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Recently there was an answer by @kaushik on Error while trying installation using sudo apt-get install which mentioned some commands. An editor with full edit privileges edited the answer and made it alike the answer of @zurdo on a similar question.

However I felt that their action wasn't appropriate. So, I rolled back the edit to Revision 1 which was written by answerer and left a comment for the editor which is as follows:

Hey @efthialex, I'm not sure if kaushik actually copied the commands from there but your edit made it a truely copied answer which may cause this answer to be in controversies and may be considered as plagiarism. Please refrain from doing such edits which can change posts drastically. I have rolled back your edit.

Was my action right here? What are the views of community regarding such edits?

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  • No matter how they ended up that way, alike answers are never the problem, but always always the symptom. You said the words already: a similar answer. Edits are your friend, as they keep noobs like me from answering when its over our heads. It gives new users a way to quietly earn rep in the background until they are comfortable with the rules. The pickier you get with edits, the more noise you hear in other areas without an echo.
    – Nate T
    Commented Dec 28, 2020 at 3:38

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
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The edit seemed absolutely fine to me. The only similarity to Zurdo's answer was the (valid) warning about this approach being dangerous and a last resort. The edit simply added that warning, explained what the commands did (which the original did not) and linked to other, better solutions.

There was nothing at all controversial and the edit seems like a clear improvement to me. The commands were already in the original answer so I don't understand what makes you think anything was copied.

I have rolled back your roll back.

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  • When I compared the answers, only last command was different. I found it somewhat alike resulting this confusion. I've taken my comment down.
    – Kulfy
    Commented Jun 6, 2019 at 10:03
  • @Kulfy yes, but none of the commands were changed by the edit. The edit only added the warning and the explanation. The commands were already there.
    – terdon Mod
    Commented Jun 6, 2019 at 10:07
  • I actually expect OP to explain command and warnings by other users must go in comments (just my perspective). Moreover, overall context, I found, was similar. :/
    – Kulfy
    Commented Jun 6, 2019 at 10:11
  • @Kulfy oh no, absolutely not! This is a collaborative site, so edits are almost always preferred over comments. So if an OP hasn't added an explanation, the best thing you can do is edit to add one, that's much better than a comment. The best action here, of course, would be to close as a dupe (which I have done).
    – terdon Mod
    Commented Jun 6, 2019 at 10:30
  • Ok. Noted. :)
    – Kulfy
    Commented Jun 6, 2019 at 10:48

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