If someone asks for a software recommendation, and you give a link-only answer "Awesome Software Pro 2000" that fulfills the question, I hold that should not be deleted or closed.

The reason why link-only answers is bad, is because if the website changes the answer is invalid.

But in the case of a software recommendation, if the website goes down or is removed you might as well delete the whole answer because now the answer is bad anyway. Having outdated information for software recommendations is not helpful, this is not The Wayback Machine where we want to archive the internet.

I just gave a link only answer software recommendation, and it wasn't only downvoted, it was deleted. To me, that is clearly a destructive, unhelpful moderation policy, because it fully answered the question.

EDIT: I should rephrase, "Link only answers are bad should be deleted except for in one case: Software Recommendations"

If someone asks for a software recommendation, and you give a link-only answer "Awesome Software Pro 2000" that fulfills the question, I hold that should not be deleted or closed.

The reason why link-only answers is bad, is because if the website changes the answer is invalid.

But in the case of a software recommendation, if the website goes down or is removed you might as well delete the whole answer because now the answer is bad anyway. Having outdated information for software recommendations is not helpful, this is not The Wayback Machine where we want to archive the internet.

I just gave a link only answer software recommendation, and it wasn't only downvoted, it was deleted. To me, that is clearly a destructive, unhelpful moderation policy, because it fully answered the question.