So, I was going to update an answer to reflect new research, but someone else had already written a new answer. I wasn't entirely sure what to do, so, I did this: chemistry.stackexchange.com/a/2609/39
Is that an okay thing to do? Do people think I should have done/should do something else?
@Aesin I think I understand. I don't see any problem in updating an answer to make it more accurate. Science is constantly evolving and inevitably our assessments will as well.
@LordStryker: Well, I wasn't sure if people were going to say that I should completely rewrite the answer to be correct, or delete it, or something else.
@Aesin I think its completely situational the option you choose. Sometimes it may be helpful to leave in the 'incorrect' or 'oudated' information, clearly label it, then offer an updated answer. This would lead to a more insightful answer. But I wouldn't say that this would be absolutely necessary for every single situation.
@LordStryker: Well, hopefully the way I've edited is at least clear. I'll leave it as is and I guess someone else can mark it for deletion if they think differently. I agree that the general answer to the question of what to do in the case of answer-deprecation is quite situation-dependent.
I think deleting old answers because of a future development which invalidates it is not warranted in general. Why should you be punished for providing a plausible answer according to up-to-then available information?
Editing your answer as you did is pretty classy, I think it's the best course of action
Several people have mentioned that we should note significant answers to common (or interesting) questions, for example here.
I think a community blog could serve several great uses:
Discussing interesting topics in chemistry outside the scope of question-and-answer, like news of Nobel prizes....
Several people have mentioned that we should note significant answers to common (or interesting) questions, for example here.
I think a community blog could serve several great uses:
Discussing interesting topics in chemistry outside the scope of question-and-answer, like news of Nobel prizes....
The Periodic Table
The Periodic Table