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On this question on Super User …

How to Copy Mac files to external NTFS hard drive?

… there is a comment:

Yes, it is possible. Check out this question: apple.stackexchange.com/questions/447/… – user98776

The interesting thing is that:

  • The user has 1 reputation
  • There was no migrated / deleted answer
  • The question itself was not migrated
  • The user is registered
  • The user does not have any associated network account, therefore no network profile
  • The mods don't see anything obvious.

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Why were they able to post a comment?

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  • 2
    Maybe they posted an answer and a moderator converted it after it was flagged? – Verbeia Sep 22 '11 at 12:48
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    No, there is no deleted answer on the post, I would have been able to see it. – slhck Sep 22 '11 at 12:48
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This could possibly be an effect of Answer appears automatically converted as a comment.

Trivial answers containing a link to another question in the network are automatically converted to comments on the question.

This would explain it, although I would have thought there would be something visible to mods that this had happened.

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  • Well, if that's by-design, then it's 1) the first time I've ever seen it and 2) confusing as hell. I'd much rather downvote or flag such an "answer". – slhck Sep 22 '11 at 12:52
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    @slhck how so? by itself it isn't really an answer (I think we all agree on that), and would have attracted lots of flags/"this should be a comment" comments - the system merely detected that and cut through all that fluff. In most cases it saves time... unless it prompts a meta question, of course ;p – Marc Gravell♦ Sep 22 '11 at 13:01
  • Well, it certainly happens more often on SO, so I see where you're coming from! I've just never seen it :) @mar – slhck Sep 22 '11 at 13:12
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    @MarcGravell So this conversion doesn't leave a deleted answer behind like a conversion-by-moderator does? – Adam Lear♦ Sep 22 '11 at 13:22
  • @Anna obviously it does not, which is the main point of confusion (for me, at least) – slhck Sep 22 '11 at 13:31
  • The answer for that question also reports, "After some internal discussion, when we convert an answer auto-magically we'll do the "linked answer" fade + a one time message to the poster only. This will not survive navigating away from the page, by design." – kiamlaluno Sep 22 '11 at 13:31
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    @Anna no, it does not. ONLY a comment is saved to the database. – Marc Gravell♦ Sep 22 '11 at 13:58
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    Lets destroy it quickly... SE is becoming self aware! – William Hilsum Sep 22 '11 at 15:08
  • Wow. Can they edit the answer after the convert? In that case, they could create an comment & edit instead of just writing the comment. – Johannes Kuhn Jul 15 '13 at 9:16

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