when is an answer not an answer?

Question

I responded to a question on here with some information which I intended to be of use to the asker. The reviewers withdrew it, saying it was not an answer. It is true that it was not a dogmatic "I am right and you should take notice of me" sort of answer, but isn't there a value in offering a comment or stimulating a debate of further questioning to allow the asker to work out their own answer?

Answer 1

The use of comment "NOT AN ANSWER" , here at Yahoo answers, is just indicative, and not too logical , challenging the cohesiveness of the answer. An answer that would not be in tune with the community guidelines, which does not fit in any other category of objectionable grounds, is tried with this mild comment .

Answer 2

Don't worry about it. Often a straight 'yes/no/this is right' answer isn't appropriate, so what you wrote may have been fine. You do occasionally get things reported for not much of a reason. Don't sweat it.

I think one really good time not to fully answer questions is on 'Homework Help' and similar. I personally like to do the first stage/give them a point in the right direction, and then let them finish it off. There's no point doing someone else's homework for them: they won't learn anything. Helping them with the bit they are stuck with, and letting them do the rest is much better.

Just re-read your question, and have something more to add. There is very little point in trying to stimulate debate. People can only reply to each question once, and so real debate can't happen. You could put something to make the asker think though.

Answer 3

It seems an answer is not regarded as an answer by the asker if it contains too many words of more than two syllables. I gave a perfectly good - and well researched - answer (not using bloody wiki either!!!) the other day and then some bastard had the cheek to report me for which I got a violation - "Not Comprehensible".
I couldn't have given a clearer bloody answer if I'd been able to draw pictures, yet some prat with nothing better to do (and who obviously knew nothing about the subject in hand, hence the 'incomprehensible' bit) got me a violation.
It doesn't matter though, it's just that in future I'm just not going to bother giving good, sensible and useful answers as it seems it's just a waste of time and the idiots concerned can't understand them anyway, so why bother. I'll just join the "yep" and "nope" club.

Answer 4

My best answer to a question, I regard, is the one which I come up with when I ask the same question to myself in my own way using my own words and reasoning, but it stay as question. The question remains unanswered allowing the asker to reconsider it further along new lines and thus find the best answer out of a wide range of responses – a best answer adds itself to the question . In my understanding, to answer a question fully is to end the question once and for all, and the questions that can be answered completely are not the questions but inquiries possibly leading to serious questions further along the way. This my theory about questions and answers anyway. And this is why I think your are right: there is 'a value in offering a comment or stimulating a debate of further questioning to allow the asker to work out their own answers.'

I cannot think of why your answer was withdrawn by reviewers there must be some reason which I am obviously unaware of. I therefore can speak only in general terms and assume that your question was not relevant to the issue or possibly it was offensive in one way or the other to the asker.

There can be many different types of answers to all types of questions. There are for example, informative answers, inspirational answers, provocative answers, inquisitive answers, answers rasing more answers, amusing and funny answers, smart answers, beggar answers – please pick me as your favourite, long answers and short answers. And all these answers can be vlid as long as they are decent and relevant; and all answers can be best answers as long as they propose an improvement or an expansion into the mind space of the question that the asker accepts as the best.

An answer is not an answer when it fails to share a common ground of thought with the question - when it places itself somewhere else however brilliant and ingenious it may be it simply wont add up to the original question.

Answer 5

When is a question not a question? or when is an question an answer? or even when is an answer a question? A question is always structured to be answerable. The asker always has an idea of how the answer would look like, other wise it would be impossible to ask the question. The communities idea of an answer was misaligned with the text that you posted. Its all open to subjectivity.
You think you have problems look at the picture the 'community' gave to me, i have a big square grey face.

Answer 6

In general when the answer does not meet the question fully.

But as you rightly point out there is no need for a dogmatic matter of fact answer either.

I don't feel at present that yahoo is the place for debate as its simply a questions answer medium.

Your points are good ones and very valid nonetheless.

This is not intended as a straight answer merely a response.

Answer 7

Well, a response to a question must always be an answer - whether or not it is the right answer, or the desired response must depend on the judgement of the listener or reader.

I once answered a question as carefully as I could and tried to make sure I'd considered each point. However, the questioner said I hadn't answered the question and that it wasn't what he was looking for.

I think all answers should be considered - unless of course it was abusive, deliberately not answerin the question or derogatory.
Sometimes people don't like working things out for themselves.

Answer 8

The "reviewers" do not remove answers to questions unless they are insulting or offensive however the person can ask for an answer to be removed if it is not an actual answer, which could have happened in this case but,without seeing the details we cannot comment.
Where people here say you cannot debate a question they are correct.

Answer 9

Some questions demand a factual answer and if you reply with an answer that has a question mark at the end, that obviously doesn't qualify. If, however, the question could have a number of anwers, then I would totally agree that providing a little mental stimulation should be quite in order. Then there are the questions that ask for opinions and these, of course, are replies, not anwers. The answers that make me mad are the ones that say: 'I've no idea!' - what a waste of space! (Especially when they get voted for!!).

Answer 10

This forum does not provide for a debate. Hence, if an answerer believes he has an appropriate answer, he has to own it and give it here. For instance, if someone is asking for the definition of the word 'answer' and the answer he gets is 'refer dictionary', then it is not in the right spirits - what the answerer can do is to refer dictionary and produce that as his answer and can of course disclose his source as well.
Can't give a better answer than this to your question, because the exact case detail is not fully disclosed.