Answered by:
Multiple copies of the same post + protocol question

Question
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I've noticed that often I'll see multiple copies of the same replies in a thread. Recently I noticed that there were two copies a reply that I made to one of my own postings after I discovered the answer to a question I had posted, after posting it, even though I only hit Submit once. What causes this?
BTW, what is the etiquette / protocol for answering your own question? I always do my best to research a question before posting it, but I don't stop researching it afterwards. BTW, the feature where it says it has found other questions on the same topic never even comes CLOSE to my actual question - they should get rid of that "feature" or improve it.
So if I find the answer afterwards and I post it, I mark it as "answered" so no one else will waste their time trying to answer it, and so others seeking the same information will find the answer there. Are there any protocol issues with this practice?
Answers
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- Proposed as answer by Ed Price - MSFTMicrosoft employee Sunday, October 30, 2011 2:33 AM
- Marked as answer by Ed Price - MSFTMicrosoft employee Monday, November 7, 2011 9:50 PM
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There's no written rules for answering your own question, but there are times when it makes sense. A better idea is to try (when possible) to propose your response as an answer if you think it is the answer. Then the Asker or Moderator can mark it if they agree with you. That way at least you know one person agrees with your opinion.
I'll often just propose something as an answer (rather than marking it), and then if the Asker or another Moderator hasn't responded in a week, I'll Mark it as the Answer. (This thread is an example of that. I marked two answers here after waiting a week.)
That said, if you're the Asker, nobody knows better than you if you answered your own question. So in that case, it might make sense to mark your own Answer. However, if you're constantly going around answering your own questions (or setting up dummy accounts to do this), then that's when you get reported.
I hope this helps!
Ed Price a.k.a User Ed, Microsoft Experience Program Manager (Blog, Twitter, Wiki)
- Proposed as answer by Ed Price - MSFTMicrosoft employee Monday, November 7, 2011 9:50 PM
- Marked as answer by Ed Price - MSFTMicrosoft employee Monday, November 7, 2011 9:50 PM
- Edited by Ed Price - MSFTMicrosoft employee Monday, November 7, 2011 9:51 PM
All replies
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- Proposed as answer by Ed Price - MSFTMicrosoft employee Sunday, October 30, 2011 2:33 AM
- Marked as answer by Ed Price - MSFTMicrosoft employee Monday, November 7, 2011 9:50 PM
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I’m wondering if the posters are seeing posts marked as Answered twice, once in their original location and once at the top of a thread? That is a default view option in the forums.
Stefan Blom, Microsoft Word MVP
Good call. You're probably right. It can look strange if all the replies are marked as Answers.
Ed Price a.k.a User Ed, Microsoft Experience Program Manager (Blog, Twitter, Wiki) -
There's no written rules for answering your own question, but there are times when it makes sense. A better idea is to try (when possible) to propose your response as an answer if you think it is the answer. Then the Asker or Moderator can mark it if they agree with you. That way at least you know one person agrees with your opinion.
I'll often just propose something as an answer (rather than marking it), and then if the Asker or another Moderator hasn't responded in a week, I'll Mark it as the Answer. (This thread is an example of that. I marked two answers here after waiting a week.)
That said, if you're the Asker, nobody knows better than you if you answered your own question. So in that case, it might make sense to mark your own Answer. However, if you're constantly going around answering your own questions (or setting up dummy accounts to do this), then that's when you get reported.
I hope this helps!
Ed Price a.k.a User Ed, Microsoft Experience Program Manager (Blog, Twitter, Wiki)
- Proposed as answer by Ed Price - MSFTMicrosoft employee Monday, November 7, 2011 9:50 PM
- Marked as answer by Ed Price - MSFTMicrosoft employee Monday, November 7, 2011 9:50 PM
- Edited by Ed Price - MSFTMicrosoft employee Monday, November 7, 2011 9:51 PM