Can I answer a question multiple times? [duplicate]

Question

If I have two separate answers to a question, should I put both in the same post or should I post first one and then the other?

---

For instance:

Q: Can I eat honey and locusts?

A: Both are edible and nontoxic. But you should probably eat a more balanced diet.

Versus:

Q: How do you make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?

A1: Spread the peanut butter on one slice of bread and the jelly on another. Then mash the slices together so that the peanut butter and jelly touch.

A2: Spread the peanut butter on a slice of bread. Spread a layer of jelly on top of the peanut butter. Then, with the peanut butter and jelly on the inside, fold the slice of bread in half.

Answer 1

The FAQ says that you should use two separate posts. That way, the best answer can be voted up and float to the top.

Answer 2

Two posts. Not only will the better one percolate, but the nature of reputation scores gives you an incentive to do two, so that must be the right way...

Answer 3

Both are correct!

Notice that the honey and locust answers reinforce each other. If they were put in separate posts, they would drift apart from each other as the votes were recorded. That might mean the factually correct, but potentially unhealthy, response would be read without the important qualification. Voting will make finding the correct answer harder.

As a corollary, if you answer correctly, but notice someone else suggesting an important qualifier, feel free to incorporate that into your answer. This is especially important if your answer is the accepted one.

On the other hand, the peanut butter and jelly answers are just different ways of getting the desired result. If one is better than the other, voting will sort it out. Lumping them together makes life harder for the voter, since one answer might be right and the other wrong. Further, the superior answer will be listed above the inferior.

Answer 4

One problem with answering a question multiple times is that it might propel the question into Community mode. This may not be a bad thing in terms of giving and getting good answers, but it does limit the total reputation gain possible for the question.

Answer 5

I find that normally a simple "or" between the answers in the same post would suffice. So if your answer does get selected as the 'accepted' answer, then readers can see all presented options. ( This is especially nice in cases when there is no one correct answer. i.e. many ways to do the same thing )

edit: Nevermind, apparently the FAQs think differentlly than I do.

Answer 6

By merging both answers in the same post, you make your answer more complete and therefore more valuable. Keep them together!