
    – wecsam
    Aug 8, 2012 at 19:40
  • 2
    @wecsam It might decrease the percentage of answers you have written that are accepted by others. That is not your "accept rate," however. Your "accept rate" is the percentage of questions you've asked, in which you have accepted an answer. See this and this and this. Aug 8, 2012 at 19:49
  • Oh, I see. I hadn't known that.
    – wecsam
    Aug 8, 2012 at 19:51
  • What if the accepted answer was given by myself? Feb 25, 2014 at 10:55
  • @AdityaPatil Usually if you've already answered a question, it's better to edit and expand your existing answer than to post a separate answer. But the system does allow you to post a second (third, fourth, etc.) answer to a question, for the infrequent occasions where it makes more sense to do so. Usually it's fine (often, best) to have multiple separate solutions in the same answer, though. If you're worried that the new content might be wrongly seen as having also been "accepted" by the OP, you can include a note in your edit. But you also have the option to post another answer. Feb 26, 2014 at 18:53
7

Sure, why not, if you think it's useful then do it!

(Though if it's just slight changes you might just want to submit an edit to the accepted answer).

6
  • Really? You can propose an edit on someone else's content? Would a comment also suffice if your changes aren't too sunstantial?
    – nanofarad
    Aug 4, 2012 at 22:53
  • 1
    Of course you can, that's the whole point! Why bury information in a comment when you can just fix the answer? Aug 5, 2012 at 19:00
  • That seems to conflict with the fact that an anonymous edit on my answer was rejected: askubuntu.com/suggested-edits/16398
    – nanofarad
    Aug 5, 2012 at 23:38
  • 1
    I would have accepted that edit. Aug 5, 2012 at 23:51
  • @ObsessiveFOSS I don't think that edit was valid. I would have rejected it myself. The question was not about the drivers but was actually about Google Chrome. And add in the fact that the edit came in from an anon user and you have more things to consider. To be on the safe side, having no information is way better than having incorrect solution.
    – jokerdino Mod
    Aug 6, 2012 at 9:55
  • Let's not accept it now; it is now in a comment right below.
    – nanofarad
    Aug 6, 2012 at 13:20
7

Yes, If you think, the new answer will help future visitor, you should. It is encouraged to answer. More option is always better for All.

The answers here are not for the OP only, these are for all the visitors. It is also possible that, the accepted method may not work for some people while, your method is working for them.

And You will find many example of this situation, where a later answer has far many votes than the accepted answer.

5

If you are able to apply a different perspective to the answer or add to that answer a proven (real) salvation then, yes. Tested answers are encouraged. Opinions are not.

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