43

If I delete my answer with some up votes, do I lose the reputation? Or, if I delete an answer with down votes, is negative reputation negated?

Improve this question

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
38

In the past you would lose (or regain) all reputation due to a post being deleted, but this has changed in March 2012.

https://blog.stackoverflow.com/2012/03/reputation-and-historical-archives/

There is now an exception to the rule that votes are reversed at the time of deletion and that is to reward content of "lasting value" as follows:

First, if you’ve contributed something worthwhile to the site, you should keep the reputation for that even if it eventually gets deleted. “Worthwhile” here is defined as,

  • A score of 3 or greater
  • Visible on the site for at least 60 days

In fast-changing professions, there should be no shame in contributing valuable information just because it eventually goes out of date – and there shouldn’t be a penalty for deleting it when it does. Naturally, editing to bring an answer up-to-date is preferable – but if someone else already posted a good answer with current information, you should be able to remove yours and keep the reward for the time it was useful.

Improve this answer
4
  • 5
    So as a case in point, @you's answer above gained reputation but is now incorrect. It could be deleted without losing the reputation that was gained. I could have edited it and replaced about every word but instead chose to answer separately.
    – bmike
    Jul 30, 2012 at 17:04
  • 1
    But, BЈовић, to allow YOU to delete their own answer, first the "Accepted" checkmark must be taken away from it...
    – Arjan
    Jul 30, 2012 at 17:09
  • 2
    Votes indicate popularity, which does not directly indicate valuable information. Not often, but sometimes popular answers can be wrong, harmful, or besides the point.
    – Iain Samuel McLean Elder
    Jan 5, 2014 at 17:34
  • 7
    Just to make it clear: do you keep the reputation if it has a score of 3 or greater AND was visible on the site for at least 60 days, or if it has a score of 3 or greater OR was visible on the site for at least 60 days?
    – Donald Duck
    Feb 2, 2017 at 19:14

You must log in to answer this question.

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