What to do when a thread degenerates with a series of extra answers that don't add to previous answers? I'm always happy with an answer that is much more concise, but makes the main point, or much deeper, or one that adds an extra good example, but otherwise such answers just bloat a thread to no good purpose. Like @StephanKolassa I am reluctant to tie this query to a specific thread.
@NickCox: I usually don't see an issue here. People do profit from seeing things explained in multiple different ways. But if you believe an answer truly does not bring any additional enlightenment, you can always downvote it: "This answer is not useful" IMO absolutely includes "This answer takes up screen space without providing anything new".
In this particular case I have downvoted one answer as more wrong than right and left some other comments. Difficult to do that repeatedly without coming across as a sour so-and-so.
@NickCox Does that really happen so often? Per above, I rarely encounter something where I want to downvote for this reason. (Kudos to you for leaving comments!)
I seem to see it quite often. But, to forestall a possible suggestion, I don't want there to be a flag or close reason that this just recycles points already made. The moderators already have too much to do!
@gung Agree that locking the thread is usually too extreme. Protecting the thread is something I have enough reputation to do, and I've done it in the past, but in the particular case that provokes this question the miscreants all have reputations >> 10.
It seems that yesterday a user was removed and I lost 8 reputation points. While I cannot express how dearly I will miss those 8 points, I am perplexed by the number 8. How could someone have awarded 8 points that are now being revoked?
