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Is there any chance to implement this feature to notify the answerer when the author of the question (or anyone) has updated the question beyond 5 minutes? This includes: typos, code alignment, content, or anything that a modification has been made.

Sometimes the user has updated the question and the content is different from the primary content. There are already answers on the question and sometimes these answers will not likely answer the question anymore. Just like this post.

UPDATE

Or maybe is it possible to Implement a button or an option just a like in facebook that will allow a user to follow or unfollow (by default in SO) a post. (points still for the modifications)

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    Or sometimes the OP has completely changed their question and you need to update your answer quick before people start commenting...
    – ɥʇǝS
    Apr 8, 2013 at 15:11
  • @Seth I totally agree. This helps us avoid on focusing the same question for a long time and waiting for the update.
    – JW 웃
    Apr 8, 2013 at 15:12
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    For most people this would likely involve being spammed with too many notifications to deal with. It's probably better to just rely on someone commenting on your answer if it is obsolete as a result of an edit the OP made to their post, as that will account for a fairly small percentage of edits made to questions.
    – Servy
    Apr 8, 2013 at 15:12
  • @Servy No, I think most people will like it. Remember that only the answerer will be notified, not all. This is to counter check if the modification still fits with the answer.
    – JW 웃
    Apr 8, 2013 at 15:15
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    If implemented, it would have to be optional for people with thousands of answers.
    – Bo Persson
    Apr 8, 2013 at 15:16
  • I don't want to have to go around clicking unfollow for every single question I answer. It's rather rare for an OP to edit a question to such an extent that an answer needs to be changed. You can favorite every question you answer if you want to be notified of all changes, but I imagine the vast majority of people will quickly find out that they don't ever want to see these notifications.
    – Servy
    Apr 8, 2013 at 15:24
  • @Servy As i've said on the option by default is unfollow. Anyway I respect your opinion. Favorite is not an option. It will likely to be different. For example, how will a low quality question be one of your favorites?
    – JW 웃
    Apr 8, 2013 at 15:27
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    @JW Favoriting a question merely means you want to have a way of finding it more quickly, and of being notified of edits to the post. Lots of users tend to use favorites to keep track of bad posts that they expect they'll need to come back to to help fix up. If you want a means of opting into being notified of when a question is edited, then that's exactly what favorites do. Just favorite the question; done.
    – Servy
    Apr 8, 2013 at 15:33

2 Answers 2

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In my opinion this is just not feasible. What determines a substantial edit that would merit a user notification? Simple re-tagging? Indentation of some code? At some point, after enough revisions or edits, the question may lose it's original meaning and would need to be re-created. My other thought is why notify the users that have answered of the edit? Perhaps they shouldn't have answered if the original question was not constructive.

I think a better alternative would be a check box on the edit screen that would allow the editor to "notify" the users who have answered (and a setting for those who have answered to get notified).

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  • "..What determines a substantial edit that would merit a user notification? -- none. ..I think a better alternative would be a check box on the edit screen that would allow the editor to "notify" the users who have answered.* -- I totally agree with this one.
    – JW 웃
    Apr 8, 2013 at 15:56
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While I like the basic Idea, I suggest some changes:

  • Use favorites as opt-in.
    Many people already use favorites to track questions that might require improvements.

  • The time limit needs to be adjusted.
    I'm not sure if there should be no time limit, but 5 minutes is probably too short.

The reasons for these suggestion are quite different as the OPs one:

  • This proposal should not be used as excuse for chameleon questions
    Chameleon questions are bad.

  • This feature is still useful, but not only for the answerer
    In fact, many people avoid answering a duplicate, (V)LQ... questions. They still favorite the question to check back later and if something changed cast an appropriate vote.

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