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My answer How to change the abbreviations of layouts shown in keyboard layout indicator of GNOME panel? was deleted by a moderator. Of course it has the standard comment Why was your post deleted? See the help center. However, apart from that, there was no further explanation.

Now I contest that my answer fits any of the 6 reasons listed on the help page. It would have been extremely helpful to know exactly why the moderator thought my answer was worthless. Wouldn’t it be good style to provide at least minimal feedback?

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2 Answers 2

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I didn't delete this, but I think I can understand why the mod who did chose to do so. The main issues I see with your answer are:

  1. It doesn't actually provide an answer. It comes very close and, to someone with a very technical background, it could even provide an answer, but you don't actually come out and say it. So, instead of

    You’ll find the abbreviations that are used by the indicator in the /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/evdev.xml file in the tag.

    It would have been better to simply make the answer explicit:

    You’ll find the abbreviations that are used by the indicator in the /usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/evdev.xml file in the tag. Changing the values there will do what you want.

  2. More importantly, you're not actually providing anything not already mentioned in the accepted answer. Yes, yours is a streamlined version of it, but since it isn't adding anything new, it would have been more useful as a comment on either the OP or the answer. Alternatively, you could have suggested an edit to the answer, similar to what the answer's author has now done.

In all, and given that the answer now has the sort of summary you seem to have wanted, I think the mod who deleted was right to do so since your answer wasn't adding anything to the post.

Finally, thank you for coming here and posting a calm and civil request for explanation. That is very much appreciated!

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  • This is spot on to my reasoning. Beat me to the point where I would post it, heh
    – Thomas Ward Mod
    Commented Jul 2, 2018 at 18:04
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Yes, it is OK to delete answers without a comment because mods can’t be pestered to explain everything they do if the information is there (in the help center) and the case is clear.

No, your answer should not have been deleted, at least not single-handedly without review. The post is short but fine nevertheless IMO.

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    I disagree with the no; the information here is covered within the first paragraph of the introduction of the other answer. How much more tldr does that need to be? If it did need to be more tldr, it should have been an edit
    – muru
    Commented Jul 2, 2018 at 9:23
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    That would have been the kind of explanation that I would have wanted in the first place. My answer pre-dates this new paragraph in the other answer, by the way.
    – MPi
    Commented Jul 2, 2018 at 10:56
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    @dessert most welcome :) :)
    – Zanna Mod
    Commented Jul 8, 2018 at 9:59
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    @muru but does that make it NAA automatically? Wouldn't it "simply" make it a "bad" answer? (in which case downvotes seem the way to handle it, as far as I understand)
    – Andrea Lazzarotto
    Commented Jul 14, 2018 at 13:54
  • @AndreaLazzarotto NAA, LQ -> deleted either way.
    – muru
    Commented Jul 14, 2018 at 15:24

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