-9

Possible Duplicate:
If you edit an answer, you should not be allowed to change your vote. [yes, you should]

This is silly: I can edit the answer to allow myself to change my vote, so what is the point of locking it? Basically, vote locking shouldn't apply to people with enough reputation to edit other people's answers.

Improve this question
8
  • Then how many mistaken votes does it take a user to slow down and read an answer before they vote it up or down?
    – random
    Nov 20, 2011 at 5:06
  • @random I don't understand how your comment is relevant to what I said.
    – MK01
    Nov 20, 2011 at 5:07
  • @random yeah, just keep closing all my questions. That's a productive way to have a discussion.
    – MK01
    Nov 20, 2011 at 5:17
  • 4
    Please take the time to read over the questions that have already covered the exact same ground with cooler heads
    – random
    Nov 20, 2011 at 5:18
  • @random the question that my question is a "duplicate" of claims the opposite of what I said. It also got closed as offtopic (which in itself it strange because it is very much on topic) and the highest voted answer there agrees with me.
    – MK01
    Nov 20, 2011 at 5:22
  • @Random: is there any chance that the original question can be closed for some other reason than "offtopic"? It's a fine question with fine answers and deserves better than pretending it is offtopic.
    – sarnold
    Nov 20, 2011 at 5:28
  • @MK01, tvanfosson's comment under that answer sums up the issue pretty well I think: What makes you think users with large reps are immune to the temptation to game the system? If it's going to change, then vote history needs to be tracked.
    – Frédéric Hamidi
    Nov 20, 2011 at 5:29
  • Well, then maybe we could increase the lock time to an hour? I should be able to change my mind in 15 minutes and still be able to remove the vote.
    – MK01
    Nov 20, 2011 at 5:33

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
1

Traceability.

Since you have to edit the answer in order to cancel your vote, there will be an appropriate entry in the post's history. For instance, this prevents users from "strategically" downvoting answers then lifting their downvotes later without anyone being the wiser.

Improve this answer
2
  • 1
    I don't understand. How is a minor edit going to tell me that this person downvoted and then removed the down vote?
    – MK01
    Nov 20, 2011 at 5:09
  • 1
    It won't tell you for sure, but unnecessary minor edits are discouraged IIRC, so it will look somewhat out of place. Also, if somebody complains their answer was unjustly downvoted and the downvote canceled after the damage was done, you can bet a minor edit in the same timeframe will look suspicious.
    – Frédéric Hamidi
    Nov 20, 2011 at 5:18

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