3
$\begingroup$

A user has asked five almost identical questions about a misunderstanding of rope tension during the past two days. They are receiving similar answers, but don't agree with or accept any of them.

Should they be warned or somehow restricted for a time?

$\endgroup$

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
4
$\begingroup$

Almost identical questions should be flagged and closed as duplicates. Users asking a lot of questions that are then closed are already subject to automated and/or manual restrictions on asking further questions, so no need to do anything else. If you feel strongly about the pattern of contributions of a particular user, you can raise a custom mod flag on one of their posts and we will look into it.

If the question aren't similar enough to be closed as duplicates, there is no problem.

$\endgroup$
2
$\begingroup$

Should they be warned or somehow restricted for a time?

Not by you, as you don't have the power to restrict users, and you don't have enough authority to issue a warning.

The best to can do is flag/close as a duplicate and/or raise a custom flag on the post(s) for moderators to review.

They are receiving similar answers, but don't agree with or accept any of them.

The participation of a user with regard to answers on their own question is irrelevant with regards to how this situation should be approached in my opinion. A user is free to not be satisfied with answers on their questions, no matter how unreasonable their opinions actually are. And if a user is posting similar questions, the reason why they are doing this doesn't affect that it shouldn't be done.

$\endgroup$
4
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ The last quote is relevant in my opinion. Sure, a user is free to not be satisfied with the answers; but repeatedly asking almost identical questions because they are not satisfied with the answers is actually problematic behaviour. I've seen similar instances (worse than the original example here); where the user basically seems to reword the same question as multiple questions, in the hopes that one form of the question will give answers that agree with their preconceptions (instead of looking for actual conceptual understanding). $\endgroup$
    – JMac
    Commented Mar 19, 2020 at 15:44
  • $\begingroup$ @JMac I have tried to clarify a bit. What I mean is that posting similar questions is not the thing to do no matter what the user's reason is. Additionally, not being satisfied with answers is not something that is a valid flagging reason. $\endgroup$
    – BioPhysicist
    Commented Mar 19, 2020 at 15:52
  • 3
    $\begingroup$ Good answer, just one caveat: non-moderator members certainly can, and are encouraged to, leave comments to point out where a poster is doing something against the rules and to ask them not to do that anymore. I wouldn't want to scare anyone off from helping educate other site members about how to best participate here. But your first paragraph is certainly true in the sense that only moderators can send warning messages through the site's built-in messaging mechanism and impose consequences if those warnings aren't heeded. $\endgroup$
    – David Z Mod
    Commented Mar 20, 2020 at 2:57
  • $\begingroup$ @DavidZ Yes, I completely agree. I think my language was a bit too strong, as I think I was mainly trying to say that just a warning in a comment by a normal user can't go any farther than that really. $\endgroup$
    – BioPhysicist
    Commented Mar 20, 2020 at 3:56

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .