@JyrkiLahtonen Unfortunately, this user is unafraid to flag flag flag for moderator attention and to "contact CMS". Despite his dismal history and suspensions, he's a squeaky wheel that SE and mods seem to want regularly to oil. I find this unfortunate.

@amWhy I don't know what our moderators think about it. Remember how it was nearly impossible to do anything about Sonnhard, but eventually he was suspended for low quality contributions. I don't know how the mods pulled it off because that happened after my resignation. I have a theory that enough flags eventually worked, but I don't know and won't ask, because the mods are not necessarily at liberty to answer. Anyway I will start flagging everything answering a PSQ.

@JyrkiLahtonen I'll join you in that endeavor!

I also feel like adopting a policy to downvote answers to essential duplicate by high rep users because I find the practice unappetizing. I like to think that as long as I am not targetting any single user, it is ok.

@JyrkiLahtonen I agree with you that doing so would be okay. I wish math.se had a flag for flagging "duplicate answer", just as one can vote to close a duplicate question.

Today's haul of PSQs is uncharacteristically low (will check out CURED(, but better opportunities will come :-)

@JyrkiLahtonen How do you justify flagging an answer to a question you don't like if the answer is not bad? That seems like a pretty quick way to get flag-banned.

@MattSamuel Flagging for moderator attention is perfectly appropriate for such situations, in which one can describe the problem with the answer.

@MattSamuel A prerequisite for a good answer is that it be attached to a good question. If the question is not good, then one can reasonably argue that no attached answer can be good, either.

@MattSamuel quid has explained in meta that (at least technically) answering a PSQ is in violation of the site rules/guidelines. I am simply reporting such activity.

Mind you, I understand that moderators have difficulties enforcing that particular rule. And I agree that suspensions don't feel like a fitting sanction. I would be happy with "speeding tickets" as I described them here, but there is no word from the SE staff (I am not holding my breath).

As Shog9 put it here, we all need to compromise to coexist. That includes setting limits to consumption of the common resources. Alas, Shog9 no longer works for SE. That is a huge loss, for they understood the network dynamics extremely well.

Man, I miss Shog. :(

Confession time, I would accept a very lean compromise as long as some constraints on the type 3 lifestyle are implemented (and enforced). This continued fighting is unnecessarily taxing. We all love math, but here we also need to play this game. And some want to play by their own rules.

@JyrkiLahtonen You don't seem to have any compromise in mind. You want to punish people who write answers to questions you don't like. That is enforcement of the will of camp 1,or whatever camp it is, regardless of whether it is a suspension or any other punishment.

It's not unlike the rest of us play by baseball rules, but these individuals think they are allowed to balk at will, infield-fly rules don't apply to them etc @MattSamuel.

@MattSamuel If camp 1 had their way we would be like Physics.SE. No homework whatsoever. Good context, bad context, no context all. Makes no difference. The answers insta-deleted by the site moderators. The rule with requiring context IS THE COMPROMISE. It is not my ideal state of affairs.

It is sufficient punishment to have the question be deleted in my opinion. Go ahead and delete it if you can get the votes, moderators need not be involved.

@MattSamuel As noted above, there are two camps with moderation power. Your solution leads to un/delete wars.

@MattSamuel But these people still lead to more "broken windows". Duplicates. IT IS THEIR JOB TO FIND THE EFFING DUPLICATES. I AM NOT THEIR NANNY.

In the time span that we need to locate enough concerned citizens to delete one such post these people have spawned ten more.

If it's a duplicate, close it as a duplicate. We already have tools for that. Why must you go above and beyond the normal channels when you are already provided with ways to deal with it? It seems so petty to me.

@MattSamuel Duplicates and low quality posts proliferate faster than the user-level moderation tools can handle them. Do you seriously not see this problem?

I told you @MattSamuel. It is their job to find the duplicate. I'm not the nanny picking up their toys when they are done playing. That's not how adults normally behave.

Past midnight here. I'm done discussing this for now.

@XanderHenderson I don't see why people have a problem with these posts. How are they harming you?

@MattSamuel You are moving the goal posts, but I'll take the bait: the underlying philosophy of the SE network is that it is meant to be a searchable repository of knowledge. Duplication and low quality questions and answer contribute noise, which makes the site less useful in the long run.

Sure, a person gets their answer in the moment and leaves happy, but the overall quality of the site is diminished. It harms me because I care about the quality of this site.

In any event, I have actual work that I need to do, so please feel free to have the last word.

@MattSamuel They harm the site by giving the illusion to newcomes that asking a duplicate question, and/or asking a PSQ, is the norm. Just as those who answer those questions just encourage the askers and potential askers to keep on asking dupes (not researching), and to keep on writing one or two sentence PSQs. That all contributes to the general public's view that this site is a homework completion service.

@XanderHenderson I was about to leave you the last word, but since you offered I have to take you up on it. So I'll just say "Neener neener!" and leave it at that.

@MattSamuel :: Shakes head ::