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A question received let +40 votes. Then someone else post a duplicate question .

Then should it be down voted besides being flagged for duplicate?

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I've always felt it is a bit harsh to downvote a question just because it is a duplicate.

I suppose the fact the question is a duplicate shows a lack of effort from the OP because they should have searched the site first. However the site search isn't especially good and I often only spot duplicates because I remember seeing the original and possibly even answered it.

You do get cases where even a trivial search would have found the original, and in these cases I find myself strongly tempted to downvote though I usually just leave an acerbic comment instead.

But at the end of the day site members can, and should, downvote according to their consciences. We are, after all, just trying to make the Physics Stack Exchange a better place.

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    $\begingroup$ I support, **However the site search isn't especially good ** $\endgroup$
    – Anubhav Goel
    Apr 11, 2016 at 5:05
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    $\begingroup$ @AnubhavGoel: it has been mentined before, and the response has always been that the SE prefer to put resources into other areas rather than try to be as good as Google. And I think that's fair enough. There are enough long term site members around whose memories act as a reasonable efficient search system for duplicates. I'm sure the SE team could build a really fantastic search system if we were all willing to pay a subscription to use the site :-) $\endgroup$
    – John Rennie
    Apr 11, 2016 at 5:09
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    $\begingroup$ I'd add that the list of related questions you get when typing up your own question to ask is often much better than the site's actual search feature. (Sometimes better than Google.) $\endgroup$
    – David Z
    Apr 11, 2016 at 5:27
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    $\begingroup$ "I support, However the site search isn't especially good" - perhaps, but Google search is good and I often find that, when googling something physics related, one or more PSE Q&A are at the top of the Google search results. For a site specific search append site:physics.stackexhange.com. For example, try "twin paradox site:physics.stackexchange.com" $\endgroup$
    – Alfred Centauri
    Apr 12, 2016 at 0:38
  • $\begingroup$ @DavidZ I often use Mobile version or app. Both don't have related question tab. That's bad. I requested one sometime back.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/278776/… $\endgroup$
    – Anubhav Goel
    May 23, 2016 at 6:55

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