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In one particular case I answered a question, which already had an accepted answer because I felt my answer more exactly addressed the OP's question. After a while, my answer was voted second highest. Subsequently another answer was edited, more or less copying my answer, which became voted third highest. Later, my answer was then also copied with slight variation into the accepted answer, making the three highest voted answers slight variations of the same content.

These edits were probably made with good intentions, but overall they lower the quality of the different answers seen together.

It's this question

Update: based on the first answers I think it's worth discussing whether:

• this kind of "viral" editing is / should be frowned upon and not considered good practise
• moderators should take action in this case and consider reverting some of the edits

In one particular case I answered a question, which already had an accepted answer because I felt my answer more exactly addressed the OP's question. After a while, my answer was voted second highest. Subsequently another answer was edited, more or less copying my answer, which became voted third highest. Later, my answer was then also copied with slight variation into the accepted answer, making the three highest voted answers slight variations of the same content.

These edits were probably made with good intentions, but overall they lower the quality of the different answers seen together.

It's this question

Update: based on the first answers I think it's worth discussing whether:

• this kind of "viral" editing is / should be frowned upon and not considered good practise
• moderators should take action in this case and consider reverting some of the edits

In one particular case I answered a question, which already had an accepted answer because I felt my answer more exactly addressed the OP's question. After a while, my answer was voted second highest. Subsequently another answer was edited, more or less copying my answer, which became voted third highest. Later, my answer was then also copied with slight variation into the accepted answer, making the three highest voted answers slight variations of the same content.

These edits were probably made with good intentions, but overall they lower the quality of the different answers seen together.

It's this question

Update: based on the first answers I think it's worth discussing whether:

• this kind of "viral" editing is / should be frowned upon and not considered good practise
• moderators should take action in this case and consider reverting some of the edits

Update: meanwhile my answer has been deleted by a moderator, whereas one of the copies is still live, which makes the situation even more absurd.

In one particular case I answered a question, which already had an accepted answer because I felt my answer more exactly addressed the OP's question. After a while, my answer was voted second highest. Subsequently another answer was edited, more or less copying my answer, which became voted third highest. Later, my answer was then also copied with slight variation into the accepted answer, making the three highest voted answers slight variations of the same content.

These edits were probably made with good intentions, but overall they lower the quality of the different answers seen together.

It's this question

Update: based on the first answers I think it's worth discussing whether:

• this kind of "viral" editing is / should be frowned upon and not considered good practise
• moderators should take action in this case and consider reverting some of the edits