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Duplicate answers don't fit well with the stated Stack Exchange mission "to make the Internet better". Site visitors have to waste time and effort trying to figure which one is more (?) correct and what is the purpose of repeating same answer over and over again. This leads to frustration and disappointment.

From this perspective, deleting duplicate answers serves essentially the same purpose as closing duplicate questions: it spares site visitors from the burden of looking in multiple places to find answers to their questions. That's certainly beneficial.

Now, ask yourself a question, what if decision about duplicate is mistaken?

• If we talk about closed duplicate questions, the answer is easy. There is a fairly solid safety net built to correct possible mistakes. Duplicate questions are visible to anyone and conveniently linked from dupe target. Anyone (anyone!) can find and look at these and if they believe that closure is a mistake, they have multiple ways to challenge it and get it corrected: meta, flags, reopen votes and reopen queue, edits (some of which even automatically push a question into reopen queue), chat...

• With deleted answers, our options to correct mistakes are not even close. That's really bad; given that answers are generally considered more important than questions, it would be logical to expect comparable level protection against possible mistakes wouldn't it.

Now, it looks like we have conflicting requirements.

If we keep duplicate answers visible to question readers, this degrades quality of content. But if we delete, it becomes way too difficult to correct mistakes which also degrades quality of content and, which is maybe even worse, goes against the goal to "maximize the happiness and enjoyment of answerers".

Is there a way to reconcile, to meet both requirements? Hard to tell.

One approach I can think of partially resembles the way how system handles duplicate questions. Answers are technically deleted as usual so that question readers see "clean" content. But along with this, dupe target answer gets an additional link: "duplicate answers". Anyone can click that link, get to a separate page and review content of deleted duplicate answers... and probably also flag and (for same users who are granted a privilege of voting to delete duplicates) vote undelete. That would hopefully be about as safe as duplicate question closure.

_{(Attentive readers may notice that answer is essentially built upon my prior comments here: 1, 2, 3).}

Duplicate answers don't fit well with the stated Stack Exchange mission "to make the Internet better". Site visitors have to waste time and effort trying to figure which one is more (?) correct and what is the purpose of repeating same answer over and over again. This leads to frustration and disappointment.

From this perspective, deleting duplicate answers serves essentially the same purpose as closing duplicate questions: it spares site visitors from the burden of looking in multiple places to find answers to their questions. That's certainly beneficial.

Now, ask yourself a question, what if decision about duplicate is mistaken?

• If we talk about closed duplicate questions, the answer is easy. There is a fairly solid safety net built to correct possible mistakes. Duplicate questions are visible to anyone and conveniently linked from dupe target. Anyone (anyone!) can find and look at these and if they believe that closure is a mistake, they have multiple ways to challenge it and get it corrected: meta, flags, reopen votes and reopen queue, edits (some of which even automatically push a question into reopen queue), chat...

• With deleted answers, our options to correct mistakes are not even close. That's really bad; given that answers are generally considered more important than questions, it would be logical to expect comparable level protection against possible mistakes wouldn't it.

Now, it looks like we have conflicting requirements.

If we keep duplicate answers visible to question readers, this degrades quality of content. But if we delete, it becomes way too difficult to correct mistakes which also degrades quality of content and, which is maybe even worse, goes against the goal to "maximize the happiness and enjoyment of answerers".

Is there a way to reconcile, to meet both requirements? Hard to tell.

One approach I can think of partially resembles the way how system handles duplicate questions. Answers are technically deleted as usual so that question readers see "clean" content. But along with this, dupe target answer gets an additional link: "duplicate answers". Anyone can click that link, get to a separate page and review content of deleted duplicate answers... and probably also flag and (for same users who are granted a privilege of voting to delete duplicates) vote undelete. That would hopefully be about as safe as duplicate question closure.

_{(Attentive readers may notice that answer is essentially built upon my prior comments here: 1, 2, 3).}

Duplicate answers don't fit well with the stated Stack Exchange mission "to make the Internet better". Site visitors have to waste time and effort trying to figure which one is more (?) correct and what is the purpose of repeating same answer over and over again. This leads to frustration and disappointment.

From this perspective, deleting duplicate answers serves essentially the same purpose as closing duplicate questions: it spares site visitors from the burden of looking in multiple places to find answers to their questions. That's certainly beneficial.

Now, ask yourself a question, what if decision about duplicate is mistaken?

• If we talk about closed duplicate questions, the answer is easy. There is a fairly solid safety net built to correct possible mistakes. Duplicate questions are visible to anyone and conveniently linked from dupe target. Anyone (anyone!) can find and look at these and if they believe that closure is a mistake, they have multiple ways to challenge it and get it corrected: meta, flags, reopen votes and reopen queue, edits (some of which even automatically push a question into reopen queue), chat...

• With deleted answers, our options to correct mistakes are not even close. That's really bad; given that answers are generally considered more important than questions, it would be logical to expect comparable level protection against possible mistakes wouldn't it.

Now, it looks like we have conflicting requirements.

If we keep duplicate answers visible to question readers, this degrades quality of content. But if we delete, it becomes way too difficult to correct mistakes which also degrades quality of content and, which is maybe even worse, goes against the goal to "maximize the happiness and enjoyment of answerers".

Is there a way to reconcile, to meet both requirements? Hard to tell.

One approach I can think of partially resembles the way how system handles duplicate questions. Answers are technically deleted as usual so that question readers see "clean" content. But along with this, dupe target answer gets an additional link: "duplicate answers". Anyone can click that link, get to a separate page and review content of deleted duplicate answers... and probably also flag and (for same users who are granted a privilege of voting to delete duplicates) vote undelete. That would hopefully be about as safe as duplicate question closure.

_{(Attentive readers may notice that answer is essentially built upon my prior comments here: 1, 2, 3).}

Duplicate answers don't fit well with the stated Stack Exchange mission "to make the Internet better". Site visitors have to waste time and effort trying to figure which one is more (?) correct and what is the purpose of repeating same answer over and over again. This leads to frustration and disappointment.

From this perspective, deleting duplicate answers serves essentially the same purpose as closing duplicate questions: it spares site visitors from the burden of looking in multiple places to find answers to their questions. That's certainly beneficial.

Now, ask yourself a question, what if decision about duplicate is mistaken?

• If we talk about closed duplicate questions, the answer is easy. There is a fairly solid safety net built to correct possible mistakes. Duplicate questions are visible to anyone and conveniently linked from dupe target. Anyone (anyone!) can find and look at these and if they believe that closure is a mistake, they have multiple ways to challenge it and get it corrected: meta, flags, reopen votes and reopen queue, edits (some of which even automatically push a question into reopen queue), chat...

• With deleted answers, our options to correct mistakes are not even close. That's really bad; given that answers are generally considered more important than questions, it would be logical to expect comparable level protection against possible mistakes wouldn't it.

Now, it looks like we have conflicting requirements.

If we keep duplicate answers visible to question readers, this degrades quality of content. But if we delete, it becomes way too difficult to correct mistakes which also degrades quality of content and, which is maybe even worse, goes against the goal to "maximize the happiness and enjoyment of answerers".

Is there a way to reconcile, to meet both requirements? Hard to tell.

One approach I can think of partially resembles the way how system handles duplicate questions. Answers are technically deleted as usual so that question readers see "clean" content. But along with this, dupe target answer gets an additional link: "duplicate answers". Anyone can click that link, get to a separate page and review content of deleted duplicate answers... and probably also flag and (for same users who are granted a privilege of voting to delete duplicates) vote undelete. That would hopefully be about as safe as duplicate question closure.

_{(Attentive readers may notice that answer is essentially built upon my prior comments here: 1, 2, 3).}

Duplicate answers don't fit well with the stated Stack Exchange mission "to make the Internet better". Site visitors have to waste time and effort trying to figure which one is more (?) correct and what is the purpose of repeating same answer over and over again. This leads to frustration and disappointment.

From this perspective, deleting duplicate answers serves essentially the same purpose as closing duplicate questions: it spares site visitors from the burden of looking in multiple places to find answers to their questions. That's certainly beneficial.

Now, ask yourself a question, what if decision about duplicate is mistaken?

• If we talk about closed duplicate questions, the answer is easy. There is a fairly solid safety net built to correct possible mistakes. Duplicate questions are visible to anyone and conveniently linked from dupe target. Anyone (anyone!) can find and look at these and if they believe that closure is a mistake, they have multiple ways to challenge it and get it corrected: meta, flags, reopen votes and reopen queue, edits (some of which even automatically push a question into reopen queue), chat...

• With deleted answers, our options to correct mistakes are not even close. That's really bad; given that answers are generally considered more important than questions, it would be logical to expect comparable level protection against possible mistakes wouldn't it.

Now, it looks like we have conflicting requirements.

If we keep duplicate answers visible to question readers, this degrades quality of content. But if we delete, it becomes way too difficult to correct mistakes which also degrades quality of content and, which is maybe even worse, goes against the goal to "maximize the happiness and enjoyment of answerers".

Is there a way to reconcile, to meet both requirements? Hard to tell.

One approach I can think of partially resembles the way how system handles duplicate questions. Answers are technically deleted as usual so that question readers see "clean" content. But along with this, dupe target answer gets an additional link: "duplicate answers". Anyone can click that link, get to a separate page and review content of deleted duplicate answers... and probably also flag and (for same users who are granted a privilege of voting to delete duplicates) vote undelete. That would hopefully be about as safe as duplicate question closure.

_{(Attentive readers may notice that answer is essentially built upon my prior comments here: 1, 2, 3).}

Duplicate answers don't fit well with the stated Stack Exchange mission "to make the Internet better". Site visitors have to waste time and effort trying to figure which one is more (?) correct and what is the purpose of repeating same answer over and over again. This leads to frustration and disappointment.

From this perspective, deleting duplicate answers serves essentially the same purpose as closing duplicate questions: it spares site visitors from the burden of looking in multiple places to find answers to their questions. That's certainly beneficial.

Now, ask yourself a question, what if decision about duplicate is mistaken?

• If we talk about closed duplicate questions, the answer is easy. There is a fairly solid safety net built to correct possible mistakes. Duplicate questions are visible to anyone and conveniently linked from dupe target. Anyone (anyone!) can find and look at these and if they believe that closure is a mistake, they have multiple ways to challenge it and get it corrected: meta, flags, reopen votes and reopen queue, edits (some of which even automatically push a question into reopen queue), chat...

• With deleted answers, our options to correct mistakes are not even close. That's really bad; given that answers are generally considered more important than questions, it would be logical to expect comparable level protection against possible mistakes wouldn't it.

Now, it looks like we have conflicting requirements.

If we keep duplicate answers visible to question readers, this degrades quality of content. But if we delete, it becomes way too difficult to correct mistakes which also degrades quality of content and, which is maybe even worse, goes against the goal to "maximize the happiness and enjoyment of answerers".

Is there a way to reconcile, to meet both requirements? Hard to tell.

One approach I can think of partially resembles the way how system handles duplicate questions. Answers are technically deleted as usual so that question readers see "clean" content. But along with this, dupe target answer gets an additional link: "duplicate answers". Anyone can click that link, get to a separate page and review content of deleted duplicate answers... and probably also flag and (for same users who are granted a privilege of voting to delete duplicates) vote undelete. That would hopefully be about as safe as duplicate question closure.

_{(Attentive readers may notice that answer is essentially built upon my prior comments here: 1, 2, 3).}