26
votes
I'm probably going to get skewered for this -- You can be rude and still provide a perfectly suitable answer to a question
I'm afraid this is something that simply isn't up for discussion. Yes, we want to build a resource of useful knowledge and technical help. However, just as importantly, we want t build a civil and ...
- 103k
22
votes
Accepted
Is it OK if I call on a high reputation user on part of my answer if it seems difficult from that point?
As pointed out by Mark Kirby, you can't effectively call on a particular user from a post they haven't yet commented on or edited, because an @user will not send them a notification. See this Meta ...
ZannaMod
- 71.6k
14
votes
How to give credit to someone else when writing an answer based on a comment?
Copy the link of the comment and add it to the question replacing the title of the comment by the user’s name. Something like this:
This comment from rinzwind helped me get there: How to give credit ...
- 306k
11
votes
Is there any mechanism to block trolls from harassing you?
Is there any mechanism to block trolls from harassing you?
You report them. There is a option left of every comment where you can flag a comment. And you can flag an answer as "not an answer". Be ...
- 306k
10
votes
Accepted
Can I tag people in the comments of an unanswered question?
Unfortunately, you can't successfully notify people with @ in comments under a post unless they have interacted with the post in specific ways:
If they have ever commented on the post, you will be ...
ZannaMod
- 71.6k
10
votes
What should we do to code that is posted in comments of post?
First, have a look to see if the material from the comments has already been added to the post by an edit. If it has, you can flag the comments as no longer needed.
Small single line pieces of code ...
ZannaMod
- 71.6k
9
votes
Accepted
Why are so many answers posted as comments?
Most of times either they are half-hearted answers or they are written by questioner or there is lack of communication between questioner and commentator.
Talking about my personal experience there ...
- 18k
9
votes
Can we do away with, "We don't support EOL distributions" when it is tangential and completely and utterly unrelated to the question?
It does occasionally matter though... Even if it doesn't in this case.
The people initially involved in the question might not know or appreciate the finer details of what's going on. Networking ...
OliMod
- 297k
8
votes
How to give credit to someone else when writing an answer based on a comment?
You can give credit to a comment (like "Dan's comment helped me"), but if someone has posted an answer in the comments, I will usually encourage them to post an answer, but after some time, I will ...
- 249
8
votes
Off Topic Questions: Comment Etiquette
I personally agree that we should try to help the users as much as we can rather than appear to give them the brush off. Utilizing Add data.SE style "magic links" to comments can make this ...
- 36.4k
7
votes
Accepted
How to properly add code in comment
In comments you are limited to just test test which is generated by the code:
`test test`
There is no way to get the larger code bar like in your example or in the line above this in a comment. ...
Thomas WardMod
- 77.1k
7
votes
Accepted
User with 1 Reputation is able to comment
If you are referring to the 1-rep user Donald Duck's 'comment' on that question, that was initially made as an answer. Moderators such as myself reserve the power to convert non-answer answers to ...
Thomas WardMod
- 77.1k
7
votes
Add a reply option for comments
This is the story of a time long ago, a time of myth and legend, when Jeff Atwood ruled Stack Exchange. He status-declined Add "Reply" link to comment that pre-populates comment box with @...
- 204k
7
votes
Were the "pre-canned" comments intended to be brusque and condescending? If so, why?
Yeah I don't know who composed that comment; it's not one provided by SE. I have seen it numerous times though and I strongly dislike it. Aside from the tone, it gives obviously incorrect information ...
ZannaMod
- 71.6k
7
votes
Why can't we edit comments?
There is a 5 minute timeout for comment revisions. Only moderators and staff have unrestricted comment editing. If you are trying to do a minor revision then don't worry about it. If you have ...
Thomas WardMod
- 77.1k
7
votes
Accepted
Why can't we edit comments?
The goal of Ask Ubuntu is to create a high quality reference library of questions and answers. It makes sense that posts can be revised and improved. Comments are supposed to facilitate the ...
ZannaMod
- 71.6k
6
votes
Accepted
When should I answer and when should I comment?
If what you have to say seems like a good and complete answer to the original question, then it is an answer (others will up- or down-vote it depending upon whether they agree with this assessment).
...
- 1,525
6
votes
Accepted
Where can I see a summary of the comments I have made, like the question and answer summaries on my profile?
We have hidden it well, but there is such a page
ZannaMod
- 71.6k
6
votes
Accepted
Should I notify about edits in the question comments?
Edits do not notify users when done. The system will only notify you about edits when someone else revises your post(s).
If you want to let the user know that you did your edits, you need to tell ...
Thomas WardMod
- 77.1k
6
votes
There is something wrong with backslash ("\") behaviour in comments
I don't remember the details, but there are differences in how markdown works in posts, in comments and in chat. In your case, you want this (see the comment under my answer for a demonstration):
you ...
- 103k
6
votes
I'm probably going to get skewered for this -- You can be rude and still provide a perfectly suitable answer to a question
I often get viewed as being curt, abrupt, or a touch to the rude side.
There's no reason to be obnoxious in an answer to a question or in comments though. So, if the answer or comment is just ...
- 29.9k
6
votes
Off Topic Questions: Comment Etiquette
I would ask that users append their comments with a link to the correct site to ask on, as this is still useful information for people and leaves a good impression too.
Absolutely agree with that, ...
- 107k
6
votes
What should we do to code that is posted in comments of post?
Just edit the comment into the question yourself. If you don't have enough reputation to edit, just suggest an edit and explain that you are copying information from the comments.
Moderators don't ...
- 103k
5
votes
Accepted
In comments, how to write blocs of commands?
Comments have a much more limited set of formatting commands than questions and answers. There is, however, an option for demarcating code in a comment:
`code goes here`
Note that the ` ...
- 32.4k
5
votes
Accepted
Does "convert to edit" let moderators move comments?
No, the "Convert to Edit" button does not let us do anything with comments.
Thomas WardMod
- 77.1k
5
votes
Accepted
My comment got removed less than one day after I wrote it and the question. Who might have done it?
Your comment with the other comments all deleted was no longer needed. It was flagged as such which is why I deleted it in agreement with the flag in context.
We do regularly remove comments which ...
Thomas WardMod
- 77.1k
4
votes
What is the best way to write a reply to a comment?
It doesn't really matter how you embed the @mention into your comment.
You can even put it somewhere in the middle of your sentence or at the end too, although at the beginning makes it easier to see ...
- 109k
4
votes
Add a reply option for comments
The only real disadvantage I can think of to a properly designed reply button is that it might lead to more replying, encouraging protracted conversations in comments.
The original arguments against a ...
- 119k
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