Intro
It's no secret that there are questions from newbies or questions that are hard to understand. However, some members may be well-experienced to understand even such questions - relying on their knowledge. Normally, questions, that are not clear or something like this - will be closed soon - and that's how it works - it's good that we can close questions that are unclear.
What we have now
If someone is writing an answer to a question - and then, during this, question is closed - the corresponding notification will appear. Ok, let's imagine that it will be a good answer to the question that is hard to understand, but answerer understood it well. And, also, let's imagine that he has spent half an hour to create that answer. What he'll see? Yes, 'answers will not be accepted anymore'. Sad. He just lost 30 minutes of his life. This is another side of medal when we're closing question.
So, what can be done?
I have in mind some ideas to prevent such situation - and, in the same time, save current model of how questions are closed.
- If we have notification to answerer that question is closed, then - why we have not notification to those, who are voting, that in current time, an answer to this question is in progress? That may be implemented as a notification or it may even prevent question from being closed until answer will be sent or answerer will have no activity for X seconds.
- If it's new question, then it may have sense not to allow closing it in 10..30 seconds. This interval should not be too high, because if it will be, then bad question will possibly disappear from first page and then will stay opened (due to lack of reviews).
- If we have notification to answerer that question is closed - then may be there's sense in sending notification to him when each closing vote is accepted? In that way he'll know that question possibly will be closed and he'll have choice - abandon his answer or continue writing it, but on his own risk. At least, this decision he'll able to do much earlier than he'll realize that question is closed.
Or may be there are other ideas? Some questions are really bad, and it's ok that answers to them will never appear. But in some cases question can be unclear for wide-range of viewers, but there's chance, that someone will understand it. And intention of such notification - that, when someone will do cv and receive notification, that answer for this question is in progress, he'll know that someone possibly understood this question. Mostly, this is about questions that are either 'too broad' or 'unclear what you are asking' - but may be it has sense even for other reasons of closing questions.
The only doubt if - than answer in progress could also be not well. But that's up to community, isn't it? Anyone is free to downvote it as well (but at least, answerer will not spend his time for nothing)